If'n

Last updated
If'n
Ifn Firehose Album cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 4, 1987 [1]
RecordedSeptember–October 1987; Radio Tokyo, Venice, California [1]
Genre Alternative rock
Label SST (115)
Producer Ethan James, Mike Watt
Firehose chronology
Ragin', Full On
(1986)
If'n
(1987)
Fromohio
(1989)

If'n is the second album by the American alternative rock band fIREHOSE, released in 1987.

Contents

The album name is a reference to the Bob Dylan song "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan . [2] The left side of the album cover has a picture of Hüsker Dü, friends of the band and labelmates at SST Records. [3]

"For the Singer of R.E.M." was a tribute to the alternative rock band R.E.M., who had invited Firehose's predecessor Minutemen to join them on the tour to support the 1985 album Fables of the Reconstruction . [4] When Minutemen singer D Boon died in a car crash shortly after the tour, R.E.M. organized a benefit concert for Boon's family and remained friendly with Minutemen Mike Watt and George Hurley, who would go on to form Firehose with singer/guitarist Ed Crawford.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [5]
Robert Christgau B [6]

Critical reviews of If'n were mostly positive, describing the album as more focused than Firehose's debut. Robert Christgau said the band "sound more like a regular rock band" on this album. [6] A review in Spin said "If'n realizes the promise of their auspicious debut, Ragin', Full On , and ups the ante, proving once and for all that these dudes live in the shadow of no one." [7]

Track listing

  1. "Sometimes"
  2. "Hear Me"
  3. "Honey, Please"
  4. "Backroads"
  5. "From One Cums One"
  6. "Making the Freeway"
  7. "Anger"
  8. "For the Singer of R.E.M."
  9. "Operation Solitare"
  10. "Windmilling"
  11. "Me & You, Remembering"
  12. "In Memory of Elizabeth Cotten"
  13. "Soon"
  14. "Thunder Child"

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Watt</span> American musician

Michael David Watt is an American bassist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded and played bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen (1980–1985), Dos (1985–present), and Firehose (1986–1994). He began a solo career with the 1994 album Ball-Hog or Tugboat?, he has since released three additional solo albums, most recently in 2010 with Hyphenated-man. He is also the frontman for the supergroup Big Walnuts Yonder (2008–present), a member of the art rock group Banyan (1997–present) and is involved with several other musical projects. From 2003 until 2013, he was the bass guitarist for The Stooges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firehose (band)</span> American alternative rock band

Firehose was an American alternative rock band consisting of Mike Watt, Ed Crawford, and George Hurley (drums). They were initially active from 1986 to 1994, and briefly reunited in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. Boon</span> American guitarist and singer (1958–1985)

Dennes Dale Boon was an American musician, best known as the guitarist, singer and songwriter of the punk rock trio Minutemen. He was born on April 1, 1958, in San Pedro, California, and formed Minutemen in 1980 with bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley. Minutemen were known for their politically-charged lyrics and energetic, fast-paced music, and they released several influential records during their career. Boon died in an automobile accident on December 22, 1985, at the age of 27. Despite his early death, Boon's contributions to punk rock and independent music have been widely-recognized. He is remembered as an important figure in the history of these genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Hurley</span> Drummer from America

George Hurley is a drummer noted for his work with Minutemen and fIREHOSE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subterranean Homesick Blues</span> Bob Dylan song

"Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 14, 1965, and released as a single by Columbia Records, catalogue number 43242, on March 8. It was the lead track on the album Bringing It All Back Home, released some two weeks later. It was Dylan's first Top 40 hit in the United States, peaking at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also entered the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. The song has subsequently been reissued on numerous compilations, the first being the 1967 singles compilation Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits. One of Dylan's first electric recordings, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is also notable for its innovative music video, which first appeared in D. A. Pennebaker's documentary Dont Look Back. An acoustic version of the song, recorded the day before the single, was released on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 1961–1991.

<i>Double Nickels on the Dime</i> 1984 album by the Minutemen

Double Nickels on the Dime is the third album by American punk trio Minutemen, released on the California independent record label SST Records in 1984. A double album containing 45 songs, Double Nickels on the Dime combines elements of punk rock, funk, country, spoken word and jazz, and references a variety of themes, from the Vietnam War and racism in America, to working-class experience and linguistics.

