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COMMENTS FROM FANS
I bought the album on a whim cause it looked cool. Little did I know it would be one of my all time favorites. Gave away all my cassettes a long time ago and it’s taken me forever to remember the band’s name but I remember “Fire”. Finally after all these years I remember and found this site and ordered the cd. Hope you guys are still around. Doesn’t look like there’s been a post since last year 🙁
On December 22, 1989, I turned 18 years old. My buddy Jimmy had tickets to the Warrant show at the Star Plaza in Merrillville and this was my first ever concert! The Front opened for them and I still admit to this day (to those that will listen), that The Front blew Warrant off the stage! The next day I went out to Camelot Music (showing some age there, lol) and to my surprise, the cd was available for purchase. I continue to support the Front and all of its side projects (Baker’s Pink and Michael Moon) and hope that the Front will hit the road again and be intimate in the settings it chooses. Call it a 2nd coming of a great American band and not overshadowed by the Glam/Hair bands of the late 80’s.
I bought the cassette when it first came out. I drove to community college 30 minutes away about everyday and listened to this great album in the car. Wound up playing it so much had to go buy another cassette and then finally got it on cd. Would of liked to see you live. I still listen to this album to this day. Just came across your live album-it sounds great.
I am a Huge doors fan and see alot of the tribal Morrison in MAF. Great band love both albums, this band should have gotten more recognition from the media. Rtiual is my favorite by far, definately could see Morrison siging this one.
I grew up near Lamar Mo. The bass player in The Front was Randy Jordon from Lamar. He had a band called Forces. Use to see them in the early 80’s. Later I saw Randy in The Front in Kansas City. Great band! Randy passed away after The Front broke up. Sad……….
Picked up the debut on cassette at a pawn shop when I was in college. Years later, I found the cd. Brings back good memories. Even got me to buy Fail-Safe on dvd! lol!
Love the Front!!!!!
Any chance of some reunion shows???
Would love to see you guys in Buffalo.
Your debut album remains one of the greatest finds of my CD collecting days. Like most pre-internet hunting [and because radio here is complete crap] I picked it up as one of those calculated risks based on a cool collection of song titles and the ‘look’ of the cover.
Totally blew me away on the first listen.
Sister Moon and Pain remain classics and Sunshine Girl is still one of my fav rock tracks.
Thanks for the music guys 🙂
THE FRONT ARE AWESOME!
I’m really excited about the live show nyc release.
Living in a VIOLENT VIOLENT VIOLENT WORLD!!!!!!
I will never forget the first time I heard the song “Fire”. It completely blew me away, and I have been a huge fan since, and still watch that video daily. I absolutely love your music!!
One of my very favorite groups from that era, who never made enough history, in my book, were THE FRONT, kind of a hard rockin’, doom-y, psychedelic, dance band on a major label. When I say “dance band”, I don’t mean like, Lady Gaga, or Pet Shop Boys, or whatever, it was spooky HARD ROCK, with sinister bad acid prog-rock theatrical grandeur; but, they still made this very danceable, irresistible, badass rock’n’roll. It made you want to dance, like the Rolling Stones. Their dark and foreboding album made an indelible impression on me, and my lot, in our bullet belts and love beads. It was easily as good as say, the Flaming Lips “Hear It Is”, Jane’s Addiction self-titled Triple XXX debut, or the Cult’s “Sonic Temple”, and really seems to blow away Lenny Kravitz’s first album, which were just some of the other albums we were all grooving to, at the time. Then, they seemed to just suddenly vanish. THE FRONT were really promising songwriters, able to seamlessly convey childish Syd Barrett whimsy, cryptic Jim Morrison malice, and seething Alice Cooper mania, all with a crazy beat that made the slinky sirens and young bombshells all wanna shake their hips, and share their pills. “Ritual”, “Sister Moon”, “In The Garden”, “Le Motion”, “Sunshine Girl”, “Fire”, “Violent World”, their eponymous debut spilt over with potential hits. Their record company should have done way more to promote this project. THE FRONT had a surplus of memorable, high-quality songs that still play in your mind, over and over, twenty some years, later. “Sin” is pretty close to a flawless performance, in my book. A near-perfect song. Michael and Bobby Franano, Mike Greene, Randy Jordan, and Shane Miller were a really special rock group, even back when, there were still loads of other cool bands, around. They played with real feeling, captured real human emotions, they flat-out ROCKED us. We played that orange jacketed, black vinyl record to death.
My first concert was Alice Cooper in Roanoke, Va, and you guys opened for them. You all have been my favorite band ever since!
