Reviews (page 8 of 14)
v good
I forgot hi ow many great songs are on this
Love it!
I love the heavy use of acoustic instruments and the range of influences that are evident in their music
Excellent album, Gordon Gano sounds very similar to Tom Verlaine (of Television) but both bands couldn’t sound any more different!
This album has always been oddly enjoyable to me. In some ways it’s a recipe for disaster; Gordon Gano’s whiney vocals, the wild bass playing, the minimalist production. But somehow it all meshes together and the album weaves in and out of frustrated angry punk and gentle radio-friendly pop songs like they were always meant to be together. The fact that Blister in the Sun, a song that’s played at stadiums to this day, is on the same album as the menacing Add It Up is just amazing. Also this came out in 1983! Thinking about all the alternative/indie bands this influenced is also wild.
love the sound, but lyrics could be... tough at times
Només coneixia "Blister in the sun" i he descobert un àlbum molt entretingut i amb cançons senzilles però efectives, on convergeixen rock, punk, americana i fins i tot una mica de reggae.
Such an iconic artifact of post-punk/early alternative, and it still holds up very well in that context. There's a strong whiff of juvenalia - and why not, it was made by kids - and the Lou Reed/Velvet Underground influence occasionally shades from homage to near imitation. The editing isnt perfect - there are several pretty clunky and abrubt fade outs in songs. But overall it's a surprisingly mature (in its vision and execution) and polished album.
What the fuck was gimme the car. Otherwise great album especially good feeling. Surprised that i still know the words to kiss off when i haven’t listened in Years
My favorite Femmes album. SO many great singles.
I confess, I already have this album. Although the first song of Violent Femmes I heard was (of all things) "The Country Death Song." Very strange, but there you go. Saw them live in college, with the original drummer. It was very interesting as he only had the snare and very little else. But that's how this whole album is, right? (More on that later). You've got a great one-two-three pinch in three of those first four songs: "Blister In The Sun," "Kiss Off," and "Add It Up." "Please Do Not Go" has a Bob Marley-esque kind of feel to it, believe it or not. It's too bad that the first song seems to have been reduced to being the song people clap along to at baseball games. It's a great song, a song about drug abuse (another one of those songs people probably should listen to more closely before they rock out to it...). So, the drums. The rest of the instrumentation doesn't bother me as much, because they do vary up the song styles. And it _DOES_ work. But just the snare? It does make it feel a little... one-dimensional. I always hoped for a little more that way. So that always nags at me, every time I listen to the album. It's that that makes it a 4-star, not a 5-star album for me.
These guys are just so...eclectic? I don't own any of their albums and probably never will but I always find myself strangely drawn to their songs when I hear them. Something about Gano's unique vocals, the unique musical arrangements (e.g., xylophone on Gone Daddy Gone...love it), or the off-kilter lyrics. I know American Music isn't on this album but that sums up their stuff - you hear it once and you think that's a stupid song. But you hear it twice and you can't stop singing along. I guess that's why this is a cult classic. If you quickly listen, you move on angrily. But if you give it a couple listens, you crave it any time you need something good but different than the rest. Or when you want to have some sing along fun. First 4 tracks are a great sequence, even if Blister in the Sun is way overplayed. Prove My Love is also a lot of fun, but also sounds a bit like Kiss Off and Add it Up smashed together. I know these guys and this album aren't for everyone. But they're/it's one of a kind (and good). And that's worth something.
Fun album. Blister in the Sun is one of those songs where I didn't know the name and then immediately said, "I know this!" Good song. I enjoyed pretty much every track. Not groundbreaking (unless there had never been punk folk before?), but a fun listen. Favorite tracks: Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off, Please Do Not Go (great bass break in the middle), Add It Up. Good stuff - I'd definitely listen again.
Nice album. Definitely a reference for future bands that came after it.
Violent Femmes made an awkward, angsty, sexually frustrated record which sounds like nothing else at the time. Creepy yet engaging, disturbing yet funny, this is a high octane burst of brilliant alternative music. With xylophones.
blister in the sun - 3.5 stars kiss off - 3 stars please do not go - 4 stars add it up - 2 stars confessions - 3 stars prove my love - 3.5 stars promise - 4 stars to the kill - 5 stars gone daddy gone -5 stars good feeling - 5 stars ugly - 4 stars gimme the car - 5 stars
Melhor album até o momento. Quase dificil de descrever a experiencia. Um disco que brilha pela crueza que apresenta. As vezes senti uma vibe country, em outras me remeteu à crueza punk, ou a fase inicial do Nirvana. Desde a primeira audição ja ficaram várias canções na mente. Blister in the sun (Riff e vocais excelentes) Please do not go (Riff de baixo viciante)
Discazo, temazos, mucha energía
Sounds like urban punks trying to be hillbillies and I'm hear for it
Það er eins og fólkið segir: þessi plata er frábær! Ég tengi hana svo mikið við síð-níuna að ég gleymi því alltaf inn á milli að hún sé frá snemm-áttunni.
I ended up really liking this. The vocalist has a great idiosyncratic voice.
En osympatisk kille förstörde det här albumet för mig i många år i och med att han gillade det hårt. Dags att vara sjysst.
Jonathan Richman minus genialitet? Men vilken platta som helst med Blister in the sun förtjänar ju en fyra hursomhelst.
Denna lyssnade jag sönder när jag var typ 13. Tror jag lyssnar på detta istället: https://open.spotify.com/album/3oloiyQgCoTq0t155i0anl?si=pULN_yKXRdib2-etZIlXxQ
Total classic.
Više mi se sviđa nego prije, što je jako pozitivna stavka.
