Reviews (page 6 of 8)
i’m gonna peg this one right down the middle as a solid 3. Reminded me of something you would hear on a hot night in a small bar with cold beer and a lot of people hooping and hollering in the background. Somewhere like Memphis or Nashville, probably.
Unfamiliar with this. They got my attention with the opening riff and kept it for the whole record. I started the bugger over again when it was done. I hope the rest of the discography is like this, as I'll be looking into it next.
Quite enjoyed this raw and messy, punky number. Not exactly a masterpiece but short, sweet and to the point.
Fierce and raucous, but not all that great in the end, psychobilly/cowpunk having long since devolved into "seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time" or "you-had-to-be-there" territory. It seems obvious to say they would have been great live. And amazing how clean/lean the remaster sounds (compared to one's memories of how it sounded in back-in-the-day real time). One also remembers certain cool kids liking this one quite a bit more than one did actually. Sorta fun to hear again, and appreciate it for what it was, but only sorta.
Got some Jack White, Animals, Clash vibes from this one. I like it!
The good: tight production, real craftmanship when it comes to instruments, nice lyrics, and an overall sense of "why was The Gun Club never featured in Quinten T movie? The bad: JLP's vocals... they do get under your skin after a while, then again... The ugly: instant skip if you don't like rock-a-billy!
Track one of this album had me hyped for something great, but then my attention slowly waned from then on. It has garage rock elements, but is much rougher around the edges than some other bands (such as The Vines who I listened to only yesterday). I’m not sure what it is that makes me enjoy the rawness of some albums and to find it distracting in others, but this was unfortunately the latter. I liked it more than I disliked it, but I’m doubting that I’ll be returning for another listen.
Nothing special
not a punk rock fan. The lyrics feel a little problematic. Not going to finish the album.
The Rolling Stones, the Ramones, the violent femmes, the velvet underground? I hear it all on this album. I loved the song “For the Love of Ivy” but the overt racism ruined it for me.
Enjoyed the punk rock feel with the occasional blues riff thrown in. Not an everyday listen but enjoyed more than expected
I've never heard of this band or any of their music before so I had no idea what to expect. It was interesting, to say the least. Mostly punk sounding with some very small hints of early new wave. Listening to this I could hear how this band may have influenced later acts in the new wave genre. It's always interesting to hear early examples of musical styles where the ideas are clearly at a transition from one style to another.
Really enjoyed this. Post punk and blues, brilliant.
High energy, but the sound is repetitive after awhile. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this (I'd never heard of The Gun Club), and I was pleasantly surprised by the music and the energy. You can definitely hear where this sound influences later bands.
So cool!
Gradliniger Rock, melodisch, manchmal auch mit Überraschungen. Leicht, macht Spaß.
Punk blues - could be from anywhere between 1976 and 2029! Absolute genius, hard to believe it was a debut, other than how focussed it is. Another band I plan to explore more fully when I don't get a new album each day - think my "after the list" list is rapidly closing in on 1001 albums as well! Word of advice (for those who don't know the band already) - listen first, even if you usually read the wiki; if only so you can have a guess when this was recorded
I don't like it so much, I don't really know why 5.5
Punky, alternative indie rock. It's great! Favorite track: Just put on the whole album
Dancing punks moving to surf.
Primer acercamiento a The Gun Club. El primer álbum de la banda no destaca en composición ni técnica, pero si lo hace en intensidad y significado. Tratar el punk siempre es una tarea compleja, debido a que por lo general no se trata de un género que destaque por sus detalles (lo cual queda en evidencia en este trabajo) . No obstante, es esa falta de tecnicismo lo que hace distintivo su sonido, el cual es una respuesta directa al prog-rock y el vanguardismo en la música. El trabajo busca, mediante composiciones rápidas y letras sin filtro, un acercamiento más directo con los oyentes a través de un sonido frenético con pinceladas de blues. En lo personal aprecio mucho esta escucha, aunque debido a lo repetitivo que me suenan las canciones no me veo volviendo a escucharlo (más allá de mis canciones favoritas, que considero los puntos más altos de este trabajo). FAVTRAXS: Sex Beat / Preaching the Blues / She's Like Heroin to Me / Cool Drink of Water Blues LEASTFAV: Black Train 3.5/5
Genau mein Ding - wenn auch nicht jeden Tag
Punk blues muy curioso. Un 4.
Punk rock. Chulo.
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
Quite liked this. Pretty average though. 66/100
Some punk I do not like. I like this punk
Rockin blues punk vibes into it
Sekavaa menoa, välillä tuntui lähinnä mölylle ja sitten hyvää soitantaa. Kokonaisuus kuitenkin skeidan puolella.
Tosi basic kamaa.
Funky, punky album
Great music with a lot of fire.
This album is so close to being brilliant. I have lots of love for the Gun Club but there is something that has always bugged me about them that doesn't bother me in bands like the Cramps. I think it's the vocals, the more I listen to this album is particular. Still worth a listen, but not an all-time favorite for me.
I go back to The Gun Club time and time again. It really brings the Fire
I’ve never heard this before but it’s probably safe to assume that Jack White, Jon Spenser and Black Francis did. Raw and visceral punk meets blues and rockabilly. Musically it’s a 4/5 as this really does seem a truly seminal album but some of the lyrics are leave me cold so it gets 3/5 from me.
I can see clearly From my diamond eyes I'm going to the mountain with the fire spirit No-one will accept all of me So the fire will stop Up through the streets And the gunfire of cars Am going to the mountain with the fire spirit And no one will take all of me So the fire will stop I will be cheating The whole ritual I'm going to the mountain with the fire spirit No-one will expect all of me So the fire will stop Someone will step out of the circle Someone will turn and burn a world Someone knows a better cell Where the old north wind blows through southeast hell, yeah Invention was betrayed by the machine Promised like it was promised to me I'm going up to the mountain to see How the last thing, will set me free, yeah I had to do something I was wearing down I was going down Why can no one ever touch a fire spirit? Yeah, this is a pretty good album. 4/5
I am partial to punk rock so this was refreshing to hear and felt like a bit of a gem. I particularly liked the opening track as well as "She's Like Heroin to Me". I also really enjoyed the bluesy vibe throughout the album. I don't have anything really negative to say about it so it gets a 4.
