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1976
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"...Sold On You..."
Hailing from Boulder in
Colorado (formed in 1973, debuted in 1976) - the 5-piece FIREFALL rode the
shirttails of soft Country-Rock blazed by bands like America and The Eagles in
the preceding five years. Firefall featured members of The Flying Burrito
Brothers (Singer Rick Roberts and Drummer Mike Clarke), Mark Andes of Spirit,
Jo Jo Gunne and later Heart - and two great axemen in Larry Burnett and Jock Bartley.
Mick Clarke has also played in The Byrds. They certainly had the players and
musical history to pull it off.
The three albums on this
amazing sounding 2CD Beat Goes On Reissue were originally released on Atlantic
Records and sound like the less snotty brother of Jo Jo Gunne - a milder
Crosby, Stills & Nash but not quite as good as Manassas or other obvious
bands of that ilk. Now considered 'yacht rock' – when Firefall were good they
made a very pleasurable racket indeed. Here are the harmonious details...
UK released Friday, 29 April
2016 (May 2016 in the USA) – "Firefall/Luna Sea/Elan" by FIREFALL on
Beat Goes On BGO 1234 (Barcode 5017261212344) offers 3LPs Remastered from
Original Master Tapes onto 2CDs and plays out as follows:
Disc 1 (60:35 minutes):
1. It Doesn't Matter
2. Love Isn't All
3. Livin' Ain't Livin'
4. No Way Out
5. Dolphin's Lullaby
6. Cinderella [Side 2]
7. Sad Ol' Love Song
8. You Are The Woman
9. Mexico
10. Do What You Want
Tracks 1 to 10 are their
debut album "Firefall" – released April 1976 in the USA on Atlantic
SD 18174 and in the UK on Atlantic K 50260. It peaked at No. 28 on the US
charts in early May 1976 (didn’t chart UK).
Tracks 2, 4, 6, 7 and 10
written by Larry Burnett – Tracks 3, 5, 8 and 9 written by Rick Roberts
"It Doesn't Matter"
is a Stephen Stills and Manassas cover version (written by Stephen Stills and
Chris Hillman).
11. So Long
12. Just Remember I Love You
13. Sold On You
14. Someday Soon
15. Just Think
Tracks 11 to 15 are Side 1
of their 2nd LP "Luna Sea" – released August 1977 in the USA on
Atlantic SD 19101 and in the UK on Atlantic K 50355.
Disc 2 (58:48 minutes):
1. Getaway
2. Only A Fool
3. Head On Home
4. Piece Of Paper
5. Even Steven
Tracks 1 to 5 are Side 2 of
their 2nd LP "Luna Sea" – released August 1977 in the USA on Atlantic
SD 19101 and in the UK on Atlantic K 50355. Rick Roberts wrote Tracks 11, 12
and 14 on Disc 1 and 2 on Disc 2. It peaked at No. 27 on the US LP charts
(didn’t chart UK).
Larry Burnett wrote Track 13
on Disc 1 and Tracks 1, 3 and 4 on Disc 2. Track 5 on Disc 1 co-written between
Roberts and Burnett
Track 15 written by
Firefall.
6. Strange Way
7. Sweet And Sour
8. Wrong Side Of Town
9. Count Your Blessings
10. Get You Back
11. Anymore [Side 2]
12. Baby
13. Goodbye, I Love You
14. Sweet Ann
15. Winds Of Change
Tracks 6 to 15 are their 3rd
album “Elan” – released October 1978 in the USA on Atlantic SD 19183 and in the
UK on Atlantic K 50494. It peaked at No. 27 on the US LP charts (didn’t chart
UK).
Tracks 6, 9, 11, 13, 14 and
15 written by Rick Roberts – Tracks 8, 10 and 12 written by Larry Burnett.
Track 7 is a co-write with
Jock Bartley and Rick Roberts – track 11 a co-write between Mark Andes and Rick
Roberts.
As you can see from the
notes above beneath the track lists – Firefall featured two hugely prolific
songwriters – Rick Roberts and Larry Burnett. Roberts had in fact released two
solo LPs before forming Firefall in 1973 - 1972's "Windmills" on A&M
SP-4372 and 1973's "She Is A Song" on A&M SP-4404. The first LP
famously featured a ludicrously stacked set of musicians – Jackson Browne,
Henley, Meisner and Leadon of The Eagles, David Crosby, Marc Benno and members
of Stephen Still's Manassas (oddly neither LP charted). Guitarist Burnett is
still active – releasing CD albums "Confidence Game" in 2004 and
"Guitar & Vocals" in 2009. Also prominent across all three albums
is Jock Bartley – a guitarist who'd toured with Gram Parson and The Fallen
Angels and replaced Tommy Bolin in Zephyr. His wicked slide can be heard to
great effect on "Sold On You" where he's aided and abetted by
keyboard player David Muse giving it some great Harmonica warbles. Timothy B.
