Comet | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 11, 2020 | |||
Genre | Country rock, soft rock, pop rock | |||
Length | 40:26 | |||
Label | Sunset Blvd Records | |||
Firefall chronology | ||||
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Comet is the ninth album by Firefall, released on December 11, 2020.
It is the band's first studio album since 1994, and the first to feature vocalist Gary Jones.[1]
Following Mark Andes return to Firefall in 2014, the band began work on a new album, writing individually and together. Leadoff single "Way Back When," finds Jock Bartley reminiscing about great performers of the past. He recalled, "I wrote the first verse about the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Byrds in 1965. Then, I Googled the top 100 hits of 1967 and I saw Aretha Franklin and the Rascals and all the songs. Then I did the same on the next verse for 1969 with Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Led Zeppelin."[1]
"A New Mexico" is a sequel to Firefall's 1976 song "Mexico." According to Bartley, “I kind of started thinking we need a new Mexico song kind of like ‘Mexico,’ where I can just burn, you know, as a lead guitar player.” [2] Newcomer Gary Jones, who joined Firefall in 2014, contributes "Never Be The Same," a “crushing song about the passing of his mother."[2]
Mark Andes contributes a cover of Randy California's "Nature's Way", originally released in 1971 by Andes' previous band, Spirit. A live staple since Andes' return to Firefall in 2014, the song features guest appearances from Timothy B. Schmit and John McFee.
Firefall completed recording in November 2019, but delayed the release due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The band ultimately decided to release the album in December 2020. According to Andes, "The new record is our way of staying in touch with our audience without being able to tour."[1]
Firefall
Additional personnel
Production