Fire Of Love

A right load of pretentious bollocks has been written about this band "there's never been music like this, before or since". Well good, because it's shit.

The Gun Club's newest inductee Alec Baldwin joined us for our daily shooting this morning. The stats were: Animals killed 89 People killed 13 Not bad for a Sunday morning's shooting, but we must improve tomorrow.

The more I listen to it, the more the vocals really start to put me off. Between a 2 and a 3, but gets a 2 because it was more annoying than enjoyable.

Man, what a great album. Everything you love about Iggy, Violent Femmes, and all of the great american punk/post-punk bands is on display here. It's clever, fresh, different and, at the same time, oh-so familiar. Loved everything about it.

I like a lot of post-punk, but somehow never checked out this band. Psychobilly, "punk blues", and cowpunk are all things I don't care about - so maybe those labels put me off. But holy shit this is good. And holy holy shit, it sounds so much like Pixies. I mean, you could say it sounds like Pixies ripped off Gun Club... or more positively, it's like discovering a Pixies album I never knew existed. I surprisingly enjoyed the punk energy given an Americana tinge, and I definitely enjoyed the Black Francis-esque vocals. I haven't had a chance for a second listen, but I'll stick my neck out and say 5/5, because this is seriously good.

The Gun Club's debut is the watermark for all post-punk roots music. With Pierce's wailing high lonesome slide guitar twinned with Ward Dotson's spine-shaking riffs and the solid yet off-the-rails rhythm section of bassist Rob Ritter and drummer Terry Graham, the Gun Club burst out of L.A. Nobody has heard music like this before or since. Pierce's songs were rooted in his land of Texas. Fire of Love may be just what the doctor ordered, but to cure or kill is anybody's guess.

Jack White asking "Why are these songs not taught in schools?" completely sums up my feelings on this album. Absolutely incredible.

Why. Do. All. Of. These. Albums. Sound. The. Same. I was happy to see an 80's album after getting a seemingly endless stream of albums from the 60's. Specifically 1968 for whatever reason. Imagine my disappointment when I listen to this and realize it sounds like it's also from 1968. I didn't hate it. But please stop giving me this stuff. 3/5

Pure punk-a-billy, can hear their influence in a lot of punk and indie bands that followed

I definitely won’t be seeking out this album or any other of their albums for future listening, but a couple of the songs had promise.

Agony!

Really fucking good stuff. Cow-punk rocks.

I really enjoyed this record, it’s a great punk/country-ish hybrid…”cow-punk” as it were, but I’m a little too preoccupied today to write an in-depth review: I can’t stop laughing about Donald Trump being convicted of 34 felonies in New York.

Yes! More punk, less post-punk! Kind of rides the line of punk and rock-a-billy. Doesn't overstay its welcome. Toes the line of anger and goofiness. Love it!

Incredibly fun early punk album. Enjoyable lyrics, memorable riffs (especially the few times they edged towards surfer punk), and an album that is impeccably paced for punk. It was an absolute blast to listen to.

Mediocre American punk. Am I missing the reason why this is on the 1001 list???

Fire of Love by The Gun Club has always been a favourite of mine, so I was glad to give it another spin today. At just 40 minutes, it’s short, sharp, and packed with energy – pure punk joy from start to finish. The album feels raw and dangerous, yet surprisingly melodic, with echoes of Iggy Pop but enough originality to stand firmly on its own. It has that rare quality of sounding both familiar and entirely fresh. Favourite track: Sex Beat and She’s Like Heroin to Me are standout songs, the kind I can’t help but recommend to anyone who hasn’t yet discovered The Gun Club. Least favourite track: Every track earns its place here – nothing feels wasted. Album artwork: Striking and eye-catching, perfectly in tune with the music inside.

such a fun, awesome, creative take on punk might be a bit repetitive and times but I loved every second 10/10

So this starts off polished punk. Then bluesy. Then - wow - Led Zeppelin, a bit 'Doors'y - and i'm taking this in wide eyed. This is amazing. This is why I'm doing this - to be introduced to great music I'm not familiar with. As someone else said "the magnitude of discovering The Gun Club cannot be understated" and it could well be my words. Thank you!

I enjoyed this without any knowledge of it. Having listened through i assumed it was mid 2000 hipsters but its 20 years before then which is impressive. Turns i i like american post punk not british.

Like finding a lost Pixies album.

Twenty years before the White Stripes and the Black Keys, there was The Gun Club. They brought flat-out rock with touches of rockabilly. Too nuanced for the post-punk crowd and not rockabilly enough for the scene that brought us the Stray Cats, I don't know that they ever found their place, but there's lots here to enjoy.