Punk beatles
It remains unclear how ironic this was ever meant to be. In real time, one definitely found it the most direct, extreme and clinical expression of Smithsian disaffectedness. It was as if punk anger slid from posturing to pathology and was delivered acoustically. And it was dangerous in a sense; one wanted to ask one's fellow frat party dancers if they took these cuts (either to the recorded versions or those supplied by up-to-date cover bands) if anyone was taking this seriously or – perish the thought – literally. "Do we hear what they're saying? Do we agree?" is what one wanted to know. But not wanting to seem too dull or obvious to the dark, reticent, pre-goth non-cheerleaders who seemed to dig the record, one decided to keep one's mouth shut. Today, it seems far too cleanly presented, if still quite authentically delivered. The catchiness lapses to kitschiness eventually. And the proceedings even read cute today (see xylophone on "Gone Daddy Gone" which is effective and refreshing, though the solo is probably overkill). It scans nearly as parody, being quite light and bright musically in contrast to the doom and gloom emotionally. Indeed, the notion of VF as black-comedy novelty act (the alt music equivalent of Harold and Maude, say) is borne out by the fact that they came and went in a blink and don't seem to have milked matters on the afters market too gratuitously. Still, as a genuinely fun listen and a richly representative artifact of a time, of a place, this record retains distinct value.
A great record whose acoustic leanings prove that punk doesn't have to be loud and fast; the aggression still comes through in the twisted lyrics and vocal delivery and the perfectly mixed rhythm section
When this album came out, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Raw and unpolished, but catchy at the same time. Especially relevant if you were a depressed teenager at the time (which I was). Excellent debut album. 4 stars.
Great!
First one on the list is already a favourite one. Great start!
Flip off your parents, but you won't because this ain't punk. Make out with Mary from biology class, but you won't because this ain't that kind of teenage drama. It's just you listening to whiny angst ridden Violent Femmes, and loving every moment of it.
Reminds me of a bad part of high school, which is a shame because this album slaps. I thought seeing the Femmes a few years ago at an outdoor festival would purge some of those memories, but the venue was overcrowded with white MAGA dudes who were still pretending to live their high school glory. Why can't I get just one screw?
A fun sound a fun album
Toksično ali ipak s razlogom kultno
Cute little album. Such a vibe. Sad they never rlly made anything else this good.
Notes - folk punk, alt punk record - debut album - most of the songs written while the singer was in high school - awkward nerdy edge, but self aware - super stripped back instrumentation lets the song stand on its own - sounds like sitting around listening to some guys you know playing songs - i listen to this album pretty regularly - lotta great earworm melodies and choruses Fav - Kiss off - iconic Least fav - To the kill - sounded like a worse version of songs already on the album 4/5
Rough and ready acoustic punk, and who could fail to love xylophone solos.
Really surprised how many of these songs I knew - wasn't aware of ever having heard much besides Blister. A pretty ace album actually.
Yeah good blister in the sun is classic
I always forget that they're Blister in the Sun. The rest is nice too
Pretty familiar with this album already. It has a lot of great stuff on it. 4/5
This is still pretty good, but not as life-affirming as REM’s debut, or at least it isn’t by today’s standards. Still, I think that “Blister in the Sun” and “Add It Up” will go off at any point in history. B
nice
Like their 1st two albums. Energetic, simple.songs, good voice.
This album has some interesting "figures" with the guitar and the bass and also the voice of the singer make the album interesting. It's also a very peculiar rock the album has this grunge style with classic rock. However a big part of the album sound the same which could make it kinda boring but with no doubt it's a good album to listen to.
Fun eccentric vibe, with dark lyrics Great album
This is not an album to be analyzed. This is one to turn up loud, sing along, and remember how fun college parties were with warm beer and sweaty people oozing pheromones and freedom.
It's been at least 30 years since I've listened to this record — though I heard "Blister In The Sun" in a store or somewhere just the other day — and I remembered more of it than I expected. This struck me as such a wild departure when it was released, acoustic punk with a sense of humor, and I liked it then, but I considered it something of a novelty record. But it's really a good album. The songs hold up, the playing is better than you think it is, and lyrically, there's a lot to like. I was a bit reticent, thinking this was not going to live up to my teenage memories ... why can't I get just one fuck? How subversive. But this is no novelty record. It's definitely affected and not right for all occasions, but it's good, for real.
Yes! This is most definitely an album to listen to before you die. Preferably in your late teens with friends at the party when you are ready to dance. Just don’t jump on the bed…it will break.
Pretty hype. Never noticed the velvet underground influence before. - 4 stars
This is a great alternative album. I’ve included it in my library.
Punk folk. Brilliant. Even better if they made a punk rock version.
I like it a lot, his voice is so laid back, their songs feel so punk, so free, and it's easy to listen, definitely gonna add most of the songs on my playlist. It's apparently Folk Punk Album which I've never heard of, and I would like to hear more!
comico constante, ludico y original blister in the sun ★ kiss off confessions ★ promise gone daddy gone 3.8
Simplicity. It’s three dudes in a half circle around one microphone, singing these catchy little tunes. Love it (8/10) FT: Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off, Confessions, Gone Daddy Gone
It’s raw and radical, it’s childish and refreshing. These early days of Indiepoppunk had their genius moments. And they are still there even 40 years later!
They’d be great for shaky. There were a few songs I knew that I didn’t know was them
Love the Violent Femmes! They’re so incredibly unique and fun to listen to.
Upbeat fun and a couple ear worms
Enjoyed more than I thought I would.
Good, grungy vibes
This is a super interesting album. I'd heard Blister In The Sun plenty but never listened to the whole record. It sounds as if it was made far later than it was. Very early pop punk, indie rock mix. Enjoyed it.
Absolutely good melody
Another new find for me, I had not heard of Violent Femmes before this. Sounds a lot more 90s than early 80s. Love the bare-bones production. And the xylophone solo on Gone Daddy Gone has no business being that good.
The OG folk punk album
First time I've ever hear the full cd played through. Moving this into my rotation.
Weird but great!
requires a few listens to get into it, is quite innovative for year 1983, but other bands made it better later on. 7/10
Actually never listened to this full album. It's really good.
Oh Hell Yes. Though this album is slightly too entwined with my memories of working at Dick Smith and a particular branch manager at the time.
