Violent [Import]

Violent [Import]

Track Listings

1. Rpesent

2. Kill All Of Me

3. Ghost

4. Brain Dance

5. Far Of The Scarlet

6. I Am "What"

7. Cloud Covers

8. Devil-May-Care-Boy

9. Prayer

10. Volcano

11. Unchained (Instrumental)

Tracks:

Blister In The Sun
Kiss Off
Please Do Not Go
Add It Up
Confessions
Prove My Love
Promise
To The Kill
Gone Daddy Gone
Good Feeling
Ugly
Gimme The Car

Amazon.com

Emerging, literally, from the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where they gained notoriety through busking, this strange trio led by guitarist-vocalist Gordon Gano became a cult favorite with their self-titled debut album in 1983. Influenced greatly by Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers, the Femmes' minimalist sound pitted Gano's low-volume electric guitar against Brian Ritchie's acoustic bass guitar and Victor De Lorenzo's ashcanlike homemade drum kit--all of which only served to make Gano's angst-ridden adolescent tirades more arresting. Highlights here are the rockabillyish "Gone Daddy Gone," the snotty "Kiss Off," and the emblematically nervous "Blister in the Sun." All in all, a fond reminder of the innocent days of alt-rock. (Note: The 20th anniversary deluxe version of the album includes an additional 26 demos and live tunes, 22 of them never before released.) --Billy Altman

Customer Reviews:

Honestly, if you don't know..........2007-07-13

I'm pretty sure that there isn't a soul in this world that doesn't love at least the vast majority of this classic release.
I could go on and on about how great every song on this cd is, but then you'd get bored and stop reading... So I'll pick three.
First, the obvious, "Add It Up". This is probably my favorite punk song of all time... and it's accoustic. Not so unheard of now (but fairly uncommon), but completely novel, back then.
Next, "Prove My Love". A great example of a pop-punk song that not only doesn't suck (like most radio punk today), but is so awesome it could make the dead get up and dance.
Finally, "Promise". Interesting, how all my favorites here are punk songs. What really drives the Femmes, for me, is their insane, driving, punch you in the face rhythms. This song is the definition of what makes this record great.
Honestly, if you don't know how great this album is, your life will be shallow and void of knowledge of how great punk can be, when it's done right.

I love this .......2007-05-14

This cd takes me right back to being 16 years old when I first heard it. I like almost every song on it. I recommend this if you like Blister in the Sun you will love the other tracks on here.

Love there CD.......2007-05-12

I haven't heard there music since I was in high school back in 1987-1988. Got the CD and love it!!!!!!!

Embedded in my soul .......2007-04-17

Driving around Fort Wayne, Indiana circa 1986 with the windows down, blasting this thing from my car's cassette deck (yes, kiddos, once upon a time cassettes were the chosen medium for music), singing along as obnoxiously as we possibly could, yelling the lyrics at passing cars just to be annoying, worshiping Gordon Gano for his completely idiosyncratic whiny vocals and his Velvet Underground/Lou Reed obsession (see especially: "Good Feeling"), admiring the incredibly honest, childish, bratty, hilarious lyrics through this album, memorizing the "countdown" on the classic song "Kiss Off", and absolutely believing that this album was written for US. This album eventually became a teenage "rite of passage" much like "Nevermind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols," but it was pretty cool to be in the target audience right at the time that this puppy was unleashed upon the world. Viva la Femmes!

Music doesn't get any better than this!!!.......2007-04-03

I was such a nerd in the 80's. I copied all of my LPs into cassettes so when the cassetts got warped (due to too much play time, I could make another copy). This LP was one of the first to get warped. This was my all time favorite (next to late 70's Blondie) and I just found it again when my mom sent another package of my stuff from her house. Now, I need to get the CD. It's just too bad that they don't play all of their songs on the radio.

Average customer rating:

love it
Simply a classic
Best of Violent Femmes?
Oh what an album.
so good and way ahead of their time

Add It Up (1981-1993)
Violent Femmes
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes
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ASIN: B000002MML
Release Date: 1993-09-14

Tracks:

Intro
Waiting For The Bus
Blister In The Sun
Gone Daddy Gone
Gordon's Message
Gimme The Car
Country Death Song
Black Girls
Jesus Walking On The Water
36-24-36
I Held Her In My Arms
I Hate The TV
America Is
Old Mother Reagan
Degradation
Dance, M.F., Dance!
Lies
American Music
Out The Window
Kiss Off
Add It Up
Vancouver
Johnny

Amazon.com

Aside from the Milwaukee trio's 1981 debut, the Violent Femmes have made a career of tacking one or two great songs onto otherwise mediocre albums--so this 1993 best-of is perfect for consumers. It has all the good stuff, from the retro radio hour staples "Blister in the Sun" and "Gone Daddy Gone," plus the creepy murder-suicide story "Country Death Song," the should've-been-a-hit "American Music" and ephemera like live versions of "Add It Up" and "Kiss Off." With Gordon Gano's never-aging teen whine and a crack rhythm section, the Femmes have had brief moments as America's best rock & roll band. This collection captures some of them. --Steve Knopper

Customer Reviews:

love it.......2007-05-13

Great CD from My Childhood, brings back so many good memories. Love it.

Simply a classic.......2007-03-16

This was a vinyl that I wanted to upgrade for all the energetic, hectic, and powerful memories it brings. Simply a great album.

Best of Violent Femmes?.......2006-10-29

You know what's interesting about this compilation is that while usually this sort of thing is used for people to "sell" new fans to the band, this "best of" seems more geared towards people who are already fans of the Violent Femmes. For one thing, the main versions are not always used in favor on here. For instance, "I Held Her in My Arms" and "Lies" appear in different versions than what are on "Blind" and "3." Also, the debut classics "Add It Up" (an old B-side on an import single) and "Kiss Off" are in live versions, in favor of the original. These are both good in their own right, but it seems somewhat enigmatic to introduce casual fans that way. Also, the fact that three of these "tracks" are more or less more spoken messages than actual songs. Not only that, but "Nightmares" was a genuine college radio hit and was omitted, although so was "Children of the Revolution," although maybe I'd understand excluding a T. Rex cover. Not because it's not the greatest, but to include more original VF material.

