The March Violets are one of a number of early 1980s post-punk/gothic rock bands who are at risk of being forgotten by new music fans. Thanks to quality releases from the Violets, Danse Society, and Skeletal Family, to name a few, music fans can discover these bands without hunting down obscure vinyl. This disc is a real gem; a grand overview of the Violets featuring one good song after another. It's a lot of bang for your buck.

The sound? Even though they grew up around The Sisters of Mercy, the Violets have an upbeat sound that still maintains a hint of menace. The lyrics are a lot different as well; this is dark music that knows it doesn't have to sound brooding all the time. They've got a lot of rhythm and a busy drum machine that creates some very danceable tracks. The twin vocal attack works wonders around songs like the famed Snake Dance and especially Lights Go Out. The production is cleaner, glossier, and more upbeat than the amphetamine menace of the Sisters, but the bands are apples and oranges.

Back in the early 1980s, the Violets signed to Merciful Records, the Sisters of Mercy imprint that Andrew Eldritch set up. He even helped them in the studio with mixing (before he gave them the boot). Incidentally, Violets vocalist Simon Denbigh now has the honors of being 'Nurse' to the 'Doktor' (Doktor Avalance, the Sisters' drum, bass, and string machine these days) when Eldritch and Co. tour.

Highly recommended to Sisters fans, post-punks fans, and good rock in general fans. As a previous reviewer pointed out, Children on Stun (named after a Violets song) are a good 90s band to check out if you like this disc.


nearly-complete collection from post-punk/goth-rock classic   May 14, 1999
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

First of all, the album is called "The Botanic Verses," not "The Dotanio Verses."

The March Violets were part of the early-80s Leeds post-punk scene that also spawned Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Sisters of Mercy, the Three Johns, Gang of Four, and the Bolshoi. Anyone who enjoys those bands should also check out the Violets, who produced some of the best music in that scene.

This album is a great collection. Like their two previous albums "Natural History" and "Electric Shades," it's a "best of" album made up of tracks from EPs and singles, but unlike those two it spans their entire career, containing most of their best tracks, organized for first-time listeners (although the import version may be better mastered than the American release). The only glaring omission is their tracks from the Some Kind of Wonderful soundtrack.

At the peak of their popularity, March Violets, like their compatriots, were a major part of the deathrock/goth scene, and they inspired many later bands (Children on Stun and Radiant Boys are named after Violets songs), but they differ from the most famous bands in that scene.

For one, the music is not just a rehash of the Sisters' sound. The Violets overcame the slow drone with driving basslines, snarling male vocals, and strong female vocals, recording everything from dance floor classics to screw-the-world manifestos and silly novelty songs.

Lyrically, the Violets were closer to the Lorries or the Three Johns than to the Sisters or any of their followers, combining political outrage and a sense of humor with the poetic romanticism that so many goth bands have come to rely on excessively.

Overall, this is a good introduction to an underrated band.


Like the Sisters of Mercy but more upbeat   November 27, 1999
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Once again a legendary British gothic rock band that has been forgotten in this age of decadence in which people think the term gothic means anger rather than misery. Forget what the pop music and shock rock industry tell you is gothic, this is the real thing. It's beautiful and poetic by conveying a feeling of darkness and hopelessness. This music is groovy with medieval undertones! If you're like me and think the Sisters of Mercy are good but need to have recorded a bit more fast paced music in their time then you will love this. Snake Dance is a classic song. By the way for those of you who like gothic style music and are new to the scene also check out The Cure, Joy Division, and March Violet fans, Children on Stun (all great British bands who wrote or still write meaningful and emotional music).


Stunning!   October 15, 2002
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

Regardless of being in the shadow of the Sisters Of Mercy, I still think the March Violets were the more endearing and talented of the two. This wonderful compilation (though I'd rather have the song "Undertow" included instead of the 7" version of "Snake Dance")is a testement to that. Unlike the Sisters who in their early days had the fashion and a couple stand out songs, The March Violets kept a steady pace with inovative song-writing, top notch musicianship and clever lyrics that didn't just focus on the typical bled to death goth subjects. If you want "dark" then find a copy of "Closer" by Joy Division or better yet, "Sleep No More" by the Comsat Angels---If you want something more upbeat then this is worth exploring


March Violets   January 23, 2003
 3 out of 6 found this review helpful

March Violets - One of thee most underrated bands of all time. NOT just a corny 'Goth band' - they stood out amoungst the rest and with gems like 'Grooving In Green' - they should have been much bigger.

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