Reviews (page 7 of 15)
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!
Big fan of blister in the sun, cool album
This is a weird one for me. Yes, the signing is generally subpar. The acoustic guitar and drumming are pretty basic. It wants to be punk but doesn't truly get close to that level. But that bass! And the fact that they don't seem to take things too seriously ("and your happy, this is only a guess"). It all just kind of works. To a point at least. This isn't an amazing album, but I kind of dug it for some strange reason. It's like a movie that sucked at the box office in the theaters but then achieved cult classic. It takes a while to find its audience, but when it does, that audience stands fiercely by it.
Cool indie
Solid
I kinda didnt like it at first but there IS something special about the album and its really hard to rate. I like weird songs like confessions. 3.5/5
Excellent. So many classic tracks.
Fun album, I do think it's a little bit shouty at times and not in a good way. Highlights: Blister In The Sun, Good Feeling
🗣️LET ME GO OOOO-ON This album is so good, you can tell they had a lot of fun making it. It’s so rhythmic and catchy Fav songs: Blister In the Sun, Gone Daddy Gone
honestly just cool and fun vibes, i like the first 3 tracks.
I've never heard the album before but I do know one or two songs. _Blister in the Sun_ in particular was a staple in early 90s alternative club scene and so much so, I thought that it was a 90s song! It wasn't until much later that I found out it was a decade old and it's taken me until now to actually listen to a whole album. This sounds very much ahead of its time, sounding like a sort of proto-alternative and you can very much hear the influence on bands that would come a decade later and throughout the 90s, even into the 2000s with sounds like folk punk, alt rock, college rock and even grunge and pop punk. There's several great tracks on here including _Kiss Off_, _Add it Up _, and _Good Feeling_ but it's hard to look past what has becoe an anthem of sorts and is my fave track… Blister in the Sun
Out of time. A nugget of many carats.
This album takes me back to when I was 15 in 1991… I remember listening to it with my hoodlum friends; feeling like I was breaking some unwritten rule of what I was/was not allowed to listen to (which didn’t actually exist). I miss that time… I wish I could talk to 15 year old me. Anyway, it’s a great record… but “Blister In The Sun” is completely played out.
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.
Fun frat music.
Phenomenal album. However, I realize I can’t listen to Violent Femmes if I’m stressed or in a bad mood.
My mom recommended me this years ago. Became significantly less interested when i found out there are no women in the band it was pretty good. folk punk is a cool genre
i was prepared to dislike this one, but much to my surprise, i enjoyed it. this is probably more of a 3.5, but what the hell, i'll round up. i'm also shocked at how modern (well, relatively) this sounds. maybe this is just a really good remaster? but i would've guessed late 90s just based on the sound. wow.
cool album with some solid tracks. feels like a pretty unique sound for the time period, which i DEFINITELY thought was the early 90s until a few days ago. maybe it's ahead of its time, or it just doesn't sound like anything else going on in popular music. the closest genre i can think of would be folk punk. (checks wikipedia) ok yeah they are 100% folk punk lol. favorites: blister in the sun, kiss off, add it up, prove my love, gone daddy gone, good feeling
A near perfect album. So much fun Best Song: Blister in the Sun Rating: 9.0/10 Stars: 5/5
"Blister in the Sun" is the only one I recognized, and now I know why. Some of the songs were interesting or funny, but I wouldn't exactly can them good.
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
I had "Add it up" growing up which I believe is a best off. There are many songs from there on this. Great album.
Who doesn't love Blister In The Sun? Rest of the album was good, but not near as great as that opener.
Gen X Roll Call! Quiet rage, sarcastic self-deprecation, kind of inappropriate, and a bit off-key. Good stuff.
Love the Femmes.
I definitely would’ve pegged this as a 90’s grunge-ish album, so I guess it’s ahead of its time.
“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
Old school punk
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.
I'm a big Pixies fan and never really listened to Violent Femmes. Have to say that this feels like something that I'd been missing out on. It's grunge, it's surf rock, it's folk. It's a solid 40ish minutes of great music. It's why I listen to this list and I'm really pleased about it.
Good album, had heard it a long time ago, always forget to put it on, lead track is a mainstay in just about every playlist on my Spotify TBF.
Please Do Not Go //
A very good record with plenty of bangers. Liked "Confessions", which I'd never heard before. Good for gym, car, home.
Cool sound but a bit too abrasive for me
How did I miss this album. Didn't know there was a genre for acoustic folk-punk. I like it.