Some of that is great. There's the early demo recording of "Waiting on the Bus" as well as later fare like "I Hate the TV", "36-24-36" and "Dance, M.F., Dance," a cover from an obscure Milwakee band.

That being said, some of this is for unexperienced Femmes fans. "American Music" is possibly their most famous non-debut song and arguably the one that was most successful in its time. "Blister in the Sun" and "Gone Daddy Gone" are classics and are good introductions to the band as well. Then there's the more surprising stuff like the free jazz of "Black Girls" and others. It is mostly pretty good, even if some selections are lighweight curiosities. With this in mind, I suggest you try the band's debut and, if you like this variety, its follow-up, "Hallowed Ground" (which has "Black Girls", "Jesus...", and "CDS.")

But if you're a casual fan and want a more conventional approach you may want to check out "Debacle" or its sequel, "Permanent Record", which represents three albums and a soundtrack song that came out after this release.

Oh what an album........2006-04-17

I heard "blister in the sun" from a mixed CD my friend gave me and I decided to check out the femmes. This is the first CD I bought of theres, and I absolutely loved it. After i bought this CD I pursued my interst in the femmes, I now own every single one of their CDs as well as merchandise. The femmes aren't for everyone, they have a very unique sound and painfully honest lyrics--but those who will like them will love this album. It is a compilation of the best of all their music.

so good and way ahead of their time.......2006-03-11

HEY... If you're not already, start listening to the Violent Femmes! This collection, along with the reissue of their first album (at least), is a must-have for any fan. And, to all you "Emo" people, pick this CD up first. Teen angst and policital activism all wrapped up in on CD.

Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes

Average customer rating:

They Still Can't get It Right
Only a fan would love it...
About as good as it could be.
Not for young ears ! Great energy !

Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Add It Up (1981-1993)
Hallowed Ground
Why Do Birds Sing?
Permanent Record - Live & Otherwise - Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes

ASIN: B0009F66J0
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Tracks:

Gimme the Car
Blister in the Sun
Gone Daddy Gone/I Just Want To Make Love To You
Kiss Off
Add It Up
Black Girls
Jesus Walking on the Water
Children of the Revolution
I Held Her In My Arms
Nightmares
American Music
Breakin' Up
Color Me Once
I Danced
Country Death Song (Live, 1998)
Freak Magnet

Album Description

Maintaining strong indie credibility, this platinum-selling Milwaukee bred alt-rock triop has been called the "original unplugged band." The raw power of their no-frills yet highly emotive acoustic sound-plus the lyrical heft of Gordon Gano's songs-made the Femmes postmodern cult heroes with enormous staying power. In his notes to this, their first career-spanning collection, Rolling Stone's David Fricke states, "The Violent Femmes are what rock & roll must have sounded like at the creation." Hear it on 16 classics including "Blister in the Sun," "Add It Up," "Gone Daddy Gone", "Nightmares," and "American Music."

Customer Reviews:

They Still Can't get It Right.......2006-04-26

Okay, so they're trying to do a proper "Best of" for the Femmes again, and for the third time (counting one import-only) they still can't get it right. It's so annoying when a band who you really love (they were one of my first concerts) puts together a greatest hits package and_it seems intentionally_omits some of the songs you really enjoy and/or hold to be sacred. On Add It Up, their first GH, they somehow found the space to include an answering machine message and the mediocre rant I Hate the TV, but omitted their cover of Children of the Revolution and the wonderful Nightmares. Now, Permanent Record thankfully restores those two, but only gives us 16 songs to AIU's 21(!!) and drops several significant tracks, including the frat party favorite Dance, MF, Dance, the bouncy Out the Window, and the great politically charged Old Mother Reagan (It's only about a minute and a half long, people, you can't tell me there wasn't room!) in favor of their later, lesser work on New Times and Freak Magnet. The good thing about this version is the inclusion of the extended Gone Daddy Gone/I Just Want to Make Love to You jam that shows the Femmes' roots were in acoustic blues as well as punk the way Jesus Walking on the Water exposed their folkie leanings. Maybe someday we'll get the great Violent Femmes anthology that's just waiting out there to be released, but until then, I guess it's back to iTunes for me.

Only a fan would love it..........2005-12-05

Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes

If you're into edgy, indie rock with raw, sometimes shocking lyrics then Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes is for you.
Having only really heard Violent Femmes' more radio-friendly tracks such as Blister in the Sun, American Music and Children of the Revolution, the rest of the album was a completely new experience for me.
And a bit of a shocker at that.
From the lusty Gimme the car, which is all about a teenager begging his dad to give lend him a car so he can take his girl out, then goes on to describe exactly what he will do to said girl, in detail, and what she will do to him. And I'm not talking about an innocent trip to the drive-in here.
Then there are the usual angst-ridden tracks about being young and broke, as well as the extremely politically-incorrect track Black Girls, which would probably have resulted in a few disillusioned white groupies.
This is clearly an album for fans of the group which have been around, underground, for a very long time.
If you're not such a big fan, I'd give it a miss.

About as good as it could be........2005-09-12

There are some who would call their self-titled album their "best of", and while it is a great album, this is a good collection too. The first five tracks here are from that album, and are well chosen. Then a couple from "Hallowed Ground", and a couple from "Blind Leading The Naked". From "3" we get only "Nightmares". I personally love that album and still think it's underrated. Toss on "American Music", "Color Me Once" from "The Crow" soundtrack, and a few more of their later songs and this is a fine overview of the Violent Femmes career. If this also included "Prove My Love" and "World We're Living In" I'd have no complaints. Still, this is most of the best.

Not for young ears ! Great energy !.......2005-09-07

Everything I expected with an additional shock here and there. It was a great way to introduce my fiance to this group. Right up his alley.

