Biography

When indie superstars Camper Van Beethoven signed with Virgin Records in the late 1980s, it seemed inconceivable. How could that band move to a major label without “selling out” and sacrificing all that made them great?

The first three tracks on Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart were a pop song, an instrumental and an adaptation of a folk dirge about death. Heck, the release even had a love song for Patty Hearst. No, Camper Van Beethoven didn’t sell out. They just had better distribution now.

Omnivore Recordings is proud to take everyone back to 1988, when musical worlds collided and Camper Van Beethoven helped break the mold and blur the lines between indie rock and “alternative.” Suddenly, it was an even playing field and Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart found itself in the bins next to Chicago and Cinderella. Produced by Dennis Herring (Elvis Costello, Counting Crows), the 25th anniversary of this landmark album finds it reissued on CD with 10 bonus tracks—and on vinyl for the first time since its original issue.

The band returned the following year with what most deem their masterpiece— Key Lime Pie. Once again produced by Dennis Herring, Key Lime Pie continued the journey into the world of CVB, but with higher production value and sound than had been heard before. From a track about Jack Ruby to a cover of Status Quo’s “Pictures Of Matchstick Men”, Key Lime Pie was a slice above the rest and a fitting dessert for the 1980s.

This reissue finds nine bonus tracks on the CD. The nearly hour-long album was originally pressed on one LP, but Omnivore has expanded it to two LPs (for better sound) and added a bonus track to Side 4.

Featuring new liners and photos in the CD and LP, both Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart and Key Lime Pie are being reissued with full cooperation and input from the band themselves. These are the releases CVB fans have been dreaming of.