Wire | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Emerging from the British punk explosion, Wire have resisted easy categorization from the start, and for decades to come. Focused on experimentation and process, Wires musical identity constantly changes. Their first three albums alone attest to a startling evolution as the band repeatedly -- and rapidly -- reinvented themselves. Pink Flag (1977) found them twisting punks simplicity and rawness to their own arty designs; on Chairs Missing (1978), they added frosty atmospheres and more melodic songwriting, both of which they heightened on 154 (1979). This capacity for self-reinvention, and their willingness to stop recording when ideas arent forthcoming, is crucial to Wires longevity and continued relevance. The band returned from hiatuses in the 80s and 90s with renewed creativity, whether on the electronic leanings of The Ideal Copy (1987) or the ferocious noise of Send (2003). Later works such as Silver/Lead (2017) reflected the moody guitar pop they purveyed in the 2010s. Through it all, Wire have never sounded exactly the same twice. Their restlessness paved the way for hardcore punk, post-punk, and goth, and influenced artists as diverse as Minor Threat, Guided by Voices, Helmet and Lush, as well as the many post-punk revivalists of the 2000s and 2010s. By the time punk arrived, British art schools had long been a hotbed of musical activity, spawning some of the nations most innovative rock acts from the 60s onward. Like many punk contemporaries, Wire had roots in the art school tradition. At Watford Art College in 1976, guitarists Colin Newman and George Gill formed Overload with audiovisual technician Bruce Gilbert (also on guitar). Subsequently, the three recruited bassist Graham Lewis and drummer Robert Gotobed (aka Robert Grey), and the first Wire lineup was in place. Wire began playing dates in London and, having ousted Gill, started from scratch, writing new material and taking a more pared-down, experimental approach. A gig at the Roxy in early 1977 proved auspicious. Wire met EMIs Mike Thorne, who was recording groups for a live punk album, The Roxy, London WC2. Thorne included two Wire tracks and was then instrumental in bringing the band to EMI in September. By then, with Newman writing most of the music, they were eager to record before they lost interest in material, abandoned it, and moved on; a pattern that would come to define the group. Produced by Thorne, 1977s amphetamine-paced Pink Flag found Wire taking punk to extremes while also keeping an ironic distance from it by introducing elements of tension and abstraction. Pink Flags 21 highly original tracks (each averaging just over a minute-and-a-half) compressed and twisted rock into often jagged, taut shapes. The album met with critical acclaim and a follow-up was recorded in spring 1978. Chairs Missing was a radical departure. Although the phrase "early Pink Floyd" was uttered dismissively in some quarters, it was well-received. With Thorne playing keyboards and producing, this was a more complex, multi-dimensional record that supplemented Pink Flags harsh minimalism with dense, occasionally unsettling atmospherics. Wire albums usually feature one near-perfect pop song and Chairs Missings "Outdoor Miner" almost became a hit, until it was scuppered by a payola scandal at EMI. This was an enormously creative phase. Songs were being written and jettisoned at a considerable rate and the band was gigging relentlessly. In summer 1978, Wire played in the U.S. for the first time and, in March 1979, toured Europe with Roxy Music. Although Chairs Missing had been released only months before, live sets included a significant amount of material that would appear on 154. Indeed, Wire often bewildered live audiences by playing unrecorded tracks rather than the numbers people expected to hear. If Chairs Missing saw Wire exploring the possibilities offered by the recording studio, on 154 they took fuller advantage of that environment. With Lewis emerging as a vocalist alongside Newman, the result was an expansive, textured album with a more pronounced melodic orientation. 154 was Wires most accomplished statement to date and the group seemed poised for success. The opposite happened. Wires relationship with EMI unraveled and they were soon label-less. In February 1980 at Londons Electric Ballroom, the band played an infamously chaotic show (captured on 1981s Document and Eyewitness) that was more like performance art than a rock performance. A five-year hiatus ensued. During this time, Gilbert and Lewis formed the projects Dome, Cupol, and Duet Emmo (with Mute Records founder Daniel Miller), and Newman released several solo albums. Wires members regrouped in 1985, referring to their new incarnation as a "beat combo" -- a no-nonsense, stripped-down unit. The 1986 "comeback" EP, Snakedrill, begat "Drill," a track built on a paradigmatic Wire rhythm which bridged the gap between the groups past and its present. "Drill" would stand as an evolving metaphor for the bands shifting identity. It mutated through multiple versions, changing from performance to performance. (In 1991, Wire would release The Drill, an album composed entirely of versions of the track.) The bandmembers early-80s solo endeavors proved crucial to Wires new direction: the avant-pop sensibility developed by Newman on his albums and the experimental inclinations of Lewis and Gilbert were channeled into the nascent digital context in which the band was now working. The Ideal Copy (1987), the first full-length example of Wires new approach to the processes of composition and recording with sequencing technology, found the groups smart, state-of-the-art grooves skirting the dancefloor. While first-generation fans were glad to have Wire back, their new sound drew a new audience in the U.S. and an American tour followed. They continued in an electronically oriented direction with the more homogeneous A Bell Is a Cup...Until It Is Struck (1988), whose combination of hypnotic, melodic patterns and impenetrable yet catchy lyrics made for surreal, brainy pop. Wire had already made one of rocks more unorthodox live records, but they further deconstructed the cliché of the "live album" for 1989s Its Beginning to & Back Again. Performance recordings were stripped down in the studio, sometimes to a drumbeat or a bassline, which was then used as the starting point for rebuilding the track. Wire continued to experiment with ways of letting studio technologies affect their creative process on Manscape (1990), which forayed deeper into computer-based electronics and programming. Drummer Robert Gotobed was less enthusiastic about changing his role in the developing digital version of Wire and left the band just before a 1990 tour. Dropping the "e" from the groups name, Gilbert, Lewis, and Newman carried on as Wir, releasing The First Letter. In 1991, another