L'esperit DIY que impregna el disc, i el seu to marcadament alternatiu, li dona una capa d'encant especial. És EL disc de la banda, i el material està entre el millor del rock alternatiu dels '80. 'Blister in the Sun', 'Gone Daddy Gone', però també 'Confessions', 'To the Kill', i de fet tota la resta brilla d'una manera que el grup no sera capaç d'assolir mai més en el futur
MAD nostalgia points for this one! "Blister in the Sun", "Kiss Off", "Add It Up", "Promise", and "Gone Daddy Gone" were in heavy rotation in late middle school when I was establishing my iTunes library and let me tell you, them play counts were HIGH.
Blister in the sun! One of the best guitar riffs / acoustic guitar riffs of all time. So simple and memorable. I didn't realize this album (this band?) was so acoustic-driven. I love the bass sound and performance that pulls your attention throughout the entire album. It is easily the defining voice on this record. Acoustic bass guitars aren't so commonly used and man does it sound great on these tracks. Overall I thought it was great. Blister in the Sun is obviously the standout track and I think the only thing that hurts the record is that there are a few songs that sound kind of similar to that one and it doesn't stray too far in any direction from that one sound.
Already listened
Pas 100% mon genre, mais c'est impressionnant comment cet album sonne en avance sur son temps. Ça aurait pu sortir dans les années 90
I thought I’d get tired after the first song because the vocals are… unique, but I had a fair amount of fun listening!
Pretty fun album. Only knew the single and there’s more to this band than that one song from all the indie comedies.
Unique, fun and creative
Ahead of it's time. Very fun, big punk sound. Amazing bass.
Amazeballs
Bra shit
Ça change un peu et c'est frais
un peu mal à l'aise sur la chanson ambiance incel mais on va considérer qu'ils l'ont écrite dans le cadre d'observations sur la nature humaine (cf Emile Zola ou Damso avec la chanson Julien notamment) sinon un kiff
Listened Before? Y YES! Perfect listening for a Friday! This brings me back to my high school days. Dripping with nostalgia and a great album to boot. VF is the worst sounding good band out there, IMO. Added to Library? N Songs added to Playlist: Kiss Off, Add it Up
The album with Blister in the Sun on it! That’s essentially all I knew about it before listening. Folk punk is a genre I really didn’t know existed, but it’s incredibly cool! The style of vocals on this album, half lazily talking and half singing, isn’t always up my alley, but it works very well here. Overall, the album is very fun and I enjoyed it a lot!
Loved it! Obviously knew the first song but I didn't know anything else. I really enjoyed the stripped back acoustic punk style. Definitely a keeper!
Jolly. I enjoyed that.
My ex was a violent femme. She would come home, take her bra off and beat me to a pulp. Her tits had an unbearable pong that often caused me to vomit all over our medieval furniture that she insisted made the house look like the kind of fuck chamber ancient Kings used to force maids to suck them off in. I disagreed.
Not remotely violent
what a great album! I had been burned out on some of the classics (Blister, Gone Daddy) but I really enjoyed the other songs far more than I expected to. 4.5/5
wow - really liked this more than i thought i would
Good mix
Man, that band that was on Sabrina the Teenage Witch is really good.
Never listened to the album before, despite being well acquainted with Blister in the Sun. More than a touch of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers which is no bad thing. Will definitely listen again.
A really excellent album full of youthful energy. There are a couple of dodgy lyrics here and there but on the whole, it's a delightful portrayal of a teenage experience.
I love this album. I love this band. Saw them live twice (decade apart). Each time was the same. Loads of leather-elbowed types enjoying themselves to the limit, belting out the songs.
Muito bom.
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Yeah
One of those bands that you'll instantly recognize on the opener. West coast pop-punk, the bass is the standout on the album. This was a fun listen.
I was unduly suspicious, though admiring, back in the day. It all felt a little too much, both too obvious and too cheeky. My suspicion came from too many young women (albeit cool ones) liking them, a general preference for more artful Anglo angst (aka, The Smiths) and perhaps a reluctance to embrace such raw emotion (not a trend that’s necessarily gone well since). It’s pretty bright for being so dark and holds up pretty well; a lot of volume gets produced from the small-scale configuration, plus generally crisp playing and a solid differentiation of songs. The records beyond this got pretty shaky pretty quickly. But the 4 is merited.
This album screams high school to me even though it was released well before I was in high school.
A neverending rush of bombastic, jangly, at times serious early alternative rock that deserves its distinction as the Femmes' best. Favorites: Blister in the Sun, Please Do Not Go, Add It Up, Confessions, Prove My Love, To the Kill, Gone Daddy Gone, Gimme the Car.
4.25
Sounds like they released the demo, but it works. Angry acoustic. Angroustic.
Love Blister in the Sun. I feel like there’s probably some other pretty decent tunes on here that I like if I was as familiar as I was with that opening track. I wouldn’t have picked Folk-Punk as one of my favourite genres, but I like the dirty DIY sound of this.
Ah, Blister in the Sun. Tooon. Gruff vocals. Anti establishment growling. Rinse and repeat.
What a classic record. Very stripped down and simple, yet so witty and complex. Great listen.
I liked it more than I thought I would. Never was a huge fan of their hits, but their deep tracks are pretty cool!
I've heard a few songs off of this one. I dig it, it gives me like this weird uncomfortable but super upbeat vibe. I'll end up checking out more of their discography at some point. Because this felt pretty out there, and it's own thing.
Was pretty great
An alternative classic. The acoustic instruments give the angsty songs a unique flavor.
YUH
I still love the Violent Femmes. This was never my favorite album, but it's still fun to listen to.
A simple production but lyrically very fun and honest record. That's what songs should be all about. 4 stars.
Rock alternativo-folk. Muy animando. Está bastante bien.
Amazing album. Unique voice. 8-9/10
02/02/2022
This album was a lot of fun. Some of the lyrics are pretty awful but I can get past that. Will definitely check this out again.
Rock alternativo-folk. Muy animando. Está bastante bien.
