So why is Voodoo Glow Skulls’ Firme on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I’ve always thought of Voodoo Glow Skulls’ brand of intense and manic ska punk as exquisitely controlled chaos.
And while Voodoo Glow Skulls has had a prolific and incredible career, that exquisitely controlled chaos gets delivered in its most distilled and electric form on their first two albums (Firme from 1995, and Who Is, This Is?, their debut album from 1994).
During the lengthy research phase for what turned into this here best 1,000 albums ever project, I jotted down the following about “Shoot the Moon,” the album’s opener.
I’ve heard this album a million times and I’m listening to “Shoot the Moon” and I just want to start moving.
The same sentiment goes for Voodoo Glow Skulls’ music as a whole, and to this day their kinetic brand of ska punk (which I’ve also called “barrio ska-core) remains a mainstay of my workout playlists or if I just need music that amps up the energy level a lot and fast.
And beyond the madcap onslaught of guitars, drum, bass, and vocals (from gruff and tumble-voiced Frank Casillas), it’s always critical to note that Voodoo Glow Skulls boast one of the absolute best horn sections in the biz.
Songs such as “Fat Randy” and “Method To This Method” are VGS classics. If anything about this style of music appeals to you, I defy you to listen to these tracks and not be all in.
Voodoo Glow Skulls will often intersperse Spanish language songs into the mix (in addition to releasing complete Spanish language versions of albums), and “El Coo Cooi” is a great up tempo ska punk ride.
VGS also usually slips in an unexpected cover song into their albums, typically in the final track slot. On Firme, it’s the third track and takes the form of the old school “Charlie Brown,” from The Coasters – it’s simply super upbeat, raucous fun.
Some stats & info about Voodoo Glow Skulls – Firme
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Punk Rock, Ska Punk, Third Wave Ska Revival, Rock Music, High Octane, SoCal Bands
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 2 out of 5 stars (!?)
- When was Firme released? 1995
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #268 out of 1,000
Voodoo Glow Skulls’ Firme on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Voodoo Glow Skulls’ Firme that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
Let’s shoot the moon.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.