Violent Femmes: Permanent Record--Live & Otherwise

"I hope you got fat." "I got girl trouble up the ass." "We all go out the window." No one would confuse the sound of the Violent Femmes with, say, Julie Andrews. The Michigan folk-punk trio--Gordon Gano on guitar and vocals, Brian Ritchie on bass, and Victor DeLorenzo on percussion (including washtub)--were critical cult darlings in the '80s, producing such memorable songs as "Blister in the Sun," the deeply unnerving "Country Death Song" (about a poverty-stricken father who throws his youngest daughter into a well and then hangs himself), and "Kiss Off," all of which are performed here in this 50-minute July 1991 concert before an intimate (and swelteringly hot) audience at the Norfolk, VA's Boat House (since blown away in a hurricane). Disquieting troubadours (led by Gano's earnest, vaguely threatening, vocals) of teen angst, unrequited love, and hard times, the Violent Femmes' 13-song set here includes "Out the Window," "Fat," "Girl Trouble," "Add It Up," and the near nine-minute "Confessions," all presented in solid Dolby Digital surround sound. The extensive DVD extras include seven music videos (with the best songs being "Gone Daddy Gone," the cover of T. Rex's "Children of the Revolution," "American Music," and "Breakin' Up") and a sonically godawful street performance of "Kiss Off." Released to coincide with Rhino's CD compilation, Permanent Record: The Very Best of the Violent Femmes, this is recommended for larger music collections. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)