Announcing the 30 Year Anniversary Vinyl Edition of Welcome to Struggleville!
The Double 180 gram LP
by Bill Mallonee & Vigilantes of Love
After an amazing Kickstarter campaign, we were able to have the original 1/2″ tape master sequence restored and remastered for vinyl by Grammy award winning Pete Lyman and the pro team at Infrasonic in Nashville. The artwork by national treasure, Kreg Yingst, is a reimagined version of the original cover, and a brand new back cover design. The inner cover features the original black and white photos of the Struggleville band by Michael Wilson (renown for his poignant photography of musical greats from B.B. King to Buddy Miller). The layout was designed by the talented and capable Jason Horst of Horst Arts. The double album is a heavy 180 grams of quality audio that will hold up to repeated plays without sound degradation. Altogether, the album is fantastic sonically and visually.
A brief history of WtS: We had been signed to Phil Walden’s Capricorn label post SXSW in Austin in Summer of 1993. In Fall of 1993 the band walked into Cyclops studio in Atlanta (Courtney Love had apparently just been there to record her first smash hit album “Live Through This”) to lay down the basic tracks for Welcome To Struggleville. We were able to grab 14 of the 20 song set list that week. The personnel was beyond incredible. Bassist David LaBruyere and drummer Travis McNabb were nothing short of phenomenal, nailing track after track. The large room at Cyclops afforded us a big, full “live” drum and bass sound. Keyboardist Joey Huffman brought his solid rock Hammond B-3 to the mixes, as well. Newt Carter and I later added guitars and vocals at Full Moon Studios in Watkinsville, Ga. Mixing was done by Jim Scott at Bobby Brown’s studio in ATL. And from there? Pretty much the rest is history.
The album, with it’s title cut single, was released to a flurry of great reviews and immediately entered the top ten playlist at Atlanta’s 99X, a modern rock station that was gaining huge momentum. The fledgling Adult Alternative Album radio format was breaking wide open nationally and embraced the album, as well. Cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, Dallas, Austin, St. Louis, Denver, Boulder, Los Angeles, and a host of college towns meant that we would have plenty of work for the next year.
Welcome to Struggleville was the album that broke us nationally. Big sound; huge. I was learning how to become a more engaging performer and put together seamless sets where hi-octane energy was the name of the game. It was heady times. The songs? Yes, I think they were really good songs from start to finish. We delivered. And I still believe in them. But, it was the band, “live” and in the studio in all of it’s blazing glory that “sold” the record night after night. I was humbled and honored to have GREAT playing by Newt Carter, David LaBruyere and Travis McNabb…hands down one of the finest versions of VoL that ever existed. Incomparable. That’s what you find here on this superb recording, an album Paste Music Magazine called “one of the best rock albums and bands of the 90’s.”
Bill Mallonee: acoustics guitars, vocals, harmonica
Newton Carter: Electric guitars, vocals
David LaBruyere: bass, vocals
Travis McNabb: drums, percussion
Joey Huffman: keys
Produced by Jim Scott
After fulfilling the Kickstarter campaign and online pre-orders, we have a few copies of this rare album left for purchase. Order your copy of Welcome to Struggleville today, and be a part of V.O.L. history!
Due to the scarcity of this item, please limit purchase to no more than 2 copies. Thanks!
Love the artwork? Original block prints of the album art are available for purchase here.
Due to high postage, complicated tax protocols and customs, we do not offer international shipping.