I somehow missed out on this band entirely and I'm worse off for it. Wow, what a great record. You can hear everything from The White Stripes to Pixies in this, but none of the bands drawing influence are able to completely capture the mix of punk, blues, and garage quite like this.

Maybe I was just in a bad mood listening to this album, but it sounds terrible and absolutely does not need to be on this list at all.

No love from me.

This was awesome! I'd not heard of these guys, other than knowing For the Love of Ivy from Japandroids (one of my favorite albums). This is some of my favorite kind of music and I would have loved to see this band live. I can hear a lot of influences in it, but moreso, I hear this sound echoed in a lot of my favorite bands from the 90's and 00's. Great discovery for me!

Badass

Bro this shit is my absolute jam. Like I'm not a big bluesy guy but mix it with the punk shit I rock alot and damn it sounds nice. Saved the whole album for relistens. I love it 5*

Now this is more like it, the kind of band you'd actually like to find out about. Great album, sure it kinda sounds like X but that's not a bad thing. Don't know what sparked that punk and rockabilly fusion in LA, but it's just as potent as the stuff brewing in NYC.

I had never heard of The Gun Club before this, and honestly, this album was a blast. Pure psychobilly with punk speed, and it hits right away. Eleven tracks in forty minutes is the sweet spot for this kind of thing. What really sold me was the slide guitar running through so many of the songs. It gives everything this gritty, bluesy bite, and I will always give bonus points when a rock band knows how to use slide right. It felt raw, fun, and way more interesting than I expected. I’ll definitely be checking out more of their stuff. Favorite song: She’s Like Heroin to Me

Sounded like an edgier blues slanted take on the velvet underground/lou reed.

Oh hell yeah! I knew of The Gun Club but had never heard any of their music before nor did I realize they were the progenitors of psychobilly/cowpunk, etc. This is great! Short, punchy, catchy songs that somehow combine punk with shuffle beats and slide guitar. I think the songs are better at the sub-three minute time with their longer songs wearing themselves out a bit, but I think that's pretty typical for punk in my estimation. A bit more variety would have escalated this into five-star territory, but even as is, it's a good time.

3.5 stars rounded up. Psychorockabilly that reminds me of The Cramps with a bit less sleaze. Still fun and like discovering The Cramps tried to be a little less weird.

Great post-punk blues-y stuff. I already know this band influenced Japandroids ("For the Love of Ivy") and Jack White immeasurably, but they really do the impossible and make rockabilly sound cool.

I was initially incluned to go with a 4 on this, because I could see how it likely influenced a lot of stuff I like (Pixies, Violent Femmes, Rev Horton Heat, Primus), but the 2 or 3 times the singer drops the N-word knocks it a star. I sure people would defend it in a "writing in character/parlance of the time & place" sort of way, but still just yuck.

Quite enjoyed this. Reminded me a little bit of the Fall. May well check out some more of their work.

once i asked a friend who worked at a record store if he himself bought anything recently he was excited about and he said 'the gun club' so i was curious about this band but just forgot to ever look them up for 7 years in a row. i think if i heard this in high school and before i ever heard The Fall i would probably be really into it. in the present i am not sure where rock music fits into my life at all. but i cant hold that against them. likely fun to hear on a jukebox at a burger bar. nice sound fun approach and good dynamics for a style that is very 'point in one direction and keep going' speaking of The Fall: fairly jarring use of the n-word (if i didn't just mishear)

Fire of Love With the first track it felt like the punk and American roots amalgam was a bit overstated, it’s pretty straightforward but pretty good early 80s post-punk power-pop. The rootsy bluesy punkness did start to reveal itself after that though. Obviously Preaching the Blues is a Robert Johnson song, but it has a nice rockabilly feel to it, with some nice guitars and a nice energy, and Promise Me with its fiddle and slide guitars is very good too. She’s Like Heroin To Me is another good combination of power-pop punk-stomp and country-blues guitars. Black Train, despite some questionable lyrics, is a good bit of rockabilly thrash and I like Cool Drink of Water is another nice punk-blues arrangement of an older blues song. Ghost on the Highway and Jack on Fire I liked as well. There’s definitely an influence on the White Stripes, and it echoes some of The Clash’s rockabilly from London Calling a couple of years prior, and it reminds me a little of the Violent Femmes and The Replacements, although without the latter’s stronger songwriting skills. Overall it’s a fun album, with a nice point of difference from many of their contemporaries, the slide guitars, fiddles, country twang with a bit of garagey punky thrash is a nice combination. Rhythmically though it does have a tendency to stay in the standard punk drumming lane, missing a bit of swing and groove that I think would make the songs pop a little better. Still, I’m sure I’ll listen again. I don’t think it quite gets into the 4s, it doesn’t quite have enough standout songs for that , so it’s a solid 3. 🔥🔥🔥 Playlist submission: Promise Me

