Fromohio

4.0 - This is a surprisingly tidy record with some excellent guitar work. There aren't any standout tracks but it all flows together surprisingly well. I hear elements of reggae via Clash, Talking Heads, REM, and a solid dose of the Minutemen. And Mike Watt sounds incredible on bass! Plus, it's obscure and midwest-American, so citing it as a favorite record will give you instant credibility amongst hipsters.

Damn what the fuck? I thought this would be some grunge/punk screaming band from the name, but it is exactly in my taste of music and is really really good. How'd I not know about them before?

A lot of this album has the energy of a group of friends messing around with their instruments in a garage. There are singalongs, jams and silly in-jokes. It’s low-key and charming. There's some good guitar rock with a lot of bright melodies. It sounds to me somewhere between The Kinks, Violent Femmes and your friend's band from high school (and I don't mean that as an insult at all).

fIREHOSE s'est visiblement trompé au moment d'écrire son nom d'artiste en ne s'apercevant pas que la touche "verr. MAJ" était activée. Cette erreur en a entraîné d'autres parmi lesquelles on trouve cet album.

not bad at all yet completely forgettable at the same time.

It might not be an all-time classic, but THIS, ladies and gents, is why I signed up for the 1001 Albums journey! "Fromohio" was an album I'd never heard of by a band I didn't know, with no clue what to expect. The cover made me brace myself for some alternative metal, but then the first two songs had me absolutely reeling. "Riddle of the Eighties" kicks in with a breathtaking drum intro (one of many on the album, a flurry of cymbals and hi-hats) before a bright, jangly verse and vocal recalling early R.E.M. "In My Mind" follows up with an irresistible calypso-tinged rhythm, evoking Paul Simon's "Graceland" in the "white guys doing world music" vain. There's an amazing momentum and energy to it and I couldn't not bop along... Admittedly, the quality slowly thins out after these stellar first two tracks. There are snatches of great music across the rest of the record, particularly in the stomping "Time With You" (check out the squawking funk-style guitar), the restless punky energy of "Some Things", and the left-field barroom singalong "Liberty For Our Friend." There's also a lovely pastoral acoustic guitar solo and TWO short drum solos, as though we've moved into an early 70s prog album. On the other hand, there are some tracks that never quite seem to get going, or never land on a strong enough foot of inspiration. "Whisperin' While Hollerin'" and "What Gets Heard" are both led by meaty basslines but suffer from mumbled vocals and stop-start rhythms which break a lot of the momentum. "If'n" begins excellently but then drifts around all over the place, diluting each section's impact every time it takes off again. "The Softest Hammer" is a damp squib of an ending. I realised the drummer and bassist originally played in Minutemen- I've heard some of their tracks and looking forward to revisiting because they put in stellar performances here. As it is, very glad I got the chance to hear this one today. I don't know whether I'll stick with "Fromohio", but it's been such a fun discovery that I don't want to put it anywhere below a 4.

Very fun album. Unique mix of prog, post-punk, indie rock. Always a big fan of a drum track.

I haven't listened to this in years and wasn't crazy about it at the time because it felt less aggro and heavy than their previous 2 records. Older and wiser I'm hearing influences I missed the first time — Grateful Dead, John Fahey, XTC — and am royally digging the way it all comes together

This brings a whole new meaning to the word underwhelmed. I've been reading really shithouse student writing while listening to this and the palookas masquerading as students won out in the interesting stakes. I had to rewind the YouTube tape about three times as I was lost in a lost world of musical heads slowly disappearing up backsides. At least the students were creative in their mediocrity. Wow, a little bit of diddley dee twiddly dee guitar riffing, a bit of B grade Pixies bass mixed up front, some slightly off key warbling and hey presto here's a record that is...well I don't really know what it is. In My Mind is ok...sort of. Is this the late 80's version of prog rock, is this twee fiddling about what brought on grunge? These guys should have gonged it after The Minutemen and opened a nice bar where they could twiddly dee to their hearts content.

I think I really would have preferred a 501 albums project, and then I don't think this would have made the cut. I was bored, I didn't enjoy the music or the singer's voice, and I just couldn't get hooked in by any of it. Two drum solo tracks? Not even if the second one is appropriately called, "'Nuf that Shit, George." Bleah. Next!