hiatus began and the three returned to their diverse solo ventures. In the 80s, American bands like R.E.M. and Big Black covered Wire songs. By the mid-90s, Wires influence started to manifest itself among a younger generation of Brit-pop artists, most notoriously Elastica, whose appropriation of Pink Flags "Three Girl Rhumba" resulted in a settlement between the groups respective music publishing companies. Having briefly resurfaced with Robert Gotobed in 1996 for a performance of "Drill" to celebrate Bruce Gilberts 50th birthday, Wire remained silent until 1999, when they began rehearsing again. In 2000, the band played live in the U.K. (including an event at Londons Royal Festival Hall) and completed a U.S. tour; unpredictable as ever, Wire performed almost exclusively old numbers. Although reworkings of older tracks taped during 1999 rehearsals appeared on The Third Day (2000), Wire soon initiated their next phase. Completely new material appeared in the form of 2002s Read & Burn 01, the first in a series of releases to be developed at Newmans Swim studios. While the fast, loud menace of Read & Burn 01 harked back to Pink Flag, Wire sounded more like they were stomping all over their roots than nostalgically returning to them. A second Read & Burn was out by the end of the year; Send, a full-length containing brand-new songs and Read & Burn material, was released in May of 2003. Three years later, a number of Wires early albums were re-released; in 2007, the groups seminal Pink Flag album hit shelves once again, as well as a third Read & Burn EP. Object 47, an album of new material, was issued in 2008 and was the bands first release without Gilbert. Despite the loss of Gilbert, the 2010s proved to be one of Wires most fruitful periods. Red Barked Tree arrived in early 2011, tailed by a live recording of songs, primarily from that album, titled Black Session: Paris. Inspired by the energy of those live dates, the band headed back into the studio with touring guitarist and It Hugs Back member Matt Simms to work on some previously unrecorded songs from 1979 and 1980. The results, Change Becomes Us, arrived in early 2013. Wire returned in 2015 with a self-titled set (their first new material since Red Barked Tree) featuring elliptical pop and 60s-inspired melodies. The Wire sessions also spawned the 2016 mini-album Nocturnal Koreans, an eclectic collection of songs with more elaborate production. The following year, Wire commemorated their 40th anniversary with their pensive 16th album Silver/Lead. In 2018, the band reissued Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154 once again, this time on their own Pink Flag label, with bonus material that included previously unreleased songs and 80-page hardback books. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 40 Title: Pink Flag Released: 1977-11 Tracks: 38 Duration: 1:06:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Reuters (03:02) 2 Field Day for the Sundays (00:28) 3 Three Girl Rhumba (01:23) 4 Ex Lion Tamer (02:19) 5 Lowdown (02:26) 6 Start to Move (01:13) 7 Brazil (00:41) 8 It’s So Obvious (00:52) 9 Surgeon’s Girl (01:16) 10 Pink Flag (03:45) 11 The Commercial (00:49) 12 Straight Line (00:44) 13 106 Beats That (01:12) 14 Mr. Suit (01:25) 15 Strange (03:58) 16 Fragile (01:18) 17 Mannequin (02:37) 18 Different to Me (00:43) 19 Champs (01:46) 20 Feeling Called Love (01:21) 21 1 2 X U (01:55) 22 Dot Dash (02:25) 23 Options R (01:36) 24 Love Ain’t Polite (01:07) 25 Oh No Not So (01:36) 26 It’s the Motive (01:22) 27 Practice Makes Perfect (03:48) 28 Sand in My Joints (01:49) 29 Stablemate (02:16) 30 I Feel Mysterious Today (01:40) 31 Underwater Experiences (03:15) 32 Mary Is a Dyke (01:06) 33 Too True (01:05) 34 Just Don’t Care (01:22) 35 TV (01:25) 36 New York City (01:12) 37 After Midnight (01:28) 38 Pink Flag (02:35) |
| Pink Flag : Allmusic album Review : Perhaps the most original debut album to come out of the first wave of British punk, Wires Pink Flag plays like The Ramones Go to Art School -- song after song careens past in a glorious, stripped-down rush. However, unlike the Ramones, Wire ultimately made their mark through unpredictability. Very few of the songs followed traditional verse/chorus structures -- if one or two riffs sufficed, no more were added; if a musical hook or lyric didnt need to be repeated, Wire immediately stopped playing, accounting for the albums brevity (21 songs in under 36 minutes on the original version). The sometimes dissonant, minimalist arrangements allow for space and interplay between the instruments; Colin Newman isnt always the most comprehensible singer, but he displays an acerbic wit and balances the occasional lyrical abstraction with plenty of bile in his delivery. Many punk bands aimed to strip rock & roll of its excess, but Wire took the concept a step further, cutting punk itself down to its essence and achieving an even more concentrated impact. Some of the tracks may seem at first like underdeveloped sketches or fragments, but further listening demonstrates that in most cases, the music is memorable even without the repetition and structure most ears have come to expect -- it simply requires a bit more concentration. And Wire are full of ideas; for such a fiercely minimalist band, they display quite a musical range, spanning slow, haunting texture exercises, warped power pop, punk anthems, and proto-hardcore rants -- its recognizable, yet simultaneously quite unlike anything that preceded it. Pink Flags enduring influence pops up in hardcore, post-punk, alternative rock, and even Brit-pop, and it still remains a fresh, invigorating listen today: a fascinating, highly inventive rethinking of punk rock and its freedom to make up your own rules. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 40 Title: Chairs Missing Released: 1978-10 Tracks: 15 Duration: 42:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Practice Makes Perfect (04:06) 2 French Film Blurred (02:34) 3 Another the Letter (01:07) 4 Men 2nd (01:42) 5 Marooned (02:21) 6 Sand in My Joints (01:50) 7 Being Sucked in Again (03:13) 8 Heartbeat (03:15) 9 Mercy (05:46) 10 Outdoor Miner (01:44) 11 I Am the Fly (03:07) 12 I Feel Mysterious Today (01:56) 13 From the Nursery (02:58) 14 Used To (02:20) 15 Too Late (04:12) |