(Translated from Japanese)
The front of the whole album is provocative and Michael’s rough voice sounds like a thrill and is impressive. Beikazupinku become, out of a wide range of thickness of the emotional tone of the band, Shine also take some of the expressive power in proportion to the voice of Michael, was a great album – and was impressed
The first time I listened to their music, late-night radio, “a Wada Makoto PURE ROCK802” was. The Violent World. Shocked that I’ve heard no sound. THE FRONT name of BURRN! I had remembered that I had gained a new high score record in the assessment. But no longer can stay even longer standing, the next day I ran to buy a CD is. FIRE and became obsessed with listening to.
Although I do have a mixi, they still occasionally encounter people who like good CD. From the dozen years since this debut, I was very happy I can still talk about their names like this. It is regrettable that I just have never seen a stage like this is their life!!
It is 10 years after his death this year in Randy. Never forget, thank you.
I first remember getting the tape in 1990 around my birthday. When I first heard it it blew me away!!! The music, vocals, and lyrics were so amazing!!! I wanted to see them in concert, but never got a chance.
It was great sharing the time with Michael, Bobby, Chris (originally) and Shane during the development & growth of The Front here in K.C. I loved being their photographer (especially at the Uptown), and I am glad to see that Mike was able to use one of the pictures that I took in the “Image Gallery”. That shot brings back a lot of memories of me & Mike sneaking into the photolab in downtown to make all the 8X10’s for him to take to New York on his quest for a recording contract. Thank you for all the great times, dancing and of course drinking too much on both our 21st Birthdays.
Another lost classic of the 80’s
The Front’s self-titled 1989 debut is another of that era’s unrecognized classics. Much like the debut albums by Kill for Thrills and Royal Court of China, the Front’s debut was noteworthy for taking a different approach to the hard rock that was so popular at the time. When the average Sunset Strip band’s influences didn’t extend too far beyond Hanoi Rocks and Van Halen, the Front obviously spent a lot of time listening to both the Cult and the Doors.
They might wear their influences on their sleeve, but it was refreshing to see a band that used something other than tighter spandex and another case of Aqua Net to stand out. And besides, you could do a lot worse than to emulate the Cult and the Doors. Singer Michael Franano’s dramatic vocal style is equal parts Ian Astbury and Jim Morrison (which pretty much means 99.9% Jim Morrison) with occasional hints of Billy Idol, and combined with his considerable songwriting skills makes the album seem more emotional, more spiritual, and just more interesting overall than the average hair metal offering. The prominent use of keys and organ helps in that respect, and reinforces the album’s Doors vibe.
Despite some early attention by MTV, the Front never really took of. This ended up being the only album they issued. The nucleus of the band would return in 1993 under the name Bakers Pink, but they didn’t fare much better than the Front did.
This is one of those albums that the precious few who know of it have come to love. Fans of quality 80’s rock would do well to seek it out.
Excellent disc. If you like The Cult, you’ll like this one. Can be picked-up dirt cheap on-line – well worth it.
Came across CD from college, remembered the great songs, have it in right now. Wondered what ever happened to The Front. Sorry it took so long to come across again, reminded me of great times.
I ONLY RECENTLY FOUND OUT ABOUT MUSIC AFTER THE FRONT. I AM SO SORRY I MISSED BAKERS PINK, AND OF COURSE MICHAEL MOON. I BOUGHT THE CD’S AND I’M ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THEIR ARRIVAL. I MET MICHAEL ON MY 20TH BIRTHDAY AFTER A CONCERT BACK IN ’90. A FRIEND TOLD HIM IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY SO HE CAME OVER, GAVE ME A KISS AND HUG, SIGNED AUTOGRAPHS, AND POSED FOR PICTURES. HE WAS AS NICE AS I HAD HOPED. IT WAS THE BEST AND MOST MEMORABLE BIRTHDAY I HAVE EVER HAD.
I picked this one up after hearing the song “Fire”. The singer has a little bit of Jim Morrison or Ian Astbury sound to his voice. As far as the music, it was different from the heavy metal that was out at this time (1989) with many of the songs being groove oriented with some heavy bass lines and not a lot of guitar soloing. If you can find this one, pick it up. There are at least eight songs that I still listen to, and I picked it up when it first came out in 1989. It will give you a taste of something different that was out there at a time when all heavy metal bands were sounding the same.
Saw “The Front” open for Bonham at the late Chestnut Caberet in Philadelphia. Awesome. Never did see “Bakers Pink” bummer ! Every song these guys did is a winner.
Personal Favorites : Truly Madly Deeply, Ritual, Sunshine Girl, Euphoria
i have turned many people on to bakers pink & the front with my dj/karaoke co. and also a cd in the jukebox at the bar i own! … dancers dig the music!!
This site is great for any fans of 2 of the bands that were truly looked over in the early 90’s. The Front and Bakers Pink were bands that played straight ahead good rock music with passion. While working at Sony Music I got to see The Front numerous times live and they put on a great show. Thanks for putting this together.