Seriously, if I tried to name my favorites, I would end up naming the entire album. I've owned it for 4 years now, and it always finds its way back into my CD player. Brian has got a great voice, great music/lyric writing ablility, and a great band backing him. My personal favorite is REVEREND GIRL, which dueling guitars wrap around beautiful lyrics: "We are for today/ we are for the moment/ we are a crusade/ but we are invalid/ one a.m. rummaging/ stain my hands on her antique/ two a.m."

See the Verve Pipe live if you get a chance, also. They never miss a beat, have great rapport with the crowd, and always close with scorching renditions of Beatles songs (i.e. Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds, Strawberry Fields Forever, etc.).

Not just
This major label debut by The Verve Pipe has gone multi-platinum; and for good reasons. Not only does it contain the mega-hit "The Freshmen", it features three other Modern Rock, Top 20 hits: "Photograph", "Cup of Tea" and the title cut, "Villains".

From ballads - "The Freshmen", "Penny is Poison", "Veneer" to hard driving rock songs like: "Barely, If At All" "Ominous Man", "Cup of Tea", "Villains"

---these guys are the best of the post-Nirvana era!

They bridge the gap between English Pop and Grunge like no other band.

Be advised though! This is an album that takes many spins to get "the hang of".

Once you give it a try, it will stay in your CD Changer for many a month!
if the reason you are buying this cd is to listen to the freshmen and other songs like that, do not buy this cd. the freshmen is the only half decent song on here and everything else sounds like garage band music. one hit wonder if ive ever seen one.

The Freshmen
Villains was the first CD that I purchased of the Verve Pipe and have since purchased three more of their CD's because of what a strong first impression Villains gives off. The strongest track is "The Freshmen" which even those who gave the CD negative reviews raved about. However, the CD has much more to offer. Every song is unique in its lyrics and beat; it has soemthing for everybody. If you are a new listener and have yet to purchace a CD by the Verve Pipe, i strongly reccomend Villains. If you have purchased other CD's of theirs and are looking for another, Villains is a great choice!
Possibly - certainly in my top 5. But the argument rages among TVP fans as to whether this is even the best TVP album ever - Pop Smear usually getting the nod. Of the four TVP albums I have - all but Underneath - I think Villains is my favorite, but it's close. Villains is obviously the most polished - perhaps the only benefit TVP got out of being discovered and signing with a label. Pop Smear probably has the most creativity and broadest range - drop your jaw stuff - while I've Suffered A Head Injury has the purest jamming rock and roll. If you like any one of the three albums, you are out of your mind if you don't get the other two. The combination of incredible creativity, lyrics as poetry, and fabulous pounding rock and roll is present in all three. As impressed as I am with Brian Vander Ark's guitar and vocals, I think Donny Brown's drum playing is at least as important, if not more important, to the TVP sound. The fourth TVP I have is the self-titled album that followed Villains, and although I haven't done what some have recommended - give it multiple listens and some time - it seems to me that TVP began their downward slide there. I doubt I will even try Underneath.