| Chairs Missing : Allmusic album Review : Chairs Missing marks a partial retreat from Pink Flags austere, bare-bones minimalism, although it still takes concentrated listening to dig out some of the melodies. Producer Mike Thornes synth adds a Brian Eno-esque layer of atmospherics, and Wire itself seems more concerned with the sonic textures it can coax from its instruments; the tempos are slower, the arrangements employ more detail and sound effects, and the band allows itself to stretch out on a few songs. The results are a bit variable -- "Mercy," in particular, meanders for too long -- but compelling much more often than not. The albums clear high point is the statement of purpose "I Am the Fly," which employs an emphasis-shifting melody and guitar sounds that actually evoke the sound of the title insect. But thats not all by any means -- "Outdoor Miner" and "Used To" have a gentle lilt, while "Sand in My Joints" is a brief anthem worthy of Pink Flag, and the four-minute "Practice Makes Perfect" is the best result of the albums incorporation of odd electronic flavors. In general, the lyrics are darker than those on Pink Flag, even morbid at times; images of cold, drowning, pain, and suicide haunt the record, and the title itself is a reference to mental instability. The arty darkness of Chairs Missing, combined with the often icy-sounding synth/guitar arrangements, helps make the record a crucial landmark in the evolution of punk into post-punk and goth, as well as a testament to Wires rapid development and inventiveness. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 40 Title: 154 Released: 1979-09-21 Tracks: 17 Duration: 59:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Should Have Known Better (03:52) 2 Two People in a Room (02:10) 3 The 15th (03:05) 4 The Other Window (02:07) 5 Single K.O. (02:23) 6 A Touching Display (06:55) 7 On Returning (02:06) 8 A Mutual Friend (04:27) 9 Blessed State (03:28) 10 Once Is Enough (03:23) 11 Map Ref. 41°N 93°W (03:38) 12 Indirect Enquiries (03:34) 13 40 Versions (03:28) 14 Song 1 (03:02) 15 Get Down, Parts I & II (04:27) 16 Let’s Panic Later (03:20) 17 Small Electric Piece (03:31) |
| 154 : Allmusic album Review : Named for the number of live gigs Wire had played to that point, 154 refines and expands the innovations of Chairs Missing, with producer Mike Thornes synthesizer effects playing an even more integral role; little of Pink Flags rawness remains. If Chairs Missing was a transitional album between punk and post-punk, 154 is squarely in the latter camp, devoting itself to experimental soundscapes that can sound cold and forbidding at times. However, the best tracks retain their humanity thanks to the arrangements smooth, seamless blend of electronic and guitar textures and the beauty of the groups melodies. Where previously some of Wires hooks could find themselves buried or not properly brought out, the fully fleshed-out production of 154 lends a sweeping splendor to "The 15th," the epic "A Touching Display," "A Mutual Friend," and the gorgeous (if obscurely titled) "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W." Not every track is a gem, as the groups artier tendencies occasionally get the better of them, but 154s best moments help make it at least the equal of Chairs Missing. Its difficult to believe that a band that evolved as quickly and altered its sound as restlessly as Wire did could be out of ideas after only three years and three albums, but such was the case according to its members, and with their (temporary, as it turned out) disbandment following this album, Wires most fertile and influential period came to a close. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 40 Title: Document and Eyewitness Released: 1981 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:08:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 5/10 (06:00) 2 12XU (Fragment) (01:47) 3 Underwater Experiences (02:38) 4 Everythings Going to Be Nice (01:04) 5 Piano Tuner (Keep Strumming Those Guitars) (05:19) 6 We Meet Under Tables (03:05) 7 Zegk Hoqp (05:28) 8 Eastern Standard (03:03) 9 Instrumental (Thrown Bottle) (02:12) 10 Eels Sang Lino (03:04) 11 Revealing Trade Secrets (02:33) 12 And Then..... / Coda (09:00) 13 Go Ahead (04:01) 14 Ally in Exile (04:20) 15 Relationship (01:22) 16 Underwater Experiences (02:47) 17 Witness to the Fact (02:46) 18 2 People in a Room (01:58) 19 Our Swimmer (03:01) 20 Heartbeat (03:12) |
| Document and Eyewitness : Allmusic album Review : Just as Wire was capable of innovative, intelligent, and pleasurable music, it also had a knack for mystifying and frustrating fans. The latter was particularly true of the group live. Although this set featured Wire in an accessible mode on material recorded in 1979 at the Notre Dame Hall and in Montreux, most of the tracks derive from a 1980 gig at the Electric Ballroom that found the band at its most challenging. Save a version of "12XU," Wire played material that was previously unreleased, under-rehearsed, at times unrecognizable as rock music and, at others, almost unlistenable. More difficult pieces like the Beefheart-esque "Eels Sang Lino" feature some combination of abrasive, off-kilter, repetitive arrangements, dissonance, and shouting. While some numbers border on the cacophonous, others are pared down, displaying little traditional song structure. On "Zegk Hoqp," for instance, Graham Lewis chants seemingly random letters to the accompaniment of percussion. Still, the chaotic proceedings do coalesce into more familiar song formats on tracks like "We Meet Under Tables." The material from the 1979 gigs -- particularly "Heartbeat" -- proves Wire was capable of conventional performances. However, at the Electric Ballroom, the band had little interest in "playing a concert." In keeping with the spirit of its punk origins and with a measure of humor, Wire yielded artistic authority and surrendered the notion of a scripted set to chance, inviting its audience to react and participate in the event. Listened to in those terms, the show was successful, albeit not in the way Wire had envisaged. The band was subjected to considerable abuse and, during "Instrumental (Thrown Bottle)," Colin Newman can be heard reacting to a near miss from a flying beer bottle. Given the idiosyncratic nature of the Electric Ballroom performance (and the low quality of the recording), this album will be of interest only to die-hard Wire aficionados. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 40 Title: In the Pink Released: 1986 Tracks: 13 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pink Flag (?) 2 12 X U (?) 3 Map Ref. 41°N 95°SW (?) 4 Reuters (?) 5 Brazil (?) 6 Different to Me (?) 7 Practice Makes Perfect (?) 8 Outdoor Miner (?) 9 I Am the Fly (?) 10 I Should Have Known Better (?) 11 The Other Window (?) 12 Single K.O. (?) 13 A Mutual Friend (?) |
 | Album: 6 of 40 Title: Snakedrill Released: 1986 Tracks: 4 Duration: 15:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 “A Serious of Snakes” (04:44) 2 Drill (05:03) 3 Advantage in Height (03:04) 4 Up to the Sun (02:50) |
 | Album: 7 of 40 Title: The Ideal Copy Released: 1987-04-27 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:00:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Point of Collapse (03:22) 2 Ahead (05:00) 3 Madman’s Honey (04:29) 4 Feed Me (05:58) 5 Ambitious (04:05) 6 Cheeking Tongues (02:08) 7 Still Shows (04:10) 8 Over Theirs (05:25) 9 “A Serious of Snakes” (04:44) 10 Drill (05:03) 11 Advantage in Height (03:04) 12 Up to the Sun (02:50) 13 Ambulance Chasers (03:00) 14 Feed Me (04:28) 15 Vivid Riot of Red (02:28) |
