Reviews (page 2 of 14)
Brilliant!
Real punk like this transcends genre. It’s not just three chords and distortion it’s about ignoring categories.
Masterpiece
Never realized this was an 80s album. Held up great in the 90s and today. Given that listening made me smile a few times and sing along a few times, going higher than four
🥞
A classic, knew "Blister In the Sun" "Kiss Off" and "Gone Daddy Gone" going in but also really enjoyed "Please Do Not Go" "Add It Up" and "Prove My Love"
Have
Vivaro, A8 Ulm - Augsburg, Deutschland. Sehr tolle Platte!
Geek lightning in a bottle.
So good. Rockabilly post punk, great songs, beautifully produced... everything so clear. Nasal twang, disturbing lyrics, and a xylophone solo. Brilliant. Three are some filler songs but the hits are huge
People talk about the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr. and Husker Du as being the 80s bands that influenced alternative music in the 90s, but often forget how influential this album was - not just on the stuff that hit the big time, but also on so much folk-punk and indie to follow. Every note is perfect - from the opening riff of Blister in the Sun, through the bass solo and over the top vocals in Please Do Not Go, to the glockenspiel in Gone Daddy Gone, to maybe one of my favourite album closers (Good Feeling). Still a favourite nearly 40 years after i first heard it.
Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
Whoa. Really ended up loving this.
Raw, exciting, musical, fun, this album is great. The bass player is particularly noteworthy.
Arty druggy horny boys make cool music
Got me through high school, still incredible 20 years later. Hallowed Ground is better though.
I was planning to listen to this album on my commute, but the battery in my car gave up the ghost. I was told my insurance could replace the battery on-site, but when the tech showed up he didn't even have a multimeter to test if my battery was dead. He shrugged, gave me a jump and left. Well my car stalled out so I called insurance again-- they told me they don't do battery replacements (even though I was told that wouldn't be a problem AND they've done it in the past) so I had to source a new battery myself. Listened to this whole album while getting my raw hands slathered in battery acid from the terminals on my dead battery. Listened to it as I nearly stripped a bolt, listened to it as I nearly dropped a part deep into the depths of my car's metal innards. Wow how have I not listened to this sooner. What a good time.
After listening to this, I wrote to a friend who played me the album 35 years ago. Back then, I didn't really like it that much. When I listened to it this time, I loved it. I guess our music tastes change.
A classic. And my birth year too (Bonus).
Already know it, already like it. This probably deserves a five.
I love, love, love this album. Not a dud song on here, and one that remains in my record/cd collection and in my regular rotation.
There are a few tracks that I'm not in love with, but it is such a unique vision I'm not sure I care. The tracks I do love, I love a lot. I also remember the exact place I was introduced to this band and it most definitely changed what I was willing to listen to. When I was maybe like 7th grade (so picture 1986) I went to a public North Shore beach with my friend. A hot, artsy, college-aged girl next to us was playing Add It Up pretty loud. The mixture of taboo, coolness, and desire probably changed my musical life forever.
5/5 - I practically wore this cassette out in high school and early college. This is a singular album, and nobody has captured the odd mix of angst, hormones, and acoustic punk in the same way that feels honest and not built to sell records. This is from 1983 which is crazy to me.
RAAAHHHH I LOVE VIOLENT FEMMES!!!! The band/album are ok too… On a serious note, folk punk is my favorite genre of music and this album is so influential to the genre. This feels like an album Harley Poe could release TODAY, that it was released in 83 is insane! Almost certainly not everyone’s cup of tea but I LOVE this. 5/5
4.5/5
al principio me cogió fuera de base, siento que es diferente a lo que uno se imagina especialmente en términos de la voz pero luego si tiene sentido, no se, igual me gustó mucho 😸
4.5/5 Diabolical bass work
Hell yeah. Would like to own this one.
Loved this! Unique and a little weird and fun, fun, fun. I added “Please Do Not Go” to my playlist.
🖤
Still remember every note of these songs. This is a fucking masterpiece.
Jamais écouté avant. La traduction en musique des angoisses libidineuses de l'adolescence, unique sur la forme (du punk, oui mais... acoustique) et étonnamment moderne dans son approche et ses compositions, qui ont l'air d'avoir 10 ans d'avance. Bien sûr, l'album est tout sauf parfait, les textes sont parfois gênants, les guitares et la production tournent parfois à l'amateurisme (contrairement à la basse, omniprésente, et tant mieux), la batterie sonne comme une boîte de conserve rouillée, mais ces imperfections font toute l'identité du projet, en plus d'en servir très largement le propos. Et de toutes façons, la perfection, c'est ennuyeux, non ? Top : Add It Up Flop : Please Do Not Go
Iconic and singular - one of the truly great albums of this era. Full of great songs.
I wish I could score higher than 5
For some strange reason, I've kinda avoided this band. I'd heard some things, but I think this is why you can't trust people. What a glorious album, I feel like I've missed out all of these years.
One time my friends and I are driving to an Elvis Costello concert. When we parked, the car of strangers that hand been behind us in the highway correctly guessed we’d been listening to this record. Slowly based on our dance moves. Iconic grooves top to bottom.
Classic
Violent Femmes self titled debut proves you don't need to have masses of distortion and songs about social and political gripes to be considered "punk" A strong debut that would be influential for its songwriting whilst rarely being duplicated in terms of sound. Favourites Blister in the Sun Add it up Kiss Off Prove my Love
What a song to start the album with but the change of sound to kiss off is almost better. Blister in the sun shows they can play and someone in the studio knows what they are doing. The rest of the songs show the band knows what they're doing.
A perfect album.
Incredible!
A fantastic record filled with unintended pop hit singalongs for the masses in a stripped down fashion that I never heard like this again - and all this as an independent release!
I've been way behind on albums lately (it's by far the busiest work week of the year for me) but I was glad to see a familiar classic when I opened this up for the first time in awhile. 9/10
Every song here is perfect. It's five stars and it sounds like it was recorded cramemd into someone's bathroom on the cheapest gear Radio Shack had, and they still probably tried to return it opened and used. "Good Feeling" is one of the most romantic songs Lou Reed or Elvis Costello never wrote. I can't help myself from dancing during "Kiss Off". Heading to a little vinyl mini-con at Sketchbook in a bit. Don’t be shocked if this comes home with me.
Pretty good so far
I originally had Violent Femmes generated on day 6 of this project before joining a group and it remains one of my best discoveries from the generator! Prior to it being generated, I had heard of Violent Femmes, and I had heard bits of Blister in the Sun, but I'd never really listened to them. After listening to it, this album immediately became one of my all time favourites and I still regularly revisit it. The mix of folk, jazz, and punk is absolutely perfect and incredibly unique. Also, every single time I listen to it, I'm reminded how much I want an acoustic bass.
Goddamn just out of the gate fully formed with a sound and vision. And just playing the hell out of their instruments. Taste is subjective and all, but if you don't get a little moved by the energy/joy/heartache/lust on this album it's on account of your soul is defective.
Off beat strange and cool album in proud to have listened to - this is the kind of stuff I love the list for. Blister is good enough for a 5 but I liked the whole thing. Weirdly timeless
Three things I learned about the Violent Femmes today: 1. Despite their name, they're all dudes (I thought the singer just had a low voice for a woman, like the singer from The Distillers). 2. I already knew more than just Blister in the Sun (Tony Hawk Project 8 features Add It Up and a version of Gone Daddy Gone from this album). 3. They're from Wisconsin! Also, they're really good. I already enjoyed the three songs I had previously heard but now it turns out I like the rest of the album too.
Banger album
I love the Violent Femmes. Nobody else really sounds like them because folk-punk style is very unique. The music is incredibly catchy, and it's amazing how the Violent Femmes influenced the alt-rock/college-rock scene.
