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Hitting the Ground

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Hitting the Ground

| type = studio

| artist = Gordon Gano

| cover = Hitting the Ground.jpeg

| alt =

| released = August 13, 2002

| recorded = 2002

| venue =

| studio = Carriage House Studios, Stamford, Connecticut; Big House, Manhattan, New York; ICP Recording Studios, Brussels; Mad Hatter Studios, Los Angeles; A&M Studios, Hollywood; John & Stu's Place, Seattle, Washington; Nine Lives; Mission; Colorado Sound Recording Studios, Denver; The Roof, New York City

| genre = Rock

| length =

| label = Instinct Records

| producer = Warren Bruleigh, Gordon Gano

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

Hitting the Ground is Violent Femmes member Gordon Gano's debut solo studio 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 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 turned it down. They Might Be Giants performed and produced their song, "Darlin' Allison," by themselves. John Cale recorded "Don't Pretend," solo on piano and vocals.

Critical reception

Hitting the Ground received mostly favorable reviews from critics.[http://www.metacritic.com/music/hitting-the-ground/gordon-gano Hitting the Ground], Metacritic Some critics, however, did give it mixed reviews, such as Eric Carr, who wrote in Pitchfork that "none of these tracks are all that interesting beyond a listen or two."

{{Music ratings

|MC=(63%)

|rev1=AllMusic

|rev1score={{rating|3|5}}{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/hitting-the-ground-mw0000590985 | title=Hitting the Ground Review | work=AllMusic | accessdate=7 December 2014 | author=Wilson, Mackenzie}}

|rev2=Pitchfork Media

|rev2score=(4.9/10){{cite web | url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/3394-hitting-the-ground/ | title=Hitting the Ground | work=Pitchfork Media | date=16 September 2002 | accessdate=7 December 2014 | author=Carr, Eric}}

|rev3=The Guardian

|rev3score={{rating|5|5}}{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2002/aug/30/popandrock.artsfeatures4 | title=Gordon Gano: Hitting the Ground | work=The Guardian | date=30 August 2002 | accessdate=7 December 2014 | author=Clarke, Betty}}

|rev4=Robert Christgau

|rev4score={{rating-Christgau|cut}}{{cite web | url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=gordon+gano | title=Gordon Gano Reviews | accessdate=7 December 2014 | author=Christgau, Robert}}

}}

Track listing

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

  1. "Hitting the Ground"
  2. * PJ Harvey - vocals and guitar solo
  3. "Oh Wonder"
  4. * Mary Lou Lord - acoustic guitar and vocals
  5. "Make It Happen"
  6. * Gordon Gano - vocals
  7. "Don't Pretend"
  8. * John Cale - piano and vocals
  9. "Catch 'Em In the Act"
  10. * Lou Reed - vocals and guitar (right speaker)
  11. "So It Goes"
  12. * Linda Perry - vocals
  13. "Run"
  14. * Frank Black - vocals
  15. "Darlin' Allison"
  16. * They Might Be Giants - vocals and all instruments
  17. "Merry Christmas Brother"
  18. * Cynthia Gayneaux - vocals
  19. "It's Money"
  20. * Gordon Gano - vocals, Martha Wainwright - vocals
  21. "Hitting the Ground"
  22. * Gordon Gano - vocals, PJ Harvey - guitar solo

Personnel

Musicians, in addition to the above:

  • Frank Ferrer - drums (all tracks except 4, 8)
  • Lonnie Hillyer - bass (tracks 2, 6)
  • Melora Creager - cello (track 2)
  • Brendan Ryan - keyboards (track 10)
  • PJ O'Connor - backing vocals (track 10)
  • Hope Debates - backing vocals (track 10)

Production

  • Producer - Warren Bruleigh (all songs except "Darlin' Allison," produced by They Might Be Giants)
  • Michael White, Irwin Autique, Martin Brass, Larry Mah, John Goodmanson, Warren Bruleigh, Steve Rosenthal, Alex Reed, Michael W. Douglass, Nicola Stemmer, Oliver Strauss, Rob Lewis - engineer
  • Dave P. Moore - executive producer
  • Dave Heath - cover photograph "Vengeful Sister, Chicago"

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{IMDb title|id=0116539|title=Hitting the Ground}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Gordon Gano albums

Category:2002 debut albums