The Blind Leading the Naked, Violent Femmes, 1986, :37
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
I discovered the Femmes right before college when I stumbled upon the gem "Good Feeling," and never looked back. This is (I believe) the one Violent Femmes album that I haven't listened to all the way though, barring their end-of-career shite. I read that the band itself disavowed the production by Jerry Harrison. To me it may have a somewhat less manic tone and crisp sound as 3 and Why Do Birds Sing, but it's still a fine Femmes album with all the trademark musical virtuosity and Gano yelping weirdness alternating with earnest raw emotion. I always felt "Good Feeling" sounded a lot like the Velvet Underground's more quiet work, and on this album, "Good Friend" makes me think of early solo Lou Reed. I vacillated on rating this and decided to round up. Favorite tracks: "Breakin' Hearts," "I Held Her In My Arms," "Cold Canyon."