+1 stars for indomitable midwestern charm

J'ai apprécié cet album mais n'ai pas grand chose à en dire, par conséquent je vais ici vous dévoiler la discussion étrange que j'ai eu avec un homme bedonnant sonnant à ma porte ce matin: Homme bedonnant: *suisse allemand incomprehensible* moi: "sorry ich spreche nicht sehr gut deutsch" (désolé je n'avais pas entendu la sonnette) HB: *suisse allemand incomprehensible* moi: "Nein ich habe kein Auto" (oui exactement, mon album de fIREHOSE était un peu trop fort) HB: *imite le chimpanzé* LL: "Sorry, schöne tag" (vous imitez fort bien le chimpanzé)

It's no Double Nickels On The Dime is it? And they've got their capitalisation all wrong there.

Never heard of this band, but I am here for this! Cracking album with some great musicianship, enjoyable drums, bass and guitar at various points. Love it!

I'm just going to give this a 5 because I can't think of a reason why I wouldn't. It's a surprise, I've never heard of these guys before but I absolutely loved it. Not usually massive on instrumental heavy music over lyrics but it just sounded brilliant. The guitar and base on each track was just so catchy. The album flowed so well and I loved the little drum and guitar solos to break it up. I'm definitely going to dive into this bands discography

Absolutely brilliant, from a band I had not really heard of. If it was out now, I'd say it sounds like Biffy and Razorlight, with hints of Pearl Jam and Incubus. However, this was before all of those bands! Always good to hear a wee drum solo too, as long as it's not too long. Couldn't be less than 5 🌟

I started off listening to fROMOHIO curious about what I was hearing, but not initially sold on the first two songs. It seemed a little unpolished and I wasn’t sure I was ‘getting it’. Where is this coming from?! Where was it going?! Then as the album progressed I started to recognize some real genius happening. Two drum solo tracks?! I thought I hated drum solos? “Let The Drummer Have Some” and “‘Nuf That Shit, George” dispelled that myth. The music is very well played. The lead singer sounds a lot like Tommy Shaw, which is great. Little lyrical and musical surprises pop up everywhere. At times the album has touches of punk, jazz, beat poetry, pop, rock, folk…. Once I stopped trying to figure this all out and just sat back I found myself totally enjoying the ride. Immediately after the album finished I started it over again and had no doubt this album is a 5. A welcome addition to my library that makes me happier with each listen. So glad to have been introduced to fIREHOSE. Fantastic, unique, awesome!

If you ever needed a definition for ear rape, this is it. This "music" makes me physically angry. If I didn't stop this album halfway I would've gone out to the nearest school and punched a toddler. 1/5.

From the artwork, to the production and the guitar/bass/drums configuration of the band fROMOHIO is a simple, but extremely effective record. By keeping those things simple, fIREHOSE is able to spotlight the complexities in their songwriting without their arrangements coming off as too “showy” or self-centered. This a great, stripped back rock record and the Watt-Hurley rhythm section is one of the best to ever do it. fOURSTARS.

Good album. Definitely not what i expected from an album titled "Fromohio" from 1989. Wasn't a big fan of "Liberty for our friend", only real song on the album that wasnt great. The singer was good, but god damn the guitar and drums really brought it here.

Workin' out them simple things day by day Words and dreams just cross through my mind I been sympathizing, compromising things to say But everything's been going my way Well should I stay, should I leave How can I be here Words and dreams all pass through my mind, and I still Spend some time with you Never heard of this band or album before. Not bad. Bluesy guitar, good vocals, pretty good. 4/5

Funky, reminds me of chili peps. Thumbs up

Never heard this before, liked it

One of the things I'm discovering I love about this album generator thingy, is that it's helping to fill in some holes in my music listening history. I've listened to some fIREHOSE, mainly If'n (the album) which I love but other than that covers EP and a other songs here and there, I don't know much else so I'm glad this one popped up.

i mean it does sound like they're from ohio

fROM-WHAATT!.. No... It can't be! No.. NOOOOOOOO!!.. 😭

Mostly below average - except they slipped in a beautiful acoustic blues piece (VStapol) amongst the dross. I had to check it wasn't Spotify playing up. Complete personality shift for 2 minutes, then back to more dross. 2 stars just for the that track.

The first album in this 1001 series that I really didn't enjoy at all.

This is very bad.

