VIOLENT FEMMES

The Violent Femmes' 1983 self-titled debut is one of the most groundbreaking, important, influential, and enjoyable albums ever released, a musical testament that speaks to all dispossessed souls then, now, and probably forever. Teenagers were particularly drawn to this music in the band's early years, at least those who were fortunate enough to learn of these extraordinary three guys from Milwaukee. I will always associate my angst-filled teen years with groups such as the Violent Femmes, The Cure, and The Smiths because these guys seemed to relate to my own anxieties and frustrations in a way no one around me possibly could. This quirky, uniquely acoustic music has always spoken to those who feel set apart from those around them, who ask questions that no one else asks, and wonder why no one understands them. Over twenty years later, this album is still influencing those of us who grew up with Gordon Gano, Brian Ritchie, and Victor Delorenzo, but even more incredibly it continues to have a real impact on the next generation of young people searching for meaning in a confusing world. The original album featured ten songs, every single one of which rates as an anthem in my book. No college party would ever have been complete without the blasting out of such tracks as Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off, or Add it Up. The true heart of the group revealed itself on songs such as Promise, Prove My Love, and Gone Daddy Gone, while Please Do Not Go took me places I had never been before. Confessions is a bravely honest song set amidst a musical backdrop of sometimes pure cacophony. Then there was Good Feeling, a beautiful, almost happy song that sounded like nothing else on the album. Two songs Gordon Gano recorded over in London, Ugly and fan favorite Gimme the Car, were soon added onto the end of the album, but the group always intended for Good Feelings to close out the album. What a joy to discover that I and all Violent Femmes fans would be celebrating the album's twentieth birthday with the release of a very special deluxe edition. The inclusion of nine demo versions of some of the group's most classic songs is a cause for celebration in and of itself (although I should point out that one of these, Waiting For the Bus, can be found on VF's Add it Up compilation album). But the fun doesn't stop there, as you get a full CD of unreleased live performances from the guys in their earliest days (one track, Special, was issued as a flexi-disc in Alternative Press magazine, but I can't imagine many fans have that little keepsake in their VF collections). Many of the live tracks included here date back to the group's very first year of existence (1981), and the majority of them pre-date the actual recording of the debut album in July 1982. I saw these guys perform live in 1989, and they were awesome, but the truly special live recordings released here for the first time possess a feeling and atmosphere actually surpassing what I experienced first-hand. The first four live tracks, featuring a lot of interaction between the musicians and the audience, were recorded in Milwaukee in September 1981; it sounds like the guys are just playing for a group of friends, with a lot of laughter and fun spread throughout the performance. One audience member, for example, calls out "That's some sad stuff" during Country Death Song, and Gano playfully asks "Can I start now?" over the audience's voices at the beginning of Never Tell. This song, I must say, is worth the price of the album all by itself; it resonates with the type of somber power than defined and distinguished The Violent Femmes at their grittiest best. In the midst of its serious nature, though, Gano uses his voice to supply the saxophone riffs for his absent sax player, bringing the house down with laughter. The next four tracks are taken from a performance in Milwaukee in December 1981, and these are followed by five songs taken from a live gig in New York in January 1983. Never Tell, Her Television, How Do You Say Goodbye, and In Style stand out as four noteworthy songs heard here for the first time. The final two tracks come from a 1982 appearance by VF on Michael Feldman's radio program. The newly-discovered musical trio shows just how funny each of them can be during a four-minute interview before delighting the crowd with a rousing rendition of Kiss Off. I would be remiss not to mention another cool bonus of this deluxe edition. You get a book containing a number of vintage photos, a story of the group's amazing journey from performing on the Milwaukee streets to recording their first album on borrowed funds to hitting the jackpot of success at Slash Records in 1983. There are also comments about each of the album's original ten songs by Gordon, Brian, and Victor. This deluxe edition of VF's self-titled debut reinforces and cements the group's originality, lasting influence, and musical genius, and there are so many extras included in this two-disc set that I cannot conceive of a Violent Femmes fan who has not already updated his/her musical library to include it long before now.

Got this for my wife for our anniversary this past October. She introduced me to the Femmes when we started dating back in 1988. Brought back a lot of fond, nostalgic memories. Been married for over 36 years now so having this music early on in your relationship may help things in the long term, right? Great music, no doubt.

