lowFLOWs - The Columbia Anthology ('91-'93)

Featuring the two fIREHOSE albums made for Columbia Records, the Live Totem Pole EP, and various selections from obscure and unreleased works, lowFLOWs is a worthy collection of the band's early-'90s output. Having come up during the determinedly independent '80s on SST Records, where "corporate rock" was vehemently scorned, and in the wake of The Minutemen (whose leader, D. Boon, had died while resting in the back of the tour van), fIREHOSE played unapologetically raw rock 'n' roll with a touch of funk in bassist Mike Watt's adventurous play. The Columbia albums represent an advancement in sound, with the guitars providing more bite and the rhythm section becoming more defined. "Too Long," for example, uses a dynamic range the earlier trio could only have imagined. The studio material all deserves to be back in print so future generations can marvel at the precision and humor of "Powerful Hankerin'" and the dizzy beauty of "Blaze." The live material shows off the band's ability to turn anything inside out as it tackles Public Enemy ("Sophisticated Bitch"), Superchunk ("Slack M**********r"), and Blue Öyster Cult ("The Red and the Black") with insight and passion.