Customer Reviews

Viva Wisconsin

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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).

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."

"Two guitars, two drums and three voices. Femmes back to basics, no overdubbing, no electronics... Their best songs, raw and intimate. This is the ultimate Violent Femmes recording."

The above statement can be found on the back of Viva Wisconsin CD and what can I say? It definitely describes what this CD is about. If you consider yourself a Violent Femmes fan at all, you will own this CD and listen to it in the dark, alone, while whispering the lyrics along with Gordon Gano's singing.

Viva Wisconsin is a beautiful CD featuring all of VF classics but in a way you've never heard before. I recommend it for all VF fans. However, it's not a good CD to start your VF collection with - on the other hand, no VF collection is complete without this position. VF rock!

Well, Wisconsin. . . This live record is the definitive collection of the Femmes music catalog, as I listen to this considerably more than any of the studio recordings I own. I love the madness of Gordon Gano and company. The record is full of two minute blurbs of craziness ranging from "Dahmer is Dead" to the "Old Mother Reagan Protest Song."

It does have the radio staples as well. I do not think the Femmes have captured the same kind of fire they did when their hits were recorded. I guess it is hard to write teen-angst when you are coming up on thirty-five. The live versions of "Kiss Off," "Blister in the Sun," and "Gone Daddy Gone" are all great. I think my favorite track is "American Music."

I love the record it is well worth the money. A must have for the Violent Femmes lover in you or the one in your life!

epc

This is overall a fine recording of classic Femmes material. Every track sounds great, with a few exceptions. Gordon Gano's voice has over time lost that charming self-consciousness that once made "Gimme the Car" brilliant, so when he laments, "How can I explain personal pain?" you don't believe it for a moment. Similarly, "Blister In The Sun" and "Kiss Off" don't quite live up to the original recordings. By far the best track on the album is "Hallowed Ground," which is taken at a slightly faster tempo than originally and sounds much richer. All in all, I'd have to say that this is a good recording, although Add It Up is certainly a better collection. On the other hand, there's really no compelling reason not to have both.

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 compilation; 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).

This recording is so fun to listen to, I couldn't keep a big stupid grin off my face almost the whole time. These guys really have soul, skill, charisma, and a sense of humor. But whoever mixed this thing really needed to put a de-esser on Gordon's vocals, everytime he sings an "s" it hisses like crazy in my ear and drives me nuts.

I would say this live CD deserves the 4.5 average it is sitting on as of this writing. This the femmes' answer to the unplugged trend as if to say, "We've always played this way." It is all acoustic, but mostly energetic. All the songs are performed well and it's recorded well. It's the Femmes live in the late 1990's--touring Wisconsin no less! Well, that's their home ground. What else could you expect?

The only drawback is that it DOES sound so much like they've always sounded. Was there no more banter from the crowd? No more talking between songs? More of the event atmospherics would have given it more of a live feel. But, I've never seen them live so I don't know what the interaction is like between femme and fan. I think the crowd applause is even faded out quickly after one song. What exactly do fans mean to live recordings anyway? Thus, the minus of one star (or only a half star if I could).

But anyway, the femmes are the femmes. If you love them and enjoy live albums, then you'll appreciate this. It's the same songs--different takes.

The Violent Femmes keep getting better and better over time. Their commitment to touring is to be admired and younger musicians should look to the Femmes as role models. Now we have a well-made testament to this band's live shows which captures their energy and musicianship. If you don't get the chance to see the Femmes live, this CD will fill the gap. For those of us who see them every chance we get, this CD will tide us over in between shows! I gave a four star rating only because this CD makes me miss them all the more...