I adore the sonic palette of this record, with its spanky basslines and homegrown, rough-around-the-edges feel. The production and vocals blend to create the epitome of angst and the teenage underground scene of the time. BEST TRACKS: Blister In The Sun, Kiss Off, Add It Up WORST TRACKS: Confessions, Promise
punchy, love it
GREAT! So many great songs. 4/5
it was ok
i wouldnt have guessed it came out when it did. does that mean it was ahead of its time? energetic and raw and in my opinion fun.
Violent Femmes is the band's first and most successful album to date. It was released in 1983. First folk punk album I've heard. My favourite songs: Confessions, To The Kill, Gone Daddy Gone, Good Feeling. Also the CD bonus track "Gimme The Car" is funny. :)
lotta bangers
Possibly a 4.5. Felt like a big influence on Neutral Milk Hotel. Love the poppy relatable angst.
Fun folk punk! Lyrics drew me in (surprising) despite whiney tone.
Angular, clattery, post-punk performed on mostly acoustic instrumentation is a good concept, and this is well-executed. 'Blister In the Sun' and 'Gone Daddy Gone' are the obvious earworms here, but there's a lot to enjoy in this weird slacker soundscape.
Yeah, I'm with Andy here. Never owned this record, can't recall a specific time I listened to it, can't think of a specific friend who loved it, and yet somehow I knew damn near every song. Maybe it's because a bunch of these tunes found their ways into movies? I dunno and I'm not gonna Google that. Love the bratty imperfection of it all, and I feel somewhat safe in saying "Blister in the Sun" gets played on classic rock radio? Does that sound right to anyone else? Kind of amazing all around.
Pretty good indie. Extra star for having two xylophone solos in Gone Daddy Gone
Definitely reminds me of Jonathan Richman with the strangely intense sincerity, the vulnerable vocal delivery peppered with practiced emotional stammering, the old timey backup vocals, and the generally upbeat but cleverly knowing sound they have going. Despite these similarities it somehow comes across as completely original. Perhaps it's the strangely poetic and playful lyrics that definitely have a darker edge than Richman's, or perhaps it's the quiet loud dynamics and the way they can play with what seems like wild abandon and then just stop and focus it and go in a completely different direction on a dime. Or perhaps it's just that acoustic bass. Holy Shit. You can also tell who was listening and influenced by this (Frank Black and The Pixies). A huge link between some of the more cult acts of 70s and college rock and the alternative and indie rock that followed.
Never heard of them. Thought it was great. Love the poppy punk and the lyrics reflecting their age perfectly.
Wasn’t expecting a lot but was pleasantly surprised
An album that very much took me by surprise. Given the genre/my limited knowledge of the band I really didn’t expect to like this but it won me over and after my first listen I immediately went back for more. Great sound, great songs, great album.
I don't know if I actually never heard the rest of this album (past Blister) or if I just don't remember it. But - either way - I love it. It's so good. I get that it sounds simple - or even "bad" - to a lot of people. They may listen to it and think - "I could write those nonsense lyrics" or "I can play the guitar as good as him" or "I could have come up with that bass riff" - but guess what? They can't. And even if they could, they didn't. So fuck them. Plus, I now realize what an influence the Femmes must have had on Dispatch - another band I'm fond of. So props for that.
Thought it was excellent throughout.
More of a 3.7, but rounded up to 4
Them nerds done good.
An absolute gem of an album.
Great new album now in my life
Love me some acoustic bass... Stone cold classic. If you were a teen in the 80s or 90s this album just exists in your brain, fan or not. Let's call it Femmeosis.
8/10 Muito bom
Add it up banger Blister in the sun - classic Post punky
4.5
Very good, especially as most of the songs were written when he was 18. A little Jonathan Richman influence...
A very nice album
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Blister in the sun, Please do not go, Gone daddy gone
I have a lot of thoughts on this record. The first time I found out it was from the early 80s, I was shocked. This feels like a crazy, weird, experimental record that felt like prime mid-90s territory, among the likes of Beck, Cake, etc. This record feels so ahead of its time it's insane to me. Wikipedia describes this as a "folk punk" record and, while I can kind of see that, the folk punk I'm more familiar with is like... early Against Me!, as well as a bunch of smaller, local bands from my basement show days. Plus, this record has a lot of influences from blues and maybe even bluegrass. Total blast, super fun. Favorite tracks: "Add It Up", "Gone Daddy Gone"
Was für eine schnodderige Chuzpa! Grandios low fi und dabei so wuchtig. Wie geht sowas?! scheppernde 4.4
Really good this, folk-reggae-libertines vibes
Strange, but fun!
Classic album. "Blister in the Sun", "Kiss off", "Add it up", "Prove My Love", Gone Daddy Gone", "Good Feeling"
4
Really good
Super catchy, Would be great at a house party. A bit same-y after a while, but good to come on a playlist. Great bass guitar work.
treads the line between lackluster and intensely passionate.
I really enjoyed this album.
Great album - weird to think that this was a good 25 years before Bright Eyes!
Great mix of folk and punk rock. Music and a voice that shouldn't work, but they work so, so well.
Violent Femmes on Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes war Kids see Ghost bevor die Kids Ghosts gesehen haben
Very powerful and eclectic album from what I usually listen to. Has punk influences (1 of their members was from the Pretenders), which I really like (vocals). Hints of folky-banjo vibes. Kind of a curious name for a band when you think about it.
fun, rustic, invigorating
Amazing that is from 1983. Sounds of the mid 2000s at a minimum
Не, нормальная тема. Качает, напевается, не душит. Но не откровение. Blister In The Sun и Confessions запали. Если потянет на панкуху - возможно, обращусь. Надеялся, что название группы переводится а-ля "Жестокие женщины", но не, там сленг какой-то пиндосский. Не люблю, когда локальные мемесы выносят на публику без пояснения. Особенно когда на аву какую-то хуйню ставят, спрашиваешь "Нахуя?", отвечают типа "А, да это локальный мем наш, забей...". У-у, су-ука... Но в контексте данного альбома не особо коробит.