Average customer rating:

Thank you for the re-issue!!!!
One of the funnest dark albums ever!
Another great album from the greatest wisconsin band
Every Bit As Good As the Debut
These femmes, they're funny guys

Hallowed Ground
Violent Femmes
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Blind Leading the Naked
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New Times

ASIN: B00004YLBA
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Tracks:

Country Death Song
I Hear The Rain
Never Tell
Jesus Walking On The Water
I Know It's True But I'm Sorry To Say
Hallowed Ground
Sweet Misery Blues
Black Girls
It's Gonna Rain

Customer Reviews:

Thank you for the re-issue!!!!.......2007-07-19

Absolute gold. Every song offers a new experience, unlike like those albums you buy where you feel like you bought a whole album for one song.

If you liked mid 80's alternative, nothing could be better.

One of the funnest dark albums ever!.......2006-10-16

By far my fav of all the femm albums. Dark and at times campy this never gets old to my ears. I know the first album is full of some of their best known tracks but I hung up my beer-bong many years ago and have come to appreciate this to it's fullest. The classic folksy country death song gives me a chill when Gano cries out that he hung if self in shame, his voice is filled with the crackling of a man who has stepped over the line of sanity. The improv in the middle of black girls was at first annoying to me but it grows on you now it's one of my favorites. But the undisputed champ on this album for me is Never Tell. It has typical femm lyrics that just stick in your head and at over 7 minutes long it has left me breathless and my jaw hurting when jammin along. if you like the femms at all it must not be missed!

Another great album from the greatest wisconsin band.......2006-06-24

one thing that i love about violent femmes is that they come from wisconsin where i live also i love that there is such variety in their music this album for instance is a great mix of music my fave songs are "black girls" "i hear the rain" and "never tell" all 3 of these songs are great punk-rock like songs and the rest of the album is great too

Every Bit As Good As the Debut.......2006-01-03

I am always hearing critics say that the self-titled album from these guys is "the only album by [VF] that's worth owning". I get the feeling that either this recording fell on deaf ears, they didn't really listen to this, or something along the lines of trying to sound cool. But really this is the best possible way to follow up the timeless debut, and the music here is equally as well-aged. Originally, Brian Ritchie did not want to be involved with Gordon Gano's Christian songs, so the first album had none, and this one has it. Seen as a parody at first, but that's completely understandable. After all, how do you know it's sincere when put into the rest of the context of "Black Girls"? (Speaks in a real un-PC manner). However, I feel that it is one of the greatest tracks on "Hallowed Ground", a change in pace from others here and even the debut, with more of a jazz influence than before.

That's another great thing about this album: The guys step outside of their folk-punk shell on this album. We get a well-done country song about a murder via drowning ("Country Death Song"), some more of Ritchie's xylophone playing ("I Hear the Rain"), as well as other really great moments. The album is far matured from the debut. While that one made me feel great about my youth, "Hallowed Ground" reminds me of just life in general and the things that go on in it. Oh, it's title track is yet another masterpiece in this somewhat short album (9 tracks total, but you get all quality).

Who knew a country-jazz-Appalachian Folk-etc. type album could have balance and not seem like a gimmick! And even if you don't like it the first time, I think it will grow on you if you give it time. You do not have to be religious to appreciate the imagery in here.

These femmes, they're funny guys.......2005-09-28

The Femmes did a major turn on the course of rock and roll here. Following up the legendary (well today it is) self-titled freshman album must have not been an easy task. One obviously they were not up for, so they made a new sound. Still Femmes at heart, but now with electric guitar, jazz influence, detailed piano riffs, horns, and bipolar lyrics. The album even has parts of Gano screaming to himself in an autistic manner. It goes in 5 different directions at once and has a much less "high school dork looking for fame" feel. This is the dork that grew up, went to Nam', now is 35, living alone, and going to high school sporting events. Gano's lyrics are at top form here and more honest than ever. The tunes have become more in depth and infectious as the common cold. What can only be described as awkward moments control the album from Gano quotes such as " Listen to me baby - Can you keep a secret for me? - Make sure no one finds out - cause then the lights will go out - and I will find you out - and I will cut you up - Uh hmm, don't ask me why - because, I said, I said, I said - I'm gonna do what I can, do what I can, do, do, do, do what I can." in 'Never tell' and " I led her to a hole, a deep black well - I said "make a wish, make sure and not tell - and close you're eyes dear, and count to seven - You know your papa loves you, good children go to heaven" in 'Country death song'. Hallowed Ground does have calming moments such as 'I know it's true...' which is a slow paced love song where Gano mutters half the song like a love lore adult. The bands comfortableness with they're strangeness and Gano's lack of social norms make this stand out like a communist flag draped over a former U.S. presidents grave. It also gives the Femmes the quirkiness that makes them the Violent Femmes. Don't confuse them as a joke band. These femmes - they're funny guys, but they're real Bad@ss's when it comes to rock.
Music - 4 1/2 Vocals - 4 1/2 Consistency - 4

Average customer rating:

NOT A KID THE BEST RAP ALBUM OF ALL TIME?
Darkest hip-hop album you'll ever hear
Hear Me Out...
Order it right now
Underground Classic

Violent by Design
Jedi Mind Tricks
Manufacturer: Babygrande Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0001XXAN0
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Tracks:

Intro
Retaliation
Contra
Speech Cobras
Breath Of God Interlude
Death March
Words From Mr. Len Part One
I Against I
Exertions Remix
The Prophecy Interlude
Heavenly Divine
Sacrafice
Permanent Midnight Interlude
The Deer Hunter
Blood Reign
Words From Mr. Len Part Two
Gengis Khan
Trinity
The Executioners Dream
Muerte
Heavenly Divine Remix
Army Of The Pharaohs: War Ensemble
Untitled
Retaliation Remix
Blood Runs Cold

Customer Reviews:

NOT A KID THE BEST RAP ALBUM OF ALL TIME?.......2007-02-03

What is there to say other than each song is mystically hypnotizingly flawless. These guys are incredible Stoupe's producing is great and Ikon's rapping is raw violent and genius. Buy this fu**ing thing now!

