Violent Femmes' Violent Femmes by Nic Brown (33 1/3 series)
Big thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for making
the latest entry into the 33 1/3 series available for preview. Nic Brown’s Violent Femmes’ Violent Femmes is a wonderful addition to the 33 1/3 series, hitting
all of the right notes in providing the argument as to why this seminal 80s
album is fit to be included in the series. Brown, whose experience as both a
musician and writer, enables him to view the music and album from a critical
perspective, still brings a relatable and engaging perspective for anyone who
grew up listening to alternative music in the late 80s and early 90s. As Brown
notes, the music on this album seemed to be everywhere in the days of Gen X’s
adolescence, and its unique blend of punk, jazz, and folk music both made the
album hard to classify, and yet so appealing and iconoclastic. I loved that Brown
begins the book reflecting on hearing “Blister in the Sun” not on the radio or
in a store, but rather interpreted by the organist in a baseball stadium, and
that the crowd seemingly knows to how to respond to the organist’s call with a rhythmic
double clap emulating the da-dum of the original’s snare intro. It’s a point
for Brown to both reflect on the legacy of this song and album, but also to
wonder how things got to this point where a song about big hands and stained
sheets has made its way into the cultural consciousness. Furthermore, I could
relate to Brown’s introduction to the album, via his friend’s older sister who
was playing the tape while Brown was over. I remember being around the same age
and spending the summer at a pool club where all the kids would bring boom
boxes. While my box rocked PE and EMPD, there was competition from the Violent
Femmes (and The Cure), who provided an alternative sound for that summer that
definitely called to me. It would be another few years until I hit high school
and eventually ended up buying the tape to play in my car. I’m not sure if it
was Ethan Hawke singing “Add It Up” in Reality Bites, but I gradually
got to love all of the songs on that album, playing it regularly in my car
while driving around or heading to school or work. There was such an energy and
freneticism to the music that wasn’t apparent in a lot of other alternative
bands from the early 90s. However, since the internet wasn’t readily available
in most homes at the time, there wasn’t a lot I knew about the Violent Femmes
beyond this album and the song “American Music,” which was another track I
loved from a compilation that was also in my car rotation.
Brown’s book helps to fill in most of the details about the
band, its formation, and the recording and creation of the album. Like most of
the great 33 1/3 books, Brown not only examines what makes the album great, but
he also examines how the album came about, starting with the formation of the
group and its background in experimental theater, jazz, and showtunes. Brown
recounts a great story about how Gordon Gano, the lead singer and guitarist,
met with Brian Ritchie and invited him to play at Gano’s National Honors Society
event the next morning. It’s a great story and beginning for the band, and it
also highlights how Gano had most of the songs written for the first few
Violent Femmes’ albums. From there, Brown dives into exploring the instruments
used on the album, which the acoustic bass and drum set up add to the unique
and iconic sounds on the album. I’ve also appreciated Gano’s guitar work, which
can be both percussive and somewhat improvisational in some solos. However,
Brown’s experience as a drummer provides him with the unique ear and vocabulary
to examine how the instruments lead to such a meaningful and engaging sound on
the album. The main focus is on Ritchie’s acoustic bass, which as Brown notes
throughout the book, may be one of the most prominent and distinct bass sounds
in popular rock music ever. I really appreciated the consideration of how the
bass functions not only as a drum/percussive sound, but that it also takes on solos
and expands the nature of the instrument, taking the music to unique and
interesting places. It’s a great review and analysis of what makes this album
so great.
The next two chapters explore the studio set up and how the
band gained access to the studio and worked within it, and then the track
listing and exploration of the songs on the album. While I enjoyed learning
more about how the band worked in the studio, the chapter that focuses on the
songs was probably the best, and among some of the best writing in the 33 1/3 books.
Like the author, I have fond memories of this album, and so I was familiar with
the songs, but since I learned about this album pre-internet, I haven’t done
much research about the songs, so it was cool to learn more about their
background, how Gordon Gano wrote them or what he was thinking, and how Ritchie
and Victor DeLorenzo contributed to the music, adding their experiences in the
experimental theater and jazz scenes of early 80s Milwaukee. I learned a lot
from this chapter and gained some new perspectives on some classic songs. The
last two chapters were also engaging and fun to read. There’s a chapter on how
the album eventually ended up on Slash Records and its release and gradual
diffusion to cultural significance, and an Epilogue in which Brown considers
his own nostalgia and appreciation for the album. As an aging white guy who can
relate to the others Brown observes in the Cramps t-shirts and black jeans when
going to see the Violent Femmes in Atlanta, I appreciated this consideration
about whether to go see the band or not, and why their music is still
meaningful to him. It’s a great reflection on aging and appreciating timeless
art and music, and how art and music can make us not only appreciate our youth
and the days gone by but also enable us to view ourselves in new ways. Plus,
there’s a great reference to a Delmore Schwartz short story, “In Dreams Begin
Responsibilities,” that apparently Lou Reed made journalists read before
interviewing him. Brown provides a recap, especially after Gano recommends the
story. I’m excited to check it out too, and I appreciate Brown’s
recommendation. This was such a fun and engaging read, and I’m glad that
Bloomsbury Academic added it up to their series, ensuring that it will go down
on the permanent record. Highly recommended!
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