Like Captain Beefheart and post punk with all the interest, energy and innovation removed

A refreshing discovery, some great tracks. Not sure why this band weren't huge?

حلو

Solid album from what I remember. I had a dog pass away yesterday morning so it's kind of a blur.

Probably the most accessible album from fIREHOSE. An excellent straight at you album that balances all of the respective genres and style super well. Have always loved this album.

Fantastic, unexpected album.

Never heard this before, it is directly up my alley though. Love the bass playing. Kinda like a less one-note feeling Violent Femmes or something. Doesn't overstay its welcome either. Long story short, I dig the heck out of it. Time to listen to more from them.

Somehow utterly unique but simultaneously quintessential. Just the right amount of punk sensibilities and country aesthtic mixed with the exact right amount of guitar distortion. Perfect.

This album is one of my real "holy crap this is great" discoveries from the list - but my god is that cover art awful. I went into this expecting some kind of angry, grungy, punk nonsense and got bright jangly rock with epic basslines and a sense of humour about it all! Personal high points include 'In My Mind' and 'Mas Cojones', both of which play with a stripped-down version of standard rock themes (it took me a while to notice that there's basically no snare drum in most of the songs) while still being groove-laden enough to keep me actively listening - I'm not so much a fan of songs like 'Liberty For Our Friend', but that's just personal tastes more than anything. Definitely a recommend, definitely one I keep going back to, I'm giving it five stars because honestly I don't know why I wouldn't.

Well this pretty great, but seems the CD is hard to get hold of

very 80s/90s alt

I’ve been going through 80s alternative Athens bands so this comes at the perfect time. I’m not familiar with this group or Minutemen but I think I liked this enough to go down that rabbit hole. It’s very catchy and is growing on me more the second listen. Probably just because I’ve been listening to them but I hear similarities with Pylon/Gang Of Four with the seemingly endless riffs. Just finished my second listen and most of the songs I was neutral on clicked. Rating: 4.6

Mike Watt is a national treasure.

trzeci album zespołu Firehose wydany w 1989, rock alternatywny

Lovely alternative stuff. On the first listen I knew I really enjoyed it, but had to go back to remind myself. The kind of thing that can be really interesting to focus on or equally nice background listening. Great riffs every time. Makes me wanna see a live show

Great stuff, early 90s Indie rock

Nice Acoustic Punk with great great bass

pretty good!! fun fun guitars

I love this. And I had no idea it existed. Enjoyed the Minutemen's Nickel on the Dime record, and here we've got that rhythm section and writers. Love that bass. It's just low key epic. Really nice and tight 30 minutes too. Listened to it a few times today. Look not every track is a classic, but oh my god that bass and crisp drumming is such consistently high quality. Guitar ain't half bad either. Faves - Some Things, Understanding, In My Mind, Mas Cojones

Amazing

what a beautiful album..

very surprising. Some kind of farm punk.

punk influenced folk with a jazz form? Have never listened to Firehose before. First listen -- pulled in. Gave the album my phone number. It called back for a second listen. Excellent the second time through as well. Beautifully ushering the listener into a world where pop jingles and verse chorus verse are sent to rehabilitation to be something more interesting. A gateway album to better sound.

Love this record! Very eclectic mix of sounds across the different tracks -- mostly with a punk backbone but mixed in with funk, folk, jazz, etc. Very creative and high energy vibe that I could listen to for a long time without getting bored.

I remember these guys!

Ooooo this is FABULOUS! Incredible drumming, wide variety of styles, interesting lyrics...I'd be thrilled to see these guys in concert. Didn't take notes on specific tracks since I listened while moving but I loved it and can't wait to listen again!

This album is so cool! I love the funky bass and the weird vocals, this is definitely unique in the best way. I'll definitely be returning to some of these jams, particularly In My Mind and Time With You.

5 stars for the band. I wasn't into this album at all, so I tried out whatever the top songs were on Spotify. The first two albums are superior in every way, but maybe this is the one that put them on the map? Regardless, I am thrilled I just discovered this band

I was NOT expecting to like this album this much. Every song was solid and I love the sound of the whole thing. Even the two songs where it’s just a drum solo are good.

cool

10/10 awesome indie, good vibes

4.95

Another great finding...

Despite being punk-ish, there's a distinct lightness or sparseness to the songs.