Darkest hip-hop album you'll ever hear.......2007-01-19

VBD puts you in a sinister, brooding mood and keeps you there through the duration. It transports you to a world that seems to alternate between the unreal and the all too real. Producer Stoupe provides beats that are incredibly pretty while at the same time threatening. Add to that the startlingly raw lyrics of Vinnie Paz (who has a voice like the giant toad in Pan's Labyrinth) and Jus Allah and you've got the recipe for an adrenaline-pumping fright night. Even the interludes provide some of the best moments of the album, with samples from sources such as the Heaven's Gate guy and the movie Pi playing over dark, ominous beats. The unapologetic embrace of violence and evil makes this Nietzsche's favorite hip-hop album. When the cd stops, you'll feel like you just won a fight or finished an Ayn Rand book. One of my top 5 albums of all time.

Hear Me Out..........2006-12-14

OK. This is an awesome slice of hip hop, and it's a very rare find on vinyl which always adds to its collectability.

The production is the star of the show, but a lot of the rapping is genuinely top-shelf too.

Jedi Mind make that rare thing: mystical hip hop. It's second to none stuff, rousing you with haunting synths and eery vocals and rhymes alluding to religion, myth, spirituality and personal awareness. It's a rare find and the most effective form of hip hop, in my opinion.

"...possessing my peeps to walk streets with stolen heat like prometheus"

How many rappers would even know who Prometheus is or why that metaphor makes sense?

However, the reason I didn't, nay - couldn't - give it the full 5 stars like everyone else is cos of Jus Allah's pig-ignorant take on religious issues.

This is an important thing, especially in 2006, especially as he's rapping specifically about Islam "vs." Christianity, especially because the rest of the LP is worth a listen and might convince lesser minds that this clown is too.

He's a prime example of someone who appears not to get it. He'll make a worthwhile statement such as "Islam shouldn't be blamed for current problems", then he'll go and make an ignoramus out of himself and follow it with "Christianity should".

If you're not insightful enough to see through the religions and the excuses and arrive at the only worthwhile conclusion there is; namely that if you shift blame away from any religion you must shift it away from all religion and look for the culprit on a more personal level; don't be shouting violently your underdeveloped and vastly bigoted opinion.

Conscious hip hop is about the message, not just the beats and rhymes, so this one can't be a 5-star when you've got a spiritual deadweight acting like he's the second-coming of Yoda.

Order it right now.......2006-09-13

there isn't much else a person can say about this album that hasent been said before, it is one of my favorite albums and im sure it will remain one of them. "You can feel the realness" in every song you will not skip a track, lyrics are creative as well as the production it is like a melting pot of early mobb deep, M.O.P., Wu-Tang clan, and Capone-n-noreaga. when i first heard it, i almost fell from my chair and im sure you will do the same. just keep in mind that it is not as polished as most of the main stream stuff you might be used to, make sure to keep an open mind when listening

Underground Classic.......2006-08-31

If you love wu-tang type hip hop with tons of samples , mind melting rhymes , and soundscapes that are cinematic and psychadelic then you'll love this entire album from start to finish.

Average customer rating:

Essential for Road Trips
Incredible Violent Femmes
It's a shame these guys aren't huge...
Exotically Formal Femmes
Do you like American music?

Why Do Birds Sing?
Violent Femmes
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Blind Leading the Naked
3
Hallowed Ground
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Violent Femmes

ASIN: B000002LNZ
Release Date: 1991-04-30

Tracks:

American Music
Out The Window
Look LIke That
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me
Hey Nonny Nonny
Used To Be
Girl Trouble
He Likes Me
Life Is A Scream
Flamingo Baby
Lack Of Knowledge
More Money Tonight
I'm Free

Customer Reviews:

Essential for Road Trips.......2006-11-28

Easily one of the VF's best albums. A great pick for your next road trip. Too bad it never got the attention it deserved.

Incredible Violent Femmes.......2005-07-07

All i can say about this album is that it really grows on you. It's the kind of music you want to hear when you want to dance by yourself in the living room.
If you are a Violent Femmes fan, buy this album... If you are looking for a starter, I'd recommend Add It Up, it covers more bases. This album is great.
"American Music" gets tiring after a few times of hearing it, but the Boy George.. or was it Culture Club... cover of "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" makes up for it.

It's a shame these guys aren't huge..........2004-06-12

...considering the quality of the music they have shared with the world throughout the last 21 years or so.
While not as urgent and raw as their masterpiece first album, Why Do Birds Sing? is their second best. I picked this up in June of 1991, after having heard their first album a few times while in high school a few years earlier and forgetting about them. What sold me on this album was the cover...for some reason, it was (and still is) one of my favorite album covers of all time.
Of course, after unwrapping the cassette and popping it in, I realized it was much more than a nice package. "American Music" should have become an American anthem that summer (a summer when "Right Here, Right Now" by Jesus Jones just wouldn't go away), and "Out the Window" is very catchy (as well as disturbingly funny).
One of my favorite tracks, and still one of the greatest cover tunes of all time, is the Femmes' remake of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" Gordan Gano changes the lyrics up a bit and makes it an achy, bittersweet tune, as opposed to the keyboarded stiffness of the original.
The addition of strings makes "Used to Be" a little overproduced sounding, but it's a depressing song and the brushed snare drum (one of the Femmes' signature sounds) help make it work. Allow yourself into it for a lovely, melancholy few minutes.
The album closes with "I'm Free," a sweet little ode to Gordan's own life. Almost a country song, it's a great way to finish the album.
Overall, it's a great, great album, and it's shameful that it was so overlooked. Gordan Gano's amazing ability to sound both geniunely sad and geniunely insane at the same time is one of their unique characteristics, and the multi-talented Brian Ritchie brings all sorts of new and fresh musical expressions. As I mentioned earlier, this is their second best, behind their first, quintessential, self-titled album. If you consider yourself a Violent Femmes fan, or you've never heard anything by them, then this is a must have.

