On Fire (Galaxie 500 album) explained

On Fire
Type:	studio
Artist:	Galaxie 500
Cover:	On Fire (Front Cover).png
Released:	^[1] ^[2]
Recorded:	1989
Studio:	Noise New York
Label:	Rough Trade
Producer:	Mark Kramer
Prev Title:	Today
Prev Year:	1988
Next Title:	This Is Our Music
Next Year:	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 and number 10 on the UK Independent Album Breakers Chart.

Critical reception

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."^[3]

The Rolling Stone Album Guide called it Galaxie 500's "best album by far". In 2002, Pitchfork placed it at number 16 on its "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s" list.^[4] In 2013, Fact placed it at number 51 on its "100 Best Albums of the 1980s" list.^[5] In 2018, Pitchfork ranked it fourth on its "The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums" list.^[6]

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"

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

Notes and References

. Galaxie 500 On Fire. Rough Trade Records. 2024-10-20.
Web site: Happy 25th birthday to Galaxie 500's 'On Fire'. . 2014-10-23. A Head Full of Wishes . 2024-10-20 .
News: Clark. Pete. Review: Galaxie 500 — On Fire. Hi-Fi News & Record Review. magazine. December 1989. 34. 12. 27 September 2021. 140. Croydon. Link House Magazines Ltd. World Radio History. 0142-6230. https://web.archive.org/web/20210903215428/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Hi-Fi-News/80s/Hi-Fi-News-1989-12.pdf. 3 September 2021.
Web site: The Top 100 Albums of the 1980s . . November 21, 2002 . March 15, 2018 . 9.
Web site: The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s . . June 24, 2013 . March 15, 2018 . Lea . Tom . Morpurgo . Joseph . Kelly . Chris . Twells . John . Xela (musician) . Ravens . Chal . Muggs . Joe . Law . Ruaridh . Rix . Peter . Gunn . Tam . 51.
Web site: The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums . . April 16, 2018 . April 24, 2018 . 3.
Book: Lazell, Barry . Galaxie 500 . http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/indiehits/g.htm . May 1, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100808070300/http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/indiehits/g.htm . August 8, 2010 . dead . Indie Hits 1980–1989: The Complete U.K. Independent Charts (Singles & Albums) . . 1997 . 0-95172-069-4.
Web site: Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20 . . March 15, 2018.