lowFLOWs: The Columbia Anthology ('91 - '93) (2 CD)

Firehose | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 3, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sony Legacy
• ASIN: B0077PHPBS
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,119 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Down With The Bass

2. Up Finnegan's Ladder

3. Can't Believe

4. Walking The Cow

5. Flyin' The Flannel

6. Epoxy For Example

7. O'er the Town Of Pedro

8. Too Long

9. The First Cuss

10. Anti-Misogyny Maneuver

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Formal Introduction

2. Blaze

3. Herded into Pools

4. Witness

5. Number Seven

6. Powerful Hankerin'

7. Rocket Sled/Fuel Tank

8. Quicksand

9. Disciples of the 3-Way

10. More Famous Quotes

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

fIREHOSE was formed in the spring of 1986 shortly after the accidental death of guitarist/vocalist D. Boon brought an end to bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley's previous band, Minutemen.
fIREHOSE continued in the Minutemen tradition of intricate musicianship combined with caustic lyrical fusillades inspired by the writing of the Beat Generation and the indignation of the Blank Generation, but developed their own musical identity apart from the Minutemen while still maintaining the same dynamic synthesis of punk, funk, and free jazz. Adapting a relentless do-it-yourself work ethic, the band toured non-stop and consistently played to capacity audiences over the course of 7.5 years - playing nearly 1000 shows before disbanding in 1994. lowFLOWs: The Columbia Anthology ('91-'94) features the complete remastered fIREHOSE Columbia recordings including 2 full length albums (1991's critically acclaimed "Flyin' The Flannel" and 1994's "Mr. Machinery Operator"); a rare live EP ("Live Totem Pole") as well as rare, out of print and previously unreleased recordings. This Spring, after 18 years, fIREHOSE are re-uniting, performing and touring together for the first time since 1994 culminating with performances at this year's Coachella Festival (taking place April 13-15 and 20-22 in CA).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars fIREHOSE is back! April 10, 2012

By J.H. Randall

Format:Audio CD

I got into this band a few years ago after listening to the Minutemen nonstop for several months and deciding to give this band a try. The first thing that struck me was how fIREHOSE isn't just The Minutemen all over again. They were their own band with their own unique sound through and through. I promptly bought all of their albums, some of which were out of print and I had to buy used from sellers here on Amazon. Listening to those records, there are some nods to the Minutemen here and there, sometimes in the guitar playing and song structures, and fIREHOSE continued making music that melded punk, funk, rock, jazz and other genres just like the Minutemen did, but they always played with their own unique style and sound. The difference between the two bands is easily identifiable: D. Boon and Ed Crawford. Both insanely talented guitar players and vocalists, each in their own different, unique way. Those two powerhouses, backed by the best rhythm section in rock with Mike Watt and George Hurley and you have two great bands. The Minutemen may be more well-known and classic but fIREHOSE is one of those bands that deserves its due.

This two-disc anthology is a great way to get into this great band. It consists of three records they released on Columbia records: "Flyin' The Flannel," "Mr. Machinery Operator" and the "Live Totem Pole EP" as well as some bonus tracks, including instrumental and live versions of some songs and the song "Max And Wells," which I didn't even know fIREHOSE ever did until I saw the track listing of this set. I had previously heard the song on Mike Watt's "Ball-Hog Or Tugboat?" solo album. The sound quality of the set is great and the overall package and booklet are perfect for a release like this.... This band jammed econo, as Mike Watt would say, and the packaging and presentation reflects this. My only complaint about this set would be that it doesn't include any of their SST Records output, which consisted of three albums and an EP, but I suppose that can't be helped because it's a different label. While their albums on SST are very good, they do feel a bit fragmented and incomplete at times, though there are some amazing tracks on those albums that would've fit in very well here. Pick up this anthology and their three albums on SST and you'll be good to go.

fIREHOSE has always been an underrated band and they never sound dated. Let's hope that the release of this anthology is only the beginning for the resurgence of fIREHOSE. Read more ›

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Some of my favorite music from the 90s gets a lackluster repackaging April 12, 2012

By Stargrazer VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

It's difficult to rate something like this.

Essentially, it is a budget-priced repackaging of fIREHOSE's two Columbia albums (Flyin' The Flannel and Mr. Machinery Operator), along with the criminally rare Live Totem Pole EP (which is one of the best live documents of a band ever waxed), plus a few superfluous bonus tracks. It arrives hot on the heels of fIREHOSE's surprise reunion for the Coachella festival and a string of West Coast live dates.

For in-depth reviews of Flyin' The Flannel and Mr. Machinery Operator, see the pages for the original albums.

