On Fire (Galaxie 500 album)
1989 studio album by Galaxie 500
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On Fire is the second studio album by American indie rock band Galaxie 500, released in 1989 on Rough Trade Records.
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| On Fire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 23, 1989[1][2] | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Studio | Noise New York | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 40:13 | |||
| Label | Rough Trade | |||
| Producer | Mark Kramer | |||
| Galaxie 500 chronology | ||||
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| Singles from On Fire | ||||
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In 2010, the album was re-issued and peaked at number 45 on the UK Independent Albums Chart[7] and number 10 on the UK Independent Album Breakers Chart.[8]
Music
On Fire's music has been described as "droning [and] doleful." According to Jenn Pelly of Pitchfork: "On Fire sounds like the Velvet Underground slowly warming up [...] as if the instruments have eclipsed one another, moving with the crawl of a cloud." The album contains elements of neo-psychedelia.[9]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [11] |
| Mojo | [12] |
| NME | 7/10[13] |
| Pitchfork | 10/10[3] |
| Record Collector | [14] |
| Rolling Stone | [15] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10[16] |
| The Village Voice | B[17] |
Pete Clark of Hi-Fi News & Record Review described the album as "[sliding] through the speakers, encircling the unwary listener with snaking lines of guitar, restrained percussion and a confessional-style vocal."[18]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide called it Galaxie 500's "best album by far".[6] In 2002, Pitchfork placed it at number 16 on its "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s" list.[19] In 2013, Fact placed it at number 51 on its "100 Best Albums of the 1980s" list.[20] In 2018, Pitchfork ranked it fourth on its "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums" list.[4]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Galaxie 500, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blue Thunder" | 3:45 | |
| 2. | "Tell Me" | 3:50 | |
| 3. | "Snowstorm" | 5:10 | |
| 4. | "Strange" | 3:16 | |
| 5. | "When Will You Come Home" | 5:21 | |
| 6. | "Decomposing Trees" | 4:05 | |
| 7. | "Another Day" | 3:41 | |
| 8. | "Leave the Planet" | 2:40 | |
| 9. | "Plastic Bird" | 3:15 | |
| 10. | "Isn't It a Pity" | George Harrison | 5:10 |
| Total length: | 40:13 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Victory Garden" | Steve Cunningham, Mayo Thompson | 2:48 |
| 12. | "Ceremony" | Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner | 5:55 |
| 13. | "Cold Night" | 2:36 | |
| Total length: | 51:32 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
Galaxie 500
- Damon Krukowski – drums
- Dean Wareham – guitar, vocals
- Naomi Yang – bass guitar, vocals on "Another Day"
Additional personnel
- Mark Kramer – production, engineering, "cheap organ" on "Isn't It a Pity"
- Ralph Carney – tenor saxophone on "Decomposing Trees"
Charts
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Independent Albums (MRIB)[21] | 7 |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Independent Albums (Official Charts)[7] | 45 |
| UK Independent Album Breakers (OCC)[8] | 10 |
Release history
| Year | Label | Format | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Rough Trade | LP, CD, cassette | UK |
| 1989 | Rough Trade US | LP, CD | US |
| 1997 | Rykodisc | LP, CD | US |
| 2009 | 20/20/20 | LP | US |