Turns out I have liked Violent Femmes for years, since 1997 probably as that is when Grosse Point Blank was released. I love that movie and I love “Blister in the Sun” which features in the soundtrack. Thing is, I never went beyond that, and I have to look the band’s name every time I hear the song. “Blister…” is the opener and the best song on here but it is a really good album. Acoustic punk, delivered in a busker fashion. There is a lot of space in the arrangements and the sound is really clear. You can hear the acoustic guitar (and yes there are some electrics on here too), the crack of the snare drum, the click of the individual strings on the upright bass (one on the great revelations), all topped by Gordon Gano’s fragile, quivering, shaky vocals. I really enjoyed this. Unusual stuff.
alright
Not really my thing but it is good
Bliste run the sun is pretty good. But not amazing. Xylophone on go daddy is great. Good feeling is a sweet song
Not my cup of tea, again. Do people genuinely like this kind of music?
one of my classics
Very Velvet Underground forward, sounds rather timestuck with a sound from the previous 2 decades with some injections of more modern themes.
A classic classic
Just so much better than all of the similar stuff being put out in this era. Like, leagues apart.
Not as good as I was expecting actually
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
Not too bad, but a lot of the songs are just about wanting a girl and doing things to her. Low 3/5.
Their debut album. Acoustic Punk !? Ha ! And a Xylophone. Blister In The Sun - Classic opening track. This sounds like an album from 1993 not 1983. Kind of ahead of it's time. Add It Up - liked this one. Very Punky. This album is a great expression of teenage angst and frustration. Very alternative given the 'synth pop' of the time. This.predates the slacker, Gen X, Grunge, Fuck You movement that was to come.
Blister in the sun is a perfect song. Some other good things on this one too
Rv/G
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.
Good album, solid early 80’s music definitely in my wheelhouse.
Not outstanding but pretty good, and it has a kind of 'acoustic punk' sound to down to a T. That whole quirky, lo-fi DIY aesthetic sounds 10 years ahead of its time too.
not for me lyrically so i didn’t enjoy this much. musically it’s quite cool i guess. the chorus to gone daddy gone” sounds very much like the part in foo fighters “all my life” that goes “done done and i’m on to the next one”. also super cool solo of whatever cool instrument that is xD “gone daddy gone” is my fave song on the record, and mostly the only song i really enjoyed. this sound in 1983 feels so early and ahead of its time, plus points for that. 2/5
Enjoyed revisiting an oldie but a goodie
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
After re-reading the Wikipedia page for this album after listening to it, and noting that most of the songs were written by an 18-year old high school student, I realised why "schoolboyish" was the word that kept popping into my head while the album played. For me, "schoolboyish" is a negative when it comes to music, and apart from that issue, I just found the whole album vaguely irritating, despite some good guitar riffing in places. However, even the riffing wasn't enough to elevate the album above a two-star rating for me.
Pavement or cake but just slightly worse to my ears.
-blister in the sun
Very nostalgic! Also a lot of noisy songs :)
Not really for me but I can understand how some people might really like it
I've always loved Violent Femmes
Fav songs: Add It Up; Gone Daddy Gone "Blister in the Sun" is fine but overplayed. I saw VF in concert in college. It was the mid '90s so they were already washed up. The angriest acoustic band ever. I hope they have found peace. And got laid.
Ahead of its time.
Very basic songs badly sung, borrowing heavily from early Clash. Yet there is a charm about it. Not something worth returning to but it is very definitely a moment in time
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.
Boring
although different to what i listen to, it somehow feels very familiar. obviously there’s some songs of theirs i’ve heard from them, but even then i felt a familiar feeling.
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
It’s crazy this came out in the early 80s not my favorite album, but it is so unique even though some songs are skippable. I enjoyed this album for what it is.
This was screaming one hit wonder Opened with a banger and it was all downhill from there 2 ⭐️
Really enjoyed this one and will come back to it. Full of energetic quirky songs and great (acoustic?) bass sound.
Early alternative, biting Lou Reed pretty hard. Not bad though
..............
Ha! Nic, you want to just copy and paste?
In 1983, when my cousins from Wisconsin visited and let me have their dubbed tape of this record, it was like this strange funny angsty world opened up. Acoustic punk plus teenage romanticism and naivety caving in to sex and death and drugs and rage--but in a good way. Wore the tape out. Bought my own. And I still love the violin solo on Good Feeling.
