Fire On High
"Fire on High" is the opening instrumental track from the 1975 Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) album Face the Music.
| "Fire On High" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Electric Light Orchestra | |
| from the album Face the Music | |
| A-side |
|
| Released | 29 October 1976 (UK) February 1978 (US) |
| Recorded | 1975 |
| Genre | Art rock, progressive rock |
| Length | 5:31 4:01 (US single version) |
| Label | Jet/United Artists (UK) United Artists (US) |
| Songwriter(s) | Jeff Lynne |
| Producer(s) | Jeff Lynne |
| Face the Music track listing | |
8 tracks
| |
The song was the UK B-side to the band's worldwide hit single "Livin' Thing", issued in blue vinyl. It was also later included — in an edited form minus the backwards vocals — as the flip side of the United States hit single "Sweet Talkin' Woman" in 1978.
Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian rated it as ELO's 7th best song, saying that "From the song’s creepy opening to the sports-themed glass-sounding mighty guitar riff, it has remained one of the most interesting and exciting Electric Light Orchestra songs in the band’s catalog."
Stereogum contributor Ryan Reed rated it as ELO's 10th best song, saying that it "displays the complexity and widescreen scope of symphonic prog, but with a playfulness that many of the era’s legends often lacked."
Something Else! critic Mark Saleski said called it "a cool song, full of weird orchestration, violently strummed guitar, fusion-esque violin, and even (in the full version) a backwards masked message."