If you play this without listening closely to the lyrics, it’s great. But then you listen to Black Train and you get a different feeling about this album.
punk album all the songs sound the same
Some very good post punk
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.
I've heard Sex Beat before and a like the song but I wasn't too big on the rest of the album until a fellow reviewer mentioned that they sound like proto-pixies and I can definitely see the connection.
An interesting combination of blues, rock, turned into punk. Fire Of Love is very raw and like nothing I’ve ever heard before. 8.1/10
p480. 1981. 3 stars Strangely alluring mix of garage band, punk and quality 60s influences (Creedence, The Doors), let down by a lack of quality songs. Worth a listen though.
An ok punk album that didn’t do much for me.
Bare bones punk. Reminds me of the Violent Femmes, just not as good.
Boring punk. Idk what’s special about this or why it is on here.
It’s ok.
I thought it was quite fun :)
Nothing surprising just the usual Punk rubbish.
Muy entretenido post punk. Nunca había escuchado sobre ellos.
This had me think Gun Club was one of those bands that bought a Velvet Underground album and then formed a band. In turn, I am reminded of The Dead Kennedys by the vocalist. Never heard of the band before this. I'm not likely to seek them out again, but the album was enjoyable enough.
The first song is amazing, the rest are ok.
Forgettable. Grating voice, little variation, no hooks, no apparent message in the lyrics. Ghost on the highway sounds a little like The Libertines, nice slide guitar.
Okay. I feel like I've gotten a lot of punk lately. Fortunately, most of it has been good, but it's still something I've noticed. Anyways, is Fire of Love by the Gun Club one of those good albums? Eh. I don't know. This album just doesn't interest me. It doesn't really do much to stand out at all. The singing is okay. It kind of sounds like Mick Jagger at some times, Lou Reed at others, and some third artist that I can't think of at the rest of them. The instrumental sound is also just kind of okay. It's not the most repetitive album I've gotten, but there also really aren't any songs that stick out to me as being truly great. The writing could be better. Again, it could be worse. This still isn't the worst punk album I've ever heard. But that's all this album really has going for it. This album is the definition of "it could be worse." I mean that in a few ways, as there are many ways that this album could've been worse. It could've been way longer, the vocals could've been more annoying, they could've said the N word a few more times. If any or all of that stuff applied, there could be a 1/5, and if the album was more interesting it could be a 3/5, but as it stands, this album is gonna get a 2/5. Also, the album cover is really bad.
There were some good snarky punk tunes here. She’s Like Heroin To Me was the standout track for me. I loved the vibes here, but I also couldn’t help but notice that all the right elements had been brought together and assembled, and yet somehow they failed to gel as expected, to fully bring this record to life. Okay is okay, but great is unforgettable. And sadly, these guys didn’t have the stuff to be great.
It's the perfect punk. Guitars, drums, bass, and one angry dude. Really nice to listen to.
I like stripped down straight forward pop punk. Sex Beat is a great start, but other than She's Like Heroin, i found the rest pretty bland and ordinary.
I dunno. I wanted to like this more but Al I could think was that they sounded like The Cramps with their makeup washed off. I’ll listen to it again but nothing really grabbed me.
Идея сделать блюз припанкованным не нова. Сейчас такие группы типа black keys стадионы собирают. А вот попытка из 80-х такого не добилась, потому что не дожали.
Surprisingly good.
Better than other punk and postpunk. But still not my musical style. That long blues song on the end really dragged on and the score down
Really great punk album! Loved sex beat, promise me and she's like heroin to me
This was a very cool listen. Punky and bluesy which seems contradictory, but it works.
That was a very by the numbers, inoffensive punk record. I enjoyed it well enough and have no idea why it made this list.
A unique take on punk blues that borrows from the rockabilly stylings of '50s rock & roll. Much of the Gun Club's appeal comes from Jeffrey Lee Pierce's slick vocal performances which gives the band their personality, along with the energy from the rest of the band to match. While effective, I recognize that this style is bound to be off-putting for those who are not as enthusiastic about punk as I am. In my opinion, Fire Of Love feels especially inspired in it's niche corner of rock music.
Interesting variations on punk. Some good energy in here.
Wow, the whole album was a guitar and drums doing the exact same thing throughout all of the songs and this guy singing in the foreground. You could say that it was very much out of tune but I am sure there was some weird tune that I couldn't catch properly. Anyway, this represents the average British band in the 80s and it is just... not very appealing.
fun listen, but one of those albums that's like "ok i get it" like halfway through. 3.5/5
Badass
"Preaching the Blues" is good fun. "Jack on Fire" is awful. It's an okay listen.
Seems good but too close to their other albums
Taustalla toimi mutta jäi taustamusaksi 2/5
Siisti tunnelma ja hyvin voisin pyöritellä taustalla. Ehkä jää silti kolmeen tältä erää.
Oikein maistuvaa kasaripunkkia. Vähän kovempaa ajoa olis voinut olla, mut kyl tää nelosen ansaitsee,
Good, it’s cool to see this take on punk
Yes! Rock on! Perfect combo of rock n roll and punk
Quite boring.
Pretty mediocre
The documentary was better
I will forget about this album very soon
Surf punk, I guess? Was fast paced but didn't feel all that energetic. Certainly wasn't bad though
Le mix de punk et de sons plus typiquement américain (blues, rockabilly) est vraiment original et avec raison est très inovateur. Mais le résultat n'était pas tellement mon genre. On dirait qu'il manquait un peu de substance. Loin d'être un mauvais album, plus que ce n'est pas mon genre je pense. 5/10
To be fair, I didn’t listen as closely as I might have. It gives me vibes of The Saints (a good thing!).