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 could easily see myself not liking the almost spoken style of the singer, but actually it gave it some kind of charm. Good baking soundtrack
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.
Underrated album. Chock full of jams
Solid album cool vibes…gets a bit redundant.
Solid, peppy OG cuts
bad. not good
Pre-listening thoughts: there are NO women in this group called Violent FEMMES. I (lesbian) am so disappointed Post/during listening thoughts: OH these are the Blister in the Sun dudes. Yeah okay. So this is a genre blend of like acoustic and punk. I can dig it. Sometimes I feel like the main dude can't REALLY sing but it's not the end of the world. This was okay, I don't think I'd come back to it. 5.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Blister in the Sun, Please Do Not Go, Ugly Least fav tracks: Confessions
Very forward-thinking and ahead of its time for sure. Honed the acoustic vibes that would go on to influence 90's and 00's indie rock. Best tracks: Please Do Not Go, Add it up (shout-out T.H.U.G 2 soundtrack), To The Kill
One banger and some interesting cuts.
Super super fun. Feels ahead of its time kinda like something u could see at a house show in Boston lmao. Last song was beautiful
Weird voice and rag tag sound is how I just described them to Gideon and I like it a lot. Almost 5 but I gotta be pickier and there were some songs that were weaker.
Listens: 2 Standout tracks: Blister In The Sun, Gone Daddy Gone Raw, stripped down, post-punk with minimal instrumentation and interesting vocals to say the least. I had no idea Blister In The Sun was a 50 year old track. I'd heard it on the radio and assumed it was much more recent. Like something Cage The Elephant would put out. In fact, this band reminds me of Cage The Elephant, just with less instrumentation and polish.
7/10
Another okay album. Nothing too crazy… 3/5
Well, there is Blister in the Sun which is pretty good and catchy, but the rest is mediocre until Ugly (bonus track, so it doesn't really count). At least now I know this isn't a girl group.
What a mess.
One hit wonder. Emo kids
Set up a generation for intro to alternative and indie music.
começou blister in the sun e fui acometido por súbita nostalgia (novamente) esse é bão
ou blister in the sun eh BOA DEMAIS gostei muito mais do resto do album do que das primeiras vezes que ouvi, inclusive. o início do folk punk que não eh mto pra mim mas eh apreciável!!
I absolutely love the "heaviness" they create without loud drums/cymbals or heavy guitars, it's really clever and sounds sooo cool. My closest album to a 5 so far but not quite every song was super.
i don't remember caring about this much when it came out, but why do I know all the lyrics to all the songs by heart? Most perplexing.
Has there ever been a better album to describe teen years yearnings?
They used to play “Blister in the Sun” at lights-up at Perth’s indie nightclub, Amplifier Bar. I was never there to see it, but it’s the sort of thing I found so fundamentally unfunny that Violent Femmes, as a band in their entirety, became collateral damage. Fun dude. That’s a shame for me, as the next track on their 1983 album – “Kiss Off” – would have almost certainly disabused me of my overly-earnest opinions, and might have even cheered me up a bit in the process. This is a fine album. It feels a touch unbalanced, maybe – the first half being much stronger than the second – but that also might just be because the whole “I’m horny and frustrated” thing stars to grate after a while (wearing as thin as thoroughly dry humped pants, one might be tempted to conclude). I hear moments that will later find further vent in a whole constellation of American indie bands, from Bright Eyes to Cloud Nothings; raw, tuneful, full of that specific cheerful-cynical swaggering attitude unique to American punk. A record gratefully rescued from the dustbin of my own history. And as for the onanism … well. Sometimes you just have to hold up your hands and acknowledge that lights up or not, it’s you that’s the wanker.
I had heard blister in the sun Favorite song: blister in the sun
Me gusta mucho el estilo de esta banda, como para escuchar mientras haces el desayuno un domingo donde ya no tenes parciales, tenes a tu gente cerca y feliz, tus mishis se están estirando con las patitas para adelante esperando que le rellenes el tarro de comida.
Me gusto bastante, seguimos con la onda ochentera
Para escuchar jugando al Tony Hawk teniendo 8 años Asi que lo voy a escuchar jugando al remaster del Tony Hawk Me gutó
I will never not hear Feel Good, Inc. in the xylophone solo on Gone Daddy Gone
probably the most 90s album from the 80s, a lot of it seems very sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek. not really sure what it is with this book's obsession with albums that sound like a bunch of teenagers fooling around in their garage, but at least this time it's at least somewhat intentional. favorite song: "blister in the sun" overall: 6/10
Violent Femmes's singer has that midwestern vocal fry that I've come to love in Modern Baseball's Jake Ewald and the group have the sonic stylings of Iceage (this album gave me Plowing Into The Field of Love vibes). This is clearly the precursor to shit that I REALLY love. 4/5
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.
