Violent Femmes Self-Titled Debut Gets 40th Anniversary Reissue

Pioneering folk-punks Violent Femmes will reissue their self-titled debut with planned digital Deluxe edition release in December and a box-set edition in February. The reissue features numerous b-sides, alternative takes and never-before-heard live performances by the core Midwest trio.

The group recently shared the first single from the special anniversary reissue, a live take of the spunky lovesick classic “Gone Daddy Gone” recorded in New York City. The live version includes a verse from “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” the WIllie Dixon song originally recorded by Muddy Waters.

While Violent Femmes was, somewhat surprisingly, commercially successful — especially considering the band’s uniquely minimalist instrumentation and approach to songwriting — it retains a devoted following as a standard-bearer for alternative music. Taking a page from twee icon Jonathan Richman, the Femmes original trio of Gordon Gano (guitar, vocals), Brian Ritchie (acoustic bass, vocals) and Victor DeLorenzo (drums) could sound simultaneously innocent and vicious, amplifying lovesick lyrics with saccharine vocal harmonies and perhaps the most-primitive instrument combination ever utilized on music destined for rock-radio play. The band’s debut featured several of its most-enduring tracks, including “Blister in the Sun,” “Kiss Off,” “Add It Up” and “Gone Daddy Gone.”

Violent Femmes (40th Anniversary) Deluxe Edition is available for preorder via Craft. Watch the video for the first single above. Track list below.

1. Blister In The Sun
2. Kiss Off
3. Please Do Not Go
4. Add It Up
5. Confessions
6. Prove My Love
7. Promise
8. To The Kill
9. Gone Daddy Gone
10. Good Feeling
11. Ugly
12. Gimme the Car
13. Girl Trouble (Demo)
14. Breakin’ Up (Demo)
15. Waiting For The Bus (Demo)
16. Blister In The Sun (Demo)
17. Kiss Off (Demo)
18. Please Do Not Go (Demo)
19. Add It Up (Demo)
20. Confessions (Demo)
21. Prove My Love (Demo)
22. Special (Live At Beneath-It-All Café, Milwaukee, WI – 9/12/1981)
23. Country Death Song (Live At Beneath-It-All Café, Milwaukee, WI – 9/12/1981)
24. To The Kill (Live At Beneath-It-All Café, Milwaukee, WI – 9/12/1981)
25. Never Tell (Live At Beneath-It-All Café, Milwaukee, WI – 9/12/1981)
26. Break Song (Live At The Jazz Gallery, Milwaukee, WI – 12/8/1981)
27. Her Television (Live At The Jazz Gallery, Milwaukee, WI – 12/8/1981)
28. How Do You Say Goodbye (Live At The Jazz Gallery, Milwaukee, WI – 12/8/1981)
29. Theme and Variations (Live At The Jazz Gallery, Milwaukee, WI – 12/8/1981)
30. Prove My Love (Live At Folk City, New York, NY – 1/26/1983)
31. Gone Daddy Gone (Live At Folk City, New York, NY – 1/26/1983)
32. Promise (Live At Folk City, New York, NY – 1/26/1983)
33. In Style (Live At Folk City, New York, NY – 1/26/1983)
34. Add It Up (Live At Folk City, New York, NY – 1/26/1983)