Exotically Formal Femmes.......2003-12-27

What a great album. Opens with the notorious "American Music", ends with the country inspired gem "I'm Free", and in between exhibits a vibrant variety of music, using elements of Pop, Folk, Country, Rock and Punk to generate a sort of "undressed new wave sound" that only the Violent Femmes could have the ingenuity to create. As with every Femmes album, "Why Do Birds Sing?" puts an interesting spin on the established Femmes sound. Keyboards and Organs play a previously nonresident role, and many instruments are introduced into the Femmes' musical vocabulary. Ukeleles, Conga Drums, Tambourines, Jaw Harps, Mellotrons, and drummer Victor Delorenzo's own invention, the "Tranceaphone" are among the interesting tools used to create the album. Though do not be fooled by the seemingly odd choice of instrumentation, the Violent Femmes are anything but some obscure emotionless act. Their unique sonances blend with accustomed Rock melodies to develop a very natural and pure sound, creating songs of exclusive charm.

Gordon Gano, Singer/Guitarist, presents beautifully ambigious songwriting in a class of its own. The reason Femmes songs are loved so dearly by so many different types of people, is that they represent that which we can all relate to; the inevitable clash of venerating, joyous innocence, with dark, dolorous truths which will always haunt our psyche. Harsh realities affect our emotions in a way that nothing else can, and Gordon uses humour to deliver recollections of these disturbingly honest moments we all share. Using humour to describe sorrow, two emotions in such contrast to one another, harnesses a wide range of emotions, all meeting together at one moment; the end result being unsure of whether you should laugh, be confused, angry, or simply break down and cry. These moments of such emotionally plenary uncertainty strike us all in the same way, in the sense that we are all struck in different ways. So quite naturally, it is of impeccable appropriateness that "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" is covered on this album, a song dealing with these exact issues, seemingly written for Gordon's writing style.

While I favor some songs over others, all are interesting in their own way. "Used To Be", perhaps my favorite track on the album, is sad to the point where hopelessness becomes beautiful. I love how well Victor's double snare fits the song, and the tone is Gordon's voice is in magical correspondance to the lyrics. The first 2 tracks, "American Music" and "Out The Window", both found on the "Add it Up" album, are classics. As the chorus of "American Music" sings, "Every time I look at that ugly lake it reminds of me." Brilliant line. Looking at a lake will show you your reflection, and if the lake is ugly and it reminds him of him, well, you get the idea. Gordon always amazes me with using such unique ways to bring up common ideas we all share. We can all relate to "Look Like That", or "Girl Trouble". The witty "Lack Of Knowledge" is a Punk Rock inspired tune about intelligence and confusion. It's impossible to not enjoy Gordon's clever anthem of revenge "More Money Tonight".

Femmes fans who don't already own "Why Do Birds Sing?" must buy this majestic masterpiece for their own sake, as the benefits of this purchase extend far beyond the material world. As good as this album is, it is not the ideal place to start for listeners who haven't heard, or are new to the Violent Femmes. Acquire "Violent Femmes - Deluxe Edition", the highly distinguished self-titled album, first. I definitely recommend the Deluxe Edition as it contains a bonus disc that will reveal to you a whole nother aspect of their genius - the live act. Though the album "Viva Wiconsin" is definitely the ultimate document of the Femmes live, the bonus live disc is an interesting chronicle that you will thank yourself for later.

Do you like American music?.......2002-11-10

1991's Why Do Birds Sing?, the Violent Femmes' fifth album, has never received the acclaim it deserves. Only the trio's first album is more consistently enjoyable. This album does not have the raw passion of the Femmes' earliest music, but it showcases the kind of quirky, unique sound that defines this eccentric band. American Music really should have been a hit, featuring the kind of pop sound that should appeal to a mainstream audience that, to a significant degree, doesn't even know this group exists. Out the Window, Look Like That, Used to Be, and Girl Trouble are toe-tappers easy and fun to sing along with. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me is a classic; don't worry about this being a Culture Club cover because its delivery is so uniquely Femmes that it took me a while to even realize the original source of the song. Hey Nonny Nonny and Flamingo Baby are just fun, somewhat nonsensical tracks. Life is a Scream is, ahem, a real scream, providing the listener with a great outlet for releasing any pent-up frustrations of his/her own. The whole album is rather cathartic, with the final track, I'm Free, basically summing up the effect of this music on the listener.

More Money Tonight is a little celebration of revenge, as lead singer Gordon Gano taunts all the people who laughed at him in the past, proclaiming he can make more money tonight than they can even dream of. One of my favorite VF songs of all time is He Likes Me. Don't get the wrong idea about this one-the "he" Gano is talking about is "her" new man. Anyone who has been forced to be nice to the guy dating the girl you are crazy about will have no trouble relating to these lyrics.

Tracks:

Nightmares
Just Like My Father
Dating Days
Fat
Fool In The Moon
Nothing Worth Living For
World We're Living In
Outside The Palace
Telephone Book
Mother Of A Girl
Lies
See My Ships

Customer Reviews:

Standard review.......2003-11-18

This album is one of the finest the femmes have recorded, especially the acoustical songs. Then again, all of the femmes albums i've heard are great. If you like the Violent Femmes, you can't go wrong with this album or any of their other albums. Buy this album; buy them all. Why not? Enrich your life and your ear. I don't care. The femmes are great!

A nice change........2003-10-28

After hearing "Blister In The Sun" at one too many parties, I decided to check out "3". I liked "Violent Femmes" enough to stick with them, and I'm glad I did. This may not be the crowd pleaser their other cd's are, but it's good none the less. And like the other albums, this one has it's share of sing-a-longs. "Nightmares" and "Outside The Palace" are both great. "Fat" has really funny lyrics". Then there's "Nothing Worth Living For", which is a pretty morbid change of pace, but is one of the most beautifully depressing songs ever. So if you're a fan of the band, but need a break from "Add It Up", get "3".

