Violent Femmes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 13, 1983 | |||
Recorded | July 1982 | |||
Studio | Castle Recording Studios, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 36:15 | |||
Label | Slash | |||
Producer | Mark Van Hecke | |||
Violent Femmes chronology | ||||
|
Violent Femmes is the debut album by Violent Femmes. Mostly recorded in July 1982, the album was released by Slash Records on vinyl and on cassette in April 1983, [4] [5] [6] and on CD in 1987, [7] with two extra tracks, "Ugly" and "Gimme the Car".
In 2002, Rhino Records remastered the album, filled out the disc's length with demos and added another disc of live tracks and a radio interview for a 20th anniversary special edition, with liner notes by Michael Azerrad.
Violent Femmes is the band's most successful album to date. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album gold four years after its release and platinum four years after that, despite it never having appeared on the Billboard 200 albums chart. After achieving platinum certification on February 1, 1991, the album finally charted on the Billboard 200 for the first time on August 3, 1991, and peaked at number 171. Since Nielsen Music began electronically tracking sales in 1991, the album has sold 1.8 million copies. Blending RIAA certifications and Nielsen Music sales data, the record's American sales were estimated at three million as of 2016. [8]
Most of the songs on Violent Femmes and its follow-up were written when songwriter Gordon Gano was an 18-year-old high-school student in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [9]
The album was recorded at Castle Recording Studios in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in July 1982.
The cover model is Billie Jo Campbell, a three-year-old girl who was walking down a Los Angeles street when she and her mother were approached and offered $100 for the photograph that became the album cover. The photograph depicts Campbell peering into the window of a house in Laurel Canyon. Campbell recollects: "I remember looking into that building, and they kept telling me there were animals in there, and I was pissed off ... I didn't know why they were making me look in this building. I had no idea there were photographers there. I was ... pissed off that I couldn't see the animals and I was all cranky by the end of it." [10]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [11] |
Blender | [12] |
Pitchfork | 9.1/10 [13] |
Q | [14] |
Rolling Stone | [15] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [16] |
The Sacramento Bee | [17] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 10/10 [18] |
Uncut | [19] |
The Village Voice | B+ [20] |
In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone , J. D. Considine wrote that Violent Femmes was precocious yet dynamic, with a good balance between Gano's direct lyrics and the full sound of the music. [15] Robert Christgau of the Village Voice compared Gano to Jonathan Richman of the Modern Lovers. [20] Gano himself grew tired of comparisons to Richman, as by his own account he was actually trying to sound like Steve Wynn of the Dream Syndicate. [21]
In a retrospective write-up for AllMusic, Steve Huey called Violent Femmes "one of the most distinctive records of the early alternative movement and an enduring cult classic," noting that "the music also owes something to the Modern Lovers' minimalism, but powered by Brian Ritchie's busy acoustic bass riffing and the urgency and wild abandon of punk rock, the Femmes forged a sound all their own," while crediting Gano for keeping "the music engaging and compelling without overindulging in his seemingly willful naiveté." [11]
Violent Femmes has been included in lists of the best albums of the 1980s by publications such as Pitchfork , who in a 2002 list ranked it 36th, [22] and Slant Magazine , who in a 2012 list ranked it 21st. [23] In 2014, PopMatters listed Violent Femmes as an essential alternative rock album of the 1980s. [24] It also placed at number 974 in the 2000 edition of the book All Time Top 1000 Albums , [25] and was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [26]
All tracks are written by Gordon Gano, except where noted
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Blister in the Sun" | 2:25 |
2. | "Kiss Off" | 2:56 |
3. | "Please Do Not Go" | 4:15 |
4. | "Add It Up" | 4:44 |
5. | "Confessions" | 5:32 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
6. | "Prove My Love" | 2:39 | |
7. | "Promise" | 2:49 | |
8. | "To the Kill" | 4:01 | |
9. | "Gone Daddy Gone" | Gano, Willie Dixon | 3:06 |
10. | "Good Feeling" | 3:52 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "Ugly" | 2:21 |
12. | "Gimme the Car" | 5:04 |
(Recorded at Music Works Studios, London, August 31–September 1, 1983) [27]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "Girl Trouble" (demo) | 3:07 |
12. | "Breakin' Up" (demo) | 5:17 |
13. | "Waiting for the Bus" (demo) | 2:08 |
14. | "Blister in the Sun" (demo) | 2:35 |
15. | "Kiss Off" (demo) | 2:49 |
16. | "Please Do Not Go" (demo) | 4:18 |
17. | "Add It Up" (demo) | 4:35 |
18. | "Confessions" (demo) | 5:20 |
19. | "Prove My Love" (demo) | 2:50 |
20. | "Ugly" (UK single) | 2:22 |
21. | "Gimme the Car" (UK single) | 5:07 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Special" (live) | 4:27 |
2. | "Country Death Song" (live) | 5:25 |
3. | "To the Kill" (live) | 4:19 |
4. | "Never Tell" (live) | 7:17 |
5. | "Break Song" (live) | 0:41 |
6. | "Her Television" (live) | 2:28 |
7. | "How Do You Say Goodbye" (live) | 2:43 |
8. | "Theme and Variations" (live) | 0:54 |
9. | "Prove My Love" (live) | 3:19 |
10. | "Gone Daddy Gone" (live) (Gano, Willie Dixon) | 3:32 |
11. | "Promise" (live) | 3:09 |
12. | "In Style" (live) | 3:43 |
13. | "Add It Up" (live) | 6:15 |
14. | "Michael Feldman Interview from WHA-FM" | 4:09 |
15. | "Kiss Off" (live on WHA-FM) | 3:31 |
Chart (1983–1986) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [28] | 34 |
US Billboard 200 [29] | 171 |
Chart (1991) | Peak position |
Australian Albums (ARIA) [30] | 31 |
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
Greek Albums (IFPI) [31] | 55 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [32] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [33] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie, joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza, and drummer John Sparrow. Former members of the band include drummers Victor DeLorenzo, Guy Hoffman (1993–2002), and Brian Viglione (2013–2016). Violent Femmes are considered to be an integral part of the then-underground folk punk and alternative rock scenes of the 1980s, and remain influential or inspirational to the subsequent movements, particularly on folk rock, indie rock, grunge, pop punk, emo, and the late 1980s and 1990s alternative rock scene.