I dont really like Punk but this was ok i suppose
This was a hard one for me. I like some of the Punk aesthetics and mixing of genres provided throughout, but none of the songs "stuck" with me. Maybe a first listen problem; I get the sense if I wasn't doing this challenge which zooms along at a breakneck pace, this one would benefit from multiple listens, but I'm grading it for where it stands for me now.
Fairly decent punk music, not massively blown away but listenable
Thoughts before listening: I think this is 80s post-punk with maybe a rockabilly vibe. Something like that. I know they get cited a lot as an influence by bands that I enjoy, but I admittedly know very little about them. Sometimes the 80s underground punk stuff is right up my alley and sometimes its a little too out there for me. Review: Okay so I pretty much nailed what this would sound like, and I actually quite like it. These guys definitely have a bit of an X or the Cramps sound with rockabilly and blues elements getting mixed into the typical 80s punk style. Also a direct influence on later bands like Reverend Horton Heat who I was a huge fan of growing up. I'm glad to have heard this album, and having a reason to finally listen to an a band long on my periphery is exactly why I am doing this project. 4-stars
Energetic and a fun listen, better than the average punk album on here. 3.5
Rating: 6.5/10 Good album overall. Sounds like a lot of post-punk from this era but done with their own twist. Really enjoyed the blues/country influences throughout, the instrumentation was very interesting. Had some Velvet Underground influences as well in the instrumentation and vocally, overall good but I prefer to listen to their contemporaries from this time period and genre. Favorite songs: Promise Me, She's Like Heroin to Me, For the Love of Ivy, Ghost on the Highway, Black Train, Cool Drink of Water. Worst song: Sex Beat.
pretty jammin, I didnt love any one particular song but I enjoyed all of them
3.5 stars. Pretty good album that tries to combine blues and punk rock in an interesting way. Made for a good sound, upbeat and angsty but not too rowdy. Standout was "Preaching the Blues".
Musically, I would give this three stars. But then I ask myself, why is this album on a list of albums I should listen to? I think part of that is the history and the influence. On first, listen, I was not impressed, but then I read about how it influenced punk blues, and it clicked a little. This is like Jon Spencer, but a decade earlier. So... I'll bump it up a little to 3 1/2 stars. But then I have to round, and I'm going to round down, so ultimately I'm back where I started. But this is "better" than a lot of the other 3 stars on here given its influence.
Nej, det här platsar inte heller.
If this was in the 400s this would’ve gotten a 1 out of spite for being a boring ass, annoying punk album with like one interesting thing throughout the whole 40 minutes; but it’s been a while since I’ve gotten one of these stinkers so I’ll be generous. The one interesting thing was cool drink of water blues.
I liked it! Some nice old-school punk. I don't think I could listen to the whole album beginning to end, but I enjoyed it in small doses.
Like this.
Blues punk (or is it punk blues?) feels like it should’ve been done plenty by now but if it has, I haven’t heard it. I think I like it, but I like it most when it’s a proper blend of the two rather than straight-up blues without punky energy, or straight-up punk without bluesy flavouring.
Good wholesome post punk and for once a US album from that era/genre which isn’t bland
BL: I know The Gun Club through the song "mother earth" which I randomly uncovered a few summers ago and became one of my songs of the summer in '22. Here I am now finally getting one of their albums on the gen and I'm excited to hear it. AL: A solid listen, leaned more into the punk side of things in this record as opposed to what I've heard on Miami, But I liked this, very reminiscent of Meat Puppets. FT: "Preaching the Blues", "She's Like Heroin To Me", "For the Love of Ivy" 4/5
The Gun Club sound as if Johnny Cash was in a punk band. Rough and sloppy guitar riffs with a tight and powerful rhythm section and half-shouted vocals that remind me of Lou Reed on the early Velvet Underground albums. Great style. Country western twang with a healthy dose of noisy chaos. I could see myself loving this with more listens. Great album cover. I love the pink splashed with a little yellow at the top (though some places have it as green). It feels timeless. I don’t think I could have guessed what year this came out based on the artwork. I probably would have said it was from the last few years.
Fun little punk rocky album. Good energy. I liked track 1 "Sex Beat" a lot, despite it not really having a beat that I would find myself having sex to. Not terribly memorable I don't think, which is unfortunate, but maybe the only negative thing I have to say about this album. It's a fun listen, and I really like the singer's voice- it's like just interesting enough while still having a conventionally nice sound. I guess that's kind of a variable that I search for in music. The twangy guitar playing is super nice too. Sometimes it's Ramone-ish, and sometimes it's country western. This album has a lot of little moments like that that show that there's more under the hood here. How about the dynamics in track 2, "Preaching the Blues"? I love how it gets incredibly quiet for short moments. You don't ever really hear that sort of thing in today's volume wars. I dig the album cover; some parts surreal, some parts avant garde. Color use is great! It's not quite a 4 for me, but it's a high 3, like a 3.75.
Meh
remastered 2020 version 54 min. 2.7/5
By and large, my kind of punk. Again, I listened to it running and that felt right. It started off better than it ended, and by the last song I was pretty done with it, but the singer's voice was decent and it wasn't unpleasant.
Indie/garage rock, no standouts to me.
# 195 : I don't love it. I don't hate it, it is ok if kind of dull. Favourite Track : Sex Beat
"Fire of Love" is the debut album by American rock band the Gun Club. Post-punk, punk blues, gothic country and pyschobilly are the named genres and yes, all of that this is. The album is known for being a first of its kind in combining their sound of punk with American roots music. The Gun Club is the band of lead vocalist and guitarist Jefferey Lee Pierce with a rotating group of members. For this album, the band included Ward Dotson (guitar and slide guitar), Rob Ritter (bass) and Terry Graham (drums). A driving guitar and punk-ish rhythm section open "Sex Beat." A slide guitar indeed giving it a rockabilly vibe. This is very "X"- sounding. Not a bad thing at all. A song named after the Cramps' lead guitarist, Poison Ivy, has to be good and "For the Love of Ivy" is just that. Rockabilly with the guitar again. They get the slow-fast-slow thing going with each "fast" section increasing in intensity until the song ends in chaos. Now we're talking. The band has the ability to just rock out and that's what they do in "Fire Spirit." Pierce is going to the mountain where the fire will stop. The band continues their punk-rockabilly fusion on the second side with "Ghost on the Highway." A femme fatal story? On "Cool Drink of Water," they cover Tommy Johnson and show their tradional blues side. Of course, they throw in some weird noises, just cause. "Goodbye Johnny" ends the album and is a sparse song with guitar slashes. Pierce has got to get away from NYC and Johnny Thunders and its elements. This band definitely has a fairly unique style with its punk-rockabilly fusion at the time. Pierce's vocals with his screaming, singing and talking do remind me a lot of Suicide's Alan Vega. They do vary it up a bit with punk, rockabilly, blues and straight-forward rock. There's a raw and sparse feeling to the music. They're at their best when they slowly build the intensity and end chaotically. Overall, a very decent album.
