Firewater

Silkworm | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 26, 2011)
• Original Release Date: March 8, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Matador Records
• ASIN: B0000036US
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,659 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #56 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > American Alternative
  • #78 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo Fi

Track Listings

1. Nerves

2. Drunk

3. Wet Firecracker

4. Slow Hands

5. Cannibal Cannibal

6. Tarnished Angel

7. Quicksand

8. Ticket Tulane

9. Swings

10. Severance Pay

11. The Lure of Beauty

12. Miracle Mile

13. Drag the River

14. Killing My Ass

15. Caricature of a Joke

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rock and Roll to the fullest..., October 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Firewater (Audio CD)

Short and simple. This is one of the greatest and most powerful albums ever recorded. Lonely guys out west have nothing better to do, so they get sloshed and write songs about getting sloshed. Impressive lyrics that dare you to laugh at these alcohol influenced songs and heavy modernized guitar riffs that are only comparable to j.mascis of dinosaur jr. Modern rock's most talented musicians come together to create one of the most incredible rock albums of the last ten years. Buy this record and put Silkworm on your list of things to never let go of. Every song is good and the album flows perfectly,if you just let it run from song # 1 to the last song. Do not miss the oppurtunity to get a hold of a true and pure example of rock and roll. It will knock your socks off.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Silkworm's best, and one of the best in indie rock, November 30, 2002

By 

Robert Jefferson (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Firewater (Audio CD)

This album is the first Silkworm disc without Joel Phelps, and is without a doubt their finest moment. Going from three excellent songwriters to just two means stronger songs and a tighter focus across the disc, so that the group sounds like one band instead of three. Many of the songs are about alienation and alcohol, which may seem monotonous, but each song not only sounds different, but focuses on different facets, showing that an idea can be made anew with each song.

The three members are at the top of their game. Andy Cohen provides some simply scorching guitar on many of the tracks -- "Severance Pay" and "Slow Hands" are two prime examples, but the blown-speakers sound of the solo on the otherwise acoustic "Miracle Mile" has to be heard to be believed. Tim Midgett provides witty barbs throughout, and his bass gives the group more melody than rhythm, but doesn't slouch at the latter. Even Michael Dahlquist doesn't slouch on the drums; nothing too jaw-dropping, his playing is a perfect fit for the sheer rock crunch the band offers. Overall, the band produces rock music that runs the gamut from Stones-inspired groove to up-tempo rockers about drinking and working on the pipeline to an acoustic tale of the pitfalls of touring.

If you were to put your money into one Silkworm album, this should definitely be it. They never sounded as consistently good before or after this album. If you like your rock music gritty, a little bitter and wry, this will be your cup of tea.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Right Now I Feel Like a Bull in a China Shop, October 24, 2000

By 

Isaac Turner (Grand Forks, USofA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Firewater (Audio CD)

In the spirit of objectivity, I will start with a disclaimer: This is my favorite album. Okay, with that large grain of salt dissolving in your pallate, know that it IS good, AND important. I feel it is one of the last true testaments to the 'rock' form that we Americans have to offer. Sad, sardonic, exapansive. Maybe a little uncomfortable, if not in length, certainly in content. But, mind you, it's beautiful. That's the key, don't you think: to be BEAUTIFUL. A person could write a damn thesis about this album, and maybe someone should.