Customer Reviews

Ragin' Full on

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I first heard the song 'Brave Captain' on a Santa Cruz skateboard video in 1989. I scoured the credits to find the name of the band and spent a good month hunting down this album. The entire recording is simply inspired and one of my favorite albums of all-time. Ed, Mike and George are amazing musicians in their own right and each contribute accordingly on this album, giving a very full, unified sense of arrangement. They really take their jazz, punk and folk influences to heart and create something beautiful and lasting - and not to mention that they freakin' rock.

This album kicks. Chemical Wire and Brave Captain will stick with you forever.

Having been a major fan of the Minutemen, and in particular the bass of Mike Watt, I thought I'd give fIREHOSE a try - and boy, was I far from disappointed. The opener 'Brave Captain' gripped me in an instant with it's infectious jazz groove and held me in for a tour through the grassroots musical influences driving the band. ed fROMOHIO surprised me with his impressive voice - very different from D. Boon but just as awe-inspiring. Both Watt and Hurley play at their best here, even on songs such as 'The Candle And The Flame' and 'Things Could Turn Around' - a far cry from the Minutemen but probably two of the best songs I've ever heard. If you even like one of the songs on this record, you're bound to love everything else they've made - even the jazzier Minutemen stuff that came before. This record is a must-listen for any serious rock fan - don't be afraid to take a chance and get something that you didn't see on MTV.

yep. truly creative and intense, excellent musicianship, truly memorable songs. d,boon dies, minutemen write songs longer than a minute and add melody. furkin' RAD. if you like amazing drumming, thumping basslines, or quirky guitar stuff and you don't own this album, then you suck. BUY IT.

A friend introduced me to the melodic, powerful, inspiring music of fIREHOSE some years ago. To this day, they remain one of my favorite bands. I'd have to agree that every song on here is worth it from beginning to end, but if I had to chose one, it would be 'Things Could Turn Around'. 'Locked In' is also another favoorite of mine.

fIREHOSE is by far one of the best folk/post-punk bands of all time, bar-none. Do yourself a favor: buy this album, put it on at a party, and watch the reaction. People will come up to you and ask, "Who is this playing?" It never fails.

From the ashes of the Minutemen came this unexpected salvo of tiny, rhythmically complex pop songs. There is a folky element hanging like a spectre in the clarity of the guitars (and explicitly present in the elegaic acoustic number "This..."). The density and headlong pace of "Under The Influence Of Meat Puppets" gives way to the hushed yet equally intense "Candle and The Flame," turning on it's heel to plunge back into the aptly named "Caroms" and the irresistable punk-funk groove of "Relatin' Dudes To Jazz." While the sonics bear that slightly dated SST sound, the fact that such a musically accomplished record is under-polished is just one more reason to love this classic.

....and 17 years later it's still one of the most played in my collection. Thanks Neil!

I just purchased this CD after not having heard the album in about eight years (the cassette I had, taped from a friend's vinyl, got chewed up) and all I can say is that it's amazing! I think it's the most cohesive of all the firehose albums, and the most intense, and just plain catchy. There's great balance between the lyrics and playing, between thought and emotion, in and out, and all that. Makes me feel good about bein' a human.

Oh my,

what a great record this is and will always be. i remember hearing it in someone's care back in like 87. I was like what is this? It was incredible. My feelings havent changed at all. I really think this record is a classic. I like If'n as well but I didnt really care much for their other stuff. I wonder what Mike Watt thinks about Good Charlotte? Oh well who cares, you gotta have this one. You will never regret. I have had it for about 15 years now, and I still love it.

thanks for the masterpiece fIREHOSE

The other reviews on here have it absolutely straight. The moment you put this CD on, if you're not gripped by "Captain", you seriously need to check your pulse. There are a few tunes on this record worth the entire price of the CD for any one song, but I have to say the opening track is absolutely halting--that's my "one song worth price of admission alone".

This is worth owning for "Chemical Wire" alone. From the ashes of the Minutemen (following D. Boon's untimely death) came Firehose, and this is their first effort. This has to rank as one of the best debut rock albums of all time. It's so good that it almost (almost!) makes you forget about the Minutemen for just a few minutes. "Raging, Full On" is the perfect title; it describes the songs perfectly. Ed fROMOHIO (aka Ed Crawford) brings an urgency to the songs through his "singing," and the rhythm section (2/3 of the Minutemen in rare form) moves things solidly and ragingly along. Don't miss it! D. Boon would have been proud.