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FIREBALLET

Symphonic Prog • United States


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Fireballet biography
Founded in North Jersey, USA in 1971 ( as "The Fireball Kids") - Disbanded in 1976

This is one of the gems from the USA progrock history. The band featured Jim Como (lead vocals, drums, percussion), Bryan Howe (Hammond - and pipe organ, celeste and vocals), Ryche Chlanda (electric - and acoustic guitars, electronic devices and vocals), Frak Petto (piano, electric piano, ARP 2600 synthesizer, Mellotron, electronic strings, Oberheim DS-2 digital sequencer and vocals) and Martyn Biling (bass, 12-string guitar, Moog Taurus bass pedals).

Their first album "Night on Bald Mountain" was released in '75 and produced by Ian McDonald (KING CRIMSON). It sounds like a very tasteful progrock stew with elements from GENESIS, GENTLE GIANT and YES. The very disappointing second LP ('76) is entitled "Two, two ... ", no surprise that it turned out to be their swansong.

The album debut-album "Night on Bald Mountain" from 1975 is a bit unknown beauty, other USA prog rock bands NETHERWORLD and LIFT got far more attention from the prog fans all over the world. The twelve compositions (including seven bonus tracks, "All Killers, No Fillers" would Greg Walker from Syn-Phonic say) contain alternating and captivating music with strong echoes from early GENESIS and also GENTLE GIANT and YES. But many twists and turns give the music an original approach, including exciting arrangements from classic composers (MUSSORGSKY and DEBUSSY). The singer sounds powerful and has a wide range, the 'vintage' keyboards are very lush with spectacular synthesizer solos and the guitar work has a beautiful, 24-carat symphonic tradition. Highlight on this splendid CD is the epic title track (almost 20 minutes): wonderful changes of climate, great breaks, impressive pipe organ (evoking "Close to the Edge" from YES) and beautiful HACKETT-like guitar work. Also worth mentioning is Ian McDonald's contribution to this album, he plays flute on two tracks and saxophone on two tracks, his sound is very distinctive. Highly recommended!

: : : Erik Neuteboom, The NETHERLANDS : : :
Fan & official Prog Archives collaborator

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FIREBALLET top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.55 | 108 ratings
Night on Bald Mountain
1975
2.73 | 45 ratings
Two, too...
1976

FIREBALLET Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

FIREBALLET Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

FIREBALLET Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

FIREBALLET Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

0.00 | 0 ratings
Desiree/Carrollon
1976
0.00 | 0 ratings
Fireballet
2008

FIREBALLET Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Night on Bald Mountain by FIREBALLET album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.55 | 108 ratings

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Night on Bald Mountain
Fireballet Symphonic Prog

Review by VianaProghead
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Review Nº 670

Fireballet was a progressive rock band that put out two studio albums in the mid of the 70's, their debut "Night On Bald Mountain" from 1975 and their second "Two, Too?" from 1976. They set themselves apart from most prog rock acts of that era, mostly simply by being from America, putting them alongside such vaulted acts as Kansas and I guess Styx too. Their music was quite British, often reminiscent of many other classic progressive rock bands from that era like Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, Van Der Graaf Generator and Emerson Lake & Palmer. I can also see some reminiscences of Nektar. And at times, Fireballet sounds to me some a weird version of Gentle Giant, replete with various time changes, counterpart keys and guitar riffs, and even some odd sound effects in the middle. However and despite they've been strongly influenced by the British progressive rock, their music also had a typical 70's American touch.

Their debut "Night On Bald Mountain" is their best release and can be counted along with Cathedral's "Stained Glass Stories", Mirthrandir's "For You The Old Women" and the first five studio albums of Kansas, as one of the most worthwhile albums of American 70's progressive rock music. The band had strong vocal harmonies and two players on keyboards. Their musicianship was also from first class, and their very complex music also demanded it to be so. Thus, you can expect on "Night On Bald Mountain" a lot of terrific organ and synth work, thanks to the two keyboardists featured in the band, along with some sax and flute, played by the guest musician and producer Ian McDonald from King Crimson, which also produced the album. All this together adds a nice extra dimension to the sound of the album.

The line up on the album is Ryche Chlanda (backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitars and electronic devices), Brian Hough (backing vocals, Hammond and other organs and keyboards), Frank Petto (backing vocals, acoustic and electric pianos, synths and Mellotron), Martyn Biglin (backing vocals, bass and 12 string guitar) and Jim Cuomo (lead and backing vocals, drums and percussion).