Soild Album.......2003-07-10

An strong album. Their best? No. But how many albums are as good as Hallowed Ground? If all you know of the femmes are songs you heard at frat parties than you might not like this or any of their albums other than the first

As "stripped down" as it gets!.......2003-03-06

I can't believe some of these reviews. This is an amazing album as long as you approach it on it's on terms. I can see how it might have been disappointing after the first two records because it's almost completely devoid of punk influences. However, it's dark, naked, acoustic, and beautiful. The songs are great, the performances are great, and the production is great. For once Gordon's performance sounds genuine and not just a quirky affectation. I think the two ballads get a bit melodramatic, but other than that, this CD is very, very good and definitely not "for completists only"

Thud.......2003-01-30

That's the sound of a once promising band hitting the bottom. The first release from this band set the bar very high. Their second release, Hallowed Ground, while not as good as the first, saw the band expanding their sound in exciting and eclectic ways. Then, I guess they lost their way. Outside of one song, Fool in the Full Moon, none of the material exhibits any of the old energy and inspiration. A shame.

Average customer rating:

More VF Awesomeness
originators
Great Once I Listened To It
bland leading the naked
Bump and grind; have a good time

Blind Leading the Naked
Violent Femmes
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Hallowed Ground
Why Do Birds Sing?
3
New Times
Freak Magnet

ASIN: B000002L8F
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Old Mother Reagan
No Killing
Faith
Breakin' Hearts
Special
Love & Me Make Three
Candlelight Song
I Held Her In My Arms
Children Of The Revolution
Good Friend
Heartache
Cold Canyon
Two People

Customer Reviews:

More VF Awesomeness.......2007-07-13

I love this cd... A lot. It's at the low end of the Femmes discography, but it still feels like an endless experiment in diversity. That's pretty impressive, when some of the best music in the past thirty years is some of the Femmes worst.
"No Killing" is a fist pumping, relentless anthem. Playful songs like "Breakin' Hearts" and "I Held Her In My Arms" remind me why the Femmes have had such staying power in the hearts of music lovers throughout the world.
It may not be their best, but this album rocks.

originators.......2005-11-14

One of the most original sounding bands ever. This is my favorite femmes album. Knowone sounds like them. Pioneers of alternative music.

Great Once I Listened To It.......2005-05-12

This is definately one of the Femmes' lower records. They wanted to give their band more of a mainstream sound and thats what they did. And when they did it they realized they sounded much better sounding original. Thus came 3 and Why do Birds Sing. Original is good.
The first song on this album that I heard was No Killing. Which does have a folk sounding tune in there. I later listened to the whole CD and it is VERY mainstream sounding. At least for the Femmes.
When I first listened to this album by the Violent Femmes I was very disappointed. Yet as I listened more and more I really got into such songs as Children of the Revolutin, I Held Her in my Arms, Old Mother Reagen, and mentioned above, No Killing. This is a very good record though and that is why I give it a 4 out of 5. You should buy it.

Just give it a chance!

bland leading the naked.......2003-05-15

A little better than "3" but not by much. The music has a fuller sound and more instrumentation is used in a kind of country-blues format. However, non of these things rescue the album from the weak songwriting and again songs meander to the point of becoming obselete. Gano's vocals like "3" are annoying and whining.

I've only heard this and "3" - maybe there are better albums, but i won't have either in my CD player anytime soon.

Bump and grind; have a good time.......2002-12-01

The Blind Leading the Naked, the third album from the Violent Femmes, has never received the attention and acclaim it deserves. It has its own sound and identity; moving away from the brash, angst-ridden testimonials of the group's early days toward a softer, sometimes mellow sound. Love & Me Make Three, World Without Mercy, Candlelight Song, Two People, and Good Friend are rather somber and sometimes soothing. Of course, Gordon Gano can only be mellow for so long. Old Mother Reagan provides a quick and furious introduction to the album, and this initial energy carries over into the first third of the tracks. No Killing is great, and Faith follows up on the sort of driving religious track introduced on the Hallowed Ground album. Breakin' Hearts has a Buddy Holly feel to it that I really like. Gano turns his frenzied vocals loose on Special and I Held Her in My Arms; these two songs, combined with the unrestrained Heartache and Cold Canyon tracks, help give this album a great balance between the hard-hitting songs you would expect from the Violent Femmes and the unusual softer side that Gano and the guys give birth to here. Accompanied by the unique musical stylings of The Horns of Dilemma and produced by the Talking Heads' very own Jerry Harrison, The Blind Leading the Naked is a great album that introduces us to an entirely new type of sound from this always unpredictable and unorthodox trio of musical entrepreneurs.

Average customer rating:

Now This Is Rock!!!
What an improvement over their debut
Best I've heard in a long time!!!!

Violent New Breed
Randy Piper's Animal
Manufacturer: Diesel & Glory Sw
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dominator
900 Lb Steam
United Abominations
Rehab
Black Rain

ASIN: B000FQ5ELO
Release Date: 2006-06-19

Tracks:

Violent New Breed
Morning After
Hey You
Eye Of The Storm
Turn And Walk Away
Animal In Me
Hellchild
Salt
In The Mirror
B.O.O.M

Album Description

2006 release by former W.A.S.P. member Randy Piper and his band Animal. All killer and no filler, this album rocks so hard that some fans say this is the album that should have followed the legendary W.A.S.P. debut!, While Blackie Lawless and his new crew are busy recording arty concept albums, Piper gets down to business and ROCKS! Make no mistake, this is the real deal! Diesel And Glory.

Album Details

Be Prepared to Be Blown Away. The 2006 Album by Ex-w.a.s.p. Man Randy Piper, and Ex-zan Clan Member Chris Laney Has Arrived. Everybody Loves to Say that their New Album is all Killer, No Filler. For Once, this Statement Actually Applies. The Songs Cover all the Bases from Anger and Anticipation to the Outright Scary.

Customer Reviews:

Now This Is Rock!!!.......2007-04-12

wow,what a difference hiring a new producer can make!!
if anyone listened to 'Animal's release before this one '900 lb steam' you would think it's a totally different band
this CD rocks from start to finish and it's in your face with crisp clear metal sound!
I really like all the songs but the ones that stand out are 'Morning After' 'Turn And Walk Away','Hellchild','Salt' but most of all the amazing title track 'Violent New Breed'
this sounds like what W.A.S.P could have been had Blackie not decided to go into concept land
many of the songs sound similar to W.A.S.P (the singer can definitely sound like Blackie when he wants to) but surprisingly on most of the tunes they sound more like newer Black Sabbath (a good thing)
this is a great CD for fans of old school metal

the upside - awesome production,great songs,in your face solos and vocals

the downside - I wish the songs were a bit more memorable,but that will come,I'm sure

the bottom line - if these guys stay together,they will be a major force to be reckoned with,this CD rocks with the best of their peers,I highly recommend it...donutman says so!!!