Didn't really love this one and it felt like it was trying to annoy me at times :/

I don’t think I even have to listen to the rest of this. The lyrics are garbage, it’s pretty generic post punk. The only impressive thing about them is their ability to crescendo and decrescendo but it gets a bit redundant as it’s over used. Wouldn’t listen to again.

Punk junk…. Just this one not all punk

Somehow this band is a shittier version of The Doors. Like The Doors had sex with the Velvet Underground’s early stuff and shit out this awful pretentious album. And the worst part is that some of it had a nice groove. But the lyrics and singing and overall presentation was so insulting to listen to. Terrible

Whenever someone has an obvious, irrational dislike towards a whole genre, it tends to bug me a bit because I’ve believed that new sounds can absolutely be capable of sounding great and deserve to be their own genre. But I’ve given so many chances to punkabilly, both records and in concerts, and there’s something about it that I completely hate in an honestly prejudicial way, it makes me feel like I’m listening to butt rock bands playing in fields of corn, hanging around stinky people chewing dip. Country, bluegrass, and southern rock are fantastic genres that do not give me this vibe.

👎🏻

Briefly interesting variation on punk. Energetic, with slide guitar/country influences. But in the end, it’s repetitive, like most punk derivatives. Then come the unspeakably racist lyrics… Automatic disqualification. This album caused me to formulate a new rule: if the lead singer cannot sing as well as I can, then i did not need to hear it before I died. It’s a low bar. But not one that is exceeded here. A 1.

This isn't it.

As my old man would have said what a bloody racket!

1. Sex 1.5 2. Blues 1.5 3. Promise 1 4. Heroin 1 5. Ivy 0 6. Fire 1.5 7. Ghost 1.5 8. Jack 1 9. Train 1 10. Cool 1.5 11. Johnny 1.5

Annoying. Made it through 6 of the 16 tracks. It's a no for me.

misfire for me

JESUS

Che palle sti album punk, ad una certa il tizio ha urlato per due minuti di fila “I wanna go to the mountains”. E vacci allora, e non tornare

Fairly uneventful. Did not resonate with me.

Sin pena ni gloria

Pure sh*te.

Discovered this band from tribute albums to JLP featuring Mark Lanegan, David Eugene Edwards, and Nick Cave. This record is like a Rosetta Stone for understanding where some of my favorite music came from and it is in itself a work of understated beauty.

Sick asf

This is perfection. I love The Gun Club a lot. Jeffrey Lee Pierce was a genius when it comes to punk infused Americana.

I love the stripped down blues-punk. It sounds deceivingly simplistic. Also, it has inspired some of my favourite musicians 5/5

One of my fave albums ever.

Solid album

This is great swampy blues punk. All dressed up like an Elvis from hell!

I've really enjoyed this album for the past few years now. This Bluesy Punk music is the type of music I really enjoy. The atmosphere it sets here is great and there's a lot of memorable moments and hooks. The instruments sound like a blend of western and Punk. I haven''t really found any album like this, which is both a shame and testament to how unique this is.

Definitely one of my favorite Punk albums of all time

Richman vibe, i.e. lofi/proto-punk cannot get less than five out of five.

Love this band and love this album. Raw garage punk rock at its finest. Miami is my favorite GC album though. So I won't officially give 5 stars here, but will round up to 5. 4.5/5 #195

Throw away all the boring genre labels with modifying adjectives, this is stripped down, amped up, spun out good time rock and roll with old fashioned beats and classic guitar sounds and timelessly charismatic vocals.

I lik it.

Man, there's so much stuff in that '76-'84 period that's so interesting and totally new to me, stitching together all kinds of influences together and leaving a trail of influenced afterwards. Just the first couple tracks here tie together the blues to The Pixies. Then it's a kind of rockabilly punk. So much going on in here it's like a musical missing link. Great discovery. 4.5 stars

genuinely this was fucking banging I enjoyed greatly

Fantastic time capsule. Great attitude, sticky tunes. This album is legendary!