| The Ideal Copy : Allmusic album Review : Wires first new full-length effort in eight years, The Ideal Copy is a stunning comeback picking up where 154 left off while also reflecting the strides made by the members solo work. Finding its footing in dark, edgy dance rhythms and ominous digital textures, The Ideal Copy is experimental and forward-thinking, spanning from the buzzing melodies of "Ahead" and "Ambitious" to the taut minimalism of "Feed Me"; the record has its flaws, but its restless creative spirit and refusal to rest on past glories make it one of the few reunion efforts that actually matters. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 40 Title: A Bell Is a Cup Until It Is Struck Released: 1988-05-16 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:10:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Silk Skin Paws (04:51) 2 The Finest Drops (04:56) 3 The Queen of Ur and the King of Um (04:01) 4 Free Falling Divisions (03:39) 5 It’s a Boy (04:26) 6 Boiling Boy (06:22) 7 Kidney Bingos (04:10) 8 Come Back in Two Halves (02:43) 9 Follow the Locust (04:22) 10 A Public Place (04:30) 11 The Queen of Ur and the King of Um (alternative version) (04:02) 12 Pieta (07:29) 13 Over Theirs (06:36) 14 Drill (08:01) |
| A Bell Is a Cup Until It Is Struck : Allmusic album Review : Wires return to full-time active duty came as something of a surprise. Colin Newman, Bruce Gilbert, and Graham Lewis (the latter two both separately and as the duo Dome) had been growing increasingly abstract and non-rock in the six years since the group had split up, but 1988s A Bell Is a Cup...Until It Is Struck is, at heart, an album full of pop songs. Admittedly, theyre mainly peculiar pop songs full of stream-of-consciousness lyrics ("Money spine paper lung kidney bingos organ fun," goes the chorus of the catchiest song, sung by Newman in a dreamy reverie as if the unrelated non sequiturs were just another love song) and produced in an oddly detached way that emphasizes the atmospheres over the melodies, but theyre pop songs nonetheless. Newman and Lewis coat the songs with overdubbed layers of gentle guitars, treated and phased into waves of sound that ebb and flow around the songs over Gilberts throbbing bass and Robert Gotobeds dancefloor-based rhythms. Arguably Wires best album and certainly its most accessible, A Bell Is a Cup...Until It Is Struck is a work of modern rock genius. The CD includes four bonus tracks, including a thoroughly reworked alternate version of "The Queen of Ur and the King of Um" and a chugging eight-minute live version of "Drill." | ||
 | Album: 9 of 40 Title: The Peel Sessions Album Released: 1989 Tracks: 9 Duration: 38:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Practice Makes Perfect (03:36) 2 I Am the Fly (03:42) 3 Culture Vultures (01:54) 4 106 Beats That (01:02) 5 The Other Window (02:22) 6 Mutual Friend (04:12) 7 On Returning (02:04) 8 Indirect Enquiries (04:15) 9 Crazy About Love (15:26) |
| The Peel Sessions Album : Allmusic album Review : In 1978 and 1979, Wire taped three sessions for the John Peel show. Most artists might have taken the opportunity afforded by a coveted Peel session to promote a recent or forthcoming release. Wire did otherwise. Wire often moved swiftly on to new projects once material had been committed to vinyl. Consequently, only one of the numbers chosen by the group for its first BBC session in January 1978 was from the recent debut album, Pink Flag. Even that track ("106 Beats That") was treated to a compressed rendition. Nevertheless, the session arrangements of "Practice Makes Perfect" and "I Am the Fly" closely resemble the versions that would be released eight months later on Chairs Missing. Wire returned to the BBC studios in September 1978, having spent most of the year touring and giving fans ample opportunity to acquaint themselves with the material released that month on Chairs Missing. True to form, the second session comprised new tracks that would appear on 154, almost a year later. However, a couple of the versions differ from their eventual album incarnations, emphasizing that the object of Wires art was the work in progress, not the finished product. "The Other Window," for instance, would be a vaguely menacing exercise in dramatic tension on 154; here, its a sprightly pop song. When the third Radio 1 session aired in late 1979, 154 was enjoying critical acclaim. Rather than showcase the album, Wire chose to perform "Crazy About Love," a quarter-hour improvisational oddity spawned in rehearsals. Although The Peel Sessions hints at early Wires weaknesses without regular producer Mike Thorne -- who seemed uniquely capable of bringing the groups sound into focus -- the material collected here does nothing to diminish Wires status as the most innovative and influential band of the punk era. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 40 Title: It’s Beginning to and Back Again Released: 1989-05 Tracks: 8 Duration: 48:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Finest Drops (04:28) 2 Eardrum Buzz (04:13) 3 German Shepherds (04:39) 4 Public Place (06:05) 5 It’s a Boy (03:59) 6 Illuminated (06:51) 7 Boiling Boy (08:17) 8 Over Theirs (09:24) |
| It’s Beginning to and Back Again : Allmusic album Review : Begun as a collection of live recordings cut in Chicago and Portugal, the songs that comprise Its Beginning to and Back Again were subsequently reconstructed in the studio to the point of becoming virtually unrecognizable. The material largely reprises tracks from A Bell Is a Cup... along with a number of new cuts, highlighted by the single "Eardrum Buzz"; while the record is respectable on its own terms, its impossible to discern its relevance -- neither a true live album nor a remix collection, its original intentions remain lost in the translation. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 40 Title: On Returning (1977–1979) Released: 1989-07 Tracks: 31 Duration: 1:14:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 1 2 X U (01:56) 2 It’s So Obvious (00:52) 3 Mr. Suit (01:25) 4 Three Girl Rhumba (01:23) 5 Ex Lion Tamer (02:19) 6 Lowdown (02:26) 7 Straight Line (00:44) 8 106 Beats That (01:12) 9 Strange (03:58) 10 Reuters (03:02) 11 Field Day for the Sundays (00:28) 12 Champs (01:46) 13 Feeling Called Love (01:21) 14 I Am the Fly (03:07) 15 Dot Dash (02:25) 16 Practice Makes Perfect (04:06) 17 French Film Blurred (02:34) 18 Another the Letter (01:07) 19 I Feel Mysterious Today (01:56) 20 Men 2nd (01:42) 21 Marooned (02:21) 22 Sand in My Joints (01:50) 23 Outdoor Miner (02:52) 24 A Question of Degree (03:11) 25 I Should Have Known Better (03:52) 26 Two People in a Room (02:10) 27 Blessed State (03:28) 28 The Other Window (02:07) 29 40 Versions (03:28) 30 A Touching Display (06:55) 31 On Returning (02:06) |
