Violent Femmes (album)
| Violent Femmes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Violent Femmes.jpg | ||||
| Studio album by Violent Femmes | ||||
| Released | April 1983 | |||
| Recorded | July 1982; August 31–September 1, 1983 (Tracks 11–12) | |||
| Studio | Castle Studios in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; Music Works Studios in London (Tracks 11–12) | |||
| Genre | Folk punk, alternative rock, punk rock | |||
| Length | 36:15 | |||
| Label | Slash | |||
| Producer | Mark Van Hecke | |||
| Violent Femmes chronology | ||||
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Violent Femmes is the debut album by Violent Femmes. Mostly recorded in July 1982, the album was released by Slash Records on vinyl and on cassette in April 1983,[1][2] and on CD in 1987[3][4] with two extra tracks "Ugly" and "Gimme the Car".
In 2002, Rhino Records remastered the album, filled out the disc's length with demos, and added another disc of live tracks and a radio interview for a 20th anniversary special edition, with liner notes by Michael Azerrad.
Violent Femmes is the band's most successful album to date and went platinum eight years after its release. The album achieved what is believed to be a unique feat by going gold, four years after its release, without having yet made an appearance on Billboard's Top 200 album chart.
Slant Magazine listed the album at #21 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s".[5]
Contents
Album
Most of the songs on both this album and its follow-up were written when the songwriter, Gordon Gano, was still in high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[6] Violent Femmes peaked at #171 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart in 1991.[7]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [8] |
| Rolling Stone |  [9] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 10/10[10] |
| The Village Voice | B+[11] |
In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, J. D. Considine wrote that Violent Femmes was precocious yet dynamic, with a good balance between Gano's direct lyrics and the full sound of the music.[9] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice compared Gano and the album as a whole to Jonathan Richman of The Modern Lovers,[11] as did Steve Huey in an AllMusic retrospective write-up.[8]
Gano himself tired of comparisons of him to Richman, as by his own account he was actually trying to sound like Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate.[12]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Gordon Gano, except where noted.
| Side one | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Blister in the Sun" | 2:25 |
| 2. | "Kiss Off" | 2:56 |
| 3. | "Please Do Not Go" | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Add It Up" | |
| 5. | "Confessions" | 5:32 |
| Side two | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 6. | "Prove My Love" | 2:39 |
| 7. | "Promise" | 2:49 |
| 8. | "To the Kill" | 4:01 |
| 9. | "Gone Daddy Gone" (Gano, Willie Dixon) | 3:06 |
| 10. | "Good Feeling" | 3:52 |
| US CD bonus tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 11. | "Ugly" | 2:21 |
| 12. | "Gimme the Car" | 5:04 |
| 20th Anniversary Edition bonus tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 11. | "Girl Trouble" (demo) | 3:07 |
| 12. | "Breakin' Up" (demo) | 5:17 |
| 13. | "Waiting for the Bus" (demo) | 2:08 |
| 14. | "Blister in the Sun" (demo) | 2:35 |
| 15. | "Kiss Off" (demo) | 2:49 |
| 16. | "Please Do Not Go" (demo) | 4:18 |
| 17. | "Add It Up" (demo) | 4:35 |
| 18. | "Confessions" (demo) | 5:20 |
| 19. | "Prove My Love" (demo) | 2:50 |
| 20. | "Ugly" (UK single) | 2:22 |
| 21. | "Gimme the Car" (UK single) | 5:07 |
| 20th Anniversary Edition bonus live disc | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Special" (live) | 4:27 |
| 2. | "Country Death Song" (live) | 5:25 |
| 3. | "To the Kill" (live) | 4:19 |
| 4. | "Never Tell" (live) | 7:17 |
| 5. | "Break Song" (live) | 0:41 |
| 6. | "Her Television" (live) | 2:28 |
| 7. | "How Do You Say Goodbye" (live) | 2:43 |
| 8. | "Theme and Variations" (live) | 0:54 |
| 9. | "Prove My Love" (live) | 3:19 |
| 10. | "Gone Daddy Gone" (live) (Gano, Willie Dixon) | 3:32 |
| 11. | "Promise" (live) | 3:09 |
| 12. | "In Style" (live) | 3:43 |
| 13. | "Add It Up" (live) | 6:15 |
| 14. | "Michael Feldman Interview from WHA-FM" | 4:09 |
| 15. | "Kiss Off" (live on WHA-FM) | 3:31 |
Personnel
- Violent Femmes
- Victor DeLorenzo – snare drum, tranceaphone, drum set, Scotch marching bass drum, vocals
- Gordon Gano – guitar, violin, lead vocals
- Brian Ritchie – acoustic bass guitar, xylophone, electric bass guitar, vocals
- Additional personnel
- Mark Van Hecke – production; piano on "Good Feeling"
- Luke W. Midkiff – percussion on "Kiss Off"
Charts
Album
| Chart | Entry date |
Peak position |
Weeks charted |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARIA Charts[13] | January 27, 1986 | 34 | 32 |
| The Billboard 200[14] | August 3, 1991 | 171 | 7 |
Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – USA | Gold | December 8, 1987[citation needed] |
| Platinum | February 1, 1991[citation needed] |
References
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- ↑ "The Billboard Book of Gold & Platinum Records," 1989
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- ↑ Kent, David (compiler); Australian Chart Book 1970-1992: 23 Years of Hit Singles and Albums from the Top 100 Charts; p. 330 ISBN 9780646119175
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel; Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums, 1955-1996; p. 819. ISBN 0898201179
External links
- Violent Femmes (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed)
