The Fire This Time is an audio documentary on the history and consequences of the Gulf War and following economic sanctions against Iraq. Produced by filmmaker Grant Wakefield, the 2-CD set featured music from electronic artists including Michael Stearns, Pan Sonic, and Aphex Twin.
Background
The Fire This Time originated when Wakefield and co-writer Miriam Ryle traveled to Iraq in order to film a follow-up to Ryle's documentary Voices in Iraq. Their footage, including an interview with U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator Hans-Christof von Sponeck critical of the sanctions on Iraq, was rejected by the BBC and Channel 4, with BBC World responding that they "do not accept rant pieces". Wakefield and Ryle instead produced a documentary for CD, consisting of spoken word, music, and clips of statements made by officials, journalists, and media pundits.
Track listing
Reception
The Fire This Time has received nearly unanimous acclaim. The album was named as one of the best 50 albums of 2002 by The Wire magazine.