i had fun with this one. this was clearly ahead of its time. i asked my dad if he knew this album (he was a punk back when everyone was a punk) and he didn't. not UK enough for him. some of the more... distasteful lyrics harkened me back to the days (last week) when i got an album featuring the one slim shady. provocative violence to Make A Point sells, i guess, but this one was slightly more tasteful.
Nahhh😭😭😭, I listend to this last year and I didn't like it... after listening to it. It's okay, not bad bur something I wouldn't listen to again
I liked this! I’m not well versed in the punk genre by any means, but I enjoyed playing it while I cooked chicken. Favorites: She’s Like Heroin to Me, For the Love of Ivy (violent though lol)
I've never heard of this band! I'm digging the country influences, and the album has a great energy. This is getting me amped for my punk show tonight. The singer's voice gets tiring pretty quick though. Crazy that the 2nd song is a Robert Johnson cover. Favorite tracks: Sex Beat Preaching the Blues She's Like Heroin to Me Ghost on the Highway
Felt a little under produced, a little garage bandy. The lead singer is clearly a Jim Morrison fan, plenty of shrieking, but not all bad.
The lyrics left something to be desired but the music is very reminiscent of the Allston underground indie scene, at least what it was in 21-22.
Pretty groovy, prefer the upbeat songs. Love some 80s punk, perfect moshing music. The guitars and drums make me tap my foot unconsciously. I've heard for the love of ivy before??? By Japandroids!! I didn't know that was a cover! This style of fast paced punk all does kind of blend together after a while, but I am still a fan. Reminds me of diarrhea planet. Top songs: Sex beat She's like heroin to me For the love of ivy Ghost on the highway
Honestly, I was kind of stunned this is from 1981 because it has such a timeless sound that would do well if it were dropped today. This album is well ahead of its time with its stripped-down punk rock and garage band feel. A great time overall, I feel like I’d absolutely love to see this album performed live. Faves: Sex Beat She’s Like Heroin to Me For the Love of Ivy Ghost on the Highway Black Train
I gave this album two listens and while I appreciated it more for its energy and weirdness on second listen, ultimately it just didn’t do it for me. At face value I find the thought of combing blues music with punk aesthetics intriguing, but on this album the execution just wasn’t there. I really was not a fan of the production. It seemed like the instrumentals were completely drowned out by the vocals, which were rough to put it nicely. It’s a shame because I did really dig the blues vibe on a lot of the tracks. I imagine that this is one of those acts that probably sounds really great live, driven by their frenetic energy. I’m not ruling out the possibility that this will grow on me and I’ll learn to embrace the weirdness, but at this moment I’m just not having it. Light 2 Fav Songs: She’s Like Heroin To Me For the Love of Ivy Fire Spirit
Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. It wasn’t really my jam but some songs had me tapping my toe!
Speaking of mid-century rock and roll inspired music, it’s pretty funny that I get this the very next day after Elvis Presley. But what a difference it makes when you listen to someone who actually has some talent behind them. That might sound harsh, but this album just does a way better job with this sound than Elvis ever did. It has this unique fusion of early punk and surf rock, but still maintains that original 50s sound. And I can appreciate it. It’s a wholly unique combination of ideas I’m not familiar with. And yet, I’m still not in love with this. I think it really just comes down to me at this point. The riffs are energetic, but still tasteful. And the lyrics are The Velvet Underground debut levels of creepy and erratic. But what is it with male singers in the 80s all sounding really similar? It’s like country singers nowadays. Just not nearly as annoying though. This album simply feels a little unbalanced. Plays it too simple in some places, and goes for a real hail mary and falls short in other places. But I think there is still something enjoyable and valuable to take away from this. The album comes off as a little strange sometimes, but it embraces the weirdness pretty well all things considered. Rating: 6/10
Man what an excerpt to hype this album up. That’s about how I felt listening to it. It’s got some decent guitar riffs but the lyrics and style of the album is just generic LA punk that is edgy just to fit in to the times. And like most older punk it just doesn’t work for me. 4.9/10
Not my favorite group, but they’re all right 6/10
Punkabilly, countrypunk, cowpokepunk, slideguitarpunk, trailerpunk, outontherangepunk punk 4/10
A pleasant surprise!
Fire Of Love is an album clearly made on bad drinks and questionable medicines, and suitable for fans of the raw, hyped-up, uncontrolled feel of the first Pixies albums or the late punk. And this is not even their best work
1981 Post Punk Debut album by Gun Club (USA) Standouts: Preaching the Blues, She's Like Heroine to Me, For the Love of Ivy Others: Sex Beat, Fire Spirit, Cool Drink of Water,
This is one of those albums that I would love to read the text in 1001 book about. What’s the justification for this one? I like some of the songs, especially Promise Me, very Stones-meets-Dylany, but like was this the author’s second cousin’s band?
Genuine forerunners to so many future bands dabbling in the post punk landscape (Pixies, Pavement) and just shakes up the musical template - and in 1981, too! Fire of Love is a compelling record, full of the singer's neuroses and spiky, angular playing.
