On Fyre

"On Fyre" may very well be one of the most appropriate names ever for a rock'n'roll album. The first full-length album by Boston's Lyres wasn't just incendiary -- it was a deliberate act of arson.It also provided one of those handful of musical moments (hearing "Rocket to Russia" for the first time, watching Costello's first "SNL" appearance, the first time I heard "Pet Sounds," etc.) that changed my life as a music fan -- walking into Sounds records in Manhattan's East Village on my 23rd birthday in 1984, hearing the first bashing strains of "Don't Give It Up Now" for the first time, right into the mad vibrato throbbing of "Help You Ann" ... and two songs later, the familiar "You Really Got Me" riff that opened "I'm Telling You Girl," followed by a scream and a Vox organ riff from the depths. And my jaw dropped. And I just about ran out of the store with the album. It led to many Rolling Rock-powered nights over the next decade of seeing Jeff "Monoman" Conolly and his various Lyres lineups in New York, New Haven, New London, Naugatuck, Boston and Hoboken. And between "On Fyre," my immersion into The Fleshtones, The Vipers and the Hoodoo Gurus shortly after, and of course the "Pebbles" comps, I was about 90 percent on my way to being a garagehead.The original Ace of Hearts release was way too short, with just 10 songs. But they were the right songs, including two real Kinks kovers (a sweet "Love Me 'Til the Sun Shines" and a slowed-down, wring-it-out "Tired of Waiting") and the garage equivalent of "Splish Splash" -- the squeaky-clean yet soulful grind of "Soapy."The aces 1998 Matador reissue includes 10 more doses of whipped cream w/cherry on top: "I Really Want You Right Now," another throbber only released on the import New Rose version of the LP; five previously unreleased studio cuts (the best being longtime Lyres staples "Never Met a Girl Like You" and "Swing Shift"), and, best of all, the four songs (if you had the import version) from their 1985 12-inch single. Two of their best tunes came off this single: the wind-it-up-and-let-it-rip "Someone Who'll Treat you Right Now" and especially the bashing, crashing, unrelentless, full-on sound of "She Pays the Rent" (much better than the ensuing dragged-out version that appeared on their next album, "Lyres Lyres").It's amazing that, 21 years later, it's held up so well (better than many of the fans from back then who swear by it). It's the type of album that if a contemporary radio station just plucked it out of nowhere and decided to play it (dream on), it would get dozens of calls wondering "What the hell was THAT?!?" and "Where can I get it?" The garage tribe, just like the rock'n'roll world in general, is full of hot stove league arguments over how good this record or that record truly is. Among garage fiends, there's no argument about "On Fyre." It was one of the best albums, period, and even more so with all the goodies added for the Matador re-release.

After gaining attention with their debut EP, AHS 1005, and the transcendent follow-up single “Help You Ann,” Boston’s Lyres released their first full-length album. The focus remained resolutely on catchy, stripped-down garage rock, with just a hint of psych in the tremelo guitar and whining organ tone. Singer, vocalist and organist Jeff “Monoman” Conolly wrote just as good as he borrowed, with his new songs that intertwining easily with choice covers of the New Colony Six, Kinks, Mickey and the Clean Cuts, and Pete Best’s post-Beatles “The Way I Feel About You.” Richard Harte’s production gives the instruments fidelity and definition without forsaking the band’s garage roots, and Conolly’s voice found its spot in the mix.Rick Coraccio’s bass is more of a throb than a rhythm, which leaves drummer Paul Murphy plenty of room for his snare and cymbals. Guitarist Danny McCormack offers up economical guitar solos that make the most of his Dynalectron’s unusual tone, and Conolly’s organ lurks behind most of the songs with high-pitched notes. Best of all, the music is relentless in its danceable rock ‘n’ roll grooves, and Conolly proves himself a tireless frontman. It was hard to top the wicked guitar riff of “Help You Ann,” but the chorus of the opening “Don’t Give It Up Now” is nearly as hypnotic.The album has been reissued several times with varying bonuses. The original U.S. vinyl had ten tracks, augmented on the promo by “I Really Want You Right Now.” The French New Rose label issued a vinyl LP that added eight bonuses (four from the AHS 1005 EP, three from the “Someone Who'll Treat You Right Now” EP and a cover of Pete Best’s “I’ll Try Anyway”). Matador issued a CD that added nine bonuses (five session tracks, three from the “Someone Who'll Treat You Right Now” EP and the Pete Best cover). And here, Ace of Hearts (in conjunction with Munster) includes only the five bonus session tracks offered on the Matador release.The session tracks include covers of the Kinks (“Never Met a Girl Like You”), Wailers (“Swing Shift”) and Roy Lee Johnson (“Busy Body”) by way of the Jolly Green Giants. The two originals, “How Could Have I Done All These Things” and “Trying Just to Please With You” are solid rockers, and fit the general vibe of the album. For collectors who’ve picked up AHS 1005 separately, the out-of-print Matador CD provides the best coverage; but if you can’t find that, this Ace of Hearts / Munster reissue is the ticket. And if you can’t find either for sale here, try direct from Ace of Hearts Records. [©2019 Hyperbolium]