Couple of bangers. Interesting blend of grunge and surfer rock.
Absolute banger album. Acoustic punk is rare, but when done right it sounds immaculate
Totally decent; burns its best songs first then fades into (genre-defining?) punk standards
A solid record. Simple, but fun and often wacky or silly which I always appreciate. 7/10
Too horny
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!
While I find the idea of 'folk-punk' interesting, I didn't find this album appealing enough to me. The point of this record is that the songs share some elements of punk rock and new wave (or at least the majority of them), but they're primarily played using acoustic guitars. Because of this, most of the songs don't make a big impact of me. There're some really fun songs, but overall, I'm not a big fun of this music. At least the production is really well done and the album sound very clean.
Absolutely unreal that one album has two of my least favorite songs of all time on it: Blister in the Sun (and a little bit softer now!) and that awful incel anthem. So much crap here. I absolutely hate when bands pretend to be too cool for their own lyrics, like.in the songs here where it is counting and says some dumb shit like "I don't remember what 8 is supposed to be" - like you didn't record that line on like 20 takes of this track. God I hated this album.
A good album. Have been aware of a few of the tracks for years but never listened to the entire album. Blister in the sun is still awesome though.
I didn’t like all the songs but the first one is a summer classic.
A lot of similar feelings right now
I need to spend more time with this album but it’s definitely my wheelhouse
Occasionally, the guitar work was interesting, but other than that, there are no redeeming features.
1. Blister In The Sun - 7 Instrumentally this is a brilliant track. The sound of the vocals is the issue I have with the track here. It's very rough sounding signing and the quiet part at the end of the song becomes hard to follow along with. 2. Kiss Off - 2 Horrendous opening into a very repetitive section into just... random talking? Absolutely no flow to the song. Completely random, completely directionless, completely pointless. 3. Please Do Not Go - 3 Just soulless sounding music. Lyrics are very random in tone, length, and delivery. Instrumentally it's okay but a bit basic. Guitar part in the middle is the only redeeming thing in the track. The mini-monologue towards the end is incredibly annoying to listen to. 4. Add It Up - 8 Much better sound with miles better lyrics than what has previously been on the album. Verses are solid and the chrous is really good as well. The rolling of the drum throughout is great and it makes the transition into the lighter part of the song seamless. Guitar adds a very nice compliment of sound to the feeling of anger and frustration the song portrays throughout before breaking out into a brilliant riff on the bridge at the half way mark. 5. Confessions - 1 Absolutely dreadful song with absolutely awful lyrics. Instrumentally there's not a lot to opine here as the song they are basically played like a funeral procession is going on. Guitar and drums finally kick in brilliantly 3 minutes in but outside of that it's an entirely uninspiring track. 6. Prove My Love - 6 Better song with a lot of fun in the instruments and even the background vocals. Overall a sound track. 7. Promise - 6 Sound is great and lyrically the song is fine. My issue is when the verse is broken with a speaking element like in the first verse. It just breaks the tempo and the feel of what the song is trying to portray. 8. To The Kill - 3 Lyrically the song stumbles all over itself before randomly signing "to the kill". Guitar in second half of the track sounds fantastic but it will randomly veer of course at times both a minute in and at the end of the solo/bridge. 9. Gone Daddy Gone - 10 Outrageously good song. Lyrically it's fantastic and the sounds of all the instruments each add a phenomenal amount of character to the track. The chorus is incredibly catchy to sing to. Just a brilliant track. 10. Good Feeling - 4 The piano on this track is the highlight. It sounds great but the lyrics are hard to follow along with in terms of their message and their meaning. Guitar in the middle sounds good. Other than that, it's a slow burner of a track. 11. Ugly (1983 Rough Trade UK Single) - 6 Overall not a bad track. The guitar sounds so incredibly dirty and amazing on this track. Lyrics follow a great tempo and tune but the verses are a bit odd and lose the plot a bit. Other than that, it's okay. 12. Gimmie the Car (1983 Rough Trade UK Single) - 1 Lyrically this song is abysmal and it's five full minutes of this unfortunately. There's nothing instrumentally that can save this song from being a complete and total abomination. Average Rating: 4.75 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 2.38 Rounded Down: 2 Stars
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
Great album. Feels like they could have been a big influence on the Pixies, and if so thank you for your service. I feel like Violent Femmes are a band that I forget about, but I’m always pleasantly surprised by their deeper catalog when I give them a spin. Maybe a slight victim of overplaying on their bigger hits, although the hits are still great. Really just a fun album all the way through. 9/10
Solid album really portrays that teenage angst well
I knew Blister in the Sun, but not this album. It's a much different sound - and a great one.