I liked this more than I expected, although a couple of the songs ran together for me a bit. From the first few moments of "Sex Beat," I knew this was something a little different. I liked the experimentalism of "For The Love Of Ivy," I liked "She's Like Heroin To Me" and how it captured the punk vibe. Really I liked all of it. I'm going to have to listen to it again, definitely something new on my radar.
A nice surprise. I really enjoyed the bluesy punk sound. I feel like bands like the Toadies or White Stripes emulated elements of this sound, in a good way. Edgy, spastic, energetic. Though at times a bit much. For the Love of Ivy is a great tune and Black Train is solid too but the lines "I was hunting for N*%'s down in the dark" and "I left a N*% lying dead by the river" are head scratchers. Is Pierce a bigot or was this just part of the fiction in their roots motif? Jack on Fire is another great tune but the line of "I will F you until you die" felt unnecessary. Still, putting those cringeworthy moments aside, there were a lot of great tunes - Sex Beat (it grabs you - reminiscent of punk but not punk), Promise Me (captivating herky-jerky jangly sound and haunting violin), She's Like Heroin to Me (like rockabilly Velvet Underground), Fire Spirit (most punk-like but with more melody), Ghost on the Highway (classic blues undertone but completely reimagined sound). I listed almost every song on this album but there's something keeping me from a 5. Maybe some of those unhinged moments? Maybe Pierce's so-so vocals? Maybe the last couple of songs? Still, a very good album and one worthy of this list.
This is one of those "how on earth have I never heard of this band before" revelations. This album is so good and apparently hugely influential on subsequent punk and garage rock bands. The music is a great combo of punk, rock, and hard edged delta blues. I found it interesting to learn that lead Jeffrey Pierce was influenced by acts as diverse as Sparks, Genesis, Roxy Music, Blondie (with Debbie Harry singing on The Gun Club's second album), and Bob Marley. Unusual influences yield unique music, I suppose. You'd also think Pierce came from somewhere on the Mississippi Delta, but he's from California. This their debut album and it sounds great from start to finish. Hard to pick favorite tracks, but I'll go with the two blues covers (Preaching the Blues and Cool Drink of Water), Promise Me (love the unusual beat), She's Like Heroin to Me (great straightforward punk), and Ghost on the Highway (great rocker). Oh, and Fire Spirit, Jack on Fire (harsh lyrics, though), and Goodbye Johnny. The only moment I sort of didn't like was the end of For the Love of Ivy where Pierce got a little weird. Plus the lyrics on that track are concerning - maybe he's mocking a redneck hick with his "I was hunting for n****rs in the dark" line, but I watched a live video and the drummer had a confederate flag wadded up in his bass drum. Um, yeah. Black Train also had similarly concerning lyrics. Hopefully they're just playing a part/being ironic. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, particularly with the musical debt they owe to delta blues. Overall, this is one seriously awesome album.
Ekki fyrir mig
Braaa
Not bad although was listening in the background and did not notice anything great too
Although the Wikipedia page makes a big deal of this album re-imagining blues, this is still essentially a post-punk album. As usual with post-punk, I enjoy the parts that are further removed from punk and dislike the parts that are closer to punk. This album treads a fine line, infusing multiple different styles and influences into a punk framework. It works well on some tracks and so-so on others. It does have personality going for it.
Curti demais, fodas
蛮复古
It started sort of strong and then faded. Overall, not much fun.
Love this
Yeah... Not my type of music. I kind of can see who it is made for but for me, no thank you. 2/10
Yes, please! It also had this B-52s jangle to it that I enjoyed - it’s the closest that I’ve got to my beloved beehive-sporters, so I’ll take it. I had never heard of this group before - now I feel educated. It would seem that Jeffrey Lee Pierce was a punk rocker’s punk.
Pretty good. Can see later influence in the west coast punk scene from this. Love the blues influence, much more melodic than many other punk acts.
Great rootsy punk
This was really good. Interesting blending of rockabilly and punk. Can really see how it would be super influential.
3.5 all day. Had fun with this one
Eine Mischung aus “The Doors” und “The Who” mit etwas Blues. Leider ist es ein Wuttirade, die die Band auf sich, ihr Publikum und die Welt ablädt. Das Album ist Sinn und Spassfrei. Wenn das guter Punk ist, was ist dann wenn er schlecht ist ?
Old school Japandroids.
Good energy and nice guitar work. Solid early punk that I'm slightly indifferent toward for some reason.
I started off thinking, oh boy this is some pretty basic kind of garage punk. But as the album went on I found myself really liking the energy a lot and in the end I liked it well enough.
Mediocre punk record with only a couple of standout tracks. This genre is just not for me.
Just alright, kinda boring in the sense that a lot of tracks sound similiar
Early punk blues influence
I am not a fan of spoken word singing honestly. Also alot of the lyrics were really troublesome and hard to get through. 1/5 could not finish.
Now this shit rules, bluesy punk that feels fresh and unique. Loved this record a lot.
Mouais, je n'accroche pas trop. Un peu mou pour du "Post Punk / Punk / Rock" ?
I liked this but also feel as those most of the vocal harmonies were the same for each song. Good stuff over all but a bit repetitive.
I enjoyed the whole thing but it was kinda forgettable. Highlights were Sex beat She’s like heroin to me For the love of ivy (felt like a continuation of she’s like heroin) I think I will listen to this again in the future, but it didn’t really grab me like many other albums have. I still enjoyed the whole thing though, and there were enough good songs for it to be a 4.
Very good
Fabulously terrible. I listened to the whole album though, it's like when you're doing something you know is going to hurt you, but you keep doing it anyway.... Thats how it felt listening to this.
Hmm... some of it was enticing... some not so much... but I wanna check it out again
Agony!
Very 80’s British
Okay punk album
Listened Before? N Super interesting sound here. Also- the first song sounds like nothing else on the album. They should've stuck with that friendlier sound. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Sex Beat
Ok kinda fun
solid album! after over 170 album only rated on this platform it takes much more to stand out. I liked it but i don feel like listening soon. 2.5/5.0
Some punk, some skunk, no wowsies
Shi was fire ngl. El nombre le queda bien. I enjoyed it so much.
