Wednesday, June 01, 2011

The 100 Greatest Bands of all time - #96 Violent Femmes




Few songs are more evocative of the 80s than “Blister in the Sun”, “Kiss Off”, or “Add It Up”. That first Violent Femmes album was an indelible part of the soundtrack of my youth. Gordon Gano, Brian Ritchie, and Victor DeLorenzo had a sound that defied definition and didn’t sound quite like anyone else. As a guy trying to learn the bass guitar, I greatly appreciated the focus on Ritchie’s bass playing and his fantastic solos. They were discovered busking on a street corner in Milwaukee by The Pretenders in 1981 and they took off from there. I will always fondly remember my first night in Jacksonville, Alabama at the orientation party as I began my college days when the DJ played “Blister” and the whole party danced and sang along to it. I don’t remember anything else he played that night, but that moment will stay with me.




One of the best. This brings back floods of memories.





8, 8, I forgot what 8 was for.





Simply one of the finest love songs ever recorded. The desperation of Gordon Gano's vocals represent the feelings of every teenage guy who ever loved a girl who didn't love him back. Not to mention one of the greatest bass guitar solos in rock history. I feel this song way down in my soul as I think of unrequited love.





Why can't I get just one....





Forget the cowbell, we need more xylophone.





Just a song with no video, but it's a great song.





and we conclude our look at Violent Femmes with their cover of T. Rex's Children of the Revolution.



You’re watching 'Children Of The Revolution'. See the Web's top videos on AOL Video





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