I love this one more every time I return to it. They are reminiscent of so many bands yet at the same time are distinctly their own. The tension and frustration is packed into these songs while still making me smile and have fun. The first half is perfect and the back half is no slouch either. This would have to be on my list of favorite debut albums of all time. 33rd perfect album, 1013 albums in. Rating: 5.0
I never realized how much of this record was the soundtrack of my high school years. Literally all of this was played on the radio, many years after it was released. We used to roam the streets singing these songs at the top of our lungs. Still remember every note of these songs. This is a fucking masterpiece.
amazing album and very underrated
Blister in the Sun is such a classic, but I didn't realize I has jammed this album before. Kiss Off is a great song! Add It Up is also amazing. Gone Daddy Gone - I love the xylophone. Good Feeling. Well, that is an incredible amount of incredible songs.
very very good, I loved it! I am glad I discovered them.
I always associated this album with the early 90's, seeing that it's a 1983 release tells.me the Femmes were well ahead of their times. This album se a template for the next 30 years of Indie rock. The album itself features a lot of teenage angst in the lyrics, but it's also full of wonderful.melodies, subtle tempo changes and i love how they use crescendos and decrescendos to make the music swell to a climax. My picks:Blister in the Sun (classic), Prove my Love, Add it up, Kiss Off.
This album is very much my shit. I agree with just about every interesting choice they made here. Violin to close out? Hell yes.
So iconic. They make so much from so little. Full of energy and passion
Well, what a brilliant record. Just brilliant. One of the great things about working through this list is when an old favourite I haven’t listened to in years crops up and I find myself transported back in time to when it soundtracked my days. This is one of those records - I was singing my head off within moments, and lost in reverie. For some reason, their other records never clicked with me but I think I’ll give them another go having rediscovered this belter.
My heart jumped when I saw this album on the list. I haven't listened to it for a number of years. There was a time in the late 80s when I had this on a permanent rotation - it's a perfect mixed up teenage angsty blast of sexual tension and longing, in pop form. If you told me I would love a song with a xylophone solo in it I would have laughed in your face, but it has one and I love it. It's short and there is not a duff track on it.
I once had the pleasure of telling Gordon Gano at length that I have never met anyone that knew this record and didn't like it, no matter what kind of music they were "into."
One of the most singular albums of the 1980s, a landmark of the then-nascent alternative-rock underground and the definitive statement on what adolescence feels like (or at least did back then). This is a no-brainer that never fails to sound good whenever I put it on.
My favorite Gordon Gano story is the one where he performed with a Violent Femmes cover band at a Denver music festival maybe ten years ago. Turns out he was dating the lead singer of the band, not sure the exact timeline on that but ... lol.
If the debut elvis Costello lp was the soundtrack to late 70s uk teen awkwardness, this was probably the US mid 80s equivalent. One of the finest debuts that sounds like nothing else, past or future.
Such a strong and complete sound. Heavier on the jazz influence than I realized. Prove My Love so good.
Man I forgot how good this was
Incredible. Perfect teen angst album. The cut and dry production leaves so much room for the songwriting to shine; something that an album such as this really needed. Blister in the Sun is here too. Highlights: Add It Up, Prove My Love, Gone Daddy Gone, Good Feeling Lowlight: To The Kill
Blew me away on first hearing and it still does
Unexpectedly catching, love it!
Perfect? Yes.
9.75
Classic. Banger after banger. Grew up on this album and still absolutely adore it.
You know what rules about this album? Literally every moment of it.
Fantastic. One of the best we've listened to yet. The chorus for "Prove My Love" is irresistible
desert island album
One of my favorites so far! Really loved this one
hit after hit!
Have I listened to this album before? Yes How familiar am I with this album? Very familiar, I know all the songs How do I feel about this artist? I really like the Femmes Favorite song(s)? Please Do Not Go, Add it Up, but I was singing along to the whole thing Overall Thoughts: I love the way Brian Ritchie play bass guitar. A good bass line is crucial to a good song for me, and I feel like there’s so much music where the base gets lost. The Violet Femmes are fun so I can actually hear each individual instrument and I enjoy that in music. Good album, every song is great.
This takes me back to my teenage self in the 90s, even though this came out in 1983. There's something unnerving about Gordon Gano's voice and all the songs are vaguely sinister. It's all so good. I can't give it anything other than 5 stars.
I love the Violent Femmes and I love this album. I love the raw chaos, the rhythm, the humour in the lyrics, the diction, the sound. The blend of sarcasm and sardonic observation of human themes is a perfect fit for my tastes. The polarity of Blister and the Sun and Confessions speaks to the schmorgazboard offered by this artist.
The Violent Femmes...they bring all their equipment on the bus. And you can't f*ck with the Violent Femmes. You cannot f*ck with this band!
opgewekte muziek (of toch meestal) met duistere teksten.. yummy
peak
I love this album. It'll not be for everyone but reminds me of a particular period in my life and some close friends. But I do love the rawness and general sense of being on the edge that runs through this album
Best Track - "Blister In The Sun"
This was a touchstone record of my college days when “the femmes” were a weird underground band from Milwaukee. I saw them in 84? in a Des Moines dive bar and many times since #johnsvinyl
So, I've been curious about this album/artist for a while. I was watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch (the 90s version) a few months ago and they mentioned these guys. At first I thought they were girls, then I realized they weren't and got a little sad I wasn't about to be introduced to a new/old woman lead rock band, but after my initial disappointment I've been curious about how they guys sound since that episode. I guess it's time to find out now. (if they played music in the episode I have no memory of it) 1. Blister in the Sun - These guitars sound very familiar? I must've heard this somewhere before? I like the sound tho 2. Kiss Off - Ooh, I actually really really like this one! 3. Please Do Not Go - Okay...wasn't expecting a bit of reggae? lmao, I mean I do kinda like it still but HUH? the "BYE"s lmaoo. I actually like this a lot, it's like perfectly weird 4. Add It Up - Mixed opinions on this one. Like the sound tho 5. Confessions - mixed opinions again 6. Prove My Love - lowkey beatles inspired? This one's cute, i like. 7. Promise - The 3rd verse reminds me of Geese so much. I really like this one 8. To The Kill - 9. Gone Daddy Gone - Eh, not vibing with this one at all. First one I don't care for in any sense on here 10. Good Feeling - Cute 11. Ugly - eh but okay lol 12. Gimme The Car - not vibing with this one either ngl, but it's a bonus track so meh Lyrically The thing about albums like this, I LOVE how much emotion is poured into them. As a safe, emotional outlet for things, it's fucking fantastic. I truly hate the idea of some asshole feeling like this type of music empowers them to commit crimes on their peers or assault women. That's my main hang up with music like this, even tho I seriously doubt that's the intention of the original creators. That's why I can enjoy it, cause I recognize it's not a call to violent action. My fear is some may take it that way. Sonically I LOVED the sound of this, for the most part. It's so interesting being able to hear it's inspirations, like the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Ramones, as well as future acts that were probably inspired by them like Car Seat Headrest and other midwest emo bands. This sound is so cool and simple, but chaotic at the same time. Yeah, I had a lot of fun with it I can see this having HIGH replay-ability for me 4.75/5 It's possible I might regret rating this so high in the future, that I might change my mind on that. This is literally just a silly website (which is actually very helpful, ty creator) so oh well If one day I'm like "well, actually this is more of a 3"
An old favorite. I think this site is literally just feeding me back my Spotify, because other than Willie Nelson, this is all stuff that I already like or is in my wheelhouse. Give me more weird stuff.
Didn’t know this came out in 83. Always associated it with early grunge in late 80s. Classic record. Kiss off, gone daddy gone, please do not go are near perfect songs. Gone daddy gone just sounds like a guy ritchie movie montage. Really surprised by the amount of blues influence.