An absolute swanky jaunt of folk punk. The vocals are unique and distinctive, and the style feels so ahead of its time for the early 80s.
Good, catchy
This is awesome! In no way does this sound like 1983, it's more like early 90s grungey sounding, which is totally my thing. I love this. I didn't even know Gone Daddy Gone was a Violent Femmes cover, I should have known this stuff. I'm not sure how this band got past me, not anymore, this is a most pleasant surprise.
More my genre, found the middle bit not as rememberable but the better songs definitely ranks it higher. Always been a fan of Blisters in the Sun
Oh that was so good. Only knew the first track, nice to discover “new” music this way. Dirty bass.
I enjoyed Violent Femmes. "Blister In The Sun", "Kiss Off", "Add It Up" and "Gimme The Car" are great songs.
Scrappy, fun, and hooks for days
Rubbish bar 1 song
Love this sound. Rock, folk, and punk elements. The vocalist is particularly my favorite part.
Like an acoustic energy ball. I like it!
garage bandy. not bad. reminds me of pixies
One of my mom’s favorite bands so I am about it. Grew up with it
Mum, can we get The Pixies for dinner? No, we’ve got The Pixies in the freezer at home The Pixies in the freezer
Always liked Blister in the Sun, Add it Up, and Gone Daddy Gone, but many of the other songs sound familiar. Not sure if I ever listened to the whole album before.
The lo-fi recording style, threadbare instrumentation, and frenetic energy of this album all work wonderfully together. Worth another listen just to piece together the themes of sexual frustration and denial that run throughout.
Great sounds. Punchy driving. Very angsty. Love the raw,.unpolished sound. Lyrics are by a bunch of guys who just want to get laid. Juvenile but it works with the music.
This is awesome! In no way does this sound like 1983, it's more like early 90s grungey sounding, which is totally my thing. I love this. I didn't even know Gone Daddy Gone was a Violent Femmes cover, I should have known this stuff. I'm not sure how this band got past me, not anymore, this is a most pleasant surprise.
Classic!
I think I would be hard pressed to find an album more ahead of its time than this. The fact that this came out before stuff like The Pixies, Nirvana, or basically any other altrock/indie band is unbelievable. And on top of that, it's a fantastic listen.
Peak Scott Pilgrim. Should probably add some songs to library.
Really liked it, not as heavy as I expected. Will listen to it again.
Bardzo fajny vibe buntu młodości w brzmieniu jak i w tekstach. Prawdziwa kwintesencja punkowej muzyki. Słuchając tego albumu ma się ochotę na prawdę wstać i wykrzyczeć coś ludziom wokół. Na pewno będę wracał do tego albumu, żeby dodać sobie energii.
zajebiste pozdro
Alt sound to the 80s. Blister in the sun and go daddy go are great
Classic.
Great folk-punk-indie-whatever. Short and to the point. Blister in the sun is of course a classic
So I’ve never listened to this record in its entirety because I’ve been irritated by the song “Blister in the Sun” since the very first time I heard it 40-whatever years ago. I made it through the whole song this morning, though, so be impressed with me. No, that didn’t improve my opinion. The Violent Femmes have a slight resemblance to the Modern Lovers, except that the singer doesn’t have Jonathan Richman’s sincerity and quirky sense of humor. So it all just ends up being annoying. Wait though, “Gone Daddy Gone” is fun. I was going to smack a 2 onto this record until that came on.
some very nice lyrical moments there
Última semana completa de agosto y vamos con esta banda que creo me suena de nombre y, si no es así, su nombre me llama la atención. Suena simpática, punkie, pero más tranqui. Me recuerda a bandas como Descendents (Please Do Not Go) o The Damned (Add It Up) pero más lights. Debo decir que al principio me costó enganchar pero después entré. No me voló la cabeza pero me agradó. Gracias y hasta mañaña
I was curious to hear this largely acoustic punk/post-punk album, having seen it named on quite a few ‘best ever albums’ lists. In fairness, it does sound rather ahead of its time for 1983; quality-wise, however, I thought it was okay but nothing special. Based on a couple of listens I don’t really get the hype. ‘Blister in the Sun’ is the most famous track and it's… fine? ‘Add It Up’ was probably one of the better tracks, plus ‘Gone Daddy Gone’ (the xylophone really added to it), and the genuinely lovely ballad ‘Good Feeling’. Decent 3 stars overall.
3.5
Weder noch. Aber auch nicht unhörbar.
A acoustic and folk-leaning punk-album is something i didn’t have the desire to seek out before. I find it hard to believe that this album is from 1983, i would’ve located it more in the 90s. So i guess the album was quite forward-thinking back in the day. Now, i enjoy punk, so i was trying to be as open as possible. After the first shock i adjusted my ears to the clash of acoustic guitars and i quite liked the sound. It got grating at some points, but nothing so bad as to turn me off. So that folk-punk idea is kind of working for me. The big problem, though, is the lead singers voice. My god, it is grating and annoying me so much. Other punk-singers can hide insufficient vocal chops behind a wall of noise typical for the genre, but Gordon Gano doesn’t have this advantage. Some tracks are straight up unlistenable to me because of his vocals, especially Blisters In The Sun, Act Up and Confessions. It really takes a lot away from the record. Some songs, namely Kiss Off, Prove My Love, Good Feeling and Ugly are still big fun and i will probably keep them in my rotation. So ultimately, the album has some cool ideas and i like the general directon. And that xylophone? Lovely.
I always thought that Violent Femmes was something like Throwing Muses, or maybe even the same band. But it’s more like an episode of Monthy Pythons Flying Circus: “and now for something completely different”. Not really my liking but I can understand why this album is part of the 1001. And that’s something that can’t be said about every album in the book.