<i>Paranoid Time</i> 1980 EP by Minutemen

Paranoid Time is the debut EP by American hardcore punk band Minutemen. It is also the second ever release by the SST record label, founded by Black Flag's Greg Ginn and Chuck Dukowski. The album cover is a drawing by the American artist Raymond Pettibon.

<i>What Makes a Man Start Fires?</i> 1983 studio album by Minutemen

What Makes a Man Start Fires? is the second studio album and fifth release by American punk rock band Minutemen.

<i>Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat</i> 1983 EP by Minutemen

Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat is the sixth overall release from American hardcore punk band Minutemen. It was released by SST Records in 1983. It is noted for featuring tracks with greater depth and more conventional song structure than on the band's previous releases.

<i>Ballot Result</i> 1987 live album by Minutemen

"Ballot Result" is a posthumous live album by Minutemen.

<i>The Way Things Work</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Unknown Instructors

The Way Things Work is the debut album by American improvisational band Unknown Instructors, featuring Mike Watt, George Hurley, Joe Baiza, Jack Brewer, and poet Dan McGuire.

<i>Contemplating the Engine Room</i> 1997 studio album by Mike Watt

Contemplating the Engine Room is a punk rock opera by Minutemen veteran Mike Watt. Released in 1997, the album is a punk rock song cycle that uses navy life as an extended metaphor for both Watt's family history and his first band, the Minutemen. The album was critically well-received, though not universally. The cover art features a picture of Watt's father in his Navy uniform.

<i>Flyin the Flannel</i> 1991 studio album by Firehose

Flyin' the Flannel is the fourth album by the American alternative rock band Firehose. It was released in 1991, and was the band's first album after signing with the major label Columbia Records.

<i>Project Mersh</i> 1985 EP by The Minutemen

Project: Mersh is the final extended play, or EP release from the American punk rock trio Minutemen. It is their penultimate release, before D. Boon's death later that year in an auto accident.

<i>Ragin, Full-On</i> 1986 studio album by fIREHOSE

Ragin', Full-On is the first album by American alternative rock band fIREHOSE. It was released after the breakup of the influential punk rock band Minutemen due to the death of the guitarist D. Boon. Like all fIREHOSE albums, Ragin', Full-On is dedicated to Boon.

Charles Edward Crawford, known as ed fROMOHIO, is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for Firehose, an alternative rock band he formed in 1986 with former Minutemen members Mike Watt and George Hurley (drums).

<i>Fromohio</i> 1989 studio album by Firehose

Fromohio is the third album by the American alternative rock band Firehose, released in 1989. The album maintained the acoustic and folky sound of If'n.

<i>Mr. Machinery Operator</i> 1993 studio album by Firehose

Mr. Machinery Operator is the fifth and final studio album by the American alternative rock band Firehose. It is also their second album to be released on the major label, Columbia Records.

<i>Live Totem Pole</i> 1992 EP by Firehose

Live Totem Pole is a live EP released in 1992 by Firehose. It consists of seven tracks, five of which are cover versions. The cover of Blue Öyster Cult's "The Red and the Black" had been recorded by Minutemen and released on 3-Way Tie .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minutemen (band)</span> American punk rock band

Minutemen were an American punk rock band formed in San Pedro, California, in 1980. Composed of guitarist/vocalist D. Boon, bassist/vocalist Mike Watt, and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in 1985; the band broke up shortly thereafter. They were noted in the California punk community for a philosophy of "jamming econo"—a sense of thriftiness reflected in their touring and short, tight songs as well as their eclectic style drawing on hardcore punk, funk, jazz, and other sources.

References

  1. 1 2 "fIREHOSE - If'n". Discogs . Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  2. "MIKE WATT INTERVIEW". varmintcong.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  3. Adams, Ryan (November 6, 2017). "Ryan Adams: Husker Du left a map for me". KCMP . Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  4. Robert Dean Lurie (2019). Begin the Begin: R.E.M.'s Early Years. Verse Chorus Press
  5. If'n at AllMusic
  6. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "Firehose: If'n" . Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  7. Dougan, John (April 1988). "Firehose - If'n". Spin . 4 (1): 21. Retrieved May 7, 2019.