I really really like this, and can't believe it's from 83, it feels like such a modern indie album
One of my top albums ever!!!!! I love everything about it! Even the songs I think are ok I listen to and I’m like holy crap I love this one too!!! His voice could be annoying but for some reason it’s one of my favorites! Also……one of my top live shows ever too!
It’s a classic! I knew most of these already, but they’re all great!! :)
I already know this album. And I already love this album. I own a vinyl of it! First of all, it’s way ahead of its time. It sounds like an album from the mid 90s, it’s actually from the early 80s. Additionally, it is probably the most punk-y acoustic album I’ve ever heard, and that’s a great thing. It’s a straight conversion of teen angst into an album. The lyrics are all introspective, and though they’re not always the most insightful, they’re performed with such angst that they feel stronger than they really are. On a few songs, the lyrics are strong enough that they don’t even need the boost, but they get it anyway. The way the following lyrics are performed perfectly describes what I’m talking about: “You know that I want your loving But my logic tells me that ain’t ever going to happen And then my defenses say I didn’t want it anyway But you know sometimes I’m a liar” It’s not a particularly unique lyric, but the emotions it conveys are so intense that it doesn’t even matter.
slay absolutely slayed
Exceptional Album, reminds me of years spent figuring out life as a young person.
One of my all time favorites
amo este tipo de discos que me atrapan desde el primer segundo!!! porque es muy difícil que me pase y no se como no lo había escuchado antes
This album is just so fun! It’s energetic. Even the sweet moments hit hard. Gordon Gano shows you that your voice doesn’t have to be perfect to make good music. Conversely, there are plenty of people with beautiful voices and amazing technical skill that will never write songs anywhere as wonderful as these.
Immaculate Vibes!!!
weno weno weno
This sounds like it could have been released yesterday
I feel like this album was on repeat in my social circle when I was in high school even though it was already considered old at the time. At the time I was pretty burned out on it so excited to listen to it with a fresh ear. OK, this album is better than I remember! As overplayed as Blister in the Sun is there are so many other good songs on this album.
Hell yeah, Weezer if they were good.
Pretty iconic album. When I think of folk punk, this is the album that comes to mind. It's a little silly or annoying at times, but mostly this is good, entertaining stuff. 5.0/5.0: Iconic
always liked them but never listened to a full album. this was great as expected
A great example of early indie rock music. It’s such a good record!
I genuinely don't think we'll ever get another band that sounds quite like Violent Femmes. I saw them perform this album in it's entirety love. I don't quite remember the show too well on the account that I was absolutely shit faced drunk; which is, in my opinion, the most optimal way to enjoy their music.
- Wait, when was this released? - I have never wanted to learn bass more - And just when you think they can't rock or any harder, out comes... A xylophone?
I don't think I've ever sat down with this full album before. I feel like everyone knows "Blister in the Sun," but I was surprised to recognize a second song off this album; there's a cover of "Gone Daddy Gone" that plays on the radio at my job and I thought it was kind of a good song. Now I hear it here in it's original context and know it's a certified classic. The whole album does an amazing job of matching the sonic atmosphere of going over to a friend's dorm and him and his band are doing a goof-off session, except instead of something you'd laugh at for a minute and then be bored of, you get some really fun and catch song writing. I had the same kind of feeling from Freewheelin' Bob Dylan at first, and I think its just me readjusting to garage and or low production records. This feels like they recorded demos at full fidelity but as a compliment instead of an insult; really raw and catchy and fun to listen to even when the lyrics are kinda goofy. Tragically none of the members are actually femmes so 0/10.
Yeah this is an album it takes me back to Albuquerque. Probably more towards '87 or '88 when I first heard it. But it's one you just can't help but fall in love with. My favorites are probably the normal ones, "Blister", "Kiss", "Add" & "Gone", but the rest of the album back it up... Would have been nice if "Gimmie The Car" was on there as well. But it's on my CD so as far as I'm concerned it's there. (9.9) ★★★★½
This has long been one of my favorite albums, ever since I was introduced to it as an 18 year old. I think it's really cool in the way that it takes folk and blues and turns it into this style of angsty punk, but in sort of a geeky way. It also reimagines the bass as a lead instrument that does most of the heavy lifting here, mostly due to the sparseness of the guitar and drums. Brian Ritchie is possibly my favorite bass player ever. I think the songs are great too. Tons of classics, including "Blister in the Sun", "Kiss Off", "Prove My Love", "Good Feeling", the Willie Dixon-cribbing Xylophone freakout "Gone Daddy Gone", and the tour de force "Add it Up", which proves two chords and a killer bassist is all you need. 5 stars.
Took a few listens to understand. Now I understand
Violent Femmes’ self-titled debut is one of those rare albums that’s instantly fun and endlessly replayable. The songs are catchy without being slick, raw but creative for their time, blending punk attitude with folk hooks in a way at the time probably felt totally new. Almost every track had personality and even decades later, it still sounds fresh and unmistakably its own — nothing else quite captures that same energy. An easy five-star classic.
Интересный альбом, мне зашло
I've listened to this record so much since I was a teen I replaced it with a new fresh copy a couple of years ago. Back to back bangers all the way through.
I don't remember a part of life that I didn't love this album.
La la la la la la this makes me wanna get wasted and do some stupid shit 5 out of 5, yay
Classic album that feels timeless.
It’s HARD to have a better debut album than this one. “Blister In the Sun”, “Kiss Off”, “Gone Daddy Gone”, and “Add It Up” have only gotten better in 40+ years since the record dropped.
Love this album. Takes me back to crazy fun times.
tt ttt t ttt ttt t t t t t t
Album #42 Violent Femmes: Violent Femmes The Violent Femmes ' self-titled album is one that, in theory, should be an unbarably cringe listen. An acoustic punk album, with songs from the point of view of the most annoying guy you knew in high school, performed by an overly dramatic and whiny vocalist. There are some really good bands/albums that I’ve hated for less, and yet this is one of my favourite albums of all time, at least in the top 50. Somehow, through all of the madness is one of the most fun and engaging albums of all time. I have been hesitant to recommend this album to people because of the sheer improbability of its brilliance. I keep thinking that I must be crazy and this is actually terrible, and whoever I show it to will think less of me, but then I am validated when I hear them singing Blister in the Sun the next day. If you have ever experienced angst, you will resonate with this album, and even if you haven’t, just ignore the lyrics, and the songs are so energetic that they will still bang. I am not entirely sure how else to describe this album; it really is just an absolute singular, no other album quite possesses its aura. It will make you feel things that you didn’t know music could make you feel. Add it Up, Kiss Off, and To The Kill will absolutely hype you up. Blister in the Sun, Gone Daddy Gone, and Prove My Love will have you dancing and singing. Please Do Not Go, Confessions, and especially Good Feeling will have you entirely lost in memories and solemn self-reflection. One of the easiest listens, most consistent albums, and pleasurable experiences you can have with music. Nothing more I can say, the album is ethereal and hard to describe, which is how I know it is perfect. Best Tracks: Good Feeling, Add it Up, Blister In the Sun Worst Track: NONE Score out of 10: 10
love love love this album so many hits for me - every song is good! my Milwaukee people :) is prove my love better than blister in the sun?????
one of the best albums of all time genuinely.
This album should not be as good as it is. It has a xylophone solo. A snotty blast of teen angst. At least i hope it is snot. Frenetic and percussive. Stripped down acoustic punk.
The hold this album had on me in my early 20s… listening again is so nostalgic and reminds me of that angsty moment in life.
I love this album and it got a lot of play during college. It was a breath of sarcastic air that cut through the sickly sweet synth pop crap of the time. Favorites are Kiss Off, Gone Daddy Gone, Promise and of course, the masterpiece that is Add It Up. ...and eight, eight, I forget what eight was for...