3.5
A New York punk rock sounding album in the vain of Iggy and the Stooges or Lou Reed. Lots of upbeat energy is there in tracks like "Blister in the Sun". And there is some more gritty punk feel present too. The track "Blister in the Sun" was used in an advertising campaign in the UK. Which caused controversy in the band. However, had it not been for this, I would have not heard this song. Which raises the debate of, when is the use of a song not acceptable? Is using a song to promote a product beyond the pale? If so, is radio similarly distasteful. Especially if it is a commercial radio station? Personally I believe that exposure is exposure and this does not mean that a piece of music is devalued by being used in an advertising campaign. However it does run the risk of being forever associated with a thing. As per Reef's "Place your hands" when used on the UK television program TFI Friday. (2.666)
Wisconsin’s greatest acoustic punk trio. Great musical ideas and some terrible themes.
Très sympa ça commence a tiré vers du rock un peut plus punk/garage
2026.08.18.
Man, I just love the 2000s grunge rock scene….. THE FUCKING 80s???
Not my music, but understandable why it is listened by people
Lyrically off, of its time, wouldn't go back.
the punk/folk combo was new for me... and it did't connect that much with me. can see the appeal but I'm still not a punkhead.
i feel like i've listened to this album at some point... it's not bad? couple more good songs than i gave it credit for 💥blister in the sun 💥kiss off 💥add it up 💥gone daddy gone
no sé si los pixies estuvieron antes que ellos, pero se escuchan muy influenciados por ellos o los pixies fueron influenciados por violent femmes.
Jeg tolkede folk-punk-lyden mere som rockabilly, men uanset mærkat utraditionelt for perioden. Kunne godt høres igen.
Rock alternativo competente e divertido. O contrabaixo tem bastante destaque nas músicas. TRIxHBB Kai.
Pretty wonky guitar and bass sounds on this. I enjoyed some of it, i’m just not a huge fan of Ganos vocals. Melodically kind of uninteresting to me outside of blister in the sun unfortunately.
Pretty decent. It has a kind of punk-ish sound to it but it's so low-energy that it's hard to think of it in the same category.
Voy 56 discos y la mitad se parecen a esto
Somehow this is both annoying and good enough to be completely average.
It came with a lot of hype when I first heard it years ago. It was fine then. It's still fine now.
não parece muito violento pela capa
The upbeat songs are the ones that shine on this album for me. Punk lyrics and vocals over acoustic instruments is brilliant. The slow songs are rough though.
I loved this album when I was a freshman in college. Today, I learned that I have matured quite a bit since freshman year…
Didn’t blow me away but enjoyed it. Impressive how much “size” they get out of the broadly acoustic sound set here. Good album
Besides Blister in the Sun, it was mostly unmemorable. But I do like this band and their vibe.
Better than expected. Stripped down and basic.
Not exactly my thing with the sort of sparse instrumentation, but it was okay. I only really liked Blister in the Sun, Prove My Love, and Promise.
Surprisingly enjoyable
This was way ahead of it's time for 1983, it sounds like it could easily be from the early 90's. It has an alternative vibe that is certainly different than a lot of the other popular music of the time. I enjoyed it, but for as influential and groundbreaking as it surely is, it didn't knock my socks off. Which is fine, it's a good album in a vacuum, and it takes on a surprise factor when you learn when it was released. But that in itself doesn't make it particularly special.
lol its pretty vibey and im surprised i knew one of the songs beforehand and idk what that tells me about me at the ripe age of 21. "kiss off" was the song. well the rest.. was.. interesting.
i just don't understand at all the praise this album is getting. but it isn't a bad album though
A classic of early 80's punk. Seems like Blister in the Sun has appeared in a million movies and TV shows--it's almost a parody to use it now. When I was in elementary school all the middle school kids were into this, so I pretended to be as well. Anyway, not bad album.
i liked it
Was not what i expected, lovely songs with deep meanings and elegant instrumentation, big fan
Je pensais pas aimer et en fait j'ai passé un bon moment Playlist pick : Gone Daddy Gone
It was a good album. Many of their songs sound the same
I can see how this is foundational. There's some songs on the album I'd listen to more than once, but it's like 3/5 one and done for me and it's not really my style.
I am torn. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, thought some of it was pretty decent. 2.5 stars.
It's alright. The guy can't really sing but some of the tunes were catchy.
At under thirty minutes this barely qualifies as a full album by conventional standards, which makes it all the more remarkable that it still manages to feel uneven. The opening one-two of “Blister in the Sun” and the promise it establishes set expectations the back half can’t consistently meet — a familiar problem, but more pronounced here than most because the gap between the peaks and the valleys is genuinely wide. The peaks are real. “Blister in the Sun” is transcendent in the specific way that opening tracks can be — the kind of song that resets what you think a guitar and a voice can do together in under three minutes. “Add It Up” is the other anchor, the song that works at maximum volume late at night when everyone is sufficiently committed to the moment, which is its own category of achievement. These are songs that have appeared in movies, TV shows, and club sets for forty years for good reason. Gordon Gano’s voice is the variable that determines everything else. When the material is strong enough to carry it the adenoidal intensity is part of what makes the record feel like nothing else. When the material isn’t — and “Please Do Not Go” is the clearest example — it tips from distinctive into wearing, which is the honest ceiling on what the record can do front to back. A three with two genuinely great songs inside it. Worth catching their festival set at Bourbon and Beyond for exactly those two songs. A standalone show in Roanoke is a different commitment, and this listen settles that question cleanly.
very interesting, not usually what i would listen to but definetely don't hate it, kinda like the vibe.
Listening to 𝘝𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘍𝘦𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘴, it’s easy to hear the roots of what would later be called alternative rock. The album doesn’t fit comfortably into any one genre. There are traces of folk, bits of rock & roll, punk energy, and a quirky acoustic sound that feels entirely its own. What I find most interesting is how unusual the album still sounds. Even decades later, it doesn’t really resemble what most people think of as alternative rock. The stripped-down instrumentation and nervous energy give it a personality that sets it apart from many of its contemporaries. I enjoy the album’s originality, but I’m not sure I enjoy the album itself as much. I can hear why it became influential, yet I never feel completely won over by it. In the end, I admire it more than I love it.
