Well overdue for a mention here is the debut Firehouse album from 1990.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Firehouse
ALBUM: Firehouse
LABEL: Epic
SERIAL: 467441-2, EK46186
YEAR: 1990
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: C.J. Snare – lead vocals, keyboards * Bill Leverty – guitars, backing vocals * Perry Richardson – bass, backing vocals * Michael Foster – drums, percussion, backing vocals
TRACK LISTING: 01 Rock On The Radio * 02 All She Wrote * 03 Shake And Tumble * 04 Don’t Treat Me Bad * 05 Oughta Be A Law * 06 Lovers Lane * 07 Home Is Where The Heart Is * 08 Don’t Walk Away * 09 Seasons Change * 10 Overnight Sensation * 11 Love Of A Lifetime * 12 Helpless
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
Well overdue for a mention here is the debut Firehouse album from 1990. Superlatives have been sprung for this band since those early days, and I guess most of the plaudits are warranted as there is some hot rockin’ to be found here.
Massive doses of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, plus other early 90’s contemporaries such as Trixter and perhaps Warrant are some reference points, but really if you were a hair metal fan back in the day, then any number of bands could’ve fitted the bill.
From Charlotte North Carolina, the band were formed in 1989, but if you were following the local scene back then, you would’ve been aware of Maxx Warrior, a small time band that featured C.J Snare and Perry Richardson.
They released a 4 track EP back in 1984, which though an admirable typical US metal release of the day, is nothing on the quality of this album. Leverty and Foster were in a local band themselves called White Heat, and eventually the two bands would combine.
Leverty was hoping the band could use the White Heat name, but it was already trademarked, and the band name was already in use by a Canadian band at the same time. Big budget, a big sound courtesy of David Prater, and big hair, what else could you want? Well, a couple of songs into the Billboard Top 10 would help, and that’s exactly what happened.
The Songs
The album’s lead off single was the rough n ready ‘Shake And Tumble’, with its Skid Row meets Motley Crue attack. It would eventually be surpassed by ‘Don’t Treat Me Bad’ which sneaked into the Billboard Top 20, only then to be topped by the ballad ‘Love Of A Lifetime’, which made it to #5 on the charts.
Yes, the radio was awash with bands such as Firehouse and Bad Company during this period, my only wish is that grunge was never discovered. Apart from these three songs, there were other highlights too, We can’t go past the smokin’ ‘Overnight Sensation’, for me the highlight of the album. ‘Rock On The Radio’ is a great brooding rocker that opens the album, while ‘All She Wrote’ continues the impressive introduction of the band.
‘Don’t Walk Away’ absolutely sizzles in the same vein as Steelheart, it’s followed by the acoustic jangle of ‘Seasons Change’. Put it this way, if Rik Emmett could chuck in an instrumental or two on the Triumph albums, then Billy Leverty can do likewise here.
In Summary
Released in August 1990, Firehouse spent most of 1990 and 1991 in the public eye, and by the time the album had run its course, the band had a platinum selling album on their hands, plus numerous awards for best new hard rock band on the (shortlived) scene.
The band went on to release ‘Hold Your Fire’ during 1992, which also generated a handful of singles, ‘When I Look Into Your Eyes’ doing well enough to get to the charts at #8, an amazing feat considering what was happenning to the melodic hard rock genre. Firehouse are still in operation, and we may yet be graced by another new album in the near future.
Firehouse on Video
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