Customer Reviews

On Fire

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You just got dumped by your girlfriend, your dog just died, your really late on your college papers, you never get enough sleep... oh hell, put in G500's "On Fire" and just start crying. Because you're sad? No, no. Just 'cause the songs are just too damn beutiful. I love music, I got hundreds of CDs, but very few touch me like this one. It doesn't matter if you're listening to it in the subway, on bed or on the top of the Empire State Building, it always makes you feel kinda funny, inadequate, really. The world becomes absurd, abstract, deadly at every little corner. "Blue Thunder" is one of the most warm and gutsy song I've ever heard. And "Strange", well...it makes you feel like one. If you want to be a lonely argonaut travelling in a sea of faceless people, then buy this album, lock your door and hide all pointy objects.

And while it was no fun having a skinny white guy's boot repeatedly assault my groin and lower abdomen, I couldn't help but notice the etheral guittar chords and well written lyrics playing in the background. Until then, I had only been beat up to rap music. They say music is the strongest source of nostalgia, and they are right. This C.D. takes me back to some good times.

Just one year after a very good debut album ("Today"), Galaxie 500 hit the jackpot with "On Fire." This is one of those albums where a band miraculously gets everything right, with all the elements of their sound falling into place. The Galaxie 500 formula was basically pretty simple, and all three instrumentalists contributed about equally. Damon Krukowski's splashy drumming did as much to set the mood as did Naomi Yang's understated bass and Dean Wareham's blaring guitars.

The overall effect is sort of a musical glow, as suggested by the orange album cover, and there are enough earthly concerns in the lyrics to remind us which planet we inhabit after all. "On Fire" is pervaded by themes of escape, isolation, and longing. Though the music has a soothing effect, there is an angst here, a genuine attempt to connect. This is no mere exercise in style.

The Galaxie 500 sound was heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground, especially VU's droniest material, such as "Venus in Furs." Yet somehow, the Galaxie 500 drone does not borrow so obviously from Indian music. It sounds entirely American, with hints of jazz, blues, folk, and rock and roll. But only hints. Mostly, Galaxie 500 sounded nothing like any band that came before it--at least as far as I know. Their music was ahead of its time.

"Blue Thunder" may be the band's best song ever, with a crescendo leading to the chorus: "I'll drive so far away!" "Snowstorm" is a brilliant take on how we experience snowstorms nowadays, watching the TV and maybe hoping we can get out of work early; the music approaches quietly before rushing in and enveloping us. "Another Day" features a haunting vocal by Naomi Yang, and the remake of George Harrison's "Isn't It A Pity" is perfect, staying true to the spirit of the song while gently recasting it in the Galaxie 500 mold.

"On Fire" is a classic of its genre, and a great combination of sound and songwriting. This is the place to start if you are interested in the music of Galaxie 500.

Back when music sucked in the late 80s, there were a few notable exceptions. It seems that every critic later realized that grunge would have been nothing were it not for prototypical bands like the Pixies, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, My Bloody Valentine, and... OK, the late 80s didn't totally suck, I guess. Galaxie 500 was a trio from Boston, with simple instrumentation (guitar/voice, bass/voice, drums) and likewise simple tunes. They were extremely adept at utilizing their untested and somewhat limited talents, and ended up with something that was much more than the sum of its parts. True, the lyrics weren't particularly great, Dean Wareham (later the leader of Luna) usually sang an octave too high for my liking, and the bass player claimed she hardly knew how to play. But, as evidenced by the purposefully-sometimes-lagging drumming in "Strange", they knew exactly what they were doing and what they were capable of, and here they turned out a subtle masterpiece of consistently lulling, tuneful songs And they knew who and how to cover, too - Yoko Ono ("Decomposing Trees"), George Harrison ("Isn't It A Pity"), and even New Order's "Ceremony" as a bonus track, which is the standout.

Listening to G5's On Fire this morning is taking me back to a time 10 years ago, sophomore in college, visiting friends in their dive apartment, getting loaded every night for two months and in the mornings, gradually prying our eyes open, rolling off the couches, beds, tables, putting in On Fire and slowly letting the mood work its way through the haze of booze and herb and cigarettes while we clean up the house, restock our bodies with food, play a little lazy pinochle, and get ready to do it all again. The slickest of G5's albums, and definitely the most unified. Lacking the orgasmic highs of Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste from Today and the occasional cornball low-points of This Is Our Music (like "but you have another eyelid..."), this album is very steadily great. Nothing like it when you're in just the right mood.

A gem of swirling, haunting, melodic rock. The entire album ebbs and flows as a remarkable set of memorable tracks touches the listener with passion and sincerity. No particular song overpowers the rest (except perhaps George Harrison's "Isn't it a Pity"), enhancing the album's cohesion and consistency. The contrast between Dean's off-key vocals and Naomi's floating, etheral voice add depth and balance. The arrangements are almost jazz-like in structure, making this album (and band) somewhat intellectual. I like to listen to "On Fire" when I am depressed because the album's somber mood intensifies to great effect.

I don't know how or why Galaxie 500 slipped under the radar. Perhaps their music is so soothing, so warm, so trancelike, that they can move unnoticed, except by those listening for them. How they crafted music of this sort in the 80's remains a mystery; psych guitar melded with a Velvet Underground inspired drone and a knack for melody makes this pop of the mellowest sort. Even though the voice of Warhem is far from that of a crooner, it's perfect for the mood they set. On Fire is a gorgeous and worthy follow-up to its predecessor. The sweet opener, Blue Thunder, exemplifies what the band does best: it starts out simple and sparse, and transforms into an all-out rocker that roars with a soft purr.

This sat on my shelves for a little while until I gave it a whole hearted listen to...after that, I was blown away. On Fire quickly became one of my favorite CDs that still gets the most time in my CD player. The music itself is unlike anything else, so sensual and soothing, Dean Wareham's vocals could put a rabid wolverine on steroids at ease.
If I were to compile a bunch of CD's to make up the soundtrack of my life, this would be the first one I'd grab.

The Rycodisc reissue of "On Fire" has introduced a critical fave to the informed public. This album has the slow, melodic, sludgy brilliance that was Galaxie 500. While each Galaxie 500 album has its highlights, "On Fire" is the most consistently winning, and also includes their absolutely stunning cover of Joy Division/New Order's "Ceremony" which in someways improves upon the original. If you have heard Luna or Damon and Naomi (the bands that have come out of the ahses of Galaxie 500), "On Fire" will demonstrate the genesis of their particular type of music- called slow-core by some- hypnotic, fuzzy, dirgelike, melodic and worth a listen at least.

I love this album. It's like walking across the street with a friend; a show of appreciation for the everyday workings of this ordinary world. The singer grows on you (he sounds off-key at first) and the lyrics are wonderfully casual--i.e. in one song he sings about eating his twinkie while waiting in line at a store. All of the songs are suffused with an incredible sadness that is beautiful and uplifting at the same time.