Violent Femmes’ debut released

Violent Femmes Violent Femmes

Released: April 13, 1983 Peak: 171 US, -- UK, -- CN, 31 AU Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, -- UK, 1.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: new wave/alternative rock

Tracks: Song Title [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Blister in the Sun [2:24] Kiss Off [2:56] Please Do Not Go [4:15] Add It Up [4:43] Confessions [5:32] Prove My Love [2:38] Promise [2:49] To the Kill [4:00] Gone Daddy Gone [3:06] Good Feeling [3:52] All songs written by Gordon Gano. Total Running Time: 36:15 The Players: Gordon Gano (vocals, guitar) Brian Ritchie (guitar, xylophone, backing vocals) Victor DeLorenzo (drums, backing vocals)

Rating: 4.388 out of 5.00 (average of 12 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “One of the most distinctive records of the early alternative movement and an enduring cult classic, Violent Femmes weds the geeky, child-man persona of Jonathan Richman and the tense, jittery, hyperactive feel of new wave in an unlikely context: raw, amateurish acoustic folk-rock. The music also owes something to the Modern Lovers’ minimalism, but powered by Brian Ritchie’s busy acoustic bass riffing and the urgency and wild abandon of punk rock, the Femmes forged a sound all their own.” AMG “Still, the main reason Violent Femmes became the preferred soundtrack for the lives of many an angst-ridden teenager is lead singer and songwriter Gordon Gano. Naive and childish one minute, bitterly frustrated and rebellious the next, Gano's vocals perfectly captured the contradictions of adolescence and the difficulties of making the transition to adulthood.” AMG “Clever lyrical flourishes didn’t hurt either; while Blister in the Sun has deservedly become a standard, Kiss Off’s chant-along ‘count-up’ section, Add It Up’s escalating ‘Why can't I get just one...’ couplets, and Gimme the Car’s profanity-obscuring guitar bends ensured that Gano's intensely vulnerable confessions of despair and maladjustment came off as catchy and humorous as well.” AMG “Even if the songwriting slips a bit on occasion, Gano's personality keeps the music engaging and compelling without overindulging in his seemingly willful naiveté. For the remainder of their career, the group would only approach this level in isolated moments.” AMG Notes: The CD release added the songs “Ugly” and “Gimme the Car.” In 2002, a deluxe edition was released that contained a whopping 26 bonus tracks, among them demos and live material of songs both from the album and not.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Violent Femmes AMG All Music Guide review by Steve Huey First posted 3/24/2008; last updated 9/5/2021.