So, "Night On Bald Mountain" is the debut studio album of Fireballet and was released in 1975. The album has only five tracks. The first track "Les Cathédrales" is a little masterpiece in itself, featuring colourful instrumental keyboard passages and great vocals. It begins with soft keyboards and acoustic guitar and sounds like a cross between Genesis, Flash, or early Yes, until both a sax solo and electric guitar pop up, which gives the track almost a Van Der Graaf Generator's vibe. The players used a wide range of different sounds and keyboards, just like any other real symphonic progressive rock band should do. Producer Ian McDonald also played sax on this track. The second track "Centurion (Tales Of The Fireball Kids)" is less than half the length of the opener and still is equally complex and grand. Here, the band takes on an almost "electrified ELP" sound, with terrific fuzz guitar leads playing counterpoint to Keith Emerson's like "pomp" keyboards. The third track "The Fireballet" combines many classical elements. The title of the song was originally by Modest Mussorgsky, the gentleman, who also originated "Pictures At An Exhibition" of ELP. It has clear inspirations from their British models, Genesis and Yes, with sophisticated brilliance. The fourth track "Atmospheres" is basically an acoustic guitar song, with pastoral sounding piano and keys supporting a soft vocal melody, reminding me of something that may have appeared on the "Nursery Cryme" or "Foxtrot" albums of Genesis. It leads smoothly into the title track extravaganza. The fifth track is the title track "Night On Bald Mountain". This is an epic suite with nearly nineteen minute, consisting of five parts. It's an elegant, grand and wonderfully ambitious track. It's also a prog rock lover's dream. It has many twists and variations on different themes, creating a spirited roller coaster ride through the prog territory. Each musician shines in the different sections. Regardless, sax makes another short but welcome appearance on this track as well, so even a touch of Van Der Graaf Generator pops up. As I'm unfamiliar with the work of Mussorgsky, the composer of this classical track, I can't make a judgment whether Fireballet, with all their twists and turns and mood shifts and intricate arrangements, gave the song justice. All what I know is that it sounds good to me.

Conclusion: Recorded originally in the short lived "stereo-quad" format, which fortunately, is still quite playable on the stereo turntables, Fireballet puts in a credible and often ambitious performance in their debut studio album. Producer Ian McDonald comes out from behind the board to add his talents on flute and sax on a few numbers, too. As one might expect, the use of two keyboardists gives this album a heavy flavoring of Mellotron and especially Moog, and it works to great effect in conveying the sweep of the title piece. This debut album from Fireballet has one interesting and enjoyable collection of tracks, and I highly recommend it for all prog rock lovers, like me. If you like 70's symphonic progressive rock, then you needs to add this to your collection. This is a very pleasant album and never tedious, really.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

 Night on Bald Mountain by FIREBALLET album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.55 | 108 ratings

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Night on Bald Mountain
Fireballet Symphonic Prog

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Short-lived US band from New Jesrsey, performing in a Classic Prog vein in the mid-70's.They consisted of Jim Cuomo on vocals/drums, Bryan Hough and Frank Petto on keyboards, Ryche Chlanda on guitars and Martyn Biglin on bass/12-string guitars.Their debut ''Night on Bald Mountain'' was released in 1975 on Passport Records, produced by Ian McDonald of King Crimson's fame and recorded between February and April of 75' at the Broadway Recording Studios in New York.

The 10-min. opening cut ''Les Cathedrales'' sets definitely the lines of Fireballet's music.Filled with odd time signatures, complex breaks but also harmonic pieces, the track offers plenty of enjoyable moments and sounds like Steve Howe and Chris Squire of YES jamming with Tony Banks of GENESIS, delivering great bass and guitar work along with diverse keyboard and piano lines.''Centurion'', although shorter, doesn't seem to change the fate of the album.GENESIS/YES-influenced Progressive Rock with good multi-choirs and and a great energetic feeling with some full space for instrumental madness, where organ and synths are prominent.''The Fireballet'' on the other hand has some very strong YES influence, where Cuomo sound much like JON ANDERSON along with same influence on the multi-vocal parts, bass and guitars.This time ''Atmospheres'' is fully GENESIS-inspired (''Trespass'' era), a soft prog ballad with an ANTHONY PHILLIPS-like smooth guitar delivery and calm piano along with the guest appearance of Ian McDonald on flutes.The grand 19-min. epic ''Night on Bald Mountain'' was Fireballlet's approach on the classic Mussorgsky piece and of course the most ambitious composition of the album.But while this one contains some quite grandiose and ground-breaking musicianship for the time, today it sounds less fresh but certainly not dated.Fireballet kept the basic structure of the track, adding their own personality through the massive use of analog keys, mostly huge-sounding organ and synths parts along with the needed piano parts, to come up with a decent effort, characterized by a cinematic sound.A couple of moments recall the evident DEEP PURPLE influence of the band as well and the performance of Cuomo reaches some high level.