Classic teenage angst. So many memories of singing this entire album on long car rides.
Acoustic punk. WOW.... Didn't know such thing even existed. It's awesome. Very punchy.
No skips. An absolute masterpiece.
9 ⭐
5/5. This is one of those albums that’s been with me essentially my entire life, it is part of my musical DNA. so I am definitely a bit biased. But still what a great album, it’s insane that it came out in 1983 because everything about this album sounds like the 90’s. from the rougher/unpolished vocals to the “horny in a depressing way” lyrics. Also some of the best bass playing you’ll hear on any rock album. I got to see the Violent Femmes live in 2021 and getting to hear some of these songs live was great and made me appreciate Gordon as a vocalist even more.
“Let me go wild.” I love the raw, acoustic energy here. I can hear the influence of bands such as The Velvet Underground, The Modern Lovers, and The Clash, and yet the Violent Femmes have a distinct vibe. In part it’s the “now I need to spend more money on guitar strings” vibe. Although I was a late adopter in the 80s to VF’s attitude and posture, I was eventually sold on the music. Four decades later the musical energy still holds up, unlike so much from this era. Round up to 5.
I missed this album in 1983. You couldn't hear it on local radio. I found it in college in 1990 and instantly fell in love. The recording is crisp. It's like they're in the room with you. The lyrics are in-your-face. It's acoustic punk. This is a gem. I love everything about this record..."Everything! Everything! Everything! Everything!".
Stone cold classic
Every song feels like it was written by a nervous teenager who accidentally discovered folk punk and never emotionally recovered. Annoying? Yes. Perfect? Also yes.
this is basically a perfect record
Great spin, lots of memories herenof college and the Gold Mine lol
Between a 4 and 5 for me but feeling generous
I love this album!
Huge favorite of mine from high school that received a ton of repeat plays in the my car from 1988-1992 ish. I loved the simplicity and rawness of the recording - I hadn’t really heard acoustic guitars sounding as “bass-y” as this before. All of that love and admiration remains today. This was a fun revisit. All day long 5/5.
"I hope you know this will go down on your permanent record." So great to listen to this album again. I met it in 1992 in a fringe play about a couple of kids romance over the 80's decade. One of the actors brought in this album, her angst, heartbreak and anger dance music from her teens, Kiss Off became the theme song. Love the singing/screeching, the bass is amazing, and the over the top feelings that manage to be deeply ironic and hilarious without ignoring the teen passion all at the same. The last two songs, Ugly and Gimmie the Car are added bonus tracks added to the CD release 5 years later - to me they're both a huge on the nose intrusion on the tone of the rest of the album, it'll always end at Good Feeling for me.
キャッチーで聞きやすく、生々しくてかっこいい。シンプルながら過不足がない演奏とボーカル、アレンジ。
I love this album. My moms used to listen to it on CD when I was a kid
LEMME GO OOOOOON!!! 5/5
Legal e interessante. Inesperado, na verdade. Alguns lugares classificam esse álbum como um exemplo de “Folk Punk” e eu consigo ver o porquê. Uma combinação fascinante, você tem toda a energia do punk mas com a pureza da instrumentalização acústica do folk, verdadeiramente algo bem único e isso sozinho já eleva bastante minha percepção do álbum. Também é surpreendente a data de lançamento do álbum. Qualquer pessoa iria chutar que o disco foi lançado na década de 90, mas na realidade ele foi lançado na primeira metade da década de 1980! Fascinante a forma com que os artistas aqui escapam da hiper-produção tão comum no período, optando por um estilo minimalista. O minimalismo aqui exposto é sempre acompanhado de uma maior rigorosidade na avaliação dos instrumentos e principalmente nos vocais. Por sorte, tudo aqui é magistralmente tocado. Impossível não mencionar o solo absurdo de Xilofone em uma das faixas. Menção honrosa para o baixista, com seu tom absurdamente gordo e parrudo. Os vocais me parecem uma combinação de Lou Reed com Black Francis, e são incrivelmente satisfatórios, com as clássicas colocações do gênero Punk. Uma surpresa boa. Capa bonita, disco agradável, mistureba de gêneros e canções adolescentes divertidas e animadas. Não tenho nada a reclamar aqui. 5/5
I really enjoy this type of music, glad to have found this amazing app!
Blister in the sun is such a classic riff. One of the reasons I play the guitar. Other than blister in the sun I'm going into this without having heard most of these. High expectations for the Femmes Bass coming in on Kiss Off is amazing. Works so well. Big fan of the percussion/bass/vocals. Good voice. Exceptional bass once again on the next. Liked the vocal harmonies as well. Can't say I like the vocal intro in Add it Up, but when everything comes in its very good. One of the best things listening to this one is I randomly pick up on bits they've written that have influenced other alt rock that I regularly listen to, it's cool to see their impact. Gone Daddy Gone - amazing vocals once again. Really a fan, I don't usually care much for singing, but Gano is really impressive and quite powerful. I loved this album. Not often you see bass be FAR more important and guitar, and when it is done so well, it just results in quality. Certainly lived up to my expectations.
The end does drag a little but I love so many songs on this. There are far too few albums on this list where I sing along. This is one where I find myself singing to everyone I hear it. That deserves a 5.
Raw, fun, surprisingly sexy
it sounds so good hello it reminds me of the front bottoms
Love it, great album!
Seminal right of passage album. One of the few albums that you discovered listening to on a Walkman while riding the bus in 8th grade while also being able to put it on years later as a freshman in college at a frat party. Kids will be discovering the violent femmes in 2050 and beyond.
This record came out when I was fifteen. I didn't discover it then, which is too bad, as it really expressed exactly the angst of being of the age where you are coming of age but no one understands what you are going through. I did come across it shortly after, though, which was good. It's a testament to the beginning of real adult sexual awakening, with a serious dollop of late puberty sexual confusion. I can't imagine a more important entry in the 1001, honestly. It's heartfelt, unique, powerful. The songwriting and musicianship are top notch as well. It contains several anthems for disaffected youth, and stands as an anchor for alternative music as it stood at the time it was released. I have the vinyl in my garage as well as a cassette I made so I could listen to it in my car.
Oh man, I've listened to this album so many times. every song on here is a banger!
Pleasantly surprised. I love it. It’s messy, raw. 3.5/5
Great record, probably hits the nostalgia button hard! End to end bangers
I’ve listened to about half of this album before, as I thought I was going with somebody to see them live (we didn’t end up going, sadly). From what I remember, it was pretty good. The opening build of Blister in the Sun is a perfect way to start the album. The song is immediately catchy, despite not being blatantly melodic. It’s a short track that does a lot. It feels almost like it was recorded from a live performance. Kiss Off continues the raw style, and I get the sense that Against Me! was heavily influenced by this song/album. And then there’s the “This will go down on your permanent record!” which is something my mom quoted daily, so it’s part of my daily vocabulary at this point—alongside “I can pop you—like a pimple!” and “it’s a beautiful day for a barbequeeeeee!” Anyway, the build up with counting in Kiss Off is amazing. I’ve never heard anything like it. I’m not sure what made it feel so special, but it did. Please Do Not Go takes things in a slightly more folk direction, with a perfect flattening of energy and also a great little solo part. Add It Up starts with isolated vocals that are almost creepy, but the song quickly launches into being the most upbeat of the album so far. I also see similarities between this song and Radiohead—specifically Paranoid Android. The builds, raw vocals and lyrics, and acoustic guitar are all pretty similar. When he says “Take a look now, look what your boy has done/He's walking around like he’s number one” it also sounds exactly like the vocals/melody from a Sonic Youth song, too—particularly reminding me of Cinderella’s Big Score. Confessions has a sing-song-y quality to it. It sounds like something drunk sailors would sing. The vocals are incredibly emotional and moving. It also feels like it inspired Sonic Youth. And those drums that enter around the 3:20 mark are great. This whole track is amazingly dynamic and cathartic. Prove My Love is then amazingly lighthearted, somehow glueing an upbeat folk tune to the end of a deeply emotional and disturbing song without making either sound out of place. It evens uses clichés—I’d climb a mountain, I’d cross an ocean—with such purpose it twists the irony into its own complete thing. The opening of Promise sounds like the opening of a Green Day song. A lot of this also feels like it inspired The Pixies, with the raw, unfiltered lyrics and vocals and the mix of punk energy and folk instrumentation. It also sounds like it was inspired by Patti Smith. Recap: Favorite songs: Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off, Add It Up, Confessions Least favorite songs: N/A Comparisons: Reinventing Axl Rose, OK Computer, Goo, Surfer Rosa, Horses, Dookie Rating: 5/5
(96/100)
I knew this album before it was recommended here and I have never listened to it from tip to tail before and it was amazing! So many songs I already knew and loved and heard some new ones that I genuinely enjoyed.
