Search - Romeo Void :: Benefactor

Benefactor
Romeo Void
Benefactor
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
 
Romeo Void was a new wave group from the 80's fronted by female vocalist Debora Iyall. 'Benefactor' hit the Billboard charts in 1982 & features one of their signature songs, Never Say Never. It is now being released on...  more »

     
?

Larger Image

CD Details

All Artists: Romeo Void
Title: Benefactor
Members Wishing: 3
Total Copies: 0
Label: Wounded Bird Records
Original Release Date: 1/1/2005
Re-Release Date: 1/17/2006
Album Type: Extra tracks
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock
Styles: Hardcore & Punk, New Wave & Post-Punk, Dance Pop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 664140818224, 074643818247

Synopsis

Album Description
Romeo Void was a new wave group from the 80's fronted by female vocalist Debora Iyall. 'Benefactor' hit the Billboard charts in 1982 & features one of their signature songs, Never Say Never. It is now being released on CD for the fIrst time anywhere in the world, and features the complete 'Never Say Never' EP as a bonus! Wounded Bird Records. 2005.
 

CD Reviews

2 down, 1 to go
RSD | 01/26/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"All we need now is the re-release of "It's a Condition".

Wounded Bird Records has done New Wave music a great service by releasing this album on CD. As an added treat, you get the "Never Say Never" E.P. which is included as bonus tracks.

Debora Iyall's voice had a disconnected condescending quality that inspired lust and erotic vibrations.

Benjamin Bossi's Sax playing needs to be singled out as a highlighted element as well. His impact is still felt today. His solos have been included in popular video games. He has transcended his artisic medium.

Zincavage kept the pace of the songs with a sometimes hostile bass rhythm that was thick and fluid. The other instrumentation, of Wood and Carter, stuck to his bass-lines like they were taffy.

Ultimately this band's success was victimized by the image obsessed era they arrived in; the 80's. If Debora Iyall had the figure of a Jessica Simpson, they would have had the full force and resources of their record company's marketing department behind them."
The Best US Post-Punk Band at its peak.
ChrisWN | Santa Cruz, CA | 02/04/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most US punk, new wave & ska bands from the early 80s tended to be pale imitations of UK acts, who usually had smarter lyrics, better playing & catchier rhythms. Romeo Void was the exception. Romeo Void's use of saxophone & Debra Iyall's sultry voice added a jazzier dimension to their music and really separated them from the growing New Wave crowd. Add to that smart lyrics & a danceable beat and you have a winning early 80s combo. Unfortunately they didn't quite garner as much success as other, lesser bands, and the success they did achieve was from their more inferior material, after which they quickly disbanded.



Romeo Void's "nvr sy nvr" EP (included in its entirety here as bonus tracks) is the group at its peak. This masterpiece, which was produced by Ric Ocasek of The Cars, was first issued on San Francisco's 415 label and received modest attention on college radio, but little else. However, because the infectious & catchy song "Never Say Never" continued to receive regular play in clubs & on college stations a full year after its release, Columbia signed the band & released the album "Benefactor" featuring a censored/edited version of "Never Say Never". It then re-issued the EP, giving it a bit more visibility, thereby still getting air/club play for over 2 years after it's initial release. I remember "Benefactor" being a bit of a disappointment, if only because the songs were shorter than "nvr sy nvr" and (except for Undercover Kept) not quite as infectious. However, the album grew on me with repeated listenings and soon grew to like it as much as their first album (It's a condition), though it did seem to make a nod in a more commercial direction."
"Benefactor" finally on CD!
review-o-matic | 01/21/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Another Romeo Void classic. Wounded Bird Records issued "Instincts" on CD, and now "Benefactor".

"