Would not buy
Litt incel-energi med et par store hits.
Its a twist of other punk I heard, but it is also remarkable on its early release time. Like back then it really was something to come up with something like this. But sadly I just didn’t feel it that much, punk isn’t really my favourite either
Good album! Seemed to me that every song was different and i like that.
Nice folk rock with a modern edge.
I expected "Violent Femmes" to be an all-female thrash metal or hardcore band, so was a bit disappointed right off the bat. All kidding aside, this record has undeniably impressive acoustic work all throughout. At the end of the day, this style and the vocals just aren't really for me. Still a decent album.
Fun not necessarily my type but good vibes
A lot of the songs sounded the same and the second half of the album got pretty boring but the first half had some groovy tunes that I was rocking with so.
This was one of the VERY few punk albums I didn't hate and didn't want to skip every song on. Actually pretty good. Favorite track(s) Kiss Off
I like it musically, but lyrically and vocals…not so much.
Better than I expected. A little weird at times, didn't feel like an early 80s album
So this is what the underground sounds like when it springs up to the surface... it sounds like a unique piece of music for its time, can't really get very into it, though. It's a fine page in the quirky-acoustic-indie-music history
Punk rock sympa, je savais pas que Blister in the sun c'était d'eux !
One of those conflicting albums that is clearly good but I just don't enjoy that much. Blister in the Sun a banger though, nice to know where it comes from. RYM: N Saved a song: N
Cohesive men låtarna sticker ändå ut. Tycker dock att det är lite för depressing för att jag ska kunna lyssna, många av låtarna är dåliga mantran vilket gjorde att jag grät första dagen jag lyssnade. Good feeling är min favorit, trots att den är så annorlunda från resten av låtarna.
The entire album sounds like their big hit, with the exception of “Gone Daddy Gone.” Good, but not something I’d seek out.
An okay album, I liked Prove My Love the most.
Listened half of this and I have to admit I expected way more for some reason, because I kept seeing this album on the lists of best alternative albums on the 80s. And while this does sound ahead of it's time, not sure if it stands the test of time that good, it just sounds average to me, maybe 3 stars at best?
Portada: 1000/10 En general no está mal, pero a mí tampoco me encantó, lo cual es raro porque este estilo de música me suele gustar mucho. Pero bueno, podría haber sido peor seguro
A nice blend of punk, folk, rock with a unique voice.
This record inevitably popped up at every party I attended in HS and college. TBH I never got it. The vocals are awful. The lyrics are incredibly dumb. There are some catchy riffs (Blister in the Sun, Gone Daddy Gone), but every song sounds pretty much the same. And yet it's an undeniably massive influence on the alternative music of the 80s and 90s. Listening now, it's has some nostalgic charm but I'm just not much of a fan and it's kind of amazing that this became as popular as it did AND remained in public consciousness for this long
Priemie maar niet mega
Folk punk is always great, though this isn't my favourite. Sone tracks are bangers, but many feel too flat for my liking.
Really cool but not my cup of tea but was a blast
could say a lot about but i dont have the time. it was decent, and i appriciate it’s value in the 80s
VF are a greatest hits band for me. Blister and Gone Daddy Gone are great; Kiss Off is pretty good; the rest is just bad.
Eee
It’s got all the hits, but I find it very repetitive, and his voice and that bass work for awhile, but get old after a few songs.
Test
I was so excited to see this album come up as it took me straight back to my teen angst years! However, listening to it now, I could really only say that 4 songs on the album were worth a second and third listen. Blister in the sun (classic!), Add it up, Gone baby gone and Good feelings… the rest was blah at best.
maybe im crazy but i found it similar to beggar banquets, i definitely liked some songs more though
Most okay album ever. It has the same issue I have with "No Code" by Pearl Jam where every song kinda sounds the same and I can't really seem to get too strong of a message out of each song besides a few ("Confessions", "Promise"). I do think the musical performances are astounding, though. I'm just lacking variation.
Didn’t realize a number of songs were by this band, but otherwise it was a fairly forgettable album
Not too shabby
I felt like I should like this but it just never got interesting
Quite fun punky stuff, expected a bunch of yelling lesbians with a name like Violent Femmes tho :(
Better than i expected. Also more familiar songs than i expected.
Nice lil indie album
not really my type of music, sorry. 5/10
oh yeah. fun stuff. hell yeah. love me some folky punk.
Wel aardig beetje cringe lyrics af en tor
A handful of well known good songs, but I don't need a whole album of this.
One of the best '90s sounding '80s albums I've ever heard!
Pretty good but gets a little samey. Did not expect this kind of music when I read the genre but I enjoyed it. Blister in the sun is a classic
Blister and Gone Daddy are 5s. Rest of album is more or less average.