When the first song started playing I immediately suspected this is going to be another front-heavy album where all the good stuff is at the start and the rest is filler. Many albums on the list are like that. Not this one! The album is peppered throughout with songs I'd like to relisten to. The lyrics are consistently great, the music is creative and original, the whole thing sounds way fresher than early 80's, and it's a debut album no less. Incredibly impressive piece of work. I've always liked punk, yet never "got" folk-punk, but now I get it. This is one of these albums where I feel like I should've known this way way earlier. Exactly the kind of album I'm hoping to discover through this project.
Another unhesitatingly 5* album. Very formative album for me that arrived at just the right time in my musical development. Nothing sounds quite like this album.
Brings back childhood memories. The raw emotion is amazing here, even though they might not sound the best. I could have done without the extra tracks.
Veldig bra album kommer til å høre på det igjen.
In March of 1992 I went on my high school's "Senior Spring Break Trip" to Cocoa Beach, FL. It was unchaperoned, which looking back was absurd and dangerous. While there, my best friend's brother (a college freshman at Northwestern) and his college friends drove through Cocoa on their way to Key West and my buddy and I decided to join them. We were in a Subaru station wagon (where I slept for the entire Key West interlude) that had a cassette player and we had two cassettes: THIS album, with which I was not yet familiar, and a cassingle of Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" (the back side was the same song in Spanish.) Over the coming days I got to know both cassettes EXTREMELY well. Every song on this album takes me right back to that station wagon. It is a classic and deserves every star I can give it. And I think 17 years old was the perfect age to discover and fall in love with it.
Siempre me hace sentir como en un viaje a la playa o montaña con amigos.
Personal favorite record. They rock with acoustic instruments. Expanded what punk can be.
Add It Up alone is worth five stars
So many good songs. Singing along to the whole album, twice. Add this to the list of great debut albums I’ve discovered here.
Now i dont belive in perfection. Things may well get close but nothing is actually perfect. This gets within a hair to that. Ive always like this but I never sat down and listened to the whole thing. But im sure ive heard every song on its own over the years cause they are all so damn good. Sure if you want in for blister in the sun that's fine. Thats a good song but there are a handful of better tracks here. Just give em a go. They all rock. Its just a unique sound and it has some balls too. Full of passion and killer playing. I love it so much and will always always be happy to spin this again
(5) Even has xylophone, this album does not have a weak track, they are all solid, yet they pushed the limits of music for their day.
This style came to be called folk punk which is a decent enough categorisation. the vocal delivery has punk attitude and there’s folkiness in the acoustic instrumentation. On the other hand there’s a level of artistry and variety to many of the arrangements and a level of skill to the playing (the bass player’s a demon!) which was uncommon in 1970s/80s punk. Folk/new wave might be a better description. The truth is they are sui generis. Odd therefore but very good.
Thoughts before listening: I love the Violent Femmes. I believe that I only ever owned their greatest hits album, but this is their record that gets all the praise. I also believe that most of these songs are on the greatest hits. I'm excited to see this show up today. Review: This what I love about the 80s college/indie rock scene. This doesn't play by any rules of what should work for a rock band yet it's full of catchy and iconic songs. This has a punk rock vibe but played with acoustic and minimalist instrumentation where the most prominent sound is the bass. Yet it totally works. This being popular (largely thanks to "Blister in the Sun") is a big reason that many of my favorite weirdo bands from the 90s were able to exist and thrive. I'll give this 5-stars.
If you've never been a horny 17 year old boy you'll probably not gonna understand this album. There's banger after after banger, it's absolutely relatable and that last song I've been playing pretty much every time I was getting back home from a party when I was a teenage boy.
Wonderful and weird
Love this, one of my favorites. So much energy and angst. I've never found anything quite like it. What acoustic punk album has a marimba solo?
In contrast to your aging folksy singer-songwriter, penning their earnest feelings on regrets and growing old and blah blah blah, here we have Gordon Gano, age 19 (most of the songs here were written when he was in high school) delivering direct, simple, emotional, cathartic statements and marrying them perfectly to anxious, wiry, angular, catchy music. Yes, this album is seemingly about high school angst, but let's be real, the emotions covered here stick with most men throughout their lives. Their greatest hits are all here: "Blister In The Sun," "Kiss Off" (one of my all-time favorite songs), "Add It Up," "Gone Daddy Gone" (the greatest use of xylophone in any rock song ever) along with some less-heralded but equally great album tracks in "Prove My Love," "Promise," "Ugly" and the sinister "Gimme The Car." Gano may have peaked as a songwriter in high school. Their follow-up, Hallowed Ground, was very good, trading teen angst for religious angst (his father was a Baptist minister), but after that the band felt like a ship without a course. Regardless, the first album is an absolute masterpiece.
For me this is a perfect album front to back
An example of the perfection achieved when the accountants have no say in the art. A brilliant record.
I played this album in 1983 and 1984 as a college DJ—and it’s as vital now as then. Pure rock from a teen perspective- still perfect after all this time.
Perfect garage-pop with zero polish and a ton of attitude. It feels like the soundtrack to a very anxious teenager's summer (me?). The simple approach makes everything catchy. This is pure, raw banger territory. Spins: All Day Playlist Additions Blister In The Sun Kiss Off Add It Up Promise Good Feeling Ugly Gimme The Car
There aren't enough stars for this album. It's so wild and carefree joyous and unexpected. Impossible not to sing along, yet edgey, psychedelic, and so alternative. Applecross High , WA, 1989 at some school dance or one of the Legendary parties , at every occasion this song came on, Nigel Calver showed us exactly how much music have him joy and he danced like he didn't care - pure joyful frenzy and jumping about and maybe even chair dancing . Woohoo! #Airbourne! I have a small pile on which my 6 star records are going on. This is on TOP.
This is everything I love about rock and roll and pop music. Raw, unalloyed, hard driving, energetic, stupid and just out and out fun. The stripped back sound, the acoustic bass guitar, the snare drum wallop and then there's Gordon Gano. There's a lot to be said for sitting in your bedroom for a while and thinking about shit. You kind of don't want to think too hard about what was going on with Gordon, but hey he got it right and put it in a song/s. It's an absolute joy from go to whoa.
Wall to wall bangers.