| On Returning (1977–1979) : Allmusic album Review : On Returning (1977-1979) is a generous 31-song overview of Wires punk heyday, covering the albums Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154, plus several songs that appeared only on non-album singles. Subsequent CD reissues by Restless have added nearly all of those rarities to the original albums as bonus tracks (the sole exception is the fine "Dot Dash"), so the compilation isnt quite as useful for devoted fans as it once was. Furthermore, even if On Returning is a handy way to chart Wires rapid musical development, their progression is better heard on the individual albums, all of which create their own distinct musical moods. However, On Returning does have its advantages: first and foremost, it culls nearly all of the groups best songs from the time period ("Mannequin" is missing, and the selection from 154 is somewhat botched -- omitting the brilliant "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W," among others, is inexcusable). And listeners with a low tolerance for artiness may find this a more concise and acceptable way to familiarize themselves with this important band; make no mistake, Wires experiments with sonic texture and song structure are willfully challenging, although ultimately well worth the effort. So, the bottom line is that On Returning (1977-1979) is a pretty good overview and likely all the Wire a casual fan will need; however, if youre a neophyte and Wire sounds highly intriguing to you, chances are youll end up with all three 1977-1979 albums anyway, rendering this compilation redundant. In the latter scenario, the classic Pink Flag is the better starting point. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 40 Title: Life in the Manscape Released: 1990 Tracks: 5 Duration: 26:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Life in the Manscape (album version) (03:50) 2 Life in the Manscape (7-inch version) (03:54) 3 Life in the Manscape (12-inch version) (07:54) 4 Gravity Workshop (05:12) 5 Who Has Nine? (06:02) |
 | Album: 13 of 40 Title: Manscape Released: 1990-05-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:03:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Life in the Manscape (03:28) 2 Stampede (04:50) 3 Patterns of Behaviour (04:17) 4 Other Moments (03:50) 5 Small Black Reptile (03:14) 6 Torch It! (07:25) 7 Morning Bell (04:22) 8 Where’s the Deputation? (03:51) 9 What Do You See? (06:47) 10 Goodbye Ploy (03:50) 11 Sixth Sense (04:19) 12 Children of Groceries (03:03) 13 You Hung Your Lights in the Trees / A Craftman’s Touch (10:04) |
| Manscape : Allmusic album Review : Wires gradual move toward dance music and techno becomes complete on Manscape. Syncopated beats, synths, and sequencer riffs are the dominant musical motifs, with Graham Lewis taking a larger share of the vocal turns. Still, what the group has gained in technical acumen over time has been lost in tension and interpersonal dynamics; taken for what it is, Manscape is edgy, brainy dance music, but taken as part of the largely brilliant Wire oeuvre, its a disappointment. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 40 Title: The Drill Released: 1991-04-22 Tracks: 9 Duration: 55:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In Every City? (05:21) 2 Whats Your Desire? (04:50) 3 Arriving/Staying/Going? (05:19) 4 (A Berlin) Drill (05:26) 5 Do You Drive? (Turn Your Coat) (04:52) 6 Jumping Mint? (05:56) 7 Did You Dugga? (05:48) 8 Where Are You Now? (05:27) 9 (A Chicago) Drill (live) (12:21) |
| The Drill : Allmusic album Review : Remixes and alternate versions have become staples of popular music. But while most bands use them as bonus tracks or B-side fodder, Wire is one of the only rock groups to have filled an album with versions of the same song ("Drill"). Built on a paradigmatic Wire rhythm affectionately known as "dugga," "Drill" was born during rehearsals for the bands 1985 return to live performance. A first studio recording appeared on Snakedrill (1986), but in concert the track began to mutate, in both its arrangement and duration (lasting from five to 30 minutes). Inspired by "Drill"s metamorphoses, in 1989 Wire decided to continue the process in the studio, beyond the constraints imposed by simple live configurations of guitar, bass, and drums. Additionally, the project was approached as a means of feeling out the newer technology to be employed on the next album, Manscape. Six of the nine tracks on The Drill are fruits of that endeavor. Comprising experiments within the genre that would come to be known as electronica, they range from the slower and more fluid (the pulsing "Whats Your Desire?") to the frenetic and the fragmented (the perky "Jumping Mint"). Although things come unstuck with "Did You Dugga?" -- which sounds like a cartoon version of house music -- more than adequate compensation is provided by the "Drill"/"12XU" hybrid of "In Every City?" and the live, 12-minute "(A Chicago) Drill." At the time of its release, The Drill ranked among Wires more idiosyncratic ventures, but considering subsequent work in minimal electronica by other artists, it doesnt seem so strange now. "There can never be enough Drills in the world," Wire guitarist Bruce Gilbert has said, and, if you agree, then you might also be interested in the aptly entitled Dugga Dugga Dugga, an album of "Drill" cover versions. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 40 Title: The First Letter Released: 1991-10-29 Tracks: 12 Duration: 54:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Take It (for Greedy) (03:13) 2 So and Slow It Grows (single mix) (04:00) 3 A Bargain at 3 and 20 Yeah! (02:55) 4 Footsi‐Footsi (04:55) 5 Ticking Mouth (06:31) 6 It Continues (04:33) 7 Looking at Me (Stop!) (04:12) 8 Naked, Whooping and Such‐Like (Extended On and On) (07:05) 9 Tailor Made (03:48) 10 No Cows on the Ice (04:16) 11 A Big Glue Canal (04:09) 12 So and Slow It Grows (05:13) |
| The First Letter : Allmusic album Review : With The First Letter Wire renamed itself WIR and continued its move toward more detailed soundscapes. Like the previous Manscape, the vocals mean considerably less than the musical textures -- its all about the sound, not the song. Some of the soundscapes are quite interesting, but much of the music fails to be compelling. Nevertheless, the concentration on sonic textures made it no surprise that Colin Newman began pursuing a career as a techno label owner after the albums release. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 40 Title: 1985–1990: The A List Released: 1993-05-17 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:14:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ahead (05:00) 2 Kidney Bingos (04:10) 3 “A Serious of Snakes” (04:44) 4 Eardrum Buzz (04:15) 5 Drill (05:03) 6 Ambitious (04:05) 7 In Vivo (03:25) 8 The Finest Drops (04:56) 9 Madman’s Honey (04:29) 10 Over Theirs (05:25) 11 Silk Skin Paws (04:51) 12 The Queen of Ur and the King of Um (04:01) 13 Torch It! (07:25) 14 Advantage in Height (03:04) 15 The Point of Collapse (03:22) 16 Feed Me (05:58) |
