Blaze of Glory (Game Theory album)
| Blaze of Glory | ||||
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| Studio album by Game Theory | ||||
| Released | 1982, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Genre | Power pop, new wave | |||
| Length | 35:05 (LP) 1:16:02 (CD) |
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| Label | Rational (1982) Omnivore (2014) |
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| Producer | Scott Miller Cheryl Pawelski, Dan Vallor, Pat Thomas (2014 reissue) |
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| Game Theory chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Pitchfork | 7.2/10 |
| Magnet | 7/10 |
| Blurt | |
| Cashbox | |
Blaze of Glory was the 1982 debut album from Game Theory, a California power pop band fronted by guitarist and singer-songwriter Scott Miller. A remastered version, with 15 bonus tracks, was released in September 2014 by Omnivore Recordings.
Prior to founding Game Theory, Scott Miller had been the lead singer and songwriter of Alternate Learning, which issued an EP in 1979 and an LP in 1981. Alternate Learning was based in Sacramento and Davis, and frequently performed at U.C. Davis until it was officially disbanded by Miller in May 1982. Within a few months, Miller had formed Game Theory, which included Nancy Becker, who had previously performed on synthesizer as a "sometime" member of Alternate Learning.
Blaze of Glory was recorded by the band's original Davis, California-based line-up of Scott Miller on guitar and lead vocals, Nancy Becker on keyboards, Michael Irwin on drums, and Fred Juhos on bass.
AllMusic's Stewart Mason wrote that Blaze of Glory was "about as D.I.Y. as it gets.... recorded in leader Scott Miller's old bedroom at his parents' house in Sacramento, CA, and you can just barely hear his mom running the vacuum cleaner downstairs at one point." Due to a lack of funds to both press the album and print a jacket, a thousand copies of the LP were packaged in white plastic trash bags with Xeroxed cover art glued to each bag.
The album opened with an emotionless female voice stating, "Game Theory: Blaze of Gl—," before the title was abruptly cut off by "layers of chimes and oscillating synths," which, according to critic Franklin Bruno, raised immediate confusion as to whether this was a pop album or an experimental one, causing the listener to question "whether you'll be hearing songs at all."
Two songs from Blaze of Glory, "Sleeping Through Heaven" and "Bad Year at UCLA," were re-recorded by the 1990 line-up of Game Theory (Miller, Michael Quercio, and Jozef Becker), with Nancy Becker returning to provide keyboard and backing vocals, for the compilation album Tinker to Evers to Chance. "Something to Show" appeared on the compilation as originally recorded.
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