VAN GOGH'S DAUGHTER Shove 1995

by request

Discogs

 

Review by Alex Henderson

When Van Gogh's Daughter debuted with Shove, the all-female alternative rock foursome was compared to artists ranging from Veruca Salt and Hole to the Runaways. All of those comparisons are valid, but the bottom line is that VGD was an impressive band in their own right. While this CD is full of angst and grunge-influenced aggression, the songs tend to be melodic. In fact, cuts like "Struggle and Sting," "Bad Ralph," and "Crystal" are as melodic as they are forceful. "Through the Eyes of Julie," which describes a heroin addict's life, boasts such a memorable chorus and melody that it seemingly had the makings of an alternative rock anthem. Shove rocks passionately, but even if it didn't -- even if you took away all the amplification and forced VGD to go acoustic -- the songs' melodies and the heartfelt vocals of Jane Woodman and Paige Weber would still command attention. It's regrettable that VGD didn't deliver several more albums in the 1990s; the band showed a lot of promise on Shove. 

Tracklist

1	Crystal	3:57
2	Through The Eyes Of Julie	2:55
3	Sacred Pole	2:56
4	Down	3:40
5	Slag	3:00
6	Struggle And Sting	4:02
7	U F@#*	4:01
8	Induline	2:54
9	Survival Song	3:53
10	Bad Ralph	2:39
11	World Between Your Knees	4:10