Description
Fuel on the Fire is the third album by the American singer and songwriter Morgan Cryar, released on StarSong Records in 1986. The album was recorded by Dave Slagter, Paul Mills, and Roy Salmond (the latter of Salmond & Mulder fame) at Rivendell Sound Recorders in Pasadena, Texas; with Salmond producing. Mixed by Slagter and Salmond at Inside Track Studio in Burnaby, Canada. Tracks arranged by John Andrew Schreiner, Salmond and Morgan Cryar. Vocal arrangements by Salmond and Bob Farrell of Farrell and Farrell fame. Most of the music were written by Ty Tabor and Doug Pinnick, both later of King’s X fame, while most of the lyrics were written or co-written by Morgan Cryar.
Fuel on the Fire is such a catchy collection of Christian Contemporary pop tunes that it almost seems to exceed Cryer’s talent. Cryer is not a musician (he doesn’t play an instrument on the record) and he’s not much of a songwriter (for the most part, his writing contributions are limited to the lyrics). He’s not even a particularly good singer, saddled as he is with an intrusive Southern accent and nasal tone. But he gets a lift here from his collaborators, producer Roy Salmond and composers Ty Tabor, Doug Pinnick, and John Andrew Schreiner. This team provides Cryer with foot-tapping ditties like «Pray in the USA», «Under the Rug», and «Sibling Rivalry» and tuneful ballads like «Underneath Your Feet» and «Strength of the Weak», which Cryer’s paper-thin tenor just barely pulls off. The record’s best track may be «Break the Chain», which features Cryer’s most thoughtful lyrics. The song’s keen psychological observations about the tendency for abuse victims to become abusers themselves are expressed in religious terms: “sometimes sin is just a family tradition but it’ll burn the family tree to the ground.” The song allows Cryer to accept some of the credit for an above-average CCM pop album. [Evan Cater, AMG]
Morgan Cryar is the all-American Christian rocker, and the cover offers evidence. Decked out in denim and leather like John Cougar Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen, Cryar chooses to sing about praying the U.S.A. rather than just begin born there. And inside the cover? A records brimming with good American music, of course.
The album opens with the anthemic «Pray in the U.S.A.» which will, without question, be one of the strongest audience participation songs recorded this year and possibly any other year. Complete with gang vocals on the chorus, audiences across the land will be chanting “You can still pray in the U.S.A.” Following «Pray» on the first side are five strong, energetic rock songs that are nothing if not completely memorable. The best of those are «Underneath Your Feet» and «I Gotta Know».
Side two, a bit more mellow, opens with «Break the Chain». This lyrically adventurous rock ballad deals with man’s uncanny knack of recreating bad situations and the need to break that cycle. The several strong ballads which follow are good candidates for radio airplay. The best of these is «Strength of the Weak», an account of miracles that God has performed which confound the world’s wise.
As I said, the album is full of memorable songs. While the lyrics are part of the reason, the greater reason is the music, the bulk of which was written by Ty Tabor, the guitar player who performed live with Cryar for the last year. Cryar and Tabor should commit themselves to each other for longterm development. They are very good now and, with some more work, could be great. [Devlin Donaldson, CCM, September 1986]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/fuel-on-the-fire/715893375)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Pray In The USA” – 3:30
A2. “I’m Not Alone” – 4:28
A3. “Underneath Your Feet” – 3:06
A4. “I Gotta Know” – 2:19
A5. “I Need The Rock” – 2:46
Side Two
B1. “Break The Chain” – 4:00
B2. “Sibling Rivalry” – 3:43
B3. “Under The Rug” – 3:00
B4. “Strength Of The Weak” – 3:45
B5. “Hideaway” – 2:58
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by StarSong Records. Remastered and re-issued on CD by Girder Records in 2025, entitled Fuel on the Fire (Collector’s Edition).
“Pray in the USA” (MUSIC VIDEO)
“Underneath Your Feet” (MUSIC VIDEO)
Morgan Cryar with Doug Pinnick, Live in Concert, Greenville, SC, 1985.
Ty Tabor and Doug Pinnick of Morgan Cryar Band, Live in Concert, Greenville, SC, 1985. (While Cryar was opening act on Petra’s Beat the System Tour)
CREDITS. Produced and recorded by Roy Salmond. Recorded at Rivendell Sound Recorders in Pasadena, TX. Engineered by Dave Slagter and Paul Mills, assisted by Gary Cole, Steve Dady, and Bred Hurst. Overdubs engineered by Mills. Additional overdubs at Inside Track Studio, Burnaby, Canada. Mixed by Slagter and Salmond at Inside Track Studio. Mastered by Steve Hall at Future Disc Systems. Tracks arranged by John Schreiner, Roy Salmond and Morgan Cryar. Vocal arrangements by Bob Farrell and Roy Salmond.
Musicians: Roy Salmond (Keyboards, Guitar), Paul Mills (Keyboards, Emulator Programming), Dane Deviller (Guitar), Ty Tabor (Guitar), Jerry McPherson (Guitar), John Patitucci (Bass), Miles Hill (Bass), Steve Dady (Bass), Gordon Peak (Drums), Darryl Bennet (Percussion). Additional Vocals: Roy Salmond, Doug Pinnick, Bob Farrell, Pam Mark Hall, Morgan Cryar, Donny Hackett, Dave Slagter, Gayle Salmond. Background Vocals on tracks A1 and A5: The Morgan Tabernacle Choir – Ty Tabor, Mike Robinson, Marty Warren, Dale Richardson, Mitch Fortey, Bret Hurst, Vito Rosolino, Steve Dady, Doug Pinnick, Morgan Cryar and Kemper Crabb.
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