Fire Town “The Good Life”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#417 in the Series) is Fire Town, The Good Life

It’s funny how you can really like an album, then over time completely forget about. Then all of a sudden, you see something catches your eye or you run across it in your collection and you jump up and it all comes back to you, and you wonder why you ever let it get away.  For me, Fire Town, The Good LIfe is the perfect example of that. I really liked this release and then.. it was gone for years, but now it’s back.

So who is Fire Town? Were you a fan of this great pop act back in the late 80s? If you had the opportunity to hear this you would have been. Of course, radio didn’t give it its due.

Fire Town was from Madison, Wisconsin.  I lived in Appleton, Wisconsin for a couple years in the mid-80s. I used to see a band called Spooner all the time.  Thru time, Spooner would eventually evolve into Fire Town.

Fire Town was Phil Davis on guitar and vocals, Doug Erikson also on guitar and vocals, Rick Ford on bass and Butch Vig on drums. Butch Vig, Butch Vig, Butch Vig… I’ve heard that name, I’ve heard that name. Yeah, you heard. He became a big time producer. He produced Nirvana’s Nevermind classic and also co-produced The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream. Erickson and Vig were the members that were in Spooner.

The Spooner to Fire Town progression didn’t stop there. Erickson and Vig then would join with guitarist Steve Marker and Scottish Vocalist Shirley Manson to form Garbage. They would sell 12 million albums in their career.  Not too shabby.

Fire Town had a great pop rock sound, not power pop but a not too far away either.  I remember Robbie Robertson once discussing why he liked The BoDeans and would eventually have them play on his first solo album. He said that he liked them because “They sounded like a band that would all walk up together to their mics and sing the harmonies. “  You could say the same thing about Fire Town.

You can still find this album on the download sites like our friends at MOG.com. Give it a listen.

— Larry Carta 

Track Listing

1. The Good Life 4:48
2. Miles Away 4:27
3. Turn to Me 4:48
4. She Reminds Me of You 3:26
5. Reindeer Moon 4:16
6. Where the Shadows Fall 3:57
7. Under Your Spell 4:12
8. I Could Be the One 3:50
9. I Don’t Want to Lose You 4:08
10. Sounds Like Thunder 4:18

Personnel

• Phil Davis  Guittar, Vocals
• Doug Erikson  Guitar, Vocals
• Rick Ford Bass
• Michael Frondell  Producer
• Kasim Sulton Bass
• Butch Vig Drums, Percussion, Vocals