At the dawn of the '80s, few people had heard of the AIDS virus. By the end of the decade, AIDS had claimed many lives -- not only in the gay community, but among heterosexuals as well. In 1990, Flying Fish did its part to help AIDS patients by putting together this compilation and donating artist royalties to organizations that were involved in AIDS-related activities (including AIDS research). Many of the songs on Feeding the Flame: Songs by Men to End AIDS have a very pro-gay message; however, not all of the male artists ...
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At the dawn of the '80s, few people had heard of the AIDS virus. By the end of the decade, AIDS had claimed many lives -- not only in the gay community, but among heterosexuals as well. In 1990, Flying Fish did its part to help AIDS patients by putting together this compilation and donating artist royalties to organizations that were involved in AIDS-related activities (including AIDS research). Many of the songs on Feeding the Flame: Songs by Men to End AIDS have a very pro-gay message; however, not all of the male artists on this CD are gay -- Flying Fish, in fact, welcomed the participation of straight male vocalists who were supportive of the gay community. Feeding the Flame is fairly diverse, ranging from folk to adult contemporary to pop/rock. There is even a European-flavored dance-pop number: Xotika's "Forever Gay," an unapologetically pro-gay anthem. Not all of the tracks are great, but some are, especially Josh White, Jr.'s "Say a Prayer for a Stranger" (an excellent folk number), Fred Small's "All the Time in the World," and two contributions by folk legend Pete Seeger, "Hills of Glenshee" and "Suite Early Morning." And most of the tracks that aren't great are at least decent. Naturally, Feeding the Flame tends to have a very serious tone, but Abe Rybeck's "I Can Take a Hint" is perhaps the most humorous track. The cabaret-ish number uses humor to send out a serious message: "I Can Take a Hint" urges gay men to practice safe sex. Arguably, "I Can Take a Hint" is a gay equivalent of Boogie Down Productions' "Jimmy," one of hardcore rap's best safe-sex anthems of 1988. With Feeding the Flame, Flying Fish did its part to support a worthy cause. ~ Alex Henderson, Rovi
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