I went in thinking "Haven't I had this one already?" It looked like a fairly forgettable indie rock album. I'm happy to confirm that it was new and much more interesting than I expected. It feels like really pulling from early punk as well as 80s indie rock, with heavy Minutemen vibes. Oh, half the band were formerly in the Minutemen? Well that absolutely tracks and fills a nice void if you ever get bored with "Double Nickels on the Dime". Definitely a pleasant surprise.

Pretty good!

Nice variety of sounds. Some great bass work. Feels a little sparse at times, but I think that’s what they were going for.

I would probably follow Mike Watt anywhere.

Very solid and playful, if imperfect, musicians who said, “Fuck it, we’ll do it live.” DIY done right.

4 out of 5. A very pleasant surprise, this is why I'm working my way through this silly list.

Day515 - i’ll be putting this one on my library

Catching up … (another positive one) Firehose - Fromohio Never heard of this band, or listened to Minutemen beyond singles Veering from post punk to Rock n Roll - track by track feels like a different band (replacements, Big Star, pixies, wipers, fugazi). It isn’t perfect, the skipping around (even within tracks) making it hard to latch on to. It also sounds like it was recorded in someone’s back garden (which is also part of the charm). The DIY ethos / lack of polish and production is ultimately what makes it sounds fresh. This makes me want to find time to dig into this scene. Bands I’ve heard of but never listened to properly like Mission of Burma and Husker Du. 7/10 (I’m rounding up to 4/5 , because i keep sticking it on , and I think it’s a grower)

Didn't really have hits on it, but it was nice to listen to. I tend to like the fIREHOSE albums more than those made by the Minutemen. I generally like Punk more than Indie Rock, but this just clicks more for me. Time really flew by with this listen. Sounds like it was a real precursor to all the 90's Indie music that came on the scene later on.

Ret godt. Har hørt det det gennem min Jackass periode, ikke noget jeg havde et kært forhold til, men alt der kunne negles på nettet, og som lugtede at Jackass skulle jeg lytte til. Jeg kan godt lytte igen en anden dag. Men det er en lille 4er som jeg ikke aktivt vil opsøge.

Total ukendt album og band. Det var faktisk ret godt. En fin blanding af DIY punk og melodisk rock

Put this on when I wasn't really paying attention and it was good enough to make my listen properly. Then I find out it's the guitarist from minutemen, which makes a lot of sense. It's definitely more cohesive than a minutemen album, a normal number of songs of normal length. Not quite as good I'd say but still great. Some things in particular is class. Even quickly listening back now it's grown on me so could be a 5 soon.

Never heard of these guys but I read a few of the reviews and it sounded up my street. Was good! Couldn't help but hear rem and minutemen after seeing that in a review. Pretty good description of the sound I think. Probably wouldn't have put this as from the 80s. Overall pretty good. Might be back 3.5 but closer to 4

This is the first album I listened to twice in one day. The first time I listened I thought it was nice, later in the day I wondered, what did I actually hear. In each case completely new to me

fora album koji na vokalnoj i tekstovnoj razini ne obara s nogu, ali zato zaraznim bas-dionicama. mjestimičnom zaigranošću i još nekim cakama itekako pobuđuje volju za naknadnim preslušavanjima

A brilliant mix of folk and post punk ideas. Will be returning to this album and band.

This was surprisingly really good, after seeing it was a group formed by members of the minutemen I was skeptical as nickels by the dime was quite mid, butt I can say after listening this is much better than that. The guitar and bass is so much better on this album in my opinion, the drums are good in both but the actual songs I thought were so much more enjoyable. Unlike nickels, this album is very short with longer songs rather than the rather messy many short song style nickels used. I liked many songs on this album but my favourites were the first 2 mostly because of the jangly guitar, the drums solos were a cool edition (my favourite being the second one). I wasn’t a massive fan of some songs though like the third track and what gets heard despite its cool bass line, the vocals just didn’t really do it for even though I think the vocals are consistently good elsewhere on this album. Overall 8/10.

Pretty fun listen

Actually pretty great. Alternative creative rock living room style! Pleasant voices and great drumming!

