Benefactor (album)

Benefactor
Benefactor
Studio album by Romeo Void
Released	August 6, 1982
Recorded	1981–1982
Genre	Dance-rock
Length	38:04
Label	Columbia
Producer	Ian Taylor; Ric Ocasek;
Romeo Void chronology

Benefactor is the second studio album by the American band Romeo Void, released in 1982.^[2]^[3] It was released on CD in 2006 by Wounded Bird Records, with their Never Say Never EP as four bonus tracks. The version of the song "Never Say Never" is a shorter, "clean" edit suitable for general radio broadcast.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

The New York Times wrote that "too much of Benefactor suffers from Miss Iyall's artsy overwriting... And the feverishly clever arrangements can't quite disguise the band's lack of strong melodies."^[4] The Boston Phoenix opined that "As scrambled as its material gets, Benefactor is saved by the struggle this band brings to their rock ‘n’ roll — their conviction that escape routes from lovelessness are worth fighting for, worth opening up for the audience."^[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Benjamin Bossi, Larry Carter, Debora Iyall, Peter Woods, and Frank Zincavage, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Never Say Never"		3:27
2.	"Wrap It Up"	Isaac Hayes, David Porter	3:15
3.	"Flashflood"		4:55
4.	"Undercover Kept"		6:05
5.	"Ventilation"		3:55
6.	"Chinatown"		3:18
7.	"Orange"		4:15
8.	"Shake the Hands of Time"		3:19
9.	"S.O.S."		5:30
Total length:			38:04

2006 reissue bonus tracks; taken from the *Never Say Never* EP
No.	Title	Length
10.	"Never Say Never"	6:06
11.	"In the Dark"	4:33
12.	"Present Tense"	5:47
13.	"Not Safe"	3:57
Total length:		58:27

Personnel

Romeo Void

Debora Iyall – vocals
Peter Woods – guitar
Benjamin Bossi – saxophone
Frank Zincavage – bass
Larry Carter – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

Walter Turbitt – guitar on track 9
Marybeth O'Hara – backing vocals on track 7
Norman Salant – saxophone on track 7

Production

Ian Taylor – producer
Ric Ocasek – additional production on track 1

Charts

Album

Item	Year	Chart	Position
Never Say Never (EP)	1982	Pop Albums	147
Benefactor	1982	Pop Albums	119

References

^ ^a ^b Benefactor at AllMusic
^ Emerson, Ken (October 14, 1982). "Benefactor". Rolling Stone. No. 380. p. 74.
^ Righi, Len (November 6, 1984). "A New Kind of Recognition for Romeo Void". The Morning Call. p. D7.
^ Palmer, Robert (August 25, 1982). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C19.
^ Hampton, Howard (September 14, 1982). "Null and void: Debora lyall stays undercover". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved September 20, 2024.

[allmusic-1] Benefactor at AllMusic

[2] Emerson, Ken (October 14, 1982). "Benefactor". Rolling Stone. No. 380. p. 74.

[3] Righi, Len (November 6, 1984). "A New Kind of Recognition for Romeo Void". The Morning Call. p. D7.

[4] Palmer, Robert (August 25, 1982). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C19.

[5] Hampton, Howard (September 14, 1982). "Null and void: Debora lyall stays undercover". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved September 20, 2024.

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