I... like it? The music and singing are "not good", but that only makes it better
30/06/2025 I didn't know what to make of this album when it came up, it was alright.
Took me back to high school
Such a great album.
i see the influence but hard on the head
Incredible 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.
Very decent. Low-fi. Reminds me a bit of Pavement. Would listen again.
such a great album. I didn’t know a lot of the songs, but they were all awesome. When you start your first album with “blister in the sun”, you know you’ve got a great album.
positves: + i knew a couple of songs thanks to my dad + the ones i knew were a vibe negatives: - the songs were all similar/ had similar themes causing the listening to feel repetitve - the piano plinking and plonking randomly especially during gone daddy gone really annoyed me my favourite song: blister in the sun which scored a 6/10
A true classic.
No question what my rating will be. Kiss Off has been a favorite since high school
Legend
Really fun and angsty, loved the vocals in particular. It’s in the most part pretty straightforward with its lyrics but that’s also why I like it. But imagine my surprise when I found out that there’s no femmes in the band violent femmes
Enjoyed this. Never heard of this band, but the first song was familiar. Different and definitely something that deserves to be on the list.
How have I never listened to these guys more. This is pure genius
Nah. Can't stand the vocals.
It has that cliche rock N roll nostalgia feel while also having that folk tinge to it that makes it feel unique.
Damn, these guys are overrated. I don’t know what people like here. Whiny atonal vocals? ✅ Simplistic arrangements? ✅ Inane lyrics? ✅. Hilariously, they’re still touring… old dudes rolling out the same tired adolescent giggles. Sigh…. A wasteland of ear rubbish. 2 stars for Pride Month.
Ok
Kicking off with Blister in the Sun! Wow!
Too simplistic and poorly performed for my tastes.
Why does it sound like has been played directly from a tuna can
Good one
Really interesting lyrics and message. pretty funny. really good music
Great album! Very good songs and it was all pretty much what you would want to hear From the violent femmes!
Ahh! So violent my ears are bleeeding. 😐 Rhcp but they’re not as excited or maybe more excited
Not bad. Usually I’m not a big fan of horrible voices, but this one works somehow. I enjoyed the album mostly. Things started getting a little monotonous after a while, but overall it was pretty decent and catchy.
I had a lot of fun with the beginning section of this album for what I feel are obvious reasons. There is certainly a lot I enjoyed here but it tapered off toward the end for me. Overall quite solid.
Fun punk music. I appreciate how it sounds like they’re having so much fun on the album. I think every song may have been about getting laid. Enjoyed it !
I can appreciate the minimalism of this, and how fresh it would have sounded when new, but a few tracks in it all blends together and the vocals grate.
A laugh riot. Some of these lyrics are flying a little too close to the sun (this is going on your permanent record, dont be distressed, im impressed!), the angst can be overwhelming and I really should hate the nasally whine of the singer's voice, but these things totally work together when arranged just so. In that way it reminds me of The Flaming Lips. Good stuff.
Raucous, immature, and just plain fun. Violent Femmes radiates dead end angst but avoids the cynicism and depressing overtones often present in punk music. There are a few catchy tunes here too. Blister in the Sun is a classic, and Please Don’t Go got a few plays. I like the sound enough, and really enjoy what the band were going for. I can’t help but feel you have to be in the right mood for these tunes though. Nevertheless, it’s a high three. ✨
Sometimes groovy, but did not like it very much: not so interesting
Ist gut aber an manchen Stellen auch nervig mit der spartanischen, experimentellen Instrumentals. 3/5
Boring. 1/5
Yesterday I bemoaned Chvrch=@#s inability to put out anything of substance using all the gear money can buy. Today Violent Femmes turn up to prove my point, gutting every bit of heartache and emotion, every ounce of rock’n’roll, punk, rockabilly, surf, blues, country and folk rock spirit out of what sounds like a load of broken jug band instruments recorded on a potato. This unassuming album doesn’t look like much at first, but it will take you on a massive journey.