Not as punky as I would have thought, but still decent. A lot of the songs sound identical.
I didn't like this album. Plain and simple. That doesn't mean it's not good. It perfectly fills a niche. You might call it Punkabilly. I feel wiser having heard it and that's not nothing.
Hoy tocó algo escuchado en 2023. ¿Post-punk? ¿Rock-Blues yankee, del estilo The Doors? ¿Todo eso junto? Gran primer disco de una gran banda.
Sounds like the Ramones, but I can believe they did it first.
solid punk
Influential for that genre but that genre kind of sucks to me.
Really awesome example of where punk transformed into first way. This is the first of this band's discography I've experienced. But I loved this album. I'd give it 5 stars if I knew the genre more.
P cool, not sure if I'd go out of my way to listen again
This is pretty good. I like that it has elements of punk and southern Americana music without going full psychobilly, which is not a style I am usually a fan of. I'd gladly listen to this again in the future.
Great album. Listened to it for the /mu/ list already. 4/5
Excellent psychedelic surf rock, long enough to leave an impact but concise enough to not overstay its welcome. B+
Wouldn't seek this out for listening, but if it came on a playlist when I'm working I wouldn't change it. My favourite: watermelon man - HE NO DEAD HE NO DEAD HE NO DEAD!!!!!!
Loved it! What a gem. Sounded like it could have been made yesterday never mind 1981!
probably 4/5. Maybe 5
Thin, no bass, no voice. A poor version of The Kinks.
So boring Never wanna hear this again 1
Felt like generic punk but I did find myself getting into it as it went along.
I enjoyed this without ever being blown away
Cool listen. Will keep exploring their albums.
This album is a classic. A fun melding of rockabilly and punk. Very unique and just great all the way through.
I was surprised by how much I really liked this. A truly unique punk album.
lige præcis den slags protopunk, jeg normalt er virkelig vild med - jeg er faktisk lidt overrasket over at jeg ikke har hørt om dem før. Synes ikke sangerens stemme var den fedeste, og så var den lige klart nok mikset ind en gang i mellem, så det trækker lidt ned
Det er sjovest når det er mærkeligst, jeg havde lidt svært ved at døje vokalerne. Japandroids har et cover af For the Love of Ivy som er bedre end originalen, sorry
Kunne egentlig meget godt lidt det her og jeg kan godt fornemme at de har været inspiration for meget, men jeg kommer nok aldrig til at sætte den her plade på igen
I didn’t love this. Had it on and found it very easy to tune it out. Just wasn’t the kind of sound I’m into.
I mostly hated it but it was listenable
Nope for me
Track 1: okay opener. Track 2: I like the blues sound of this and the way the vocals are roomy Track 3: decent song. Track 4: I like the slide guitar Track 5: I like the craziness at the end but the sound kinda gets bad. Track 6: I like this song. Track 7: I like the fast rhythmic guitar with the slide in the background. Track 8: good track Track 9: fun little track Track 10: I like the groove this has. And how his voice kinda goes up with the guitar. Track 11: okay closer for the end I like the bass in it though. Overall: 5.8/10 it’s an okay album but not my favorite.
Great album. Good energy. Had it in my library but never really paid a lot of attention to it. So good I listened to it twice and then listened to the rest of their discography.
The music was fine but the guy sings off key! It would have been much better with no "singing".
This album from The Gun Club was pretty lackluster. It was a generic punk rock album, and only a single song stuck out to me. I recommend a listen if you are a fan of punk music from this era. Favorite Song(s): "She's Like Heroin To Me"
This somehow stays fresh and relevant, defining a few subgenres and being genuinely entertaining
Love the energy and the riffs, it's a lot more boppy than most punk bands I've listened to. I'm reading that it's very much inspired by the blues, and I can definitely hear that. I do like the blues part more than the punk parts.
•Not owned •Yeah, nothing more punk than ripping off blues artists and then depicting violence against the very same people who birthed the music. All while using derogatory terms. Call it what you want—“performance,” sure…—but it just feels exploitive. •1/5
Not really my thing. Happy to be familiar with this band but mostly seems like an annoying one-trick kinda bluesy rock record.
Meh
Simpatico
kind of crazy music, it does grate on my nerves 2 stars I am not going to listen to this again!
Very bluesy punk. I’m finding the lyrics juvenile.
Interesting combination of genres.
Okay. Better than I thought. Preachin’ the Blues and She’s Like Heroin to Me are great. Ez 3.5
it all sounds the same
A couple good songs, mostly gay. 2.5
punk rock that blurred together when i wasn't paying enough attention. i see the appeal but don't see myself coming back to it
Thin punk-blues. Low fidelity and half-composed guitar riffs. The vocals don’t necessarily annoy me, I’d say they are reminiscent of talking heads or violent femmes. However, the totality of the song falls short.
To be perfectly honest the voice sounded slurry? I don’t know if that is just me but I wasn’t a fan of the vocals and the music just kind of went along. It’s not terrible just not something i’d go out of my way to listen to.
Yeah I can see why some people would like this - combination of punk and rockabilly .... I am not one of these people. I appreciate that the mix is fine for this genre i.e. this isn't a low-fi noise mess like Stooges (which they don't sound all that far from), but that's more than a bit of damning with faint praise. It's attitude music - it's an attitude album. Whereas I either look for or just gravitate towards melody and construction; some drama. We're just not ever gonna see eye to eye on this album/band/genre so let's call it a night and go our separate ways. ...I was considering giving a generous 2 but after 5 ... now 6 songs it's making me irritable. I'll never listen again and frankly hate it and so what else is a 1 for? EDIT: i actually had completed writing the above after 7 songs. I had to come back in during goddamn track 10 to reiterate how much i hate this. fairly unexpectedly not terrible mix be damned, this is utter shite. 2/10 1 star.
Not my style, old punk album. Kinda cool.
A very cool rock n roll record. Energetic punk. Great riffs. Listen to this again.
