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
Merl Saunders
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 1973
Length39:42
LabelFantasy
ProducerMerl Saunders
Merl Saunders chronology
Heavy Turbulence
(1972)
Fire Up
(1973)
Live at Keystone
(1973)

Six of the album's eight tracks were included on the compilation Fire Up Plus in 1992.

Background

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Despite 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

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In 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

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."After Midnight"J.J. Cale4:56
2."Expressway (To Your Heart)"5:20
3."Charisma (She's Got)"Merl Saunders4:47
4."Soul Roach"
  • Saunders
  • Ray Shanklin
4:24
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Chock-lite Puddin'"Saunders4:35
2."Benedict Rides"
  • Saunders
  • Pamela Carrier
3:02
3."The System"
  • Saunders
  • Carrier
3:48
4."Lonely Avenue"Doc Pomus8:50
Total length:39:42

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ "Fire Up – Merl Saunders". Grateful Dead Family Discography. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  2. ^ "Fire Up". Jerry Garcia. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  3. ^ "Billboard 200 – Week of June 2, 1973". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Chadbourne, Eugene. "Merl Saunders – Fire Up". AllMusic. Retrieved March 28, 2023.