The blessings from OAD continue with the Violent Femmes' first record. I've loved this one for years. I was six when it came out, and I probably only heard of "Blister in the Sun" when the song's appearance on the Gross Pointe Blank soundtrack created a short-lived revival of the Femmes' popularity. No, no wait, I think I first heard of the Femmes when Ethan Hawke sang "Add it Up" at Winona Ryder in Reality Bites. To me, this album, more than any other, captures the frustrated aggression, depression, and sexual frustration of older adolescent young men. Gordon Gano is not cool in the conventional rock star sense. Any swagger on this record bursts through in a messy wave of unmanaged testosterone. What else would we expect from an acoustic punk record written by a Milwaukee high schooler with arrangements hashed out by the band while busking? At least, that's the legend I'm allowing myself to believe. This is not the most artistic, important, uplifting, creative, or beautiful album in my collection, not by a long shot. Still, this is the one I wish I had written. Five stars. Side note: the Craft Records vinyl of this album, sold on Amazon, is fantastic. When you get your copy, make sure that it has an internal, thin black border on the red hype sticker.
This was the very first CD I ever received that made me interested in music. Its crazy to think that that this album was released in 1983, it sounds like something that would have been huge a decade or so after. Very impactful album on me and the landscape of music overall.
The sound of house sharing, bald room mate cleaning the carpet to Good Feeling. Blister In The Sun, Add it Up, Confessions, Gone daddy Gone (not the hideous cover) Fricken belter of an album.
Top five all-time for me.
Certified classic, it‘s amazing to think that this album came out in the eighties. This started my folk punk phase when I was getting out of my emo phase.
incredibile che sia stato fatto nell'83
I love the guitar in this album, simple but honest like a nirvana or Johnny cash sound. This guy’s got a kinda whiny Midwest or punk voice.
When I first heard about Violent Femmes it was in comparison to They Might be Giants & Ween. Two bands that I did not like (I’ve since softened on Ween though). So I never listened for a long time. What a mistake! So awesome & all acoustic too.
Always found this band and their music so original! Can't think of anyone else doing something like it - and for that alone my 5/5 Also, the humor, the energy, I don't know, I can't explained it; I simply love this :-D
5 out of 5 So many great songs and great memories of high school parties. Every song rocks. I'd give it an 8 if I could but I forgot what 8 was for.
No notes. Folk punk perfection that everyone knows but can’t remember where from.
One of the best, endlessly quotable. It's such a fun, weird little record. They proved you can be punk without distortion.
This is the two hundred tenth album I’m rating. For a little over a month I've been avoiding this album but here I am now. Adding to my Playlist - Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off, Please Do Not Go, Add it Up, Confessions, Prove my Love, Promise, To the Kill, Gone Daddy Gone, and Good Feeling. Not Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. All in all I liked 10/10 songs. Good music for a bit of a stressful time.
Why was the bass so good? Why did I know almost half the album from games and films but not the name of the band? Hooray for the lovely music times :)
I really adored this one. This type of folksy punk wasn’t something I’d ever hear on this project but I was so surprised I wanted to give it 5 stars just based on genre alone. But then the lyrics turned out so funny and charming with an obvious beating heart below that I just can’t help but love it. It’s wonderful! Really
For some reason, the objectification of women doesn’t bother me when it’s in this genre. I love this. I wish I had known about this album as a teenager.
Fascinated to learn this album was recorded when the singer was 20 and he wrote all the songs in high school. And that he's a devout Christian, who knew? This album seemed to be a mainstay of the nerds I was around my freshman year of college, but don't think I ever heard the whole thing. Much better than I expected.
254/1089 - Cool sound; weird (in-a-good-way) voice; great bass player. On a different note, I dislike most reviews on this website but people really need to learn the difference between unrequited love and being an incel.
hell yeah
Very nice
Fantastic from start to finish.
The stereotypical example for “ahead of its time”. I’ve been a little generous with scores recently but this one is deserving. These songs are all great. The vocals work with the style even if they aren’t “good”.
Day 40 Wow, can’t believe I’d never heard this album before, absolutely love it. Instantly hooked me in and has been on repeat all day and probably will be for a good while yet. Been a long time since I instantly got hooked on an album after a first listen like this. 10/10 Highlights Kiss Off Add it Up Gone Daddy Gone
Honestly kind of a perfect album, dare I say timeless?
Even better than I remember.
4 great songs, rest is a vibe. Its a good album. Remember crazy reverse cover, gone daddy gone, blister.
Fantastic album. One of the best all-time debut albums. Pitchfork: 9.1 Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Blister In The Sun Kiss Off Please Do Not Go Add It Up Gone Daddy Gone Good Feeling
bass player sick af
Debut, Milwaukee punks, Modern lovers Blister in the sun Kiss off Add it up
this is probably a "you had to be there" kind of album and i could imagine someone hearing this for the first time hating it lol. however, for me, this is a timeless masterpiece. will listen to this until i croak
This is a magic-in-a-bottle type of record that captured everything perfectly and established a career. No, they would never live up to this, but more importantly, they MADE THIS. An amazing record full of instant classics.
5 starts for it's uniqueness. Did these guys start the freak folk / acoustic punk movement? No idea but they're awesome. A really unique sound.
One of the great indie albums of all time. Whiny, nasal vocals, mariachi bass, high snare drums. Songs about sexual frustration, masturbation, kissing people off, unrequited love, gun violence, absent parents and occasionally getting laid. Teenage feelings have never been so well documented. Best Tracks: Blister In The Sun; Kiss Off; Prove My Love
Went through my life thinking this album came out ten years later. What a zap to the brain this must've been in 83. Don't have much to say about this: tightly controlled slightly-out-of-control. It's fun, it gets you moving without doing too much, it's infectious. I'm pro.
1001albumsgenerator project: Album 6 - Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes "Day after day / I get angry" I won't ever forget the first day I heard a song from this album, excluding Blister in the Sun, I was watching The 100 and Add it Up started playing, perfectly used in context, and all I could think of was "Man this guy is really angry he can't fuck, huh?"... little did I know this was gonna become one of my favourite albums ever… I also realized he's also sad because he can't fuck. Jokes aside, this record is SO ahead of its time, Violent Femmes here sound like The Pixies but roughly 5 years earlier and with a folk/acoustic twist, but don't let that fool you, despite this release being mostly acoustic, the songs are as fast, loud and powerful as punk music usually is. Many people like to point out the lyrics can be corny but I believe they're missing the point. We're hearing a 20 or so years old Gordon Gano sing about his frustration, his weaknesses and his romantic failures with a little sprinkle of sarcasm here and there, and you can't help but feel those lyrics actually mean a lot to him, the way he sings them. The vocals are so raw and visceral and at points genuinely scary, making him sound like a guy who could snap at any time due to accumulated resentment. The highlights of the LP to me are obviously Blister in the Sun, absolutely incredible song that would've gone "viral" even if it was released in the 90. Again, so ahead of its time. Gone Daddy Gone is also a high point of this record: I don't know what the creative process was behind the idea of adding a xylophone in a folk punk, but it makes the song very enjoyable and catchy. The Xylophone solo as well is absolutely incredible and unique. Good Feeling is a beautiful song to end on. It was probably meant to show that all of his anger and inner turmoil were directed at no one but him, rather than at failed romantic interests. Generally speaking though, the tracklist is very tight and it's just a banger after banger after banger. The quintessential teenage angst album that won't ever get old. Either way, this is just my opinion. So try not to pay too much attention to it.
That was like a breath of fresh air! Great, almost exclusively acoustic sound coupled with energetic delivery scratches the itch for me. I liked "Add it up" and "Gone Daddy Gone".
Interesting. Like an alternative acoustic rock band. Some say it was punk but it sounded a little softer than that for me. I liked it a lot though.
A perfect debut, so much so that I haven’t dug very deep into their discography. I should really do that.
Yeah. I’ve loved this album for a long time. I’d put the first four track up against any other opening four tracks. The rest of the album is also so, so good. This is an easy 5 stars for me and seeing them live is fun.
It still hits hard after all these years. This is rock in its purest form.
