Firehouse - Category 5

Firehouse began their career in the music industry draped with success, off of their super hot debut album, that yielded a handful of songs that scorched up the chart because of their tight rhythms, unique vocals or deep layered sentiments. They were chosen Best New Hard Rock/Metal Band at the American Music Awards, beating out both Nirvana and Alice in Chains, two decidedly alternative groups that are blamed for the downfall of the melodic glam genre in the early 90s. By the third album, simply titled "3", like all the other outfits born from the glamming glitz of the 1980s and early 1990s, the band decided to show their love for the unplugged (and for following trends) with a completely acoustic album called "Good Acoustics" that supposedly did the ching chang thing correctly. Perhaps they were right, as it was better than most other similiar efforts, but still taking away the electric was like ripping out their backbone. The album did poorly for big label standards, since too few units were moved out the door, and Firehouse saw themselves stripped of a US deal and abandoned in the land where they made it big, so they were all but trapped in Japan, where "Category 5" was originally exclusively released.

1. Can't Stop the Pain - What can I say? I LOVE this song! A mellow, low key piece but with a great driving, yet subdued rhythm that just leaps out and grabs the listener, and all the lulls filled in with guitar acrobatics that slide around with great melodic ease. Fans of ultra melodic rock will go nuts over this track, that has one of those hooks you can hang your hat on. A perfect way to open the album, and the finest and most addictive tune to grace the entire album. One of my favorite Firehouse songs ever. "If I could dream about tomorrow, if I could dream the night away, you know there's nothing I could do, to get me over you."
2. Acid Rain - Some clunky heavy handed guitar riffs spin out with a definite modern-esque touch that fits the song in an odd sort of way. The slippery chorus is decent enough, incorporating some echoing vocals from CJ Snare and a notable clean riffing solo near the end. Cut a bit too short on the solo, but overall its not too bad.
3. Bringing Me Down - Starting out as light country influenced pop, it picks up a little with a decent bridge, and vintage vocal harmonies. This is the first song that actually feels like Firehouse, even if its a more toned down shadow of what the band once was. Some strange distortions are put on the vocals so it sounds like they are underwater, other little flourishes, including a foot stomping drum section and cute but kinda brute riffage, rounds up it as a nice little piece. "I don't know how much more I can take of you, when you put down, and you turn around every single thing that I do...does it make ya feel better??"
4. Dream - The heart that longs, is the heart that is pained the most, this sweet easy paced song is based along these lines. Of note is the dancing piano near its end. It rounds up being bitterly disappointing, for it feels like its going to wind down a path into a big bombastic explosion, but the spark fizzles out before a proper fire gets burning.
5. Get Ready - More modern than I'd like in places, but the chorus is good stuff, as is some of the guitar licks that populate the song. The main complaint is the unwieldy alternative influenced vocal delivery, distortion ridden and all, which pick up into metal wailing before the song is through.
6. If It Changes - Starting off unusually, and spiraling into strangeness, with a new twist on "...the morning after". Is it love? Is it chemistry? "Is it real or is it fantasy, if its make believe, I don't want to leave, I will stay for eternity..." The funky guitar and other sounds makes it worthwhile.
7. The Day the Week and the Weather - An interesting enough little acoustic pop ditty, that actually has more in common with country and western than it does with hard rock. Some meandering keyboards to fill out the sound are sorely needed, for without any extra frills to embellish the song, it leaves it with an unsettling hollow feeling. While it gets boring and repetitive quick, there's something about that lonesome jiggling chorus that sticks in the head and plays over and over like a broken record, however the shallowness of the song, and the fact it heads nowhere fast, leaves it being a little below average.
8. The Nights Were Young - So they were young, and this song is here to make us remember, but its too forgettable to remember for very long fondly. Feels loose and homegrown like a vintage Thin Lizzy tune, and taken as such is not bad in the end. Makes nice background music, as its pleasant enough to listen to.
9. Have Mercy - A somewhat moody track with a touch of grit, and a little stronger than what we are used to from this outfit, but it comes across as a welcome change of pace, with the psychedelic humming guitar and swirling musical backdrop. The vocals feature nice changes, almost at a whisper during the lulls then exploding into a darker pleading roughness. Those who have heard Tony Harnell's Westworld or the latest TNT album will know what to expect from this track, which is one of the best on the album.
10. I'd Do Anything - This is Firehouse? Ick, "The Day..." was country enough for my tastes, but this just goes overboard. It could easily be Lonestar or Blackhawk or something...
11. Arrow Through My Heart - Sweet enough for a nice little ballad, but it lacks the emotional punch that set their concerts ablaze with an ocean of flames flickering from lighters in the audience.