I'm going to tackle this as a whole. I already owned the original albums, so what does lowFLOWs bring to the table that wasn't already there?

First, a little context: fIREHOSE was a fiercely original band, chalking up a stupendous run of albums on their former label SST and carving deep furrows into the nascent underground touring circuit that their compadres in Black Flag and Hüsker Dü had forged. I mean, Uncle Tupelo, Fugazi, and The Screaming Trees opened up for THEM! They were certainly touring heavyweights, considering their albums to be advertisements for gigs, rather than touring as a way of selling albums. Their move to Columbia presaged the wholesale grunge dragnet that followed Nirvana and Pearl Jam a cultural minute later -- which is fine, because they were never even close to grunge. It also afforded them a burlier sound, thanks to producers like Paul Kolderie and (especially) J. Mascis.

Very little changed about their working method, but they did stretch their legs a bit with some great covers (their version of Daniel Johnson's "Walking The Cow" verges on definitive) and some fine guest appearances (Mascis, Nels Cline, Mac MacCaughan, Freda Renté).... It could be argued that their albums were never about coherence; the jazz-funk, stop-start vein they worked almost demanded that disregard; but as a major label band their output took on a "variety show" sensibility, careening from slammers like "Down With The Bass" or "Formal Introduction" through rootsy rave-ups like "Can't Believe" or accusatory funk workouts like "Hell-hole." They could get nearly hushed, as on "Toolin'" or "The Cliffs Thrown Down," then rage against their bonds with "4.29.92" or "Tien An Man Dream Again." They could stretch out and get weird ("Losers, Boozers, and Heroes") or even a little jokey ("More Famous Quotes"). As a generality, their SST stuff is their best, but there's no small number of great songs on this double-disc: "Flyin' The Flannel," "Epoxy For Example," "Song For Dave Alvin," "Blaze," "Herded Into Pools," and "Witness" are tunes I couldn't see an imaginary "best of" being without.

It was good of the Columbia/Legacy people to keep all the tracks in their original sequence for the new folks, though it does beg the question of what might have been with a more creative, surprising re-ordering of songs. Can't have it both ways, I suppose. At least I have shuffle.

The Remastering: I'm one of those "loudness wars" people. Any remasters from the last 5-10 years are suspect in my eyes (the wonderful Jesus Lizard remasters being an encouraging exception). To my ears, this remaster has deepened the bass and fattened the overall sound, but much like the Dinosaur Jr. remasters of a couple years ago, at the expense of guitar and bass bite. I never really had a problem with the original masters, but this revision isn't too bad, especially since it accompanies getting this music back in print. I wouldn't say it greatly improves the albums, but I am relieved to say it isn't an affront to the originals either. However, I do find the "fattening" generally unnecessary and ever-so-slightly distracting. If you've never heard this material before, though, you'll never know the difference. I like the crisper original masters, myself. Thank Bob they didn't just compress the heck out of it, though!

The Extras: Sadly, it's a pretty unimaginative 8 songs that are appended onto this collection. There are two instrumental versions of songs ("Blaze" and "Down With The Bass") that are not separate takes of the songs, they're just the album versions with the vocals stripped! Karaoke night, anyone? There's a radio edit of "Witness" that is still nearly 4 minutes long. Then there is the fairly wan version of "Max And Wells" from the A Matter Of Degrees film soundtrack -- a song that reached its potential later on Mike Watt's solo debut Ball-Hog or Tugboat with a much more confident vocal provided by Mark Lanegan. Finally, there is a stretch of murky sounding live cuts at the end of Disc 2 that sound spirited enough but sonically pale next to the awesome recordings from the Palomino Club that conclude Disc 1 (and that previously appeared as the searing Live Totem Pole EP). It would have been fantastic to have the rest of the Palomino Club gig, or at least some more interesting fare as bonus tracks. Most of what's here sounds like filler and it detracts from the impact of the original albums, though some might find it of archival interest.

So, in the final analysis, the material is great, the remastering is OK, the extras are underwhelming. The packaging is about as bland as it comes. It doesn't really seem like a whole lot of thought went into this release. If you can, I'd track down the original albums for the most accurate representation of what this band was about in its latter days. If you can't, this'll do. fIREHOSE deserves to be heard. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic From a Great Band!!! November 6, 2012

By Mike Jorgensen

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was so excited when I first saw this was available. The remastering of Flyin the Flannel is awesome, and finally we have a listenable version of Live Totem Pole. Listening to this version of flyin the flannel I heard nuances I had never heard before. If you are a fIREHOSE fan, this album is a "must have".