Review Summary: The Gun Club's "Fire of Love" is an eclectic masterpiece who's roots are seated in Delta blues, early country and punk rock. Guitarist and lead singer Jeffrey Lee Pierce's lyrical orgy as well as the combination of multiple decades of influence have made
Over 50 years separate Charley Patton and Jeffrey Lee Pierce's hey-days, however, the stretch isn't as irrelevant as you'd think. Patton, most notably known for his sophisticated guitar work that helped birth Delta blues, had a subtle yet apparent part in The Gun Club's "Fire of Love." Pierce's youth in Texas not only gave him the raw edge to produce such a powerful record but enlightened him in ways that Joey Ramone and Joe Strummer could hardly touch on. Pierce's immersion in southern blues and even country music made "Fire of Love" not only the most promiscuous punk record of the 80s, but the most dangerous (and eventually the most influential). It's strange to think of the combination of modern country music and punk rock, however due to raunchy, demonic lyrics and Pierce's own psychotic sex-driven genius, the genres meshed quite uniquely. Some may look at "Fire of Love" as an anarchistic ***-fest that pays homage to no one but Pierce's testosterone. In my eyes, Pierce set his sights on creating a record that welded past and present in an honest, well-rounded fashion. Listeners are convinced of the record's passion after just the first track. "Sex Beat" stands as one of 80s punk rocks most enticing album openers. Not only is the track lyrically sound for an opener, but the composition sets the tone for an unrelenting ambush of true punk rock bashing. The album as a whole seems to go through cycles of mania and regurgitated depression while still keeping the musical theme. Although Pierce may be considered a hopeless romantic of exponential proportion, this underlying sadness not only ties the record together lyrically, but provides the listener with a relatable emotional aspect. Pierce's assertiveness and confidence on tracks such as "Jack on Fire" and "Preaching the Blues" (a Robert Johnson cover) are a testament to his often underrated vocal strength. One of the more approachable tracks on the record, "She's Like Heroin to Me," builds to a raw crescendo that evokes feelings of dance on the listener, as well as a feeling of ephemeral immortality.
It's doubtful Pierce planned on creating a record that touched the listener on so many eclectic musical levels, but the final product obviously speaks to punk enthusiasts and general music elitists alike. It seems that honesty and passion payed off for The Gun Club despite criticisms that the album was too closed-minded and impersonal. After a few thorough listens to "Fire of Love," one undoubtedly recognizes the spirit and promise of Pierce's lyrical prowess, but also recognizes the immediacy and eventual downfall of Pierce and The Gun Club. Insanity, powered by creativity gave The Gun Club an underground notoriety not to be outdone by their more memorable reworking of blues, country and punk rock. However loved or hated, The Gun Club's "Fire of Love" left a noticeable stain on the carpet of the early 1980s that even Charley Patton would have cherished.