I was really not into this
Good but not great.
Not my favorite, I enjoyed some of it. It definitely seems ahead of it's time.
Post punk via Lou Reed
I hope every young music fan still has a Violent Femmes phase. And grows right out of it.
3.5 round up
OK
The music, lyrics, performance are all subpar. Didn’t like it. I can understand why teenage outsiders would strongly relate to this, but it doesn’t move me.
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
Classic, good mood, i like it
Near perfect
I wasn’t familiar with any songs except Blister in the Sun but really enjoyed the album, adding 8 of the 12 tracks to my favorites playlist. 4.5 rounded down.
I believe Elizabeth and I saw this band at Summerfest in Milwaukee in the late 70’s. The hits here are great, but some of the others sound pretty similar to them, so that’s disappointing. Always love it when Blister In The Sun is in a TV show or movie.
Topp!
Great, some less uhh enlightened songs in there
Trash! Talking and bad singing over bad music. 1001 albums you have to listen to doesn’t know anything yet again.
NA
One of my all time favorites.
Way better than I was expecting. 4 stars, but could go higher on relistens.
Great album! Blister in the Sun was well known, but everything else sounded fresh to me. Excited to listen again. 8/10
I liked it
3.899999999
Overall very fun Acoustic surf rock with a punk ethos. I thought this was from the 90s! Bass is doing a lot of the work. Only most of the songs are about an unfulfilled desire for sex. It's the Blister in the Sun album. 1 listen favorite: Kiss Off
Some good songs. Not a fan of the vocals.
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 album is super cool and unique. Enjoyed t more than I expected
Way ahead of its time. 90s alt bands must've loved this album. Full of verve and personality. The bass and low-end guitar work is my favorite part. Would probably grow on me with future listens.
Nada de fenomenal, a não ser uma ou duas músicas do álbum. Há outros exemplos desta década muito melhores que este álbum.
Not bad. Pretty well what i expected from the songs that I knew
That was great fun. Bolster in the sun is a great opening and then I was in for the ride. I'm sure I'm not alone in finding out that Gone Daddy Gone is not a Gnarls Barkleytrack!
Simple guitars and vocals plus some really interesting bass riffs make for a fun listen!
This sounds like a demo - raw, unpolished - and the result is something quite amazing. The complex construction of several songs is brilliant.
As one of my wife's college friends said about the Femmes, "I can respect their lack of talent." On paper, they don't line up with what I should like particularly. And I sure didn't like them much in jr. high/high school. But they've grown on me, for whatever reason. And there are some standouts that I always enjoy on this album. So they get 4*. I can't explain it, but that's the way it is with me.
Not for me
Horrible trash.
Good fun. Think every indie rock band in the world has gone through a couple of copies of this one. Drags a bit towards the end, but still really worthwhile angst and xylophone!
I already like this band, but the tracks I didn't know were consistently good. A solid listen if you can take that much horny shoegazing.
Wasn’t expecting much considering the first song is one of my least favourite songs in the world, but I was quite impressed nonetheless with the quality of the rest of the album.
Was really suprised at the amount of songs I knew and liked were on this album
It's amazing how popular some of this band's songs were given how awful the lead singer's voice is. Some weird stuff in here other than the well-known ones.
-really interesting.. today i learned what band made Blister In The Sun i guess. the blending of folk and punk is cool as hell, it captivated me a lot more than i thought it would -will need to hear this one again honestly but it’s sitting at a very solid 3.5 -Favorites are Blister In The Sun and Confessions
Terrible
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)
Really vibe with this. It sounded like the band was having a lot of fun with this album. I am probably gonna pick this up in vinyl because I enjoyed it so much. I want this type of energy and enjoyment for any songs that big Marlin makes
Overall enjoyed the album but not something I would throw on ever again. Obviously Blister In The Sun is the one exception to this, top tier song. The guy is jsut a little too whiny and annoying for me at times but I did enjoy most of the songs sometimes jsut because they were funny. Particularly Add It Up, Gone Daddy Gone, and Gimmie The Car. I think we’ve all been sexually frustrated with a woman before and straight up asked her Why Can’t I Jsut get One Fuck. The same goes with straight up asking your dad to gimme the car because I need to have sex with the local tramp since it has AC vs. my car with no AC.