"Come On Eileen" is a song by the English group Dexys Midnight Runners, released in the United Kingdom in June 1982 as a single from their second studio album Too-Rye-Ay. It reached number one in the United States and was their second number one hit in the UK, following 1980's "Geno". The song was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley and was initially claimed to be written by Kevin Rowland, Jim Paterson and Billy Adams, although Rowland later stated that the essence of the tune should be attributed to Kevin Archer.
Licensed to Ill is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Beastie Boys. It was released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records. The album became the first rap LP to top the Billboard album chart, and was the second rap album to become a platinum album. It is one of Columbia Records' fastest-selling debut records to date and was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2015 for shipping over ten million copies in the United States. The album received critical acclaim for its unique musical style, chemistry between the group members, and their stylized rapping. Since its release, Licensed to Ill has been ranked by critics as one of the greatest hip hop and debut albums of all time.
Why Do Birds Sing? is the fifth studio album by Violent Femmes, released on April 30, 1991. It was the band's last album with original drummer Victor DeLorenzo, who left two years later to devote his time to acting, and was produced by Michael Beinhorn, best-known then for his work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Mother's Milk and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan.
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson recorded for his sixth studio album Thriller (1982). It is the opening track of the album and was released as its fourth single on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records. It was written and co-produced by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones. The lyrics pertain to strangers spreading rumors to start an argument for no good reason. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" evokes the disco sound of Jackson's previous studio album, Off the Wall, released in 1979. The song is characterized by a complex rhythm arrangement and a distinctive horn arrangement.
Hallowed Ground is the second studio album by Violent Femmes, released in June 1984. Like the band's first album, the songs were mostly written by singer/guitarist/lyricist Gordon Gano when he was in high school. "Country Death Song", for example, written by Gano during his high school classes, was inspired by the tradition of folk songs about "terrible, horrific stories". A departure from the straightforward rock style of their debut, Hallowed Ground was considerably divisive amongst fans and critics, with many at the time incorrectly thinking Gano's Christian lyrics were ironic.
"Mickey" is a song recorded by American singer and choreographer Toni Basil for her debut studio album, Word of Mouth (1981). It was first recorded by the pop group Racey. Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn wrote the song, while production was helmed by Greg Mathieson and Trevor Veitch. Basil's version is new wave, featuring guitar, synthesizers and cheerleading chants. It garnered a mixed response from music critics, with some critics praising the radio-friendly nature of the song, while others described some of the lyrics as obscene.
The Blind Leading the Naked is the third album by Violent Femmes. It was produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and released in 1986. The title is a play on the figure of speech "the blind leading the blind."
"Blister in the Sun" is a song by American rock band Violent Femmes, originally released on their 1983 self-titled debut album. It was later released as a promo single in 1997 after its inclusion in the film Grosse Pointe Blank. A live promo single was released in 1999 in promotion of the live album Viva Wisconsin.
3 is the fourth studio album by U.S. punk-folk band Violent Femmes, released in early 1989. The songs were performed by the three members of the band playing only drums, bass and guitar, with the addition of keyboards and saxophone.
Add It Up (1981–1993) is a compilation album released by Violent Femmes in 1993.
Rock!!!!! is an album released by Violent Femmes in 1995. It was originally released only in Australia, but is now available in the rest of the world. It features cover photography by David LaChapelle. This was the first Violent Femmes album not to chart on the Billboard 200 since 1984's Hallowed Ground.
Gordon James Gano is an American musician who is the singer, guitarist and songwriter of American folk punk band Violent Femmes.
Guilty is the twenty-second studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand released on September 23, 1980, by Columbia Records. It was produced by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees and his group's regular production team of Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson.
"We've Got Tonite" is a song written by American rock music artist Bob Seger, from his album Stranger in Town (1978). The single record charted twice for Seger, and was developed from a prior song that he had written. Further versions charted in 1983 for Kenny Rogers as a duet with Sheena Easton, and again in 2002 for Ronan Keating.
"Gone Daddy Gone" is a song written by Gordon Gano and originally recorded by his group Violent Femmes as the first single for their first album, Violent Femmes.
Hitting the Ground is Violent Femmes member Gordon Gano's debut solo studio album. It was produced by Warren Bruleigh and released in 2002. Gano wrote the songs for a film of the same name.
This is the discography of Violent Femmes, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based alternative rock group, which consists of 10 studio albums, 19 singles, five live albums and four compilation albums, in addition to a number of miscellaneous appearances on soundtracks and compilations featuring various artists. This list does not include solo material by any of the bands' members.
"Heart and Soul" is a song written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn and made famous by Huey Lewis and the News. The song was first recorded by Exile in 1981 as the title track to their album Heart and Soul. Exile's single failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 102 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. The song was also recorded by the BusBoys for their 1982 album American Worker.
"I Know What Boys Like" is a song by the Waitresses, written by guitarist Chris Butler in 1978, while he was still a member of the rock band Tin Huey.