Jeffry Lee Pierce was at one stage the president of the Blondie fan club, then one day Debbie Harry was all like "Jeffry Lee Pierce, you should start a MOTHERFUCKING BAND". I'm paraphrasing of course, but the story was some what similar.
The Gun Club was formed not long after and started out under Blondie's wing opening their gigs and stuff like that. The band were cited as one the first bands, if not THE first band to successfully fuse blues roots with punk, in my opinion that in itself is an astonishing feat.
"Fire Of Love" is a real bad ass album that will beat you up and rape you in a deep southern swamp leaving you to wallow, whilst it runs off through a cane field, moonshine in a lidded jar, laughing a grotty toothless laugh into the night.
The lyrical content all revolves around classic blues narratives (slavery, lust, revenge, etc.), exaggerated and darkened to a black very much like dogs guts. "Jack on fire", "Sex Beat", "Fire Spirit", "Black Train" are all stand out songs on this album. Actually the entire album is timeless. The fusion of roots and punk make it impossible to pin point the era it was recorded, it is remarkably original.
Get this album or rot in hell. Lots of love, XXX.
Here is a video of The Gun Club playing at The Hacienda in 1983, the line up is different to the one that recorded Fire Of Love. "Fire Spirit" is a bad ass song. Enjoy.
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