Я проснулся в полдень после выпускного, в котором я с Алексеем Клевко ходил по ужасно неудобному для пеших прогулок району Октябрьской улицы, пил какой-то Джек Дениэлз, и курил без остановки. Это, наверное, предпоследний (за исключением свадьбы Вади) раз, когда я ходил как бы в костюме. В любом случае, я проспал работу, голова - полный пиздец, но мне звонит АЛО и орет, где я и почему я не на работе. И я, не помывшись, ничего, просто выбегаю из квартиры, наушники в уши, и бегу на остановку. Маршрутка уезжает прямо из-под носа. Я стою на этой жаре - и слушаю Blister In The Sun. На всю жизнь. Лучшая песня - Blister In The Sun.
Might have exhausted my time with this release.
A stone cold classic which has got better with age. A perfect snapshot of disaffected youth, angry at everything, confused, horny, whiny, earnest, and sarcastic. It's so ahead of its time - it was a huge album in the 1990s which was a testament to how great the songs are. It's amazing that the acoustic instruments pack such punch and power, it's full of killer riffs, crystal clear lyrics and memorable lines.
Hell yeah, banger of an album. Already in my rotation of certified classics.
Ahead of its time.
One of my favorite albums of all time! I love the Femmes so much and hearing their debut album again was amazing. Still one of the greatest debut albums of all time. Not just the hits like "Blister in the Sun," but songs like "Confessions" that still hold up to this day. I could listen to this over and over!
Excellent. So many classic tracks.
Great music from the early 80”s and this album is great! Track one guitar intro is so iconic you hit play and just grin.
A near perfect album. So much fun Best Song: Blister in the Sun Rating: 9.0/10 Stars: 5/5
I need someone, a person to talk to. When Violent Femmes came out I was in my early years of high school. My freshman brain was delightfully shocked hearing the word 'fuck" in a song, and I probably listened to it more because of that than the actual music. You know I cannot tell a lie But then I listened, the simple straight forward, bass driven songs, coupled with angst ridden lyrics got me. To this day the Femmes are still in heavy rotation and proudly approved my daughter coming home with this album from RSD a couple of years back. Side one is perfect, and I sing along every time. I forget what 8 is for
“LET ME GO OOOOOOOONNNNNNNN”, I heard the first notes of Blister in the Sun and had never been more excited for an album. Violent Femmes just have fun music and a unique style that I love 5/5
I can’t believe this was made in 1983. I swore this was in the mid 90s post grunge alt indie mix. Great album and it’s so much fun.
A very good record with plenty of bangers. Liked "Confessions", which I'd never heard before. Good for gym, car, home.
one of my classics
A classic classic
Listened to this album a lot in university, not a lot since but it’s as good as I remember. Totally unique sound (is there another punk-folk band?), even some elements of 50s doo wop in there. Gano’s voice is one of a kind and the lyrics are memorable and pretty funny at times (listen to country death song on the extended version if you haven’t heard it). A bit of a stretch but I’m going to go 5 stars
4.6 This album was a total surprise for me. I always liked the couple of singles that came from this album in passing but never really paid that much attention to it. Bass playing is out of this world, that guy must be 10 feet tall to rip up an acoustic bass like that. I saw this described as folk punk, I would prefer the label acoustic punk, but that doesnt really matter. Add it up was my favourite tune. I will have to check out the rest of the catalog. Only knock might be that it might get tiresome after multiple listens, but we dont have time for that as there are 529 more albums to go. Last thought, within the punk umbrella there are very few bass driven bands like this. NOMEANSNO comes to mind and is a great band to check out. great talent
somehow overrated and underrated at same time. Classic
Was nice to revisit after many many years away from this album. I listened to it so many times in my teen years that I felt comfortable being "done" with it. But you can't really turn your back on albums that were such a big part of your youth just because you're in a different phase of life now. It's nice to bring back those memories, and hell, the music holds up really well! As catchy, minimalist, and punky as it gets, with a sound all its own.
on one side i absolutely loathes traditional folk and have a bit of negative attitude toward comtemporary folk. on the other side i have a mid to high regard on punk. so who would thought of the fact that folk punk is actually very appealing to me? 5/5
I've loved the Violent Femmes since high school. I got to see them around 1998, and it's still one of the best shows I've experienced. Im still kind of amazed that 3 dudes could fill up three hours and manage to be entertaining the whole time. Anyway, the self-titled Violent Femmes record is probably their best effort. I love this record. They managed to maintain their charm over the years, to some extent or another, but this record is the most concentrated distillation of their talent. The nerdy guy angst of the lyrics (and the non-stop bass lines; Brian Ritchie is a legend in my eyes) always resonated with me in a way that most bands can't pull off, or at least not nearly as convincingly. 4.5/5 There are a couple of songs on here that drag just a little, but the record as a whole still scores really high for me; it's a classic for me that I revisit fairly regularly.
5/5. This still definitely holds up and sounds unique and fun the whole way through. I have only heard the first track before and after finishing the album, it is definitely the weakest track on the album. There is not much to go off of it but all the other songs really show Gano's songwriting come through. It is chaotic like David Byrne and still lowkey like Lou Reed, and I think he finds the perfect combination. The lyrics can be a little creepy sometimes, but in retrospect it's more funny than anything just of how unserious it is. A great listening experience. Best Song: Kiss Off, Gone Daddy Gone, Add It Up
Ha! Nic, you want to just copy and paste?
Well. hahahahaha I won't even try to really go there on this one. (For those who don't know, I just wrote a book about this album for Bloomsbury's 33 1/3 series, which will come out next year.) I WILL share one of my favorite quotes from the book, though, which is from the bass player, Brian Ritchie. Basically, we were talking about the weird professional burden of making a successful album as a young man and then having to play those same songs every night for the rest of your life. I asked him if it was annoying. He got quiet for a few seconds. Then he said, “When I go to a Rolling Stones concert, and they play Satisfaction..." - and he leaned forward, as if to emphasize what he was getting ready to say next - “I like it.”
Looking forward to Nic’s comments (his 33 1/3 book on this album comes out in 2026!!) but I love this one as much as I did when I first started hearing it around the dorms in the late 80s. Are there are any mediocre songs? Not to my ears. It’s raw, jagged, desperate, angry, melancholy, sometimes ugly, but also buoyant, silly, and sexy. It sounded and sounds completely distinctive, instantly recognizable.
I love everything about the Violent Femmes sound.
Perhaps better than I remember, and I wore out 2 cassettes of this one. Pink rock on acoustic. Deserving of this list, everyone should hear this album
I really enjoyed this album.
Has there ever been a better album to describe teen years yearnings?
I will never not hear Feel Good, Inc. in the xylophone solo on Gone Daddy Gone
This album has a xylophone solo that's so good it makes me wonder why don't more albums have more xylophone solos. Blister In The Sun is great, but Add It Up and Good Feeling are also bangers.
Absolute banger album. Acoustic punk is rare, but when done right it sounds immaculate
4.5
One of the greatest debut albums of all time. One of the greatest punk albums of all time. And one of my top ten albums of all time. Cant recommend this album enough. It’s completely unique and completely timeless. This is definitely the best album I’ve been given from this list so far. Please go listen to it!
Wow! What an album! Midwest alternative bands reign supreme. While the replacements album we listened to was melancholic, this is madcap joy and anger fused— kinda like Pulp tbh. I had a lot of comparison bands actually for this album. It really blends a lot of different styles of rock music. My first thought was Jonathan Richman but it also can sound like early aughts rock. Fave songs are Blister (obv) and Add It Up. If you want to break up with a girl make a mixtape for her with Ugly on it
I knew Blister in the Sun, but not this album. It's a much different sound - and a great one.
Such a great album.