File next to other great US prog bands such as CATHEDRAL, ETHOS, BABYLON or STARCASTLE.Nice and complex Symphonic Rock with some fine arrangements and great ideas throughout, where personality is an unknown work.Warmly recommended to fans of the Classic Prog age.

 Night on Bald Mountain by FIREBALLET album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.55 | 108 ratings

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Night on Bald Mountain
Fireballet Symphonic Prog

Review by imnotfashioned

3 stars FIREBALLET - Night On Bald Mountain (3,25 / 5)

This is a rather good material, with some nice melodies (especially opening track "Les cathédrales ", that remindes me the beggining of 'Theme One' by VDGG). But only good, not essential. After hearing this I hardly remember some delighted music motifs...Musicans are rather good, but I had a strenght felling that they had a really great potential and they didn't menage to show it at all. I' ve got my two favourite numbers on this album. First, mentioned 'Les cathédrales ' with some good melody, nic piece of organ, mellotron and fluete. Final, title number of the album, is the nearly 20 minute godd example of programmed music. I want describe it, because for me it is a great mix of heared already stuff (but still quite nice). In the begining its some kind like a Gryphon/Modry Efekt light and smooth crescendo. Then we hear majestic organs (vide ELP/Wakeman), that with light vocal brings us to the end. Fireballet didn't devdeloped their own style of prog rock. As I hear in this debut album, all 5 tracksare quite. Good collages from mentioned band, but nothing more after all.

 Two, too... by FIREBALLET album cover Studio Album, 1976
2.73 | 45 ratings

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Two, too...
Fireballet Symphonic Prog

Review by teflont

4 stars First album had a lot of songs that sound like Genesis and Yes. Progressive rock fans nod happily in recognition. "Wow, Atmospheres sounds like something off Selling England By The Pound! It's not fantastic or even good really, but hey, it sounds like Genesis, and I LOVE Genesis!!". Not to mention the title track, filling that infamous role of obligatory hokey pablum Classical adaptation. No wonder prog fans ate it up by the droves - it was cack, but caressed lovingly the seemingly gilded testes of their idols. To anyone else it's yet another pat, dated artifact from the dark age of rock music. (And that's not a knock on Genesis, King Crimson or Yes... just the odd handfuls of draconian, vacant-headed collegiate admirers they were unfortunate enough to possess).

Two, Too... on the other hand is utterly bonkers by comparison. Not that it stands outside of tradition - parallels can be drawn to the Zeuhl panoply, Zappa, The Residents, Return To Forever and their ilk. The more demented groups. You might even want to draw comparisons to non-prog or even contemporary glam rockers that contributed to the eventual inauguration of new wave or punk; Sparks, Be Bop Deluxe, The Tubes, 10cc / Godley and Creme... That might be what the guy below was thinking of when he suggested that this record sounds like "some Broadway story with Fred Astaire on leading role"! I pity prog fans sometimes. Anything with the barest whiff of pop smarts gets derided as "fake prog" and "mainstream". For what it's worth I think pop often leaves less room for coloring outside the lines... the worst pop conforms stringently to these limitations, while the worst prog ignores them and normally falls flat-faced into its own icy cold stew of unchecked prevarications. For my money this record (as with most great creative pop/rock-oriented music) strikes a finely tuned balance between these ill-advised extremes.

This record thankfully got its due in 1997 when Terry Sharkie namechecked it in his Zolo Synthesis discography. (You should be able to find it on Google, with any luck.)

 Night on Bald Mountain by FIREBALLET album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.55 | 108 ratings

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Night on Bald Mountain
Fireballet Symphonic Prog

Review by codd

5 stars First time I listened Fireballet - Night on Bald Montain song was in 1977, I can remember till now. Great suite, very long, classical adaptation with vocals, keyboards and several atmospheres, one must!