Terribly repetitive in the style of the songs. Not unpleasant but nothing worth hanging onto.
Couldn't get on with this, found the vocals a bit annoying
This might be the worst album I have ever heard. Definitely the worst on this list so far. It sounds like a band you would see in a house basement concert in the worst way possible. Worst track was cool drink of water blues
Found this to be straightforward but relatively lackluster rock and roll.
This album has some gems - country bum-punk. Sounds more contemporary than it is, probably was cutting edge at the time. While some stuff on this is excellent - overall it isnt as tight or forward thinking as folks make it out to be.
Me ha recordado al primero que escuché de The Stooges. No me emociona.
Had two listens, could hear the early punk elements with some blues infused into it. Not bad, but probably not going to listen again. 3/5.
interesting but a touch too rowdy for me
This is the first on in this series I hadn't heard before and I am grateful for having it fall in my lap. It's hard to sum up. It has the immediate 'you're either in this community or you want to be' energy of listening to the Violent Femmes. It has the campy punk vibes of the Return of the Living Dead (1985) soundtrack. And it has the earnest rawness of legitimate punk music. 4/5, would recommend
Super great! Between jangly Punk Rock and artsy Country and krauty Blues. Very experimentally funny.
- Great punk energy - A fun listen, 3.5
- I enjoyed the attitude here - not a ton to say
Punk rock. Chulo.
Very good album. Liked the punk sound and would listen more
The Gun Club's "Fire of Love," released in 1981, is a raw and primal dive into psychobilly and post-punk. Jeffrey Lee Pierce's intense vocals and Ward Dotson's slashing guitar work define the album's unrelenting energy. Tracks like "Sex Beat" and "She's Like Heroin to Me" exude a gritty, rebellious spirit. However, the album's lo-fi production and unpolished sound might be an acquired taste. While influential in alternative and punk circles, "Fire of Love" may feel somewhat dated to contemporary ears. It earns a solid 4/5 for its pioneering spirit but falls short of timeless appeal due to its rough edges.
Pretty good 80’s rock. Singing is weird. That’s it.
lauded garage that i can hear in everything else since but not too fussed about going to the source
Fuzzy punk rock, I love it.
Favorite Songs Sex Beat She’s Like Heroin to Me
Thought it was decent, don't really have many more notes than that.
Not bad.
hullun hommaa, albumi alkaa ehtä hustorian huonoimmalla biisillä. onneksi sama rata ei jatku, rata vaihtuu.. juna -asemalla.. klink klonk kuuluu raiteista kun niitä väännetään. jatkuu perus pop punk rähnäyksellä janoh kyllä sitä kuuntelee mutta en juhlia, juhlia aloita riehuman, ei mitään juhlittavaa nimittäin. preaching the blues
I respect that this was innovative music, but I'm not impressed otherwise. This album might be a better fit on "The 1001 Most Innovative Albums You Must Acknowledge Before Your Own Demise."
pedestrian
Really dug this, probably my second favorite piece of media called Fire of Love. 4/5
Really good delta blues/punk fusion. Can definitely hear the influence on the White Stripes.
Not sure how to rate this one. 2 feels low but 3 feels high considering how I've been rating albums up until this point. 2.5/5
So you don't know how to play any instruments and decide to make a punk record. Look, I get it! Just don't add in trivial, meandering blues stuff like 'Cool Drink of Water Blues' and we wouldn't have any issues.
I really like the cover art. Gave me hope that Fire Of Live could easily be one of those post-punk gems I’d missed. Instead I learned that I really don’t care for punk blues at all. What a turn of events.
Nice
Surprised I never came across this album. Really great genre spanning album. Little bits of Ramones, Pixies, Cramps, touch of country.
This is a great record, I discovered this late and have been enjoying it ever since!
Okay old school punk/blues? 2.5
Interesting from the point of view of early punk innovation but not something I'm going to listen to on the regular. 2/5
Hyvin samankaltainen tapaus edellispäivään mutta tämän soundin kehityskulku on tuhossa, ei elossa. Tuhossa siinä, että tämä on perusjamppapomppaa.. Eilinen oli käsittämättömyyksiä.. Täällä seikkailaan päivässä.. eilinen oli yössä ja pilkkopimeydessä tehty sattumalta summan mutikassa muodostunut uudelleen jakuatuva ja kompleksi solu. Tämän jatke on kansanvillitseminen. Jeesuksen ja kumppanien taas, kansan oikaisu. Objektia. Aamen. 2/5
While I think this album is interesting, I probably will never listen to it ever again.
Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Mix: überzeugend simpel wie solide für Post-Punk-Rockabilly-Garage-Spaß Musik: "They're stupid like I told ya, very stupid like ya saw" Wertung: 🔫🔫🔫(🔫)/5
I’ve had a rough few picks in a row. This might be a sympathy 3.
Thought I might like this. Did not.
Enjoyable punk album, I wasn't aware of its existence.
Meh.
Rockabilly is still so annoying to me for some reason, but I like the spin that they put on it. The gothic vibes were pretty immaculate. I think I listened to a slightly longer version because Wiki says it's 40 min, but mine was 53 minutes. Didn't really mind it, though!
2.5
The most original thing I've heard without having heard before. Elements of Television, Violent Femmes, White Stripes can be found here. Amazing album and will definitely revisit. 4.5/5
Early 80s punk - not my idea of a good time. 2/5
Not bad
I loved this album at the time. But at least one of us hasn't aged well and now we've drifted apart. And at that point I didn't know the original of Preaching, which - ahem - walks all over the version here. But the title track, the opener and Heroin are good stompin' rebel rockers. I just don't think this band are as good as the mythology around them perhaps suggests.
This album kicks you up the arse. It's almost impossible to explain what's going off here: Blues, rockabilly, punk. It could be confusing, but it's so simple. The music matches the attitude. I wish this type of music was played on daytime radio. No let up. LOVE IT.
I enjoyed the album. It was an interesting listen. Not sure I'd listen to it again or if any songs would stick in my head.