**This review is an update** In the early 90's, when I wanted something that wasn't new wave pop or hair metal, the Violent Femmes' sound came off as surprisingly fresh. So I was shocked, years later, to learn that this album was first released in 1983, as the punk scene was starting to fade. I think for everyone there are some albums that lay the foundation of your musical "house." As I was transitioning from school to adult-hood, Violent Femmes proved to be one of those foundation builders. I wore out a cassette and it was one of the first CDs I purchased. And that CD was ripped to my first iPod. And so on. Since getting back into collecting vinyl recently, I knew that this would have to be added to my rotation. I initially purchased this vinyl from Amazon and the sealed, new pressing arrived damaged. Side two was horribly scratched and completely unplayable. I put in a request for a replacement only to discover that they were out of stock. Rather than simply take the refund, I decided to take advantage of Amazon's generous return window to wait a couple of weeks for new stock to come in. Luckily they did and I ordered the replacement. This was actually my first time having to return an Amazon purchase and I have to say that the process was painless. They sent me a new album -- which was flawless this time -- and let me print out a pre-paid shipping label. The return window is, as I mentioned above, incredibly generous. As for the quality of the album, I cannot compare it to original pressings, as I never owned it on vinyl before now. What I can say is that the sound is crisp and clear. I'm not by any means a "vinyl snob" in the sense that I know a high quality digital source will sound essentially the same in most situations. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that rather than the so-called "purity" of vinyl, it's actually the imperfections that I prefer. The occasional pop of dust (which always crops up no matter how meticulously you try to clean them) and having to manually switch sides are part of the EXPERIENCE of listening to a release on vinyl. The Violent Femmes are ideally suited to this experience. They definitely aren't breaking any ground in terms of sonic range. In fact, the mastering, intentionally or not, almost comes off as a garage band sound, which isn't surprising for a small, folk-punk band's first effort. This is a release that was meant for the quirks of vinyl. This is an important album to own, regardless of your format of choice. However, if you do enjoy the pleasure of spinning up the turntable, then for the Violent Femmes, vinyl is definitely the way to go.

It’s still pretty cool

I remember the first time I heard this album. I loved it immediately. Still love it over 20 years later except it's better now because I can sing along. The Femmes were such an essential part of my teens and 20s. This album is a classic. Well worth the money. If you like alternative music with a bit of an edge music this is a great album. And if you're like me and haven't heard the songs in a while, it may be worth another listen, it was well worth it for me.

Would you expect less than 5? .....Mo my mama mama mo my mother, I would love to love you lover......if you don't crank this and sing along at maddening decibels then you are most likely to conservative a person and you should not purchase this record. Quite honestly, if you have to read a review to help you make some bulls*** informed decision about purchasing this, then don't. YOU DONT DESERVE IT. It says remastered and 180g right in the description, what else do you need to know? Want to know if it has explicit lyrics? Why yes, in fact, it does. And isn't it refreshing to not see a Tipper Gore lyric label! If you wondering if it's appropriate for you children. No, it will corrupt their brains forever and they will become sexual deviants. Oh wait, the Internet is doing that while YOU read satire. Digitally remastered.....don't they mean digitally remasterpieced. Big hands I know you're the one.......

この音もさることながら、バンド名がかっこいいですよね (暴力女衆) 当時はポストパンク ハードコアの時代だったのでこのアコーステックなロックンロールは爽快でした ちょっと違うかもだけどミーハー人気のあったストレイキャッツと一緒によくきいてました

Deux CD avec l'album remasterisé et des versions studio inédites. Le son est parfait, surtout pour la basse acoustique. Le second CD est vraiment un cadeau car il s'agit d'un live très particulier en petit comité. On y entend le choc des bouteilles et les éclats de rire aux plaisanteries. Une intimité partagée avec des titres des deux premiers albums. Là encore, Gordon et sa bande font preuve d'une grande exigence concernant la qualité de la restitution du son. On attend une version live avec l'orchestre symphonique maintenant.

És com una plantofada adolescent amb ritme: sorollosa, descarada i impossible d’ignorar. Amb tres acords i una mala llet encantadora, et fan ballar mentre t’escupen veritats a la cara. És punk folk per a inadaptats amb cor. Aquí no hi ha filtres, només nervi i hormones desbocades. Van ser un disc de referència durant la meva joventut i, ara amb 55 anys, el continuo trobant igual de fresc.

Ich frage mich, was ich 1983 gehört habe und was wäre aus mir geworden, wenn ich stattdessen die Musik von Violent Femmes gehört hätte. Xylophonspieler in San Francisco? Wer weiß? Jetzt mit über 40 Lenzen habe ich sie endlich und sie haut mich um, kommt nicht mehr aus dem Ohr. Witzig, schräg und dabei genial, einfallsreich und lebensbereichernd. Und klar, dass mein Mobiles Telefon jetzt den Klingelton von "Blister in the sun " hat, oder? Alles gut.

I listened to this record again and again at my early youth, and it is today as fresh and magic as it was. Their debut record and their best, absolutely. I like second one, too. Avoid the following "electrificated" ways...