What an improvement over their debut.......2006-09-14

I'm a big fan of old-school WASP and an avid early-80's metal fan in general, so when ANIMAL put out their first CD (900 lb Steam), I was quick to pick it up. That album was literally one of the worst-produced albums I've ever heard. Ever been to a club watching a show and then walked outside the venue? You know how you can hear the music thru the walls and it just sounds like bass-y mush? That's about what 900 lb Steam sounded like. Horrible.

I was disappointed, because I would have thought that one of WASP's founding members could put together something much better. Heck, these days, with recording software for a Mac or pc so affordable and easy to use, it's amazing that something could sound this bad.

In fact, that's how new ANIMAL guitarist/co-writer Chris Laney got into the band. He apparently heard 900 lb Steam, thought it sounded awful, and offered to re-mix the disc for free. Fast forward a few years and Laney is now in the band, co-writing most of the songs, and producing the new disc "Violent New Breed."

I never would have picked this up had I not heard a few samples of the tunes on myspace. I couldn't believe my ears. The songs were really good and the production is fantastic. These songs sound like a mix of The Last Command and the first WASP album. What's really freaky is lead vocalist Rich Lewis. He sounds EXACTLY like Blackie Lawless.

This disc is considerably better than any of the recent WASP albums. If there had been an album between WASP's 1st and The Last Command, it would have been Violent New Breed. If you like old-school WASP, this really is a great disc (and even worth a few extra bucks as an import).

Best I've heard in a long time!!!!.......2006-06-20

I listened to the the promo copy before it was released, this is an awesome cd with some of the best new music I have heard. Everyone that loves metal should add this to their collection! Randy Piper is Back and with him he brings only the best,long time friends Jackie Livengood, Rich Lewis, and Chris Laney.For more info on this Brutal New Release visit animalcave.net or myspace.com keyword animal.

Average customer rating:

Great Buy
A dream come true for Violent Femmes fans
Very nicely done
-deluxe indeed-
A classic that should be in everyone's music library...

Violent Femmes (Bonus CD) (Dlx)
Violent Femmes
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Hallowed Ground
Blind Leading the Naked
Why Do Birds Sing?
Permanent Record - Live & Otherwise - Violent Femmes
Add It Up (1981-1993)

ASIN: B000066RM6
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

Blister In The Sun
Kiss Off
Please Do Not Go
Add It Up
Confessions
Prove My Love
Promise
To The Kill
Gone Daddy Gone
Good Feeling
Girl Trouble (Demo)
Breakin' Up (Demo)
Waiting For The Bus (Demo)
Blister In The Sun (Demo)
Kiss Off (Demo)
Please Do Not Go (Demo)
Add It Up (Demo)
Confessions (Demo)
Prove My Love (Demo)
Ugly (UK Single)
Gimme The Car (UK Single)

Tracks:

Special (Live)
Country Death Song (Live)
To The Kill (Live)
Never Tell (Live)
Break Song (Live)
Her Television (Live)
How Do You Say Goodbye (Live)
Theme And Variations (Live)
Prove My Love (Live)
Gone Daddy Gone (Live)
Promise (Live)
In Style (Live)
Add It Up (Live)
Michael Feldman (Live)
Kiss Off (Live)

Amazon.com

Emerging, literally, from the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where they gained notoriety through busking, this strange trio led by guitarist-vocalist Gordon Gano became a cult favorite with their self-titled debut album in 1983. Influenced greatly by Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers, the Femmes' minimalist sound pitted Gano's low-volume electric guitar against Brian Ritchie's acoustic bass guitar and Victor De Lorenzo's ashcanlike homemade drum kit--all of which only served to make Gano's angst-ridden adolescent tirades more arresting. Highlights here are the rockabillyish "Gone Daddy Gone," the snotty "Kiss Off," and the emblematically nervous "Blister in the Sun." All in all, a fond reminder of the innocent days of alt-rock. Note: this deluxe, 20th anniversary version of the album includes an additional 26 demos and live tunes, 22 of them never before released. --Billy Altman

Album Description

The 20th anniversary edition of the Milwaukee trio's legendary debut album plus 26 previously unreleased demos & live cuts. Disc 1 features 21 tracks-the original 10-song 1983 Slash album, highlighted by 'Blister In The Sun', 'Add It Up', and 'Gone Daddy Gone', plus 9 demos (8 previously unreleased!) and 2 UK single sides! Bonus disc 2 is packed with previously unreleased live tracks from 1981 (Milwaukee, pre-album) and 1983 (New York, post album), plus a rare 1982 WHA/Madison radio interview with Michael Feldman, and live, on-air performance of 'Kiss Off'! Liner notes by esteemed punk archivist Michael Azerrad plus exclusive track by track commentary from the band. Slipcase.

Customer Reviews:

Great Buy.......2004-09-11

I would even recommend getting this edition, than the original 10 track materpiece. Now the album is pretty much perfect, and I really feel the bass carries alot of this album. The two major hits songs are "Blister in the Sun" and one of the greatest songs I've ever heard "Kiss Off", should be enough reasons to buy this cd. But it carries so much more, like the songs (on the original 10-track cd), "Please do not go", "Prove my Love", and "Gone Daddy Gone". Now the extra tracks on the 1st disc arent a big deal, big they include some rare demos like "Girl Trouble" and "Breakin' Up". Also, are some unreleased Uk singles, "Gimme the Car" and "Ugly".
The second album is the main reason why you are paying some extra dough to get this collectors edition. You are getting the WHOLE Live album for cheaper. And its well worth it. It contains some good songs from Hallowed Ground like "Country Death Song" and "Never Tell", and a a great collection adder, the Michael Feldman Interview. And other songs come from numerous Violent Femmes' albums.
So basically getting this album, is covering the whole VF collection. So its a great buy, to cover most of the bands work on this 1 album.

