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Engine · 04-17-2010, 04:58 PM

Tracks:
1. Blue Thunder
2. Tell me
3. Snowstorm
4. Strange
5. When Will You Come Home
6. Decomposing Trees
7. Another Day
8. Leave the Planet
9. Plastic Bird
10. Isn’t It a Pity (George Harrison cover)
11. Victoria Garden (Red Krayola cover)*
12. Ceremony (Joy Division cover)*
13. Cold Night*

Band members:
Dean Wareham - guitar, vocls
Damon Krukowski - drums
Naomi Yang – bass

Released by Rough Trade in 1989

*from re-release by Rykodisc in 1997

It took me over 20 years to fully appreciate this album. Since about the time of its original release I heard it periodically in friends' houses, cars and such. I had a (dubbed) cassette copy of my own. I thought it was good but it got stashed away in my memory as second rate dream pop.

Flash forward to April 2010 and suddenly I'm listening to it daily. Yeah, I know, it just got re-re-released and is in the press lately. Maybe that’s why I put it on again, I can’t be sure but I did and slipped into a nostalgic paradise. It’s a nice feeling to have a decades-long relationship with an album and for a passion to re-ignite – to have grown.

The original release contains ten tracks of blissful indie stuff (pop, rock, dream what-have-you) that sounds so sweet that it is already a legend. I don’t feel that I have much to add to the countless words that have been written and spoken about On Fire. It’s simply great. That’s all. Read all about it anywhere, this is an essential piece of music from the late-80s.

Famously, the song 'Decomposing Trees' has a tenor sax solo. Normally this kind of thing would make me cringe. I usually hate the sound of saxophone in pop music. It all reminds me of St. Elmo’s Fire or some other 80s fashion statement that had an adverse effect on me. This song proves me wrong; the sax is absolutely beautiful.

I must mention the classic song, 'Strange'. I wonder if some forgotten thing from my teen years happened that affected while this song was playing because for some reason, the song pulls my emotional strings like nothing I’ve heard in a while. Here’s a video if it being played live..

The original release has the George Harrison cover, ‘Isn’t It a Pity’. Leave it to Galaxie 500 to make something out of nothing. In 1989, this became a great song. The re-release from 1997 has two more covers – all highly entertaining. ‘Victoria Garden’ by Red Krayola makes you realize that Wareham and crew perhaps should have been making music in the mid-1960s because they’re right at home playing humble physchedelia. ‘Ceremony’ is not something to be taken lighltly and Galaxie 500 had the decency and honesty to play the song as gracefully as it ever has been.

On Fire is a classic that deserves to be remembered so I’m happy if the re-re-release of 2010 earns more fans or renews old interest. It certainly brought me back into the fold. The band is already historic in the minds of many but more affirmation never hurts.

Excellent. Just fucking excellent.

04-17-2010, 04:58 PM	#8 (permalink)
Engine air quote Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: pollen & mold Posts: 3,108	Tracks: 1. Blue Thunder 2. Tell me 3. Snowstorm 4. Strange 5. When Will You Come Home 6. Decomposing Trees 7. Another Day 8. Leave the Planet 9. Plastic Bird 10. Isn’t It a Pity (George Harrison cover) 11. Victoria Garden (Red Krayola cover)* 12. Ceremony (Joy Division cover)* 13. Cold Night* Band members: Dean Wareham - guitar, vocls Damon Krukowski - drums Naomi Yang – bass Released by Rough Trade in 1989 from re-release by Rykodisc in 1997 It took me over 20 years to fully appreciate this album. Since about the time of its original release I heard it periodically in friends' houses, cars and such. I had a (dubbed) cassette copy of my own. I thought it was good but it got stashed away in my memory as second rate dream pop. Flash forward to April 2010 and suddenly I'm listening to it daily. Yeah, I know, it just got re-re-released and is in the press lately. Maybe that’s why I put it on again, I can’t be sure but I did and slipped into a nostalgic paradise. It’s a nice feeling to have a decades-long relationship with an album and for a passion to re-ignite – to have grown. The original release contains ten tracks of blissful indie stuff (pop, rock, dream what-have-you) that sounds so sweet that it is already a legend. I don’t feel that I have much to add to the countless words that have been written and spoken about On Fire. It’s simply great. That’s all. Read all about it anywhere, this is an essential piece of music from the late-80s. Famously, the song 'Decomposing Trees' has a tenor sax solo. Normally this kind of thing would make me cringe. I usually hate the sound of saxophone in pop music. It all reminds me of St. Elmo’s Fire or some other 80s fashion statement that had an adverse effect on me. This song proves me wrong; the sax is absolutely beautiful. I must mention the classic song, 'Strange'. I wonder if some forgotten thing from my teen years happened that affected while this song was playing because for some reason, the song pulls my emotional strings like nothing I’ve heard in a while. Here’s a video if it being played live.. The original release has the George Harrison cover, ‘Isn’t It a Pity’. Leave it to Galaxie 500 to make something out of nothing. In 1989, this became a great song. The re-release from 1997 has two more covers – all highly entertaining. ‘Victoria Garden’ by Red Krayola makes you realize that Wareham and crew perhaps should have been making music in the mid-1960s because they’re right at home playing humble physchedelia. ‘Ceremony’ is not something to be taken lighltly and Galaxie 500 had the decency and honesty to play the song as gracefully as it ever has been. On Fire* is a classic that deserves to be remembered so I’m happy if the re-re-release of 2010 earns more fans or renews old interest. It certainly brought me back into the fold. The band is already historic in the minds of many but more affirmation never hurts. Excellent. Just fucking excellent. __________________ Like an arrow, I was only passing through.