This song played in one FM station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, called "Eldo pop FM", on 98.1 MHZ. This FM station worked here during the years 1973 till 1978.

The programming of this radio was the contemporary rock music from seventies,in specially not commercial and long songs, many unknown bands from all over the world, in several genres:

Heavy, progressive, folk, electronic, experimental, jazzrock.

Till now nothing in special, but the great problem for us, the listeners of the radio, was that the names of bands and songs played in the radio was not given. This was one complete mystery.

I recorded Night on Bald mountain song from the radio in one cassete tape for try to buy the record later. The FM radio finished in 1978 and the mystery continues, nobody can give me any information about the unknown song.

Four years later, in 1982, some friends of mine formed one group for discover the several unknown songs from Eldo Pop radio. It was one very difficult work in those years without computers and internet, but finally in 1983 my unknow great song got a name : Fireballet - Night on Bald Montain !

Since the discovering of the name "Fireballet" this fantastic progressive band of USA, Night on Bald Montain vinyl,released by Passport Records quickly became a must of all progressive record colletors from Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. Many vinyl itens were imported to Brazil in the past , one is in my collection since this time , where I keep with great care in one special place.

This record have another great song that also played in the programming of the Eldo Pop radio, called Les Cathedrales, I also like it very much.

Fireballet - Night on Bald Montain is a progressive masterpiece for several other reasons, first for the very creative and beautiful progressive music done in 1975, in one country like USA that had very few good prog bands till middle seventies , and second for the great musicians, very good songs and many instruments played , special notes to vocals, Hammond Organ, Mellotron, Synthesizer and piano. Very recommended for all Symphonic prog fans.

 Night on Bald Mountain by FIREBALLET album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.55 | 108 ratings

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Night on Bald Mountain
Fireballet Symphonic Prog

Review by Nightfly
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Night On Bald Mountain is the first of only two albums released by Fireballet, a prog band in the symphonic vein from the USA, but this album has more in common with the UK prog scene than the kind of bands that were coming out of America in the seventies. A five piece band, Fireballet have the benefit of two keyboard players alongside their guitar /bass/drums line up. Flute and alto sax is added by Ian Mcdonald of King Crimson fame who also produces the album, admittedly doing nothing more than an adequate job.

Five tracks in total, though a later Cd edition has the benefit of the addition of seven bonus tracks. The previously mentioned UK prog scene influence is noticeable in the Yes and in particular Genesis influences. Listen to Atmospheres twelve string guitar arpeggios and flute for a strong pastoral Genesis feel in particular. The first four shorter songs, although Les Cathedrales does reach the eleven minute mark are all worthy additions with lots pleasing instrumental interplay, particular in the duel keyboard team of Bryan Howe and Frank Petto who should please vintage Hammond, Moog and Mellotron lovers. It has to be said that the vocals are not the bands strongest point though.

Les Cathedrales makes a fine opener which after an atmospheric start turns into something that sounds a bit like Theme one by Van Der Graaf Generator in places, that is until it develops a bit of a reggae theme, thankfully short lived. It's a song of many twists and turns with some nice light and shade touches.

The undoubted album highlight though is easily the title track. At almost nineteen minutes long it's a relatively undiscovered epic and prog gem. Though there's more bombastic moments it works particularly well in the quieter parts where ethereal beauty are the keywords. Some of the backing vocals bear more than a passing resemblance to Uriah Heep and Mcdonald adds some sax flourishes. Once again though it's the keyboard work that makes it such a strong piece, with some particularly enjoyable and powerful pipe organ and Hackett-esque guitar work.

This Cd will no doubt be very hard to find these days but despite not being an outright classic lovers of seventies symphonic prog will find much to enjoy here and would be advised to grab it sharpish if lucky enough to come across a copy.

 Night on Bald Mountain by FIREBALLET album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.55 | 108 ratings

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Night on Bald Mountain
Fireballet Symphonic Prog

Review by Steven in Atlanta

3 stars Pretty enjoyable on a number of fronts once you get over the thievery at work here. Imagine a soup comprised of the early, more straightforward VDGG stuff with Trespass/Nursery Cryme-era Genesis and you come up with the first Fireballet album ... with more than a few melodies and riffs actually lifted verbatim from the aforementioned bands (plus King Crimson's The Letters within the title track). Originality? Hardly, but happily that doesn't impede too much on the classic symphonic prog workout the band dusts off.

