Artist Spotlight

When most people think Mike Watt they think of the Minutemen. When the San Pedro-based power trio ended tragically due to the death of guitarist/singer D. Boon, Watt and drummer George Hurley were only able to take a brief musical respite. Before long, an eager young Midwestern gentleman named Ed Crawford (aka Ed From Ohio) was beating down their door, trying to get them to continue on as a band with him on guitar and vocals.

Luckily the two took the bait, and the second half of the eighties were blessed by the presence of this pristine trio. Though often relegated to historical side-note status behind the likes of the Replacements, Husker Du, the Meat Puppets, and Sonic Youth, fIREHOSE was every bit as inventive as these bands and catchy as hell to boot. Though the legend of the Minutemen has grown steadily since their demise, it’s kind of disappointing that fIREHOSE will always just be considered the band that Watt was in afterward. If you listen to the fIREHOSE catalog today you can see how Watt, Hurley, and even mega-fan Crawford took the blueprint laid out by the Minutemen and brought it to the next level.

Straight out of the gates the trio threw down a classic album. Ragin’, Full-On begins with what is probably the most legendary fIREHOSE song, “Brave Captain,” and proceeds to plow through a collection of country-tinged rock and jazz which reflected the musical sensibilities of then newbie Crawford. If the album had come out 10 years later it probably would have been deemed “alt-country,” but in the mid-80’s such distinctions had yet to exist. The strongest tracks are driven by Watt’s already prolific bass playing, with Crawford’s great voice adding a new touch of universal appeal to the band. In a couple of cases the group leans a bit too far into the R.E.M. sound-alike category, but experimental successes such as the funk-infused “Under The Influence Of The Meat Puppets” make this album a lost gem.

Listen to “Brave Captain”
Listen to “Under The Influence Of The Meat Puppets”

1987’s If’n refined the bands sound a bit. It was much more focused on funk driven country and the jazzy excursions were kept to a minimum. The fantastic opening track “Sometimes” is the type of song Jeff Tweedy wishes he could write. “Honey Please” and “Windmilling” were another pair of successful rockers, while “Hear Me” and “Making The Freeway” are great bass fodder for Mike Watt fanatics. Overall the band was taking less risks and finding their voice, so this kinda feels like a transitional work.

Listen to “Sometimes”
Listen to “Windmilling”
Listen to “Hear Me”

But by 1989’s “fROMOHIO” the band had their act down. And damn it’s tough to believe this album is 20 years old since it still sounds so fresh. What’s funny about this one is that unlike almost every fIREHOSE disc, it starts out with a song that’s kind of a dud. The very dated “Riddle Of The Eighties” seems a bit too radio-ready and lacks the creative energy that you find churning immediately after it with the utterly fantastic “In My Mind.” Watt’s bass playing lays a bouncy foundation reminiscent of something Vince Guaraldi would have come up with had he grown up in San Pedro. Meanwhile George Hurley’s drumming has never sounded better, and Ed’s guitar playing is minimal, but perfect for the song.

Listen to “Riddle Of The Eighties”
Listen to “In My Mind”

After this the album ventures all over the place, kind of like it’s fIREHOSE’s version of GBV’s Alien Lanes, but it just works. “Whispering While Hollering,” “Mas Cajones,” and the future concert staple “What Gets Heard” all put Watt’s bass front and center on the first half of the album, giving this one much more drive than If’n straight outta the gate. After one of two extended drum solo’s that pop on the disc and the traditional “Liberty For Our Friend,” side two is this time filled with the country rockers. “Time With You” is a peppy stand-out and would have probably been a better choice as the album opener than the lackluster “Riddle Of The 80’s.” “Understanding” is this album’s token R.E.M. sound-alike while the closing track, “The Softest Hammer,” hinted at the more rocking approach the band would be taking once they jumped ship for the next album-leaving SST for the greener pastures of Columbia Records.

Listen to “What Gets Heard”
Listen to “Time With You”
Listen to “The Softest Hammer”

The band recorded two full-lengths for Columbia. Flying The Flannel was a great album, it’s follow up Mr. Machinery Operator was not. And even though the first major label outing was cool, it still lacked the subtle allure of the three SST releases – a little too big on the rawk and lacking the charm of their earlier work. On it’s twentieth anniversary, I would suggest picking up fROMOHIO as an appropriate primer for a newbie to the band, or, if you want a bit more of a rager, reach for the aptly titled Ragin’ Full-On. Either disc is sure to bring a smile to the face of even the most downtrodden, economically-depressed, foreclosure-suffering, unemployed 2009 sob-story mofo while simultaneously showing him or her how alternative “alternative country” can really be.

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