Missed it
this album was fun, loved Blister in the Sun was singing it in the car w my dad haha Not much else to say honestly but I’d give it 4 stars
Absolutely loved this album. I love the frenetic jittery energy. The weird riffs and of tempo singing is really fun to me. It leans more on its energy and lyrics than worrying about singing on key or in time. I think I'll like this album even more with repeated listens. Highlights: Blister In The Sun Confessions Good Felling Gimmie The Car
A truly miserable experience.
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
Very surprised with how much I liked this one. Off the bat I knew that song but didn’t know where it was from. Crazy to think it’s almost half a century old. Some of the other songs on the album were eh but I liked the overall vibe. Specific rating - 4.0 Fav song- blister in the sun Least fav- gimme the car
When I first listened I found the singing really annoying on the first three songs and then from Add It Up onwards was having a lovely time- and then I listened again and the vocals on the first three weren't any different to the rest of it (expect the "bye bye bye"s on Please Do Not Go- still too whiny). Really liked almost all of it in the end (second listen). Favourite: Prove My Love or Ugly Least: Gimme The Car
Don't know how I missed this at the time. Blister In The Sun and Add It Up are the highlights, but enjoyed the whole album. Love the prominent bass, and the general DIY feel of it.
This was a real surprise. Didn't know any of the songs except Blister in the Sun. I feel like this is a band that lots of other more current bands would site as an influence (Cake, etc)
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.
First? 3,5/5 Again? 2,5/5
I think it’s very iconic this came out in the 80s. No one sounded like that!!! Good for them.
Good, enjoyed it 3.5
Zak u put it perfectly, way ahead of its time. I really liked this one!!
Violent Femmes is an album that i have somewhat mixed feelings on. I definitely didn't hate it but it wasn't something i really loved either. It does feel quite a bit different from a lot of the other punk albums i have heard on this project with this one feeling more acoustic than a lot of the others. The music here is pretty good albeit a bit forgettable as there is not a whole lot of differentiation between the songs with them only having a few interesting moments. The lyrics are not all that great either due to some of them feeling more perverted than i would have wanted. It is still a pretty decent album but its not one that i really want to go back to. Best Song: Add It Up Worst Song: Gimme the Car
Альбом понравился. Фолк/панк/пост панк про подростков.
The music is ok but the singing is not. Sounds like he's just rambling on. Best song: Gone Daddy Gone
Turns out I like acoustic punk more than electric. Also, I never realized Adam Sandler is totally doing a Gordon Gano imitation when he sings. The acoustic bass makes these songs. I learned that the lyric is "like I blister in the sun" and not "like a blister in the sun." I don't know what a blister in the sun is, always thought it was one of those nonsensical, poetic lyrics, but, no, it actually made some sense. Anyhow, good stuff. I don't recall hearing it all at the time, but glad I've heard it now.
Os antecessores do The Hives?
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.
Started rocky and then got softer but was nice 6/10
Бодренько, мне вполне норм, на 4+
Unique mix of punk and folk. Not sure I’ve heard many albums like it before. Punk has never really connected with me so this was an interesting experience. Glad to have listened but probably wont come back too again
Terrific.
A classic that was ahead of its time. Raw, emotional, fun stuff. Standouts: Blister in the Sun, Add It Up, Gone Daddy Gone
ok
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
My first time listening to the folk punk genre. Quite interesting. But not my thing at all. The breakdown at the end of Add It Up was great though. Would I revisit: maybe.
This album made me sad because it had everything it needed to be great, but the vocals completely ruined it. It seemed like every song wanted to be humorous or whiny? If the lead singer actually sung this would be great. I adore the album cover though!
++: Blister in the Sun, Please Do Not Go, Add It Up, Confessions, Prove My Love, Promise, Gone Daddy Gone +: Kiss Off, Good Feeling +-: To the Kill 8,5/10
A perfect album. So fun. Adore the raw production. Sounds as you imagine it would sound live.
Only listened to half the album. Got a great start. But it got pretty bleak after a few tracks and had to move on. Too emo for me at the moment !
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.
Good album, very raw
Excellent record. A debut that doesnt feel like a debut. Feels fully realized and exactly what the intention of the record was.
This really felt like an album that had to hit at the right time - like I'm sure if I'd heard this as a teen I'd have really connected with it, but now it just didn't really do anything for me. However, I did appreciate how varied the tracks on this were and a couple definitely stood out to me (including the obviously quite famous opening track)
Lots of personality. Great singer. Great bass sound.
Dokik vájb de nem annyjra jó
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.
I don't know how I hadn't listened to this before. Velvet underground meets punk. Fun!
