Fire Up is an album by Merl Saunders. It was released in May 1973 through Fantasy Records. The self-produced album features many high-profile collaborators, including Grateful Dead members Jerry Garcia and Bill Kreutzmann alongside Creedence Clearwater Revival guitarist Tom Fogerty.[1][2] It peaked at number 197 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.[3]
| Fire Up | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1973 | |||
| Length | 39:42 | |||
| Label | Fantasy | |||
| Producer | Merl Saunders | |||
| Merl Saunders chronology | ||||
| ||||
Six of the album's eight tracks were included on the compilation Fire Up Plus in 1992.
Background
editDespite meeting resistance from his label over the album's lyrical content, Garcia encouraged Saunders to write the way he wanted:
Jerry always encouraged me to write material for the group. Fantasy was saying stuff like, 'the music is great, but these words about ecology and whatnot, you gotta tone 'em down.' I said, 'I like the words.' And Jerry's attitude was, 'Yeah, fuck 'em! Do what you want, Merl!' He was really my inspiration to do things the way I wanted to do them.[4]
Reception
editIn a retrospective review for AllMusic, Eugene Chadbourne stated the album "emphasizes [Saunders'] clever songwriting", listing "Soul Roach" and "Chock-Lite Pudding" as highlights.[5]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "After Midnight" | J.J. Cale | 4:56 |
| 2. | "Expressway (To Your Heart)" | 5:20 | |
| 3. | "Charisma (She's Got)" | Merl Saunders | 4:47 |
| 4. | "Soul Roach" |
| 4:24 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chock-lite Puddin'" | Saunders | 4:35 |
| 2. | "Benedict Rides" |
| 3:02 |
| 3. | "The System" |
| 3:48 |
| 4. | "Lonely Avenue" | Doc Pomus | 8:50 |
| Total length: | 39:42 | ||
Personnel
edit- Merl Saunders – electric piano, organ, ARP (flute), ARP (band), clavinet
- Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals
- Tom Fogerty – rhythm guitar
- John Kahn – bass
- Bill Vitt – drums
- Gaylord Birch – congas, drums, tambourine
- Chuck Rainey – bass
- Walter Hawkins and sisters (Tramaine, Lynette, and Freddie) – background vocals
- Mike Howell – guitar, rhythm guitar
- Ken Nash – percussion
- Christopher Parker – drums
- Bill Somers – percussion
- Bill Kreutzmann – drums
References
edit- ^ "Fire Up – Merl Saunders". Grateful Dead Family Discography. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
- ^ "Fire Up". Jerry Garcia. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ "Billboard 200 – Week of June 2, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Jackson, Blair; McNally, Dennis; Peters, Stephen; Wills, Chuck (June 2015). Grateful Dead: The Illustrated Trip. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 157. ISBN 978-1-4654-4008-2.
- ^ Chadbourne, Eugene. "Merl Saunders – Fire Up". AllMusic. Retrieved March 28, 2023.