The sound of this album was fun at times but not sure it’s for me
6/10 First things first, Violent Femmes are not, as their name might suggest, a 90s Riot Grrrl band. At the time of recording this album, they were a bunch of teenage boys self-funding their debut album prior to signing with a record label in 1983. Frankly, the fact that this album was recorded in 1983 is remarkable, because it sounds about a decade ahead of its time, with clear and direct influences from this record to the alt-rock, grunge and punk revival of the 90s. That goes some way to explain the raw nature of this recording. The performances, both instrumental and vocal feel a little like they’re just about clinging on to the edge of pitch and timing before things start sounding sloppy and while they do slip over that edge now and again, that DIY, on the edge of control vibe works pretty well for the most part. The whole thing has a very endearing vibe to it and that adolescent, witty, barely controlled sound leans into that in a pretty effective way. It’s quite weird to experience what punk rock might sound like with no distortion or saturation, and it took me a while to adjust to that, but in the end it did start to win me over. The songwriting is largely pretty good, especially when they bash their way through ideas and don’t let them overstay their welcome, and there are some great hooks and riffs across the album. I did tend to find some of the slower tracks felt a bit dragged out and ponderous, but there was a need to vary pace a little. As it was, the aesthetic did drag a tiny bit over the course of the record and, while this felt quite groundbreaking, it feels like other bands would come along and take this concept to much higher levels in the following years. I think categorising this as “important” rather than “great” is probably fair and while I did enjoy it, it’s probably not one that will be in regular rotation. Blister In The Sun - It’s a cool start. Fun, punky riffs, a nice diy aesthetic that has an interesting tone, and quality vocal hooks. This sounds immediately about a decade ahead of its time and while it’s not perfectly performed, it sounds remarkably well produced. A solid start to the record. Kiss Off - This is quite an interesting blend of punk with an almost 60s pop chorus all delivered with a bare, acoustic palette. Because everything is clean, things sound a touch sloppy in a way that would be less exposed were they clouding everything in traditional punk noise and distortion, but it’s still quite endearing. The songwriting is decent too, so this is another enjoyable little number. Please Do Not Go - A bit more of a ponderous one now. There are some reasonable riffs and hooks, and the solo is cool, but it treads very close to losing a touch too much control in places and also gets a tiny bit too repetitive. It’s not bad, particularly, but with a slower, longer track like this, weaknesses become more exposed. Add It Up - Back to something pacier and attitude laden again now. This is a great adolescent punk number. The acoustic nature of it does expose the slightly sloppy edge to the performances, but it still has charm. They work well with dynamic, building and pulling back the intensity through different sections to help this to work as a longer production. It’s a lot of fun. Confessions - Another slower paced one now. It has a kind of brooding, simmering feel to it that’s cool and feels like it’s building to something. The intensity does ebb and flow and the vibe is pretty cool, but it feels quite dragged out and the payoff to the build-up isn’t entirely satisfying. There are various really cool parts of this, but it didn’t feel entirely coherent. Prove My Love - We’re back on the short, 60’s pop and punk acoustic blend now. It’s cool and fun in a slightly shambolic way. It’s good songwriting with an engaging aesthetic and a great wit. There’s not much to it, but it still manages to be engaging and enjoyable. Promise - This has more of a traditional punk sound structure and style, but again with that Violent Femmes acoustic punk sound palette. There’s cool intensity to the vocal performance and it’s got some nice rhythmic flow to it. Solid riffs too. And it doesn’t sit on a single idea for too long, or hang around for longer than it needs to. Great stuff. To The Kill - Quite a plodding, meandering effort now. It lacks any intensity really and the brooding feel that they’ seem to be going for doesn’t really pay off. It’s also one where the sloppiness crosses the line from being stylistic and cool to being distracting and unpleasant in a few places. I think the core idea isn’t actually bad, but the execution is pretty poor. Gone Daddy Gone - Now we’re drifting more into an indie/alternative rock sound. It’s kind of cool in its own way, but is a bit stylistically strange compared to the rest of the album. The xylophone is too loud and sort of overwhelms everything. And it’s all quite repetitive. Good Feeling - Although this is a slow one and is a bit of a change of pace from the rest of the record, it still feels more connected with what’s come before than Gone Daddy Gone did. This is quite pretty and delicately delivered. The playing is more focused and precise and the vocal is honest and raw without drifting too far into the more punky side of things, so works well too. It’s a nice way to end the record.
An interesting concept, with minimal instrumentation. The songs stand up well, with interesting dynamics and melodies. Occasionally the vocals drift into a nasal, stateside teenage drawl. It's a good album, not one that I would be compelled to listen to again, as it doesn't quite hit me the same way as it's doing with the majority of reviewers (52% are rating it either four or five stars). Three stars. Side one 1 "Blister in the Sun"(3/5) 2 "Kiss Off" (4/5) 3 "Please Do Not Go" (3/5) 4 "Add It Up" (4/5) 5 "Confessions" (3/5) Side two 1 "Prove My Love" (3/5) 2 "Promise" (3/5) 3 "To the Kill" (3/5) 4 "Gone Daddy Gone" (4/5) 5 "Good Feeling" (3/5) Total - 33 Average - 3.3 317/1001 171/317 albums reviewed were new to me (54%).
Album był okej. Na początku skojarzył mi się z muzyką, którje słucha się podczas jazdy samochodem. Poczatek albumu był dla mnie zbyt monotonny, nie prosty ale może za zamało się w nim działo. Później się rozkręcił i szczególnie końcowe numery i "Conffesion" podobały mi się. Przeczytałam na wikipedi, że violent femms ma być meraforą dojrzewania i uważam, że rzeczywiście doprze oddane są te emocje. Szczególnie żal i poczucie niesprawiedliwości. Gdybym mogła dałabym mu 2,5 gwiazdki
It has a vision, and definitely a sound that is theirs and forward thinking, which makes it an interesting listen for the most part. My main gripe is with the lyricism that fells very flat, and the singer's voice that is so particular that it can be distracting. To be true, I respect it a lot more than I like it.
se me olvido que good feeling existe y la verdad que dicha que me toco este disco
I'm conflicted. The alternative punk vibes are kind of cool, but his voice is ridiculously annoying. Also, every time I found myself enjoying a song in the slightest, I couldn't help but feel that it was a little forced. I think I most enjoyed "To The Kill", but the two iconic hits were NOT doing anything for me. In fact, I pretty much hated them. I'm not sure what you're all hearing. It's fine but not THAT good. Also, why was that one song about him wanting to get a girl drunk so he could have sex with her? Rapey much?
Pretty familiar with blister in the sun, it's just as fun as always. Didn't realize kiss off was this band, I like that song a lot as well. Remaining songs are great fun and punkish energy, just darn it all seems so short.
good energy and some classic songs
Nógvar góðir sangir, nógvar lítiðsigandi sangir á fløguni
Pretty good I just dont think im the objective of their songs tbh
The first song is definitely a tiktok sound now. I had no idea they made it! It was an interesting listen, kind of silly and unique. They got some spunky pizzazz and i can appreciate that. 6/10