| 1985–1990: The A List : Allmusic album Review : 1985-1990: The A List is a fine 16-track compilation of the highlights from Wires surprising and successful comeback. This material isnt quite as essential as their early output -- Wire doesnt sound as revolutionary on these sides, although the music is still high-quality. It bears some similarities to the sort of 80s college-radio synth/guitar pop being produced by the likes of New Order and the Cure, although it isnt as danceable, and it retains Wires signature love of dissonance and pure sonic oddity. The more controlled, polished sound of this material may tone down the heady excitement of their early albums, or seem a bit mechanical at times, but its intriguing to hear the high-tech production values that were missing from their initial attempts at creating layers of detail in their arrangements, and there are some fine pop songs here as well. The A List could have been sequenced better -- its track listing was determined through a poll of fans, various critics, and band associates, and the selections were simply arranged according to which ones received the largest number of votes, meaning that the compilation loses a little steam since many of the best songs appear toward the beginning. Still, thats a minor flaw, especially since The A List is such a handy overview of the bands uneven comeback albums. Its the best way to hear catchy slices of post-punk avant-pop like "Ahead," "Kidney Bingos," "Eardrum Buzz," and "In Vivo," and for all but the most devoted, The A List is probably all thats necessary from this period. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 40 Title: Behind the Curtain: Early Versions 1977 & 78 Released: 1995-05 Tracks: 31 Duration: 1:07:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mary Is a Dyke (01:06) 2 Too True (01:05) 3 Just Don’t Care (01:22) 4 TV (01:25) 5 New York City (01:12) 6 After Midnight (01:28) 7 Pink Flag (02:35) 8 Love Ain’t Polite (01:07) 9 Oh No Not So (01:36) 10 It’s the Motive (01:22) 11 Practice Makes Perfect (03:48) 12 Sand in My Joints (01:49) 13 Stablemate (02:16) 14 I Feel Mysterious Today (01:40) 15 Underwater Experiences (03:15) 16 Dot Dash (02:20) 17 Options R (01:51) 18 From the Nursery (02:53) 19 Finistaire (02:17) 20 No Romans (01:12) 21 Another the Letter (01:07) 22 40 Versions (03:19) 23 Blessed State (03:14) 24 A Touching Display (05:19) 25 Once Is Enough (02:37) 26 Stepping Off Too Quick (01:22) 27 Indirect Inquiries (03:18) 28 Map Ref 41° N 93° W (03:49) 29 A Question of Degree (02:56) 30 Two People in a Room (02:02) 31 Former Airline (01:12) |
| Behind the Curtain: Early Versions 1977 & 78 : Allmusic album Review : Behind the Curtain is a rare beast in two senses -- its difficult to locate a copy, and its one of the few archival purgings that extends past cash cow status. The disc begins with several selections from Wires infamous first show at Londons Roxy in April of 1977, a set that was part of a punk festival documented by EMI for the Roxy London WC2 compilation. Humorous, spastic songs like "Mary Is a Dyke," "TV," and "Too True" (try not to double over in laughter during the "chorus" of the latter) are exhausted in little more than a minute; even J.J. Cales "After Midnight" is whittled down to 90 seconds. For a band making their first stage appearance, they were far from honed, but they were cognizant of their limitations and strengths. After that, the embryos take over, including several songs that never graced an official release until this one. Most of them are of the short and spiky variety. Those not fond of Mike Thornes production touches might find some of these raw, less-affected versions more palatable, and devout fans will find fascination in realizing the changes made to several of these songs before they rolled off the assembly line. "Another the Letter" is free of the goofy synth whirls heard on Chairs Missing; "Map Ref" is dispassionate and far from the unparalleled bliss it would eventually hit; "Former Airline" is one-third the length of its final version, not a howling drone but another minute-long stinger. Despite the formative nature of these songs, the execution and sound quality still makes for a better listen than most of the officially released material by Wires peers. If the magic punk-to-post-punk trilogy of Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154 had never happened, this disc would be remain reason enough to regard the people who made them as giants, geniuses, and legends. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 40 Title: The First Last Number Released: 1995-11 Tracks: 2 Duration: 27:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The First Last Number (16:02) 2 The Last Last Number (11:51) |
 | Album: 19 of 40 Title: Turns and Strokes Released: 1996-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 53:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Safe (01:40) 2 Lorries (04:09) 3 A Panamanian Craze? (16:41) 4 Remove for Improvement (01:57) 5 The Spare One (03:07) 6 Over My Head (04:18) 7 12XU (02:08) 8 Inventory (02:59) 9 A Ritual View (02:52) 10 Part of Our History (05:52) 11 Second Length (Our Swimmer) (02:49) 12 Catapult 30 (05:04) |
| Turns and Strokes : Allmusic album Review : Though Turns and Strokes isnt quite the definitive Wire live album fans have been clamoring for, it is fascinating nonetheless. Consisting of various live recordings and rehearsal tapes from 1979 and 1980, the album is packed with superb versions of previously unavailable songs, as well as two cuts from the EP EP . The album definitely shows Wires varied strengths, from the extended experimental space rock of "A Panamanian Craze?" to the brutal thrash of "Safe." The real treat for fans will be the recordings of songs that appeared on Colin Newmans solo albums A-Z and Not To, recorded by the full band. All are excellent, with the band giving each cut a power and sound that Newman alone could have never done. As an added bonus, the set includes a live version of "12XU" thats even more manic and ferocious than the studio recording. Though the sound quality is variable, ranging from barely adequate to surprisingly clear, the strength of the performances is enough to overcome any lack of high fidelity. This is certainly not the place for Wire newcomers to start, since most of this is archival material, but for hardcore fans, Turns and Strokes will be a required purchase. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 40 Title: Coatings Released: 1997-10 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:10:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ambulance Chasers (studio version) (05:11) 2 A Serious of Snakes (alternate mix) (06:12) 3 Ambitious (alternate mix) (05:11) 4 Madman’s Honey (alternate mix) (03:03) 5 Kidney Bingos (original mix) (05:20) 6 It’s a Boy (instrumental) (03:54) 7 German Shepherds (05:34) 8 Boiling Boy (05:35) 9 Drill (08:32) 10 In Vivo (club mix) (06:29) 11 Who Has Nine? (06:05) 12 It Can’t Be True Can It? (04:06) 13 Gravity Worship (05:09) |