Kind of a fun rock album, nothing special though
Jazzy I think, but not entire my vibe. Seemed a bit to similar to eachother and stuff idk.
Decent, though just wasn't quite my vibe that day. Unfortunately only a small part of the album appeared to be on Spotify for some reason.
Today I learned I absolutely hate The Gun Club. It would be far more pleasant to listen to construction sounds as I try to sleep each morning than to ever listen to this album again in my life. If the vocals could be muted, the blend of blues and punk is at least a new taste in my mouth. An instrumental version of this album might actually be quite palatable. The band jams and guitar riffs were bright notes in an album that felt it was devoid of life. Tracks like “Jack on Fire” were so difficult to listen through due to the lyrics and voice. The guitar solo near the end of this track was the only musically redeeming element. “Cool Drink of Water” was indeed just that - the band had some tasteful moments together, while the listener had reprieve from Pierce’s sour vocals. I was so excited for “Goodbye Johnny” that I started doubting how much I disliked this experience overall. Then, I listened on, to the alternate version tracks. Reaching the alternate version of “For the Love of Ivy,” I was reminded all over why I hated this album on this initial (and hopefully final) listen. People who enjoy this album likely reread their original copy of the book A Clockwork Orange, ash their cigarettes into empty beer cans, and say things like “I just can’t get into the music these days.”
Want to guarantee that your album will be relegated to near obscurity, regardless of its musical merits or cultural relevance? Drop some hard-r'd N words. I do not condone the use of the word and it drives me nuts to hear it here, as the album is otherwise super impressive.
Like any other light punk band of the era whatever
Non eventful
Short fun. Liked it, a couple songs felt like The Doors but more casual.
Never heard of blues punk before but I did enjoy what these folks put together. This is the kind of album that slips into a collection as a hidden gem.
I actually enjoyed the bonus tracks more than the rest of the album. They showed a lot more the country/blues and punk blend than the punkier versions on the album. There's not a lot of information on this album comparatively to some of the others on the list, but this album was a beginning of a new branch of Punk leading into a wider eye of influence. I'm not the biggest fan of it, but can appreciate it for its' landmark genre combination. 2.5/5
Good stuff, a real gem
Some questionable lyrics that wouldn't fly today, but overall I enjoyed listening to this 3
A post-punk album with rockabilly sensibilities. A fresh take, but kind of drags on a little. Think it requires further study. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Cool Drink of Water", "She's Like Heroin To Me"
Middle of the road punk for me. Not quite average.
Gemakkelijke kost, maar daardoor dus ook weer weinig boeiend.
Klonk beste oké
Na een paar nummers ken je dit ook wel.
Die stem vind ik ok, maar de muziek vervelend.
The punk - blues fusion is cool but I don't think I'll be coming back to this one
One of the more palatable punk albums but still not my thing
Pretty much what you’d expect from some early 80s punk.
Unique and fun. 6/10
One thing I will say about this list: while I sometimes have to wade through a lot of crap to get to something I find interesting, I have definitely gotten a much better appreciation for the history of punk music by reviewing these albums. I was peripherally aware of this band previously as a result of their connections to other bands, like The Cramps, but I hadn't listened to one of their albums before. There's a lot of other stuff from this era that I like more than this, but it's also easy to see the significance of this album. Combining punk with more traditional American music forms like blues did a lot to help create the alternative and postpunk genres. I like this album overall, though it's not one that I'm ever likely to own 4/5
4/5 Manischer americana-surfpunk Lyrische Abgründe Sehr exciting, fühlt sich frisch an
Album 172 of 1001 The Gun Club - Fire of Love Rating : 3 / 5 American Punk Band. Not a bad listen. Heard better and heard worse.
Yikes
Fun, its a bit like King of Leon with more zazz.
This is pretty cool, especially for a 1981 release. Probably need to spend a bit more time with it but fave track so far is She's Like Heroin To Me.
Well I'll be damned! In my review of Pixies' "Doolittle" I described them as "mirror universe indie rock" because it's always seemed to me that Pixies emerged fully formed with their own weirdly idiosyncratic style, seemingly unrelated to everything that came before. Well here it is, the missing link! Within the first couple of tracks I was on wikipedia checking whether The Gun Club was some sort of Pixies prequel band some or all of the members were previously involved in, it felt so much cut from the same cloth... Very happy with the 1001 project today - have that satisfying feeling of a missing puzzle piece sliding into place! 🧩 Fave tracks - "Sex Beat", "Preaching the Blues", and "She's Like Heroin To Me" all get the album off to an absolutely cracking start. Gonna have to give it more listens to pick out the highlights from later in the album...
Svag fyra, men ändå en fyra! Svag för det mesta med punksound
Never heard of this band before. For punk, this was just a bit on the boring side. Also for punk, what are they doing with 5 and 6+ minute songs? I liked some of it though - Preaching the Blues may have been my favorite.
I really like this, it’s a good punk band. I’ve never heard of them before, but I definitely wanna check out more music from them. 5/5
Another one of those bands I always meant to listen to but didn't for whatever reason. Instantly liked this a lot. I don't usually give out a 5 for a first listen but here we are.
You can hear the impact this record would have on the Violent Femmes, Jon Spencer, and The White Stripes... It's an aggressive yet accessible and catchy punk album that blends in well with its contemporaries due to its raw sound. It almost sounds just like Sex Pistols, Undertones, and Buzzcocks due to its stripped production, high, energy, minimalism, and excessive repetition, except it's twisted parodically by the exaggerated features of blues and country. But at the same time, punk and blues / country work hand-in-hand. I'm astonished nothing much sounds like it. The bands influenced by this sound took it in different directions. But this feels pure, as if you could understand how someone would create this sound. And yet, there's nothing of significance that matches this. Excellent songwriting capturing the distressing racist world of the early 20th century Delta. Works hand-in-hand with the high distortion and screeching. No bad tracks. They're all memorable in some ways. Can't find a track I can't say something unique I like about.
If I had this album on release, it might’ve been my favourite album but I didn’t have it on release.