On Fire (Galaxie 500 album)

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On Fire
On Fire (Front Cover).png
Studio album by
Galaxie 500
ReleasedOctober 23, 1989 (1989-10-23) [1] [2]
Recorded1989
StudioNoise New York
Genre
Length40:13
Label Rough Trade
Producer Mark Kramer
Galaxie 500 chronology
Today
(1988)		On Fire
(1989)		 This Is Our Music
(1990)
Singles from On Fire
  1. "Blue Thunder"
    Released: February 1990

On Fire is the second studio album by American indie rock band Galaxie 500, released in 1989 on Rough Trade Records.

Contents

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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [12]
NME 7/10 [13]
Pitchfork 10/10 [3]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [14]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [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.TitleWriter(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
1997 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(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

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (1989)Peak
position
UK Independent Albums (MRIB) [21] 7
Chart (2010)Peak
position
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [7] 45
UK Independent Album Breakers (OCC) [8] 10

Release history

YearLabelFormatRegion
1989 Rough Trade LP, CD, cassetteUK
1989Rough Trade USLP, CDUS
1997 Rykodisc LP, CDUS
200920/20/20LPUS

References

  1. ↑ "Galaxie 500 On Fire" (Press release). Rough Trade Records. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Happy 25th birthday to Galaxie 500's 'On Fire'". A Head Full of Wishes. October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Richardson, Mark (March 30, 2010). "Galaxie 500: Today / On Fire / This Is Our Music". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  4. 1 2 "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums". Pitchfork . April 16, 2018. p. 3. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  5. ↑ Pitchfork Staff (September 10, 2018). "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork . Retrieved April 25, 2023. Dream pop is so often thought of as downcast and demure, but the blazing guitar solos on "Strange" or the screaming saxophone lines of "Decomposing Trees" make it clear that this is an album of propulsion and weight.
  6. 1 2 3 Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Galaxie 500". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p.  321. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  7. 1 2 "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company . Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  9. ↑ Pitchfork (April 16, 2018). "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  10. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "On Fire – Galaxie 500". AllMusic . Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ Kot, Greg (November 23, 1989). "Galaxie 500: On Fire (Rough Trade)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  12. ↑ Segal, Victoria (April 2010). "Galaxie 500: Today / On Fire / This Is Our Music". Mojo . No. 197.
  13. ↑ Collins, Andrew (October 28, 1989). "Galaxie 500: On Fire". NME . p. 38.
  14. ↑ "Galaxie 500: Today / On Fire / This Is Our Music". Record Collector . No. 373. March 2010. p. 87.
  15. ↑ Azerrad, Michael (March 22, 1990). "Galaxie 500: On Fire". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  16. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (1995). "Galaxie 500". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 162. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  17. ↑ Christgau, Robert (March 13, 1990). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  18. ↑ Clark, Pete (December 1989). "Review: Galaxie 500 — On Fire" (PDF). Hi-Fi News & Record Review (magazine). Vol. 34, no. 12. Croydon: Link House Magazines Ltd. p. 140. ISSN   0142-6230. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021– via World Radio History.
  19. ↑ "The Top 100 Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork . November 21, 2002. p. 9. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  20. ↑ Lea, Tom; Morpurgo, Joseph; Kelly, Chris; Twells, John; Ravens, Chal; Muggs, Joe; Law, Ruaridh; Rix, Peter; Gunn, Tam (June 24, 2013). "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s". Fact . p. 51. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  21. ↑ Lazell, Barry (1997). "Galaxie 500". Indie Hits 1980–1989: The Complete U.K. Independent Charts (Singles & Albums). Cherry Red Books. ISBN   0-95172-069-4. Archived from the original on August 8, 2010. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
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