| Coatings : Allmusic album Review : Both a companion to Mutes 1986-1991 Wire compilation The A List and a continuation of the earlier rarities collection Behind the Curtain, 1997s Coatings is a set of 14 B-sides and alternate mixes from the second half of Wires career. Those fans only interested in the clangorous guitar rock of the Pink Flag days should stop reading now, as theres nothing here for you. This chronologically ordered set starts with a harsh, cacophonous studio version of "Ambulance Chasers," previously available only as a live track and then runs through several interesting alternate takes of songs from The Ideal Copy and A Bell Is a Cup...Until It Is Struck, including an early version of "Kidney Bingos" with different verses and a completely different, almost ambient instrumental mix of "Its a Boy." Then comes the entirety of the groups 1987 Peel Session, featuring an extended version of "Drill" that focuses much less on the famed "dugga-dugga-dugga" rhythm than most of the other versions. Following that come four less interesting outtakes from the Its Beginning to and Back Again and Manscape sessions, including a weak remix of "In Vivo." The album also includes a bonus disc with an 18-minute reworking of The Ideal Copys "Ambitious" commissioned for a ballet by avant-garde choreographer Stephen Petronio, which is strictly for fanatics. Indeed, casual Wire fans in general wont be well served by this rarities compilation, though others will be intrigued by the alternate takes and remixes. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 40 Title: Pink Flag / Chairs Missing / Wire 154 Released: 2000 Tracks: 59 Duration: 2:34:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Reuters (03:02) 2 Field Day for the Sundays (00:28) 3 Three Girl Rhumba (01:23) 4 Ex Lion Tamer (02:19) 5 Lowdown (02:26) 6 Start to Move (01:13) 7 Brazil (00:41) 8 It’s So Obvious (00:52) 9 Surgeon’s Girl (01:16) 10 Pink Flag (03:45) 11 The Commercial (00:49) 12 Straight Line (00:44) 13 106 Beats That (01:12) 14 Mr. Suit (01:25) 15 Strange (03:58) 16 Fragile (01:18) 17 Mannequin (02:37) 18 Different to Me (00:43) 19 Champs (01:46) 20 Feeling Called Love (01:21) 21 1 2 X U (01:55) 22 Dot Dash (02:25) 23 Options R (01:36) 1 Practice Makes Perfect (04:06) 2 French Film Blurred (02:34) 3 Another the Letter (01:07) 4 Men 2nd (01:42) 5 Marooned (02:21) 6 Sand in My Joints (01:50) 7 Being Sucked in Again (03:13) 8 Heartbeat (03:15) 9 Mercy (05:46) 10 Outdoor Miner (01:44) 11 I Am the Fly (03:07) 12 I Feel Mysterious Today (01:56) 13 From the Nursery (02:58) 14 Used To (02:20) 15 Too Late (04:12) 16 Outdoor Miner (02:52) 17 A Question of Degree (03:11) 18 Former Airline (03:20) 1 I Should Have Known Better (03:52) 2 Two People in a Room (02:10) 3 The 15th (03:05) 4 The Other Window (02:07) 5 Single K.O. (02:23) 6 A Touching Display (06:55) 7 On Returning (02:06) 8 A Mutual Friend (04:27) 9 Blessed State (03:28) 10 Once Is Enough (03:23) 11 Map Ref. 41°N 93°W (03:38) 12 Indirect Enquiries (03:34) 13 40 Versions (03:28) 14 Song 1 (03:02) 15 Get Down, Parts I & II (04:27) 16 Let’s Panic Later (03:20) 17 Small Electric Piece (03:31) 18 Go Ahead (04:00) |
 | Album: 22 of 40 Title: The Third Day Released: 2000 Tracks: 5 Duration: 20:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pink Flag (R1) (03:56) 2 Blessed State (03:22) 3 Mercy (05:28) 4 Art of Persistence (1st Draft) (04:33) 5 Pink Flag (R2) (03:34) |
 | Album: 23 of 40 Title: Read & Burn 01 Released: 2002-06-17 Tracks: 6 Duration: 16:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In the Art of Stopping (03:34) 2 I Don’t Understand (03:17) 3 Comet (03:17) 4 Germ Ship (01:50) 5 1st Fast (01:41) 6 The Agfers of Kodack (03:11) |
 | Album: 24 of 40 Title: Read & Burn 02 Released: 2002-10-01 Tracks: 6 Duration: 25:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Read and Burn (02:34) 2 Spent (04:43) 3 Trash/Treasure (05:07) 4 Nice Streets Above (02:50) 5 Raft Ants (02:05) 6 99.9 (07:42) |
 | Album: 25 of 40 Title: PF456REDUX Released: 2003 Tracks: 16 Duration: 39:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 In the Art of Stopping (02:47) 2 I Don’t Understand (02:54) 3 Comet (02:39) 4 Germ Ship (01:22) 5 First Fast (01:18) 6 The Agfers of Kodack (02:28) 7 Half Eaten (01:21) 8 Being Watched (02:24) 9 You Can’t Leave Now (02:57) 10 Mr Marx’s Table (02:12) 11 Read and Burn (01:27) 12 Spent (03:19) 13 Trash/Treasure (03:29) 14 Nice Streets (01:50) 15 Raft Ants (01:14) 16 99.9 (05:27) |
 | Album: 26 of 40 Title: Metro, Chicago, 14th September 2002 Released: 2003-04-28 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 99.9 (07:45) 2 Germ Ship (01:56) 3 Mr. Marx’s Table (05:56) 4 First Fast (01:27) 5 Read and Burn (02:13) 6 The Agfers of Kodack (03:42) 7 Comet (02:40) 8 In the Art of Stopping (03:29) 9 Spent (04:09) 10 I Don’t Understand (04:17) |
 | Album: 27 of 40 Title: Send Released: 2003-04-28 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:19:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In the Art of Stopping (03:34) 2 Mr Marx’s Table (03:02) 3 Being Watched (02:57) 4 Comet (03:17) 5 The Agfers of Kodack (03:11) 6 Nice Streets Above (03:45) 7 Spent (04:43) 8 Read and Burn (02:34) 9 You Can’t Leave Now (03:41) 10 Half Eaten (01:58) 11 99.9 (07:42) 1 I Don’t Understand (03:17) 2 Trash/Treasure (05:07) 3 Raft Ants (02:05) 4 Germ Ship (01:50) 5 1st Fast (01:41) 6 Artificial Gravity (06:13) 7 DJ Fuckoff (05:29) 8 12 Times U (01:40) 9 Our Time (minimal mix) (04:23) 10 Desert Diving (alternative mix) (05:32) 11 12 Times X (01:30) |