Ok
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?
one hit wonder of blister in the sun. the rest of the album was a real flop for me.
Mediocre.
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?”
Folk punk, allegedly. Sounds more like the drama club crashed a frat party. A-side is all whine and campgrounf tunes. “Blister in the Sun” has been played to death, resurrected, and killed again. B-side improves. A bit like Television if they started busking. That this sold 2 million copies is either proof of a marketing miracle or a cosmic joke.
The lead singer sounds like the child of a Lou Reed and Jonathan Richman union. Unfortunately, these two greats produced an embarrassment. Better luck next time, fellas.
Loved it, great to listen to
Trendsetting sounds to be found here. However I don't feel like listening to it again.
Acoustic punk, huh. My teacher used to call me that! This website's been really in the mood to give me punk albums. This was good! I feel like I need to listen further to really grasp the album, but off first listen it was decently enjoyable. 7/10
Love this so much.
Love the style. If it was a little more PG (or more subtle at least) I’d listen to them a lot!
yay. a gift for my last day of school blister in the sun- 8 kiss off- 5 please do not go- 8 add it up- 6 or 7 confessions- 8 prove my love- 7 promise- 5 to the kill- 5 gone daddy gone- 6 good feeling- 5
Meh
very cool album, the lyrics are childish, but in the best possible way
Cringe and Milwaukeepilled. Previously listened to 4 songs off of this album (Blister In The Sun; Kiss Off; Add It Up; Gone Daddy Gone) Listened to this just a week or so before starting this project. As a current MKE resident and long-time lover of Blister In The Sun (was OBSESSED with this song as a little kid), I wanted so badly to see what all the hype was, but this didn't live up to my expectations. As someone that actually does appreciate MKE's music scene quite a bit, I can totally see their continuing influence on the local bands I've seen perform throughout my years here, so that's pretty neat. Favorite Song: Add It Up
The lo-fi aspect can be hit or miss. Some catchy songs, I forgot how many were about murder
After listening to this album I know I've heard it in its entirety at some point in my life. No clue when though. Almost every song I recognized. Still it wasn't really up my alley, but it was fun enough.
está bien, se pone medio insoportable por momentos
Don’t like this guys voice Bored out of my mind Might’ve been better if I was in a worse mood
This is some incel shit
I feel like this album is just making up the numbers. 2.
Although I'd be perfectly happy never hearing "Blister In The Sun" again, the rest of the album is actually pretty great.
Unique, ahead of its time, sad, funny. This album is so many things. I love it
Fun record. Different for its time. While they have some hardcore fans I'll likely not return to the album.
Pretty good punk rock but it was fairly similar throughout and some of the instrumentals weren’t interesting enough to keep me engaged
amazing album
Always liked the early 80’s new wave/ punk sound.
Very interesting album. Kind of off-kilter but it works. Same goes for the singing. Not technically great but suits the music. Favorites: Blister in the Sun, Confessions, Gone Daddy Gone, To the Kill
Was pretty fun. I've heard too many cover bands cover "Blister in the sun", and would gladly never hear the song again. But the rest of the album was interesting.
Strange but also kind of cool
i literally love this album but what else is new. violence? check. femmes? check. a whiny man singing? chchcheck
Love the sound and energy but the constant “no one loves me wahhhhh” whininess gets on my nerves
Good voice, great opener
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
There's some great stuff here musically, 3.5 rounded down. I like the raw teenager energy and some of the guitar work. "To the Kill" is a beautiful song and I'm glad 1001 albums introduced this to me. Though I like the youthful energy, some of that may be revealed in the lyrics though in a negative way - side eyeing the lyrics in "Gimme The Car." "Add it Up" is similar, but it makes up for it with the raw chorus "Dayyyy after dayyyyy...".
Maybe it's the era I grew up in, but many of these very early slacker rock/pop albums make me think the albums were genuinely prepared in a matter of hours. I want complexity that feels effortless and lazy on the surface, not simple carefree tunes. Nevertheless I enjoyed this album other than the song about drugging girls. There were some Pixie-esque vocals which was appreciated. 3/5
I got really into this a few years back, but I find it a bit more grating these days. The overplaying of the first 15 seconds of blister at sports games does not help. But a lot off the back end of the album that people mostly don't listen to is quite good. And there's some pretty innovative stuff here. To The Kill, Gone Daddy Gone, I think they'll round it up to 4 stars.
Not all punk goes hard.