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.

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

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).

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.

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.

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

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 🌟

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

This is a weird one. No idea what it's doing on this list, but I'm sort of glad it's here because it's a good listen, without being just more of the same stuff you already find on this list or hear(d) on the radio all the time.

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

An absolute shocker of a 5. I loved this weird little album. Liberty For Our Friend made it all click and wow yeah this album was a delight

Never listened to fIREHOSE before this. I’m glad this is my introduction. I love the opening track. I’ve followed Mike Watt on his solo projects and like his playing. This album, had I not known it was him I would not have guessed it was him. I like being surprised like that. On “vastopol”. I can’t believe I haven’t listened to this record before. But at the same time I can because my mood needs to match. Today is cool morning in October so this album will be forever associated with October for me. How is this album just so good? My teenage mind in 1989 was not equipped for this. Today is the right day to hear this album. Not only do I love it but it’s giving me musical inspiration as well. Love this album. On the last track now.

Spiel hammer

more selections from less popular groups. this late '80s rock band seems to be liked by mainly generation x former punks. i think a one youtube commenter said that these guys at times sound like the police if they were a little more punky. it's a fun listen, a nice fusion of rock tropes throughout. according to sources, seems to be the most accessible out of all their albums. if it were me, i would say this album sounds like a group of country/folk kids started to make their own rock band, if not trying to make a name for themselves, then embracing their roots. it's super cool.

fIREHOSE já é de casa.

18/09/2025 I have never heard of these guys and it feels like they were the pioneers for a lot of the music that we know today. Well done. Spotify listeners: 24.7k

Nice surprise! Cool bass!

It’s so good. Like if the Minutemen were a classic rock band. And I say that with all sincerity and positivity.

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...

Fine midwest indie rock circa 1989, very inspired and influenced by REM. Not that familiar with the Minutemen, which sired this band, but I really enjoyed this. Some of the songs seem a little unformed/unfinished but there's a strong melodic sensibility throughout. Love Mike Watt's bass playing and the guitarist also has a unique style. This made me want to listen to more of them.

Good album. I liked it. I was also impressed that it was recorded at Suma Recording Studio, right here in Northeast Ohio.

Really good. I don't think I've heard of them before. I should listen to more of them.

Alt rock, with a little folky lean

Had never heard of this group before so after enjoying my first listen, I did some reading up on them. Turns out Mike Watt and George Hurley formed the band after their bandmate D. Boon from Minutemen tragically passed away in a car crash. What a sad story that was. Anyways, this was an interesting listen. 80’s indie rock, a touch of funk here and there with their punk roots shining thru. It’s a genre bender of an album that does some really daring stuff here, we even get some jazz drumming, followed up by a folky Celtic track. It’s gritty but the musicianship on display is really tight with a wide range of flavours that works well as a cohesive album. It’s from 1989 but it still sounds fairly fresh to my ears in 2025. Really cool stuff. 4 stars

Combining folk/country licks with punk ethos and a funky bass, there’s heaps packed into half an hour here, and I’m already on a third listen by midday. Hook me up for more.

Cool record, hadn't heard it before. somehow exactly what I expected from post minutemen Mike Watt but also not at all.

One of the more coinflip albums I’ve gotten in recent memory, parts of it felt truly forgettable or middling, and other parts I really grooved with. Depending on the day, and how I’m feeling this could’ve been anywhere from a 2 to a 4, today it caught me on a good day, so it gets a 4.

Thought this was pretty good - felt it started stronger than it finished

This flies in the face of what I usually like, but lo and behold it grew on me. The back half I found a lot more listenable, and it made the experience fairly enjoyable. Time With You strikes that weird spot of a rock classic but alternative enough to stand on its own. This album gave me memories of driving to small towns as a kid to play hockey, falling asleep in the backseat while this kind of music played through a rough quality AM radio broadcast.

Este álbum se va en un respiro, lo recomiendo en una tarde donde planes beber un par de cervezas mientras esperas al atardecer, aunque cualquier bebida está perfecta.

It’s a cool album that gives classic college rock vibes. The cover of “Vastopol” was totally unexpected but nonetheless awesome.

3.75 When I saw this was basically a Minutemen extension project, I wasn’t looking forward to it, since I had the Minutemen album just last week and ended up pretty disappointed with it. But I liked this a lot more! The song writing was more complex, there was more variety in the type of music they played. Reminded me of great 80s college radio rock.

Really liked this. Definitely worth another listen

This is the most brown album I’ve heard on this list so far, and I mean that in the best way possible. IYKYK. Several of these tracks went straight to my playlist immediately, I was pleasantly surprised and I’ll be digging further into their whole discography soon.

totally unknown to me, a good discovery

Funky, stage, good.

Where's this one been hiding? Not often you come across an album you've never heard of, by a band you've never heard of, and quite like it. Some great musicianship and very listenable tracks. Definitely going on the metaphorical turntable again.

Completely out of left field. A pretty darn tidy rock record, and one I'll probably listen to a lot more. Maybe not the most musically incredible, but damn it I liked it. "The Softest Hammer" kind of sends this album out like a fart in the wind, but otherwise I think it's darn strong.

Interessante como as batidas são um pouco quebradas, me parece que os músicos estão reunidos improvisando um som. Just vibin'. Parecem estar se divertindo. Os solos de bateria são daora. Gostei. Achei legalzin e divertido!

This was such a great surprise! I misunderstood that it was the band Firehouse and delayed listening to it for a few weeks. I really liked the light punk sensibiliities and compact delivery.

Loved it. Slightly more mature and polished than Watt and Hurley's previous band, Minutemen, but still rough and garage band-esque.

Another new album for me, and a great find. The late 80's was so busy with new music and styles forming. Often things passed you by. This is a wonderful US take on English angular indie. It's sharp, and jabs away at you. Also funky as shit. Which always helps.

I’m from Ohio. I can vouch that this album captures what our state is like; quirky, fun, weird, doesn’t take long to get through. Also, Mike Watt is a phenomenal talent.

This is what im here for. A good album id never come across before. The first two songs hooked me in with their low fi attitude but good songwriting. I went off to read the wiki to discover their link to the minutemen which delighted me as they were one of my earliest and favourite discoveries a few hundred albums back. This isnt the white album but i enjoyed it immensely and will be back.

This is exceptionally well mixed and produced. In the beginning it felt like an album that would sound flat and underdeveloped, but I was pleasantly surprised by the musicianship: drums, bass, guitar, and even vocals are carved out and fit well with the total package. The music doesn’t always resonate, however it is thoughtful in its approach and easy to listen to. Worth a revisit!

This was surprisingly enjoyable. Lots of energy. Crazy good bassline. Raw punk energy.

Solid indie rock album. I never heard of this band before so i was pleasantly surprised by the guitar work on this project. Worth a listen, i will go back and listen to couple of the tracks later.

- very fun - the first half was just alright kind of boring, had a indie british feel with american folk influence - the second half was great, i felt like it really came into its own, it was more like folk rock this time - the vocals fit very well - the drums the second half were fun, creative, and fit the song very well