Raw, swampy punk-blues chaos that crackles with danger. Every note feels like setting fire to midnight.

breaking bad guy on the cover wtf

Never heard of them. Very much enjoyed this album.

Blues and Punk! Awesome!

An absolute country-punk classic. Damn good album.

loved it, if you like modern garage psych stuff like Osees or King Gizz you can't go wrong with this one.

That was sick

This is right up my alley. Great stuff! I appreciate the energy, the creativity, the musicianship, the quality of the recording... it's just a fantastic example of intelligent post punk.

not enough stars for this one, God bless you Jeffery Lee

Furious, primal blues. Fear and lust and avarice all bundled together - all dressed up like an Elvis from hell. Jack White studied this closely! Five stars

Where has this been my whole life? Demented blues punk and the singer sounds weirdly like Jonathan Richman. It's like if someone merged the Modern Lovers with the band playing instruments made from corpses in From Dusk Til Dawn. Slaps.

Knew I recognised the name but it only clicked once for the love of ivy came on. As well as covering the song there are a lot of clear influences on Japandroids, little turns of phrase and the general sound really. Must be super influential on garage rock. This sort of music benefits from better recording/production options so it sounds a bit thinner than you'd like but the song quality shines through. At the time this must have been incredible. 4.5.

Five stars awarded for outstanding achievement in the field of overall vibes. Am I able to hum any of the melodies after listening to this? No. Did the album feel great from start to finish? Yes.

I was definitely surprised by this album. For me this is much more interesting than X or The Cramps who come across as very simple or novelty based, the album is musically wild and adept at the same time. They don’t just bang out Psychobilly rants. Everything sounds very tight and beautiful even at its wildest.

Good stuff

The Gun Club really nails this great combination of blues and punk, with some tracks even carrying a strong country vibe. The punk element gives their music a rebellious edge, while the blues brings a gritty, raw feel to it. On top of that, they have a wonderful Gothic Americana vibe that truly sets them apart from any other punk band out there. If I were ever to make a list of my top songs of all time, “Sex Beat” would definitely be on it. It’s one of my absolute favorite tracks.

sex beat seeeehr cool irgendwie ultra attitude. preaching the blues isch afoch sehr geile new wave punk aber au no blue i love it? nai fr fr huere geil. ah isch auno robert johnson. super cooli version. promisenme mega ruhig aber groovy mit de geld wo macht de rhythmus. d giige wo sich durezieht wird mit de ziit fast unagnehm aber das isch glaub de sinn. shes like heroin to me au uuuhuere cool country rhythmus aber punk? hammer. for the love of ivy findi au wieder super dynamik macht sache es isch uhuere crushed de mix mit de drums finds suuuper. hittet gad en spot das album. fire spirit mega coole stöhner hahah. etz sehr simpel aber de song. ghost on the highway insano coole titel sehr cooli giti ufem song moll. jack on fire wär sochli en talkng heads deep cut. isch okay. "i will fuck you until you die" okay nice aha. kalte wassrt blues coole blues i like. ich find alles mega geil??? goodbye johnny au wieder afoch sochli hässige rockabilly suuuper cool. aso weni keis füfi gib denn nume meeega knapp. super guets album mega kreativ hässig uf e gueti art und glich kohärent obwohls so stil vermischt und so. riese fan.

Fantastic, high energy, punk-blues-rock-a-billy. There were a couple bands pulling together some of the same threads at the time (Cramps, X,…) and this is as great as any of them. Definitely shaped other bands to come…

Good energy. A great way to start a week. I think i have Sex Beat on a couple of playlists.

I really enjoyed this album. Great mix of punk/post punk/psychobilly and stuff that bands I love had to be inspired by. Great stuff.

Wow, I had never heard these guys before and that was definitely my loss. Every song on here is amazing. Punk infused with blues. I love it.

"Fire of Love" is a raw version of The Gun Club, but they eventually came under the wing of Chris Stein (Blondie) and made "Miami" a major-label debut and then later, "Mother Juno" with Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. Jeffrey Lee Pierce & Co had quite a trajectory, and "Fire of Love" is where it all started--naked and screaming.

I just discovered one of the best bands I've ever heard in my life through this. Right on.

Great album

Such a great album! Perfect from front to back.

Oh, sweet memories!

What a fun listen! Never heard of a band like this before. Jammed out hard.

It feels like every garage band white strips wanna be can trace their origins to this album. Like the velvet underground for early 2000s music snobs

Never heard of this band. Interesting mash up of punk, blues and country. I don't think I've ever heard a band that sounds like this before. Wild stuff.