Welcome back, readers! Sometimes all it takes is a random browse of your mp3 collection to find that awesome long-lost song to write about. Today I feature “Gone Daddy Gone” by The Violent Femmes from their eponymous 1982 debut album. The most recognizable single from this album is probably “Blister In The Sun” but I’ve always preferred “Gone Daddy Gone”, “Add It Up” and “Kiss Off” to that crowd pleaser. If you’re into folk punk and are interested in hearing an album that helped create the genre, I urge you to pick this album up. Not only is it fantastic from start to finish, but it’s the kind of music that’s probably even more exciting now than when it was released because it was totally ahead of its time.
.The Violent Femmes “Gone Daddy Gone†(original, 1982)
Oh brother! Just like every other song on this killer album, this song is bursting with raw energy. Lead singer Gordan Gano sings like a hard-up teenager looking for some action and he’s not the least bit embarrassed of this. In fact, this musical representation of yearning is probably his calling card. There are muted drum taps and twangy guitar riffs that allow Gano’s lyrics and vocals to carry this song to new realms of longing, but the real star of the show is the xylophone solo. In fact, solo is an understatement since cascading xylophonic sounds kick off the intro and punctuate all the choruses. Hell, they even have a breakdown featuring a xylophone solo that alternates with the normal, industry standard electric guitar. Normally I’d tell a person like Gano to quit his bitching and moaning, but in the case of The Violent Femmes I’d only hope he never stops. It’s so great, I almost forgot about the “beautiful girl, lovely dress.”
.Guster cover (2003)
Oh Guster! Can these guys ever do any wrong? For those who recall, this cover song was featured on MTV2 Album Covers: Guster/Violent Femmes, the album for the live performance they did in 2003 in honor of the Femmes. It was a short-lived series that only featured another cover set by Dashboard Confessional doing songs off R.E.M.’s Automatic For The People, but I think Guster’s performance brought the house down. Using the same snarky vocals as in the original, lead singer Ryan Miller proved his vocal chops and that he can whine just as well as Gordan Gano… and it still sounds the farthest thing from annoying. With equally irritated background vocals and that unforgettable xylophone, Guster captured the same yearning for affection that did the original complete justice. Go Guster, go!
.Gnarls Barkley cover (2006)
Oh gnarly! I love unexpected cover songs from bands that exist on different ends of the musical spectrum from the original band. Gnarls Barkley prove they’re more than “Crazy” rockers with this delightful update to a classic alternative rock song. I think the best part about this rendition is the stark contrast from the original. It lacks the same vulnerability and male complaint style of the Violent Femmes version, but it still holds up on its own in completely different ways. It’s faster, much more upbeat, and they even had the nerve to replace the xylophone with some drum machine beat that almost adds a danceable quality to the track. Normally this might piss me off; however, in this case I almost don’t mind it since this version still manages to feature a little bit of necessary edge. “Does that make me craaaaazy?” Possibly.
And for our a cappella fans, check out Harvard’s LowKeys‘ version from a live performance in January 2009 of “Gone Daddy Gone” that’s laced in with Aretha Franklin’s “Chain Of Fools” (umm, huh!?). I won’t say much since I think their dance moves speak for themselves.
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Violent Femmes: website
Nice work. FYI, the Violent Femmes’ self-titled debut is the only album to go Platinum without ever cracking Billboard’s Top 200…just so you know.