Search - Firehose :: Mr. Machinery Operator

End of something wonderful

Stanton Woods | Spanish Fork, Utah USA | 01/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mr. Machinery Operator shouldn't have been fIREHOSE's last album. I love fIREHOSE to death, and in my opinion, they can do no wrong, this album's problem was the producer... J Mascis, of Dinosaur Jr. fame. He turned wonderful songs into his own sheperd's pie. J threw in his own fuzz and feedback. There are some great high points, Blaze, Witness, and any song that Ed Crawford sings. Mike Watt should have left most of the singing duty to Ed on this disc. In all honesty, Ed was the catylst that made all fIREHOSE songs beautiful. Mike and George gave the backbone. Out of all the fIREHOSE albums, this one is my least favorite, but still is leaps and bounds ahead of all the post punk garbage out there."

Rocket fuel tank buried in my head

Stargrazer | deep in the heart of Michigan | 11/05/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album, I feel, is much maligned. Sure, the band broke up after this one. Sure Mike Watt sings some songs that Ed Crawford usually sang.



Production by J Mascis adds some extra squall and grit that I really like. For once Crawford's guitar has balls to match its agility.



What really can't be discounted though is the songs. These songs are miles beyond "Flyin' the Flannel." They careen and ricochet, erupting into clouds of feedback and just as suddenly floating gently down like the shards of exploded lightbulbs. There is an intensity to "Sincerely" and "Witness" that just isn't present on the previous album. The anger is palpable in "Hell-hole," and one of the reasons behind that anger boils over the edges of "4.29.92.""