A dream come true for Violent Femmes fans.......2003-07-27

The Violent Femmes' 1983 self-titled debut is one of the most groundbreaking, important, influential, and enjoyable albums ever released, a musical testament that speaks to all dispossessed souls then, now, and probably forever. Teenagers were particularly drawn to this music in the band's early years, at least those who were fortunate enough to learn of these extraordinary three guys from Milwaukee. I will always associate my angst-filled teen years with groups such as the Violent Femmes, The Cure, and The Smiths because these guys seemed to relate to my own anxieties and frustrations in a way no one around me possibly could. This quirky, uniquely acoustic music has always spoken to those who feel set apart from those around them, who ask questions that no one else asks, and wonder why no one understands them. Over twenty years later, this album is still influencing those of us who grew up with Gordon Gano, Brian Ritchie, and Victor Delorenzo, but even more incredibly it continues to have a real impact on the next generation of young people searching for meaning in a confusing world.

The original album featured ten songs, every single one of which rates as an anthem in my book. No college party would ever have been complete without the blasting out of such tracks as Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off, or Add it Up. The true heart of the group revealed itself on songs such as Promise, Prove My Love, and Gone Daddy Gone, while Please Do Not Go took me places I had never been before. Confessions is a bravely honest song set amidst a musical backdrop of sometimes pure cacophony. Then there was Good Feeling, a beautiful, almost happy song that sounded like nothing else on the album. Two songs Gordon Gano recorded over in London, Ugly and fan favorite Gimme the Car, were soon added onto the end of the album, but the group always intended for Good Feelings to close out the album.

What a joy to discover that I and all Violent Femmes fans would be celebrating the album's twentieth birthday with the release of a very special deluxe edition. The inclusion of nine demo versions of some of the group's most classic songs is a cause for celebration in and of itself (although I should point out that one of these, Waiting For the Bus, can be found on VF's Add it Up compilation album). But the fun doesn't stop there, as you get a full CD of unreleased live performances from the guys in their earliest days (one track, Special, was issued as a flexi-disc in Alternative Press magazine, but I can't imagine many fans have that little keepsake in their VF collections). Many of the live tracks included here date back to the group's very first year of existence (1981), and the majority of them pre-date the actual recording of the debut album in July 1982. I saw these guys perform live in 1989, and they were awesome, but the truly special live recordings released here for the first time possess a feeling and atmosphere actually surpassing what I experienced first-hand. The first four live tracks, featuring a lot of interaction between the musicians and the audience, were recorded in Milwaukee in September 1981; it sounds like the guys are just playing for a group of friends, with a lot of laughter and fun spread throughout the performance. One audience member, for example, calls out "That's some sad stuff" during Country Death Song, and Gano playfully asks "Can I start now?" over the audience's voices at the beginning of Never Tell. This song, I must say, is worth the price of the album all by itself; it resonates with the type of somber power than defined and distinguished The Violent Femmes at their grittiest best. In the midst of its serious nature, though, Gano uses his voice to supply the saxophone riffs for his absent sax player, bringing the house down with laughter. The next four tracks are taken from a performance in Milwaukee in December 1981, and these are followed by five songs taken from a live gig in New York in January 1983. Never Tell, Her Television, How Do You Say Goodbye, and In Style stand out as four noteworthy songs heard here for the first time. The final two tracks come from a 1982 appearance by VF on Michael Feldman's radio program. The newly-discovered musical trio shows just how funny each of them can be during a four-minute interview before delighting the crowd with a rousing rendition of Kiss Off.

I would be remiss not to mention another cool bonus of this deluxe edition. You get a book containing a number of vintage photos, a story of the group's amazing journey from performing on the Milwaukee streets to recording their first album on borrowed funds to hitting the jackpot of success at Slash Records in 1983. There are also comments about each of the album's original ten songs by Gordon, Brian, and Victor. This deluxe edition of VF's self-titled debut reinforces and cements the group's originality, lasting influence, and musical genius, and there are so many extras included in this two-disc set that I cannot conceive of a Violent Femmes fan who has not already updated his/her musical library to include it long before now.

Very nicely done.......2002-06-27

This is one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time... To see it get this treatment makes me feel good, and listening to the additional material on the second disc (live) makes me feel even better. Popping this into my CD player warped me right back to 5th grade when I first heard this stuff and was changed forever. This album should be a part of everyone's childhood or adolescence. One of the great American albums. I cant say enough about some of the songs here. Just that they mean alot to me and again, it's great to see this reissued in such beautiful fashion. It's great to hear a green Gano doing his best Lou Reed on live versions of NEVER TELL & TO THE KILL. It's youth, baby. American youth. Trucks on the gutter. Black clouds on the horizon.

-deluxe indeed-.......2002-06-26

Being a fan of the Violent Femmes and the know how of Rhino's excellent reissues, I had no hesitation on buying this deluxe edition of the VF's 1st album. Having over 20 unreleased songs, this 2 disc set is one that should be in the collection of any true fan of American Music(no pun intended).

A classic that should be in everyone's music library..........2002-06-24

Well, 20 years, and still "rocking".

Da femmes, an indescribably delicious band, have been fulfilling my music needs since I first heard a copy of a copy of a scratchy record of this fine album. On my...Western Auto Spark-O-Matic Tape player and home speakers bungee corded in the back of my 1980 Pontiac Sunbird, I found my music. Gano screeching my frustrations, Ritchie vibrating my car, and DeLorenzo pounding my senses... and now, here it is better, louder, and with new and improved features...

Girl Trouble, Breakin' Up, and In Style would make it worth the asking price alone, but instead I get it all. 2 CD's.. the original, the demos, the live stuff, and an interview... wow. Rhino got it right.

I bought the day it came out, bought a copy for my wife, and have been telling anybody who bothers to listen to me to get it..
No one has been disappointed, and no one will.

But don't stop here. Get more albums... and become ONE with the Femmes...

Music Info: