Benefactor (album)

Benefactor is the second studio album by American new wave band Romeo Void, released in 1982. It was released on CD in 2006 by Wounded Bird Records, with their Never Say Never EP as four bonus tracks. The version of the song "Never Say Never" is a shorter, "clean" edit suitable for general radio broadcast.

Benefactor
Studio album by Romeo Void
Released	August 6, 1982
Recorded	1981-1982
Genre	New wave
Length	38:04 (Benefactor) 20:23 (Never Say Never) 58:27 (total)
Label	Columbia
Producer	Ian Taylor Ric Ocasek on "Never Say Never"
Romeo Void chronology
Never Say Never EP (1981) Benefactor (1982) Instincts (1984)

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

The New York Times wrote that "too much of Benefactor suffers from Miss Iyall's artsy overwriting... And the feverishly clever arrangements can't quite disguise the band's lack of strong melodies."

Track listing

All songs written by Benjamin Bossi, Larry Carter, Debora Iyall, Peter Woods, and Frank Zincavage, except where noted.

1. "Never Say Never" – 3:27
2. "Wrap It Up" (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) – 3:15
3. "Flashflood" – 4:55
4. "Undercover Kept" – 6:05
5. "Ventilation" – 3:55
6. "Chinatown" – 3:18
7. "Orange" – 4:15
8. "Shake the Hands of Time" – 3:19
9. "S.O.S." – 5:30

Bonus tracks (2006 reissue; taken from "Never Say Never EP")

1. "Never Say Never" – 6:06
2. "In the Dark" – 4:33
3. "Present Tense" – 5:47
4. "Not Safe" – 3:57

Personnel

• Debora Iyall – vocals
• Peter Woods – guitar
• Benjamin Bossi – saxophone
• Frank Zincavage – bass
• Larry Carter – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Walter Turbitt – guitar on 9
• Marybeth O'Hara – backing vocals on 7
• Norman Salant – saxophone on 7

Charts

Album

Item	Year	Chart	Position
Never Say Never (EP)	1982	Pop Albums	147
Benefactor	1982	Pop Albums	119