American alternative rock from the late ’80s and early ’90s usually isn’t my scene, and I’d never even heard of fIREHOSE—or their album Fromohio—before this. Honestly, the quirky way they spell their name didn’t give me high hopes going in. That said, Fromohio turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It’s a genuinely easy listen, with a sound that’s both warm and stripped-back. The production is clean but unpolished in a good way—there’s a rawness that adds charm. The band jumps between blues, acoustic, and rock influences, and each track is anchored by standout drumming that really pulls everything together. The lyrics are solid too—nothing overly poetic, but they suit the vibe perfectly. Favorite track: In My Mind – laid-back and catchy. Least favorite track: Honestly, nothing here falls flat. The album is short, sweet, and full of variety. Album artwork: The cover is chaotic in a cool way—there’s a lot going on, and it matches the band’s eclectic sound.

Funkier, more alt-rock sounding Minutemen? I mean, yeah, it's not Double Nickels On The Dime, but this is more than worth a listen! Strong 3.5*

Quite liked it!

Was not familiar with this band but was surprised at how much I liked it. Great early alt rock. Good guitar work.

Just a bunch of fun, tight indie with playful drums

There is lots of cool stuff going on here that I really enjoyed. I like my indie rock to cover a fair bit of ground stylistically and I feel fIREHOSE do that well. I’d not previously heard of this project and based on other reviews I’m in for a treat if there are any Minutemen records on the list. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I like jazzy punk it seems

I love fIREHOSE, but this is not their best album. If'n and Flying the Flannel are better picks for this list, IMHO.

Nice basslines

Trains! I have not listened to a second of fIREHOSE (though I understand they are descended from the Minutemen), but the album cover already strikes a chord (see also: Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee) HL: “Riddle of the Eighties”, “In My Mind”, “Vastopol”, “Liberty For Our Friend”, “Time With You” My main takeaway is that I probably undervalued the musicianship of Double Nickels on the Dime (1984), since the performances here are top-notch (that bass in “Mas Cojones”). Fromohio is somewhat inconsistent, and I haven’t yet read why exactly this is in the 1001, but- credit where credit is due. It’s a little hard to go into an album with no preconceptions this late into the journey (just over 10 albums left), but I tried my best and was rewarded with this kooky slice of altrock. 4*, Would listen again

I liked the longer songs, the ones that got to breathe more than the interludes. I liked this album a lot, really. The shifting of styles was very refreshing (and 30 minutes doesn't hurt, either :). It's funny because I kept thinking the band was like Fishbone (names being so close), but they are different in a few ways. Biggest thing is there are no horns. But both bands do like to shake up and change genres throughout the album. This is definitely a band i should listen to more. Good stuff. Top tracks: "Riddle Of The Eighties," "Mas Cojones," "Libery For Our Friend," "Underdstanding," "The Softest Hammer"

im at a great disadvantage here only having minimal experience with the minutemen discog, considering this is a sequel band consisting of the minutemen rhythm section and a fan who didnt want them to quit music. i can see the obvious connective tissue even with my minimal experience...it is a Great rhythm section, and the songs are short and zippy and varied and definitely meant to be assimilated and picked out over many more listens than the one im giving it this morning. i will say tho, in lieu of any commentary on an individual song (not that i do that very often anyway lol im too Cumulative Effectpilled) that this does strike me as excellently paced...or at the very least, this spread of songs has been very carefully ordered. theres never too much of anything at once...sometimes its riffier, sometimes funkier, sometimes more melodic, sometimes electric sometimes acoustic, tempos and rhythms and other base musical ideas all spread out in a v nice way. even the drum solo track comes in at exactly the right time!

I am fROMOHIO, so I gotta say, I’m honored that the album named after our “great” state is this good. Helps that I love 80s alternative and good bass licks.

3.5 - Good

This will do. It's no Minutemen, but it's 1000% better than the tripe I've been getting lately.

I started off annoyed because of the stupid capitalisation, but they won me over. The bass runs are slick AF and the whole album flows nicely. Nothing shouts 'look at me' but overall I'll come back and listen to this again. New band on the list, which is why I'm here. 3.5/5

What a surprise! This is like a rock and roll version of Vampire Weekend. The band just seems to be having fun and what they are creating. I am not sure about their greatness level longterm, but they intrigue me enough to make me smile... which means, I will probably listen again. Always a plus.

Weird concept album by an 80s alt rock band? Sign me up! So, this maybe isn't the best album out there. But it's actually pretty neat. Vocals are meh at best but instruments are pretty top notch.