The centerpiece, Mussorgsky's Night On Bald Mountain, is unfortunately a too-literal translation, albeit with rock instrumentation, that could have benefited from a new interpretation, particularly played by musicians of the high caliber that Fireballet certainly shows here. On the other side of the coin, Atmospheres may be the most overt Genesis-soaked track this side of Unifaun and Willowglass.

Perhaps the part of Fireballet that tickles me the most is that they're all Jersey boys, I believe. Not to insult my friends from the Garden State, but Jersey bands are just not supposed to sound like this!

 Two, too... by FIREBALLET album cover Studio Album, 1976
2.73 | 45 ratings

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Two, too...
Fireballet Symphonic Prog

Review by Tarcisio Moura
Prog Reviewer

2 stars Well, this one´s quite different from their debut Night On A Bald Mountain. The cover is simply hideous and it certainly a not good invitation to see what´s inside the album. But the content is not that bad. There are some good parts that remind their early Yes influences, but I´m not really sure what they wanted with Two, too...most of the time their music is like a soundtrack of a Broadway musical or something like that. In some parts they seem to be emulating Styx around the time (the opener Great Expectations is a good exemple). Sometimes they go prog mix with jazz and cabaret music (Chinatown Boulevard). Other tracks have a Kansas feel on it on the instrumental parts while the vocals keep a strange jazzy twist. And so on...

While their musicanship remains as strong as ever, Two, too... is a kind of transitional album, very experimental and not altogether a successful one, even if it does have its good moments. Maybe they would eventually find an interesting very own sound if they had the chance to go on. since this one was their last, we´ll probably never know what they were aiming at (if they were aiming at something at all). The result is interesting but very far away from the music they played on their debut. Be warned. My rating: something between 2 and 2,5 stars.

 Two, too... by FIREBALLET album cover Studio Album, 1976
2.73 | 45 ratings

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Two, too...
Fireballet Symphonic Prog

Review by b_olariu
Prog Reviewer

3 stars After a succesfull first album, not necesarly in sells terms but more in musical terms, the second Fireballet album entitled Two, too from 1976 is a bit of let down. They changend their symphonic prog aproach to a more mainstream , I don't know how to call it, Hollywoodian cabaret, if exist such thing, sometimes I have the impression I've listen to some Broadway story with Fred Astaire on leading role here. They almost drop that good prog elements from the first album and turned them here a more accesible way, but, there is a but, some pieces are really god, at least for me: the opening track Great expectations with a Styx feel to it , It's about time, Carrolon are good symphonic pieces, instrumental speaking, because the voice and the vocal parts are awful. A not so bad album after all, not a special one either, some moments are good with great mellotron and guitar arrangements, but the voice ruins everything. So, a 2.5 stars for this second album, but because the good moments are in more cantity than the bad ones, I will rounded up to 3. Less good than the first one, but not so bad Like many considered this album to be. My CD version is from Passport records, beside the first album from this CD, on this version remastered, the second album is all here as bonus, featuring 7 tracks, more like two in one.
 Night on Bald Mountain by FIREBALLET album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.55 | 108 ratings

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Night on Bald Mountain
Fireballet Symphonic Prog

Review by b_olariu
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Fireballet is an underrated american band from mid '70's. They released only two albums, one of them is this one entitled Night on bald mountain, this would be the first one from 1975. A pleasent surprise for me, after I saw how low rated are both albums, specially the second one. Well we not talking here about some masterpiece or something close, but a very pleasent and enjoyble album. Fireballet are influenced from the british masters like Genesis and Yes . Genesis come in mind when I'm talking about this first album and Yes. Arrangements almost like on these bands, some of them I swear are from Genesis ( Nursery cryme era or Foxtrot) ex is the piece Atmospheres, american aswer to Genesis, and Yes, specially at choruses. The music is far from being bad, but is not realy special either that some of the rewievers consider this album to be, ok is well played and has it momets, but something is missing. Symphonic prog is all over the album, but is not so consistent like other american prog albums from that period. All 5 pieces stands as good for me, one of them , the title track is over 18 min of symphonic journey, the rest are ok. So, I will give 3.5 stars, and because I'm a symphonic lover among other subgeners and above all this album is not boring I would give another half star, so 4 stars, but is less intristing and catchy than other 4 star albums that I've given here in prog archives.
Thanks to The Symphonic Team for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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