Little about fIREHOSE was built according to any standard blueprint. The group-- bassist/vocalist Mike Watt, drummer George Hurley, and guitarist/vocalist Ed Crawford-- was born under the shadow of tragedy after Watt and Hurley's previous band, the Minutemen, ended with the 1985 death of singer-guitarist D. Boon. Heartbroken, the two were cajoled by Crawford, aka Ed fROMOHIO, into regrouping and continuing on, and fIREHOSE released their first album on SST records less than a year after Boon's death. With no road map to guide them through such an emotionally charged situation, the trio plowed forward, touring relentlessly and recording three albums for SST before shifting to the majors. lowFLOWs: The Columbia Anthology ('91-'93) assembles the band's two studio albums released on Columbia, Flyin' the Flannel and Mr. Machinery Operator, the Live Totem Pole EP, and an assortment of extras to provide a generous overview of the group's loose-limbed, slightly lopsided rumble.
From the outset, fIREHOSE drew a particularly tough assignment, as the Minutemen were not an easy act to follow. Formed in 1980 in San Pedro, the Minutemen were pioneers of the American post-hardcore scene, among the first bands who, in the words of writer Byron Coley, "showed that 'punk' was capable of gobbling up all other genres." (For a more comprehensive history of the Minutemen, see Tim Irwin's excellent 2006 documentary We Jam Econo.) Though steeped in a DIY/punk ethos, the members of the Minutemen all had ferocious chops as musicians, with Watt and Hurley forming one of the truly elite rhythm sections of the past three decades. A classic three-sided power trio, the Minutemen's music functioned without a true center and the charismatic D. Boon held up his end with his fierce playing and razor-sharp politics.
So when fIREHOSE began, Ed Crawford faced an especially difficult task. Unfair though it might have been, it was virtually impossible to gauge fIREHOSE's work except as it related to Boon and the Minutemen, and Crawford brought a completely different skill set to the table. He had a stronger and more versatile singing voice, but his relatively straightforward guitar playing was no match for Boon's distinctive style. And his penchant for R.E.M.-style folk-rock occasionally struck an odd balance with Watt and Hurley's more muscular playing. Fortunately, the members of fIREHOSE had banked enough goodwill that their audience patiently allowed them to do much of their woodshedding in public, and their SST releases often seemed more like sketchbooks than finished albums.
Popular legend holds that Nirvana's success triggered the massive land rush of major labels signing every indie band they could, but that is only partially true. fIREHOSE was one of an earlier wave of SST bands-- which also included Meat Puppets, Soundgarden, and Screaming Trees-- who all signed with major labels well before Nevermind was released. fIREHOSE's move to Columbia seemed a surprising one at the time. The band tended to treat their albums primarily as advertisements for their gigs, and with their quirky, still-evolving style it seemed unlikely that they could ever even accidentally write a hit song.
Nevertheless, their major label debut Flyin' the Flannel contains a fair portion of their best material and stands as their most cohesive album. The album is highlighted by the opening "Down With the Bass", a Watt showpiece/manifesto that features some of his flashiest playing on record. Also included on this set in an instrumental version, the track is a tidy summation of everything fIREHOSE did best, although Crawford's guitar is buried far enough in the mix that the studio versions have never quite captured what a runaway locomotive it was a live setting.
Other gems on Flyin' the Flannel include the group's Watt-sung version of "Walking the Cow", which stands as one of the best Daniel Johnston covers, and Crawford's breezy "Toolin'" and "Too Long", which frame his melodic vocals in best possible light. The album also illustrates, however, the difficulty the band had in nailing down a signature sound. The jazzy "Epoxy, For Example" abuts with the semi-spoken word "Song for Dave Alvin" and poppy "Can't Believe" in a manner that sounds jumbled rather than panoramic, with Watt and Hurley's ever-inventive playing seeming to be the only common denominator. Even so, Flyin' the Flannel has a lovable warmth that makes it easy to accept even its stranger digressions, as on the woozy closer "Losers, Boozers, and Heroes", which seems written and sung for maximum befuddlement.
The group's sound took yet another turn on 1993's Mr. Machinery Operator, with characteristically uneven results. Produced by J Mascis, the album seemed to be a response to the grunge movement, and such as tracks as "Rocket Sled/Fuel Tank" or the Dinosaur Jr.-like "Blaze" rank among the heaviest fIREHOSE ever recorded. This was not a bad look for the group, especially since Mascis was able to give Hurley a drum sound that rivaled the Minutemen days. Meanwhile, Watt furthers his reputation as the indie rock John Barth, with "Disciples of the 3-Way" continuing his curious habit of writing meta-narratives about being in a band, playing bass, and songwriting itself. But Mr. Machinery Operator was never able to build up any sense of momentum either artistically or commercially. Filler tracks like the instrumental "Number Seven" and the drum solo "More Famous Quotes" seemed to indicate that they were running low on ideas and/or enthusiasm, and the group broke up shortly after the album's release.
Whereas the Minutemen seemed able to stay perpetually ahead of the curve, fIREHOSE were firmly of their time. Large parts of this collection could serve as a primer for what college radio sounded like circa 1989-1992. This is especially evident on the Live Totem Pole material, which features covers of such of-the-moment songs as Superchunk's "Slack Motherfucker", Public Enemy's "Sophisticated Bitch", and the Butthole Surfers' "Revolution (Part Two)", with its timeless chorus of "Garry Shandling! Garry Shandling!" Watt, of course, has remained visible in the years since, both through his solo work, with the Stooges, and numerous other projects. Later this spring, fIREHOSE will reunite for their first tour dates since 1994. And though their work might never be quite as celebrated as that of the Minutemen, it is a pleasure to revisit a group that served so necessary a function for all involved, driven on by heart, their blue-collar work ethic, and stubborn perseverance.
