Customer Reviews

Firin Up

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After Pure Prairie League had released several minor albums in the mid 70's, they hired unknown guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Vince Gill. Their first effort, 1979's Cant Hold Back was a step forward to the prior PPL albums. In 1980, they released "Firin Up" and it brought them their best album. If youre a fan of the Fuller/Powell days, you may beg to differ. The young "rocker" Vince Gill brings in his dancin' shoes for this outstanding album. The best song is the opener "Im Almost Ready." "Give it Up" was not a hit but it souds like it would be right up in the top ten. "Too Many Heartaches in Paradise" and "Youre My True Love" are a little too commercial. "Shes All Mine," "I Cant Stop This Feelin" and "Lifetime of Nighttimes are some very good rockers with great guitars. "Ill Be Damned" and "Janny Lou" sound like they could have been off a Vince Gill album. "Let Me Love You Tonight", the biggest hit off the album, is a good ballad with some good saxaphone.

If you love late 70's rock, or the Joe Walsh version of The Eagles, buy this album. It sounds like nothing by PPL, or Vince, but it is still a great sound.

I haven't heard Firin' Up in a while but as I recall, I liked every track on it. If your curious about Vince Gill as a rocker this disc is tons o fun. This is not the PPL that recorded "Amy", Craig Fuller was long gone by this time. ( on to join Little Feat ) but they carried the torch into the early days of alt.country and country rock.

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From way back in the day. This is one that has stood the times, great country-rock of the 70's. Good songs, good playing, a great cd for the road or just to kick back and listen to on the back porch.

Vince Gill really breaks through here. Not only with his sweet vocals, but with his Telecaster solos combined with Jeff Wilson's additional lead guitar work on the uptempo songs. A star is born.

1980's "Firin' Up" is the second Pure Prairie League album to feature Vince Gill, and it's unfortunately weak. The album is very professionally performed, however, as far as depth and inspiration are concerned, the record is sadly lacking. Ultimately, it's very generic and unsatisfying--the lyrics are mostly disposable, and Vince Gill's vocals are consistently overslick and lacking in genuine conviction. The record starts off with the nice arena-ready uptempo rocker "I'm Almost Ready" which does have some undeniable catchiness, but it sounds very by-numbers like so much of the rest. "Give It Up" is a formulaic, 'anthemic' mid-tempo rocker. The hit "Let Me Love You Tonight" is a rote pop-rock song, and that pretty much goes for "I Can't Stop This Feelin'" as well; the latter is a bit better albeit still no great shakes. The briskly-tempoed "She's All Mine" is dull. The uptempo minor-keyed rocker "Lifetime of Nighttime" goes for drama, but it's annoyingly repetitive and reeks of filler. There are a pair of very weak ballads--the somewhat gospel-flavored, painfully drippy "You're My True Love"; and the super-slow, overlong, sappy saxophone-laden album closer "Janny Lou". They slip in an uptempo fiddle-laced number with the annoying, self-righteous "I'll Be Damned" which repeats the title excessively. "Too Many Heartaches In Paradise" is a well-written ballad, but the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band would go on to beat the PPL at their own game with a clearly superior version of this tune on their 1983 album "Let's Go". You'd have to be a real 'easy-to-please' fan of country-rock to be a big fan of this album; for serious listeners, it leaves a whole lot to be desired.

For the most part this CD sux. One song - 'Lifetime of Nighttimes' rates 10 starz. Vince Gill putz hiz guitar skillz & abilityz to work w/ two 'out of this world' soloz. Soundz a lot like 'The Outlaws' - 'Green Grass & High Tides' etc. My opinion iz that that one song iz worth the price of the CD. Bill Paulick