Schmidt gets an early look in before he joined The Eagles providing backing
vocals on "Just Remember I Love You" on the "Luna Sea"
album. The Memphis Horns provide Brass backing for that whole record too. The
Manassas percussionist Joe Lala guests on the "Elan" album - while
Steve Forman shakes various tambourines alongside Lala on the same LP. Joe
Mason produced the first two platters with number three handled by the equally
legendary helmsman Tom Dowd – so production values are top notch on all –
something the remaster from original tapes makes the absolute most of.
As always with BGO releases
there’s an outer card slipcase lending the release a classy feel (the cover art
is the three albums centred against a plain blue backdrop – I say this because
there appears to be another sleeve which uses the artwork of "Luna
Sea" as its backdrop). The 24-page booklet is substantial – full album
credits, lyrics to all three LPs, artwork, band photos and new liner notes from
noted writer JOHN TOBLER that reference the complicated musical history of the
band members (Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram
Parsons Fallen Angels and more). But the big news is new 2016 ANDREW THOMPSON
High Res Remasters from Original Tapes – and man does it show. The Audio
Quality on these babies rocks – clear, warm, all the instruments filling your
room with clarity. A top job done...
Back in 2009 Rhino Europe
featured Firefall's accomplished cover of the Stephen Stills Manassas song
"It Doesn't Matter" as part of Volume 1 of their "California
Groove" series of 4CD reissues. Not surprising really – the guitars are
great and the production beautiful (Atlantic UK issued it as an A-side on K
10798 in July 1976 – their first 45 in Britain). "Love Isn't All" is
a little too lightweight with its whiny vocal and flute passages – things buck
up with the acoustic jaunt of "Livin' Ain't Lovin'" – a very
radio-friendly tune complete with a tasteful Saxophone solo. Funky Rock fiends
will dig the boogie of "No Way Out" – the boys allowed to rock it out
with the slides. The poppy but irritating "You Are The Woman" was the
2nd UK 45 on Atlantic K 10814 in August 1976 and not surprisingly didn’t chart.
Better was "Cinderella" b/w "Dolphin's Ballad" in October
1976 on Atlantic K 10853 – a hooky 'god damn' melody with nice harmonica and
mood changes. The band gets a bit Outlaws with the finisher "Do What You
Want" – again showcasing great guitar playing bolstered up with funky
brass fills.
The second LP "Luna
Sea" is the best of the bunch in my opinion. "So Long" and
"Just Remember I Love You" are very Eagles territory and I'm a sucker
for that fab Bartley guitar work on the rocker "Sold On You" –
sounding utterly amazing here. Some very nice orchestration on the 'steal away'
song "Someday Soon" while the boys discover their inner Marshall Tucker
Band with "Just Think" and rock to that chugging riffage. More slide
and sax underpin "Getaway" where "Only A Fool" sounds
closest to the Eagles circa "One Of These Nights" (beautifully
produced too). Like a jaunty Joe Walsh song circa the "...But Seriously
Folks" album - "Head On Home" bops along with great slide (the
playing sounding not unlike England's Bryn Haworth circa 1978's "Grand
Arrival" on A&M Records). Time for the inevitable 'she done me wrong'
ballad – "Piece Of Paper" and back to the upbeat melodic rock of
"Even Steven".
"Elan" had Tom
Dowd at the production helm and you can hear his skill in the Crosby, Stills
& Nash acoustic bop of "Sweet And Sour" – a lovely listen. Larry
Burnett put up the jaunty harmonica boogie of "Wrong Side Of Town" –
a great builder with clever lyrics and a beautiful remaster transfer. Burnett
lets the guitars rip for the Jo Jo Gunne-sounding "Get You Back"
where he's determined to rectify a mistake and win his lady back. Rick Roberts
and Mark Andes co-wrote "Anymore" – a plucky little funk-rock number
about walking the line and not falling off again. "Baby" is the
ballad (ala America) and it's a little too saccharine and produced for my
palette. Yacht Rock fans however will get droopy for "Goodbye I Love
You" while the band finishes proceedings with the excellent rocker
"Winds Of Change".
Not as musically memorable
as America or The Eagles – but on the evidence presented here - Firefall
clearly had their equally melodic moments. And fans will love the Remasters and
quality presentation. Another tasty BGO reissue...
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