THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Violent Femmes’ self-titled album has reached the legendary status that few albums ever attain.
Released in 1983, Violent Femmes became one of the most distinctive records of the early alternative movement and an enduring cult classic. As I wrote when the 20th Anniversary Edition came out in 2003, the trio “melded the boho playfulness of Jonathan Richman, the jittery paranoia of early David Byrne and the bleak literacy of Lou Reed with a musical melange of country, folk, pop, rock, gothic Americana (and a hefty helping of teen angst) to fashion new wave faves such as Blister In The Sun, Add it Up, Kiss Off and Gone Daddy Gone.”
Musically, this expanded 40th Anniversary Edition doesn’t really add anything to that 20-year-old release — it features the original album, of course, augmented with more or less the same lineup of B-sides, live sessions and demo recordings — though presumably everything has been remastered.
But there are plenty of cosmetic changes.This version is housed in a lift-top box with die-cut darkened window detail revealing the box contents. The set includes three 180-gram LPs plus a replica 7″ single, along with a book featuring new liner notes by journalist David Fricke and interviews with the band.”