Another one I've needed to give more listens to, and this confirms it because I really dug it. The acoustic bass is super interesting. The lyrics are also really sharp and witty.
A true classic.
No question what my rating will be. Kiss Off has been a favorite since high school
Brilliant album that I've listened to 100s of times over the years. Quite refreshing after that dud I had to listen to yesterday. 4.5/5 #93
Near perfect
Great, some less uhh enlightened songs in there
NA
One of my all time favorites.
When I heard the first few notes of the first song - Blister in the Sun - it felt like that warmth in your belly when you read an old letter or diary by another entry and realize that we all feel the same things, and at the end of the day, all experiences tend to be universal. By the second song I was in awe - a little Southern band that feels like the Beach Boys' goth cousin, playing a song so raw and intense it made me gasp, sounding both like bluegrass and a garage pop-punk band. I had NO IDEA who the Violent Femmes were - when I heard Blisters in the Sun, I knew that lyrics were a forte, but Kiss Off threw me back into my chair. "Nine for a lost god, Ten for everything, everything, everything" literally killed me. Wow.
This sounds like a demo - raw, unpolished - and the result is something quite amazing. The complex construction of several songs is brilliant.
Me and this album have a lot in common. Angsty, neurotic, and whining about a girl that’s no good for you. This is my first 5 star of the 1001 album generator redux. I can say I enjoyed each song on this album from the jumpy and quick start with “Blister in the sun” to its melancholic yet up beat conclusion in “Good Feeling”. It’s definitely set the bar for what I consider a 5 star album. I’m disappointed that I never dove into the Violent Femmes outside of “Blister in the Sun” but they will now be included in my daily rotation. Every song on this album is a highlight for me but my clear favorite was “To The Kill” with “Add It Up” a close 2nd. 5 stars ,10 outta 10, and 5 big booms. Will be listening to this when women make me sad (every day)
Yet another band I've never heard of before, and I don't think I was familiar with any of these songs before hearing the album for the first time. I gotta say, this absolutely rocks from top to bottom. Hell of a debut album. Killer guitar riffs, great voice, and a good mix of Rock styles that make a lot of the songs feel unique, and at times even extremely ear wormy. I mean, try not to dance listening to "Gone Daddy Gone", you can't. Personal favorites here are "Gone Daddy Gone", "Add It Up", and "To The Kill". I mentioned this before, but after enduring so much UK Punk, UK Rock and UK Funk, whenever an American band comes around, it's just automatically one of the best things I've heard in a while. Call it national bias, pride, or whatever else you want to label it as. At the end of the day, this album still absolutely slaps hard. Great start to the week, looking forward to whatever I end up rolling next.
I loved this album. It was very much my sort of vibe. I already knew Blister in the Sun but was delighted to discover how much I liked the rest of the album. This is one I will definitely listen to again. My main complaint is that Good Feeling is such a good album closer that it seems a shame to have put the bonus tracks on the end. Fav song: Blister in the Sun - I also liked Gone Daddy Gone and Good Feeling Least fav: Ugly
BLISTER IN THE SUN!!!
Timeless. Sounds like it could have been made in any number of decades,
Incredible, propulsive bass lines. Catchy and humorous lyrics. Innovative without taking itself too seriously. Perfect.
Zak u put it perfectly, way ahead of its time. I really liked this one!!
An immediate and unfiltered look at teenage loneliness and lust. Punk’s promise is shaped into a different form on a record that still seems amazingly modern.
Terrific.
A classic that was ahead of its time. Raw, emotional, fun stuff. Standouts: Blister in the Sun, Add It Up, Gone Daddy Gone
My Rating: 5/5 Angst-Powered Folk Punk Yelps It’s punk, but it’s acoustic. It’s folk, but it’s feral. This album is one long scream from someone who just got friend-zoned and had their Walkman stolen. It’s like: • The Smiths if Morrissey was less whiny and more deranged • The Ramones if they couldn’t afford amps • A high school journal with splinters
A perfect album. So fun. Adore the raw production. Sounds as you imagine it would sound live.
Haven't given this a full listen since I was a teen. Still slaps hard.
Seen them live in the middle of DC in the rain. Rain stopped for them to play. When they were done it rained again. Was amazing.
Superb. This album was released when I was a mere embryo, but it sounds more like my childhood. Also A+ xylophone use.
Excellent record. A debut that doesnt feel like a debut. Feels fully realized and exactly what the intention of the record was.
These are the anthems of our youth. I hadn’t listened to this in years, put it on and could sing along like an angsty 10th grader. Add it up will always be my favorite but I had forgotten how good the rest of the album was, Promise, Kiss off, Good feelings, there isn’t a skip track on the record.
Fun and earnest album. Cool basslines, energetic, stripped down, nice melodies, good songs. 10 years later most bands would try to copy this album, they were really ahead of their time. The only song I don’t like is To The Kill, so I guess it’s five stars then?
If someone ever asks “define teen angst” this is the first example that comes to mind. Underrated in its riffiness, and unique in its rhythm section, it’s a stone cold classic through and through. “I hope you know, that this will go down on your permanent record.” “Oh yeah?”
Love this so much.
very cool album, the lyrics are childish, but in the best possible way
This is some incel shit
i literally love this album but what else is new. violence? check. femmes? check. a whiny man singing? chchcheck
VIOLENT FEMMES OHHHH YEAHHHHH I've been listening to this album a lot recently, since it's becoming summertime and it's a great summer album 1 - Blister In The Sun Amazing opener!!! I love the part when it gets quiet and stays like that for a while. My step mum would say in clubs back in the day, everyone would get low during the quiet part. And since it’s so long, it would always be funny staying low that long WAIIITING for it to become louder again. I would love to experience that one day - ha! 2 - Kiss Off “YOU CAN ALL JUST KISS OFF INTO THE AIR!!!!” I love the part where it counts to ten, and how “I forget what eight is for” hehehe 3 - Please Do Not Go This one is super fun to sing. The chorus rahhhh I love it. I like the “she like another guy” whine and “she never, see, the tears I cryyyy” 4 - Add It Up Iconic intro. “Dayyyyyyy, after dayyyyy”. I also like when the instruments briefly go quiet for “But I look at your pants and I need a kiss”. One of my favourite parts to sing loudly is the “WAIT A MINUTE HONEY I’M GONNA ADD IT UP!!!!” 5 - Confessions Switching up the vibe now. A nice break in the energy. My favourite part is the closing line “And you see I’ve learned my lessons. And I don’t even want to hear about your confessions” 6 - Prove My Love Another very singable one. Welll they are all very singable - ha! I associate this one with Please Do Not Go 7 - Promise "This is only a guess". I like that part 8 - To The Kill I find this one similar to Promise in the sense that this one says "to the kill" while Promise says "This is only a guess" as closing lines 9 - Gone Daddy Gone The xylophone is great here!!! 10 - Good Feeling This is SUCH A GOOD CLOSING TRACK. This is why I don't listen to bonus tracks when listening through entire albums. This is where it should end. Has such that "ending" and "closure" feeling. I really like this track
Gone daddy Gone, yes yes yes, and its gone daddy gone, gone gone gone away.....
Great album, punk but fun and catchy
Listen to the extended version, which was amazing. Violent Femmes have a way of using a simplistic yet chaotic rhythms along with along with Gordon Gano’s raspy sometimes off pitch voice just makes for good music. It can fool you into thinking you could do the same reality. It’s in really quick and you know that it takes true talent to make an album like this. The demos add to the extend version are great
There are multiple tracks on here that I like about as much as I can like music. Not favorite songs exactly, but maximum enjoyment from music. There are a couple of clunkers mixed in, but the totality of this for me is pretty stunning. Not a no-skips masterpiece, but a masterpiece nonetheless.