On Fire
Studio album by
Galaxie 500
ReleasedOctober 20, 1989 (1989-10-20)[1]
Recorded1989
StudioNoise New York
Genre
Length40:13
LabelRough Trade
ProducerMark 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.

In 2010, the album was re-issued and peaked at number 45 on the UK Independent Albums Chart[6] and number 10 on the UK Independent Album Breakers Chart.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Chicago Tribune[9]
Mojo[10]
NME7/10[11]
Pitchfork10/10[2]
Record Collector[12]
Rolling Stone[13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[14]
The Village VoiceB[15]

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."[16]

The Rolling Stone Album Guide called it Galaxie 500's "best album by far".[5] In 2002, Pitchfork placed it at number 16 on its "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s" list.[17] In 2013, Fact placed it at number 51 on its "100 Best Albums of the 1980s" list.[18] In 2018, Pitchfork ranked it fourth on its "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums" list.[3]

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 Harrison5:10
Total length:40:13
1997 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Victory Garden"Steve Cunningham, Mayo Thompson2:48
12."Ceremony"Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner5:55
13."Cold Night" 2:36
Total length:51:32

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

Galaxie 500

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)[19] 7
Chart (2010) Peak
position
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[6] 45
UK Independent Album Breakers (OCC)[7] 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

References

  1. ↑ McGonigal, Mike (2013). "On The Floor". Temperature's Rising Galaxie 500: An Oral and Visual History (1st ed.). Verse Chorus Press. p. 101. ISBN 978-1-8912-4156-7.
  2. 1 2 Richardson, Mark (March 30, 2010). "Galaxie 500: Today / On Fire / This Is Our Music". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums". Pitchfork. April 16, 2018. p. 3. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 1 2 "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  8. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "On Fire – Galaxie 500". AllMusic. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  9. ↑ Kot, Greg (November 23, 1989). "Galaxie 500: On Fire (Rough Trade)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  10. ↑ Segal, Victoria (April 2010). "Galaxie 500: Today / On Fire / This Is Our Music". Mojo. No. 197.
  11. ↑ Collins, Andrew (October 28, 1989). "Galaxie 500: On Fire". NME. p. 38.
  12. ↑ "Galaxie 500: Today / On Fire / This Is Our Music". Record Collector. No. 373. March 2010. p. 87.
  13. ↑ Azerrad, Michael (March 22, 1990). "Galaxie 500: On Fire". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  14. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (1995). "Galaxie 500". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 162. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  15. ↑ Christgau, Robert (March 13, 1990). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  16. ↑ 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 3 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021 – via World Radio History.
  17. ↑ "The Top 100 Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork. November 21, 2002. p. 9. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ 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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