Greta Van Fleet - From the Fires
In November 2017, the radio airwaves (or the iPhone & Android airwaves) consisted of Post Malone, Cardi B, Nicki Manaj and Imagine Dragons to name a few. Tom Petty had been in heaven for only one month and the future of new rock n’ roll looked very, very, very, very, very, very, very bleak.
Then came a band in 2012 out of Frankenmuth, Michigan. Frankenmuth…. what a great name for a town. The perfect town for a band to be born from. Made up of four kids, 3 of whom were brothers, they called themselves Greta Van Fleet. Originally adjusted from the name of a woman they had met in their hometown, Gretna Van Fleet, the band adjusted the name with her blessing, changing the first word to “Greta”. With their new name, a new hard rock band was born.
Getting back to November of 2017, it was the month of the band’s official release, From the Fires. The album contains four songs originally released on their first album, along with four new songs, putting together what was called a “double EP”. The record was a chance for Greta Van Fleet to showcase more of their music on one record.
It is so incredibly refreshing to listen to pure rock n’ roll that was released in the year 2017. It is quite a rarity these days, even here in 2020 as I write this. From the Fires has received mixed reviews from music critics and fans. I will not wait until the end of this review to mention the elephant in the room, there is undoubtedly an element of Led Zeppelin in a few of their songs. Lead singer Josh Kiszka has been accused of resembling the voice of Zeppelin’s lead singer, Robert Plant, even by Plant himself.
I am confident this is why the band is not bigger than perhaps they should be. The album kicks off with Safari Song, just a straightly pure, knock you out rock n’ roll song. NOTHING sounds like this today. Perhaps because it had already been created by Zep themselves in the late 60s and throughout the 1970s. Either way, you must give this album a try. YOU MUST! You will appreciate the musicianship and lyrics from song to song. Track two, Edge of Darkness, is the album’s strongest. The song delivers a chorus that is incredibly addictive. “All my brothers we stand, for the peace of the land, is there meaning? I’ve got love in my heart, for army apart I am bleeding”.
I typically wash the dishes after dinner at home each night. On most evenings, the number of dishes pile up, to which I reach for my headphones to crank tunes while I wash. I have been caught at least six times by my wife and kids convulsing, shaking, banging my head and screaming the words to Edge of Darkness while I wash away, dreaming for another day when I can discover a song this good that was written after 1991. The album’s third track, Flower Power continues to impress as the Kiszka brothers, Josh, Jake and Sam and their drummer Kyle Hauck compile another song for the ages. This is a straight jam. Listening to the bass line, I begin longing for the days I played many live shows and felt adrenaline like no other. There is NOTHING that compares to playing live and hearing people scream for your songs. I can imagine Greta Van Fleet pinching themselves today as they end this song live and hear that roar.
Flower Power offers an equal amount of jammy, impressive instrumentation combined with your recognizable riff and catchy sing - along lyrics that I feel can pull in any rock n’ roll fan. The key subject here, is getting past the thought these guys ripped their sound off from Zep. From the Fires offers a taste of what rock could have been, what it used to be and what it can still become. So, if you prefer to listen to nothing that sounds like something else, well then, this album is not for you. But if you are longing for some bluesy, aggressive, heartfelt rock n’ roll unlike any other band out there today, well then this album is for you. I know it nicked me. As I was cleaning my wounds, I realized I loved this album!
Greta Van Fleet also offer some cover songs on From the Fires. A Change is Gonna Come, the album’s fourth track, was originally written by Sam Cooke. Greta gives you a rockier version with a group of female backup singers that maintain its blues and soul origin.
Highway Tune is the band’s first song that gave them notoriety. Originally released on the band’s debut EP, Black Smoke Rising, this song was one of the first tunes the band put together in 2010 when they started jamming seriously. At just over three minutes, Highway Tune gets right to the point and pulls no punches. It was Greta’s introduction to the world. An in-your-face introduction for sure. Most listeners were surprised there was a “NEW” band out there that sounded like this. Like old times!
Meet on the Ledge, another cover, was originally written by British artist, Richard Thompson who made his name on the rock circuit through most of the 1970s.
Talk on the Street and Black Smoke Rising round out this short 32-minute, 8 song album. Well, technically it is a double EP. The final song, Black Smoke Rising was also featured on their debut EP from 2017 with the same name. Black Smoke offers a taste of the band’s original sound. I think it is important to call out lead singer, Josh Kiszka’s vocal range. Hearing him sing live, he does not get any voice box help on this record. The kid can SING. Now many Zeppelin fans may complain. I spent some time watching several interviews over the last 3 years with Josh. He comes off as a legitimate lover of rock n’ roll who one day opened his mouth and out came this sound. It would be counter productive to define him as a Plant wannabe. If you dig deep into this band’s catalogue, you can find several originally written pieces that give you a true taste of originality
Choosing to add songs from their previous EP to From the Fires is interesting. The band admitted they just did not feel the album/EP was complete. So, they included some of their favorites from their previous EP to round out the album and introduce newer fans to some of their older songs. From the Fires eventually reached number 36 on the US top 200 Billboard Charts, which is a HUGE feat given the volume of “other” genres of music that have dominated the charts over the past ten years. You NEVER see any rock n’ roll bands anymore on these lists.
I encourage you to acknowledge (which you easily will) this band’s influences and listen to this album. Pick up a copy of your very own and jump aboard the train! Greta Van Fleet has the talent and the energy to carve a new path into the future of rock music.
Purchase a copy of this album, some Greta merch or one of their previous albums. You will not be disappointed!