Galaxie 500: Dean Wareham (vocals, guitar); Naomi Yang (vocals, bass); Damon Krukowski (drums, percussion). Additional personnel: Ralph Carney (tenor saxophone); Kramer (organ, background vocals). Recorded at Noise New York, New York, New York in 1989. Includes liner notes by Kramer and Byron Coley. Originally released on Rough Trade. Arguably the band's best effort, ON FIRE typifies Galaxie 500's slow, dreamy, three-chord song craft. In tone, style, song structure and their attempt at achieving an almost drone-like meditative quality, the band clearly worship at the altar of the Velvet Underground. Drummer Damon Krukowski, bassist Naomi Yang and particularly guitarist/vocalist Dean Wareham, who probably dreams of Lou Reed floating to him in the night singing chorus after chorus of Pale Blue Eyes, follow impressively in the footsteps of their mentors. The tone may vary slightly, from delicate, haunting melodies such as Tell Me, to the open, floating spaces of Snowstorm, and the desperate cries of alienation of Strange, but the predominant mood is one of quiet, murky introspection. Though detractors may accuse the band of sounding somewhat monochromatic, there's a definite charm to Galaxie 500's simple, atmospheric pop songs and Wareham's surreal lyrics and unadorned, unaffected voice; his poignant treatment here of George Harrison's Isn't It A Pity is particularly notable.