Rocktrospectiva: The Succesful "FireHouse" Turns 35

Released on 20 August 1990 "Firehouse" was the debut album by US glam metal band FireHouse. It was the album that launched the group into stardom. The record was certified double platinum in the United States and gold in Canada, Japan and Singapore and spawned four singles "Shake & Tumble", "Don't Treat Me Bad", "All She Wrote", and the band's signature power ballad, "Love of a Lifetime". 

 

Curiously, FireHouse was the only glam/hair metal band emerged at the of the 80's early 90's capable to resist the alternative/grunge music avalanche, it was a hard time for genre and one of the most devastating in rock history, when hard rock bands especially those heavily influenced by the L.A. scene, belive it or not, it happened. 

 

FireHouse emerged mid 80's in South Carolina from the fusion of White Heat and Maxx Warrior, from the first, they got guitarist Bill Leverty and drummer Michael Foster, both seeking new members and then one night they found the late C.J. Snare on vocals and finally the bassist Perry Richardson, by 1988 the band moved to state capital managed to make a career far from L.A.'s heat managed Michael Caplan from Epic attended a show of their band in New York and managed a contract.  

 

Basically the sound of their debut album look toward the previous scene before "Appetite From Destruction" than later, taking about terms of sleazy rock than hair metal, even thought the band embraced a sintetic sort of hair metal, this was a key element, managed to released four singles from the hard "Shake & Tumble" the band achieved nothing, but then, the funny and vibe "Don't Treat Me Bad" peaked at 19 on Billboard Hot 100, the paved the way for their biggest hit, a power and cheesy ballad "Love Of A Lifetime" and then into the massive stardom, peaked at No. 5, the band nailed on this, another single was ready "All She Wrote" a heavy tue that peaked at No. 58, but the giant was already released and ready to take the world, the band managed to sell 2 millions copies in the USA and peaked the charts in Japan, Canada and Singapore managed to sell 3 millions copies worldwide. 

 

Believe it or not, the band defeated Nirvana and Alice In Chains in the American Music Awards in 1992 under the category of best new heavy metal/hard rock band, see the irony on this. despite the album is charged of clichés, they were good musicians capable to compose and write hits in a time in which the whole scene were against them, remember they were like the dinosaurs from another era that refuse to extinct, even tought they managed to survive and build a career keeping their sound in the years to come. 

 

FireHouse Track List: 

 

1. Rock On The Radio

2. All She Wrote

3. Shake & Tumble

4. Don't Treat Me Bad

5. Oughta Be A Law

6. Lover's Lane

7. Home Is Where The Heart Is

8. Don't Walk Away

9. Seasons Of Change

10. Overnight Sensation 

11. Love Of A Lifetime

12. Helpless