THIS IS THE 1983 BELGIUM ORIGINAL PRESSING on ROUGH TRADE label. SINGLE COVER + INNER SLEEVE. The cover is in VG(+) condition: normal wear BUT discolouration/wear on corners, mild creases on edges/corners, sticker mark on rear (top left), surface ringwear, left spine is fully readable; INNER SLEEVE in EX condition, normal wear; for details see photos (with and without flashlight). The vinyl is in VG+ condition (some clicks) and plays wonderfully. FIRST ALBUM.

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VIOLENT FEMMES

Milwaukee rockers whose geeky, nervous songwriting and blend of folk-pop with new wave produced several cult classics during the '80s. The textbook American cult band of the 1980s, the Violent Femmes captured the essence of teen angst with remarkable precision; raw and jittery, the trio's music found little commercial success but nonetheless emerged as the soundtrack for the lives of troubled adolescents the world over. The group formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the early '80s, and comprised singer/guitarist Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie, and percussionist Victor DeLorenzo. Ritchie originated the band's oxymoronic name, adopting the word "femme" from the Milwaukee area's slang for wimps. After being discovered by the Pretenders' James Honeyman-Scott, the Violent Femmes signed to Slash and issued their self-titled 1983 debut, a melodic folk-punk collection.

[Although this album actually came out in April 1983, the "official" release date has apprently been called into confusion. Due to a typo on the Violent Femmes' website and some copies of the album, many believe that it was released in 1982, but this is almost certainly not true. Wikipedia also claims that it was released on November 30, 1982 but there are no facts to support this]

Produced by Mark Van Hecke

SINGLE COVER + INNER SLEEVE

Barcode and Other Identifiers

Barcode: none

LABEL: ROUGH TRADE - LIGHT CREAM LABEL w/LOGO at BOTTOM - BLACK TEXT

Catalog on cover: (spine) ROUGH 55    (rear) Rough 55

Catalog on labels: ROUGH 55-A / ROUGH 55-B

Matrix / Runout [Side A, Etched (BILDA TA1NE not clearly legible, maybe) (D stamped)]: 

ROUGH∙ 55∙A-1  1Y   Y(upset) D  BILDA TA1NE

Matrix / Runout [Side B, Etched (D stamped)]: ROUGH 55-B-1  1X  D  

On labels: rim text "All Rights..........Prohibited"

STEMRA      Made in Belgium

Produced by Mark Van Hecke

All Songs by Gano (C) 1982       All Selections Copyright Control

(P) 1983 Slash Records

Recorded at Castle Recording Company, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, July 1982

A Slash Record Licensed to Rough Trade Records.

Distributed by the Cartel   Rough 55

tracklisting

Side A: BLISTER IN THE SUN - KISS OFF

PLEASE DO NOT GO - ADD IT UP - CONFESSIONS

Side B: PROVE MY LOVE - PROMISE - TO THE KILL

GONE DADDY GONE - GOOD FEELING

grading

RECORD VG+ but (please, read above description)

SLEEVE VG(+) but (please, see pictures and read above description)

One of the most distinctive records of the early alternative movement and an enduring cult classic, Violent Femmes weds the geeky, child-man persona of Jonathan Richman and the tense, jittery, hyperactive feel of new wave in an unlikely context: raw, amateurish acoustic folk-rock. 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. Still, the main reason Violent Femmes became the preferred soundtrack for the lives of many an angst-ridden teenager is lead singer and songwriter Gordon Gano. Naive and childish one minute, bitterly frustrated and rebellious the next, Gano's vocals perfectly captured the contradictions of adolescence and the difficulties of making the transition to adulthood. Clever lyrical flourishes didn't hurt either; while "Blister In the Sun" has deservedly become a standard, "Kiss Off"'s chant-along "count-up" section, "Add It Up"'s escalating "Why can't I get just one..." couplets...(AllMusic)