Viva Wisconsin [Original recording remastered]

Violent Femmes | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 24, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Shout Factory
• ASIN: B0009A1BEA
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,822 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Violent Femmes were discovered almost 20 years ago entertaining a line of folks waiting to get into a Pretenders concert. The simple acoustic guitar and bass plus spare percussion initially may have sounded out of place during the ascension of new wave, but the startlingly fun Viva Wisconsin shows that the Femmes added their own tilt to the cultural rudder. Signature tunes like "Blister in the Sun" and "Add It Up" are rock & roll staples and here become an invitation for the audience to sing along and clap--that's testament enough to the lasting power of the Femmes' 1982 debut release. However, excellent musicianship abounds on lesser-known cuts like "Country Death Song," showcasing frontman Gordon Gano's dark but nasal whines. The sequencing is a bit unsatisfying (as if the Femmes would ever unload "Blister" four songs into a show). Still, this odyssey from new wave to classic rock shines. --Jason Josephes

Product Description

The Violent Femmes' greatest hits live!

In 1998, lead singer/guitarist Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie and drummer Victor DeLorenzo spent a week recording a series of concerts in Wisconsin for Viva Wisconsin, emerging with what has since become their ultimate "best of" collection. Originally released in 1999, the album includes every one of their most popular songs, including "Blister In The Sun," "Add It Up," "American Music" and "Gone Daddy Gone." A bonus track, "Outside The Palace," has been added to this release.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars its good dammit!, November 24, 1999

By 

Tommy (Richmond) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Viva Wisconsin (Audio CD)

Why am I the first person to write a review for this album? Am I the only Violent Femmes fan? Anyways, this is a great Cd. Every song is great quality and the entire album is fun to listen to. Some of the best tracks are Kiss Off, Blister in the Sun, Dahmers Dead, and Gimme the Car. The Violent Femmes are so good. If you don't like them I'll come and eat your head off.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly the ultimate Violent Femmes CD, March 12, 2002

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Viva Wisconsin (Audio CD)

For a Violent Femmes fan, there can be no greater joy than inserting this CD into your CD player. No studio, no fancy equipment, just Gordon and the boys playing their songs--pretty much the same as when they were originally "discovered" outside a Pretenders concert venue. Guy Hoffman has replaced Victor Delorenzo on drums, but the Violent Femmes are basically unchanged over the years. They remain fiercely independent, and they sing their older songs with as much feeling now as they did when they were younger. This live concert (which does sound great for a live performance, by the way) is truly my favorite VF album because it basically incorporates all of their best songs, from Blister In the Sun, Add it Up, and Kiss Off to American Music and I'm Nothing. This CD also features more from Hallowed Ground than does the Add it Up conpilation; the title track from Hallowed Ground is a soulful, powerful song too often overlooked. There are eight classic songs from the band's career-defining first album, and they sound as fresh and defiant now as they ever did. Slower songs such as Sweet World of Angels, Good Feeling, and Hallowed Ground reveal the depths of Gano's vocal talents, while short cuts such as Old Mother Reagan and Dahmer's Dead exude the band's unique take on life and music and the obvious fun they still have performing. I saw the Violent Femmes live way back in 1989, and this live CD is the next best thing to seeing them perform in person (although there is nothing quite like dancing to Country Death Song among thousands of fellow Femmes fans).

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Obnoxious and endearing, January 7, 2000

By 

Bonny (Cedar Crest, NM United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Viva Wisconsin (Audio CD)

While living in Milwaukee in the early 80's, I discovered two bands simultaneously...the local Femmes, and Georgia's R.E.M. That both bands have not only stayed together but thrived attests to my good instincts! Although they are completely different bands, each maintains its freshness and spark no matter that band members are 15+ years older. While the Femmes'lyrics are sometimes naughty, and sometimes scary, their presentation makes them more thoughtful than they might be if performed by others. I dearly love this band. If I had a teenager, I sould sneak her or him this CD and wink and say, "don't let your father catch you playing this."