As requested , here’s the hard to find, out print 5-CD Box Set “The Early Days Of Bonfire“, remastered and released by the band themselves including the 3 pre-Bonfire albums when they were called Cacumen, guitarist Hans Ziller band EZ Livin’ debut album ‘After The Fire’, and Lessmann / Ziller project EP, all with bonus tracks.
Released by LZ Records (Lessmann / Ziller), the 5-disc Box Set made available for the first time on CD these early Cacumen LP’s. With a style quite similar to Scorpions, Cacumen cemented a cult status in mid-Europe with its brand of classic hard rock, guitar driven music.
Of special interest are the very early Cacumen, limited edition vinyl single “Riding Away” with its B-side, a previously unreleased demo, more ’83/’84 B-sides and live recordings from the era.
Disc 4 is the first album from EZ Livin’ properly titled “After The Fire”, as this is the band original guitarist Hans Ziller formed after leaving Bonfire in 1989 (in good terms).
EZ Livin’ was pure late ’80s hard rock with a strong European sound, chock full of crunching guitars, anthemic choruses, and killer melodies. ‘Body Talk’ is one of the best examples of the rocking delivery of this album, while if you look for some Bonfire-ish tune ‘Taste My Sweet Love’ is just a crank-it-up feel-good song.
For years out of print, EZ Livin’ “After The Fire” is served here with 4 previously unreleased tracks.
Disc 5 is the Lessmann / Ziller album, “Glaub Dran”, songs recorded by the duo – the core of Bonfire’s music – all over the years and finished / completed for this release. While many of the songs are sung in German language, it doesn’t distract from the quality on offer here.
It’s all classic melodic rock, hard rock in the traditional Bonfire style from the late ’80s, and some songs are real gems, very well recorded and produced. This reissue adds a bunch (11!) of professionally recorded demos worth of listening.
“The Early Days Of Bonfire” is a collectors piece, all albums / tracks have been digitally remastered Lessmann / Ziller and feature previously unreleased songs.
HIGHLY Recommended
Cacumen – Cacumen (1981) remastered +3
01 – Berlin Girls
02 – Queen of the Town
03 – No Reason to Fight
04 – Long Way
05 – You Are Near
06 – Magic Spell
07 – Lovesong
08 – Riding Away
09 – On the Rocks
10 – Riding Away (’79 single version) [Bonus track]
11 – Wintertale [Bonus track]
12 – On the Rocks (Demo) [Bonus track]
Cacumen – Down To Hell (1983) remastered +2
01 – Ain’t Got No Woman
02 – Bad Widow
03 – Games of Loneliness
04 – Broken Man
05 – Too Old to Rock
06 – You Are My Destiny
07 – Tonight
08 – Strong Desire
09 – I’m Gonna Make It Someday
10 – Rescue Me
11 – One Night Lover (Bonus track)
12 – Bad Widow – Live in Berlin (Bonus track)
Cacumen – Bad Widow (1984) remastered +3
01 – Longing for You
02 – Woman
03 – Down to Hell
04 – The Day Before
05 – No More
06 – I Still Need You
07 – Starey Eyes
08 – Night to Rock (Bonus track)
09 – It Must Be You (Live – bonus track)
10 – I’m Gonna Make It Someday (Live – bonus track)
Ez Livin’ - After The Fire (1991) remastered +4
01 – Die for Rock
02 – Body Talk
03 – Too Late for Paradise
04 – EZ Livin’
05 – See the Tears
06 – After the Fire
07 – Rockin’ Into the Night
08 – Taste My Sweet Love
09 – Too Hot to Handle
10 – Take Me
11 – Hold On
12 – Anytime (Demo)
13 – Can’t Stop Rockin’ (Demo)
14 – See the Tears (Demo)
15 – Islands in the Sea (Demo)
Lessmann / Ziller – Glaub Dran (2004)
01 – Geld macht Sexy
02 – Verdammt, was will ich
03 – Bis wir uns wiedersehen
04 – Freundschaft
05 – Rock’n’Roll Cowboy
06 – Intro Wach Auf
07 – Wach Auf
08 – Die Antwort weiß der Wind
09 – Aus und Vorbei
10 – 1001 Nacht
11 – Dafür lieb ich dich so sehr
12 – Deutschland
13 – Kalt wie Eis
14 – Mama
15 – Pures Gift
16 – Sie steht auf R’n’R
17 – Stell dir mal vor
18 – Ich will leben
19 – Für dich