Hitting the Ground is Violent Femmes

Violent Femmes

Violent Femmes were an American alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, initially active between 1980 and 1987 and again from 1988 to 2009...

 member Gordon Gano

Gordon Gano

Gordon James Gano is an American musician. He is best known for being the singer, guitarist and songwriter of American alternative rock band Violent Femmes.-Early life:...

's first solo album. It was produced by Warren Bruleigh and released in 2002. Gano wrote the songs for a film of the same name.

Each song was performed by a different artist. Gano says that the songs were written with no particular performer in mind, but he is very happy that each performer made his or her song his or her own. Lou Reed

Lou Reed

Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...

 rewrote some of the lyrics, and was given partial writing credit for "Catch 'Em In the Act." Gordon's sister Cynthia Gayneau sang "Merry Christmas Brother" after Joan Baez

Joan Baez

Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....

 turned it down. They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...

 performed and produced their song, "Darlin' Allison," by themselves. John Cale

John Cale

John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....

 recorded "Don't Pretend," solo on piano and vocals.

Track listing

All songs written by Gordon Gano, except "Catch 'Em In the Act" by Gano and Lou Reed.

1. "Hitting the Ground"
   • PJ Harvey
     PJ Harvey
     Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
     
      - vocals and guitar solo
2. "Oh Wonder"
   • Mary Lou Lord
     Mary Lou Lord
     Mary Lou Lord is an indie folk musician, busker and recording artist.-Biography:Mary Lou Lord first gained notice playing acoustic guitar and singing in and around Boston's subway stations Lord became friends with...
     
      - acoustic guitar and vocals
3. "Make It Happen"
   • Gordon Gano
     Gordon Gano
     Gordon James Gano is an American musician. He is best known for being the singer, guitarist and songwriter of American alternative rock band Violent Femmes.-Early life:...
     
      - vocals
4. "Don't Pretend"
   • John Cale
     John Cale
     John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
     
      - piano and vocals
5. "Catch 'Em In the Act"
   • Lou Reed
     Lou Reed
     Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
     
      - vocals and guitar right
6. "So It Goes"
   • Linda Perry
     Linda Perry
     Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
     
      - vocals
7. "Run"
   • Frank Black
     Frank Black
     Black Francis is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black...
     
      - vocals
8. "Darlin' Allison"
   • They Might Be Giants
     They Might Be Giants
     They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
     
      - vocals and all instruments
9. "Merry Christmas Brother"
   • Cynthia Gayneaux - vocals
10. "It's Money"
    • Gordon Gano - vocals, Martha Wainwright
      Martha Wainwright
      Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
      
      - vocals
11. "Hitting the Ground"
    • Gordon Gano - vocals, PJ Harvey - guitar solo

Personnel

Musicians, in addition to the above:

• Frank Ferrer - drums (all tracks except 4, 8)
• Lonnie Hilyer - bass (tracks 2, 6)
• Melora Creager - cello (track 2)
• Brendan Ryan - keyboards (track 10)
• P.J. O'Connor - background vocals (track 10)
• Hope Debates - background vocals (track 10)

Production

• Producer - Warren Bruleigh (all songs except "Darlin' Allison," produced by They Might Be Giants)
• Engineers - Michael White, Irwin Autique, Martin Brass, Larry Mah, John Goodmanson, Warren Bruleight, Steve Rosenthal, Alex Reed, Machael Douglass, Nicola Stemmer, Oliver Strauss, Rob Lewis
• Cover photo - Dave Heath