| Send : Allmusic album Review : Send is a quasi-compilation and pseudo-new album from an older and much more ferocious Wire; it plucks seven songs from the two low-key Read & Burn EPs the group released on its own Pink Flag label in 2002 and adds four new ones. This is the culmination, perhaps, of the groups 1999 re-formation -- an outcome that only attendees of the terse performances and buyers of the EPs could have forecasted. Unlike a lot of re-formed groups, Wire chose not to be a jukebox with its old material while performing in front of its multi-generational crowds. The bandmembers didnt merely run through pieces of their beloved discography, or even inject new life into them -- they tore through them with a vigorous energy that teetered on the brink of violence. The new material collected and built on here takes on the same tightly wound, clenched-teeth direction. Thick walls of clamor are constructed on each song. The opening "In the Art of Stopping" is a relatively unassuming din of whipsaw guitars and percussion that could double as the sound of railroad ties being driven into the ground. Colin Newmans voice hectors ominously as it slowly shifts from one channel to the other and back again. All the buzzing sets up the viscous and highly repetitive grinding of "Mr. Marxs Table," where Newman takes on a more hospitable tone. On "Spent," Bruce Gilbert practically screams at the top of his lungs and fights to be heard over an overwhelming bank of industrial guitars that twist with agitated riffs and squeals. The only break from the onslaught comes during the closing "99.9," which takes nearly four minutes to be worked into another rich lather of vibrating menace. Dynamic, taut, feisty, and clever as ever, Send is this groups fourth-best album. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 40 Title: Wire on the Box: 1979 Released: 2004-10-04 Tracks: 20 Duration: 58:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Introduction (00:50) 2 Another the Letter (01:06) 3 The 15th (02:29) 4 Practice Makes Perfect (03:00) 5 Two People in a Room (01:59) 6 I Feel Mysterious Today (01:44) 7 Being Sucked in Again (02:49) 8 Once Is Enough (02:46) 9 Blessed State (02:59) 10 A Question of Degree (02:43) 11 Single KO (02:24) 12 Mercy (05:44) 13 40 Versions (04:06) 14 Former Airline (01:07) 15 A Touching Display (06:14) 16 French Film Blurred (02:34) 17 Men 2nd (01:39) 18 Map Ref. 41°N 93°W (03:37) 19 Heartbeat (04:41) 20 Pink Flag (03:26) |
| Wire on the Box: 1979 : Allmusic album Review : Although its not hard to find footage of performances by many British punk bands in their prime, late-70s live footage of Wire has rarely been seen. In fact, until On the Box: 1979, there have been no official video releases of the group in concert during its highly creative first phase (1977-1979). The only substantial evidence of the band live around this time was the often-unlistenable album Document and Eyewitness, which chronicled a challenging and chaotic 1980 gig. On the Box, a 1979 in-studio performance filmed for German TVs Rockpalast, eases any lingering traumatic memories of Document and Eyewitness. The band is energetic and dynamic, unfazed by an apathetic, uncomfortable audience resembling a librarians convention. Menacing and manic, guitarist/vocalist Colin Newman leads the charge through a set largely comprising tracks from Chairs Missing and the then-yet-to-be-released 154. Wire is at its most intense on the 56-second opener "Another the Letter," the harsh "Mercy" and the frantic 45 seconds of "Former Airline." More expansive tracks like "A Touching Display" and "Blessed State," to which bassist Graham Lewis lends deep, foreboding lead vocals, are equally compelling. While Lewis and Newman are the focus of attention, in the background, anti-guitarist Bruce Gilbert produces all manner of audio detritus, and minimalist drummer Robert Grey (at the time known as Robert Gotobed) lays down his signature metronomic beats. Indeed, one of the pleasures of this is the up-close view it provides of Wires quieter pair, underscoring their unique contributions. On the Box catches Wire at the height of its powers and this material still sounds remarkably fresh, especially compared with the work of many other bands from the period. [Some releases add the video portion to an audio set.] | ||
 | Album: 29 of 40 Title: The Scottish Play: 2004 Released: 2005-03-28 Tracks: 14 Duration: 53:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 99.9 (07:44) 2 Germ Ship (01:39) 3 Mr. Marx’s Table (04:29) 4 1st Fast (01:32) 5 Read & Burn (02:50) 6 The Agfers of Kodack (04:04) 7 Comet (02:43) 8 In the Art of Stopping (03:43) 9 Spent (04:20) 10 I Don’t Understand (04:22) 11 Strange (03:08) 12 106 Beats That (01:27) 13 Surgeon’s Girl (01:20) 14 Pink Flag (09:42) |
| The Scottish Play: 2004 : Allmusic album Review : In the Shakespeare tragedy referenced by The Scottish Play videos title, Macbeth compares life to the work of a performer who "struts and frets his hour upon the stage," ultimately amounting to "sound and fury, signifying nothing." Wires April 2004 performance at Glasgows Tramway Theatre might not grapple with metaphysical issues, but theres much strutting and fretting, and plenty of sound and fury. When the band resumed live activity in 2000, it did so with surprisingly assaultive gusto. Tom Gidleys concert film captures that aspect of latter-day Wire: four angry not-so-young men in heavy metal dancefloor mode, charging through a set of largely recent material with an intensity and urgency rivaling their sound circa Pink Flag. After the barrage of tracks like "Comet" and "Spent," the chugging "I Dont Understand" offers a momentary respite, then the band proceeds to torch some of its oldest numbers, eventually signing off with a rough-edged makeover of "Pink Flag." Rather than offer a flat, one-dimensional concert film, Gidleys cameras focus in on the bandmembers individual labors. A sweaty Graham Lewis throttles his bass while Colin Newman dances around like someone at the office Christmas party after a few too many drinks. By contrast, drummer Robert Grey is a picture of focus. The odd man out is Bruce Gilbert, standing almost in the wings; although he gives the impression of never having seen a guitar before, he adds a crucial layer of noise, often without seeming to move his hands. The Scottish Play is an excellent document of a band refusing to age gracefully. [The video portion also contains footage from a 2003 event at Londons Barbican: four songs from the Read & Burn EPs showcase Es Devlins Samuel Beckett-meets-Spinal Tap set design, which places the bandmembers in separate boxes lined across the stage; also included in some releases is an audio set of the Tramway gig.] | ||
 | Album: 30 of 40 Title: Live at The Roxy, London - April 1st & 2nd 1977 / Live at CBGB Theatre, New York - July 18th 1978 Released: 2006-11-13 Tracks: 46 Duration: 1:19:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Commercial (01:00) 2 Mary Is a Dyke (01:08) 3 Too True (01:05) 4 Just Don’t Care (01:21) 5 Strange (02:29) 6 Brazil (00:47) 7 It’s So Obvious (00:56) 8 Three Girl Rhumba (01:29) 9 TV (01:26) 10 Straight Line (00:53) 11 Lowdown (02:23) 12 Feeling Called Love (01:20) 13 NYC (01:12) 14 After Midnight (01:27) 15 12XU (02:03) 16 Mr Suit (01:50) 17 Glad All Over (01:43) 18 The Commercial (01:02) 19 Mary Is a Dyke (01:39) 20 Too True (01:06) 21 Just Don’t Care (01:27) 22 Strange (02:40) 23 Brazil (01:04) 24 It’s So Obvious (01:00) 25 Three Girl Rhumba (01:39) 26 TV (01:18) 27 Straight Line (01:40) 28 Lowdown (01:48) 29 Feeling Called Love (01:21) 30 NYC (01:10) 31 After Midnight (01:08) 32 12XU (02:01) 33 Glad All Over (01:21) 34 Mr Suit (02:09) 1 Men 2nd (01:41) 2 Reuters (02:34) 3 106 Beats That (01:02) 4 From the Nursery (02:38) 5 Dot Dash (02:19) 6 Another the Letter (01:07) 7 Practice Makes Perfect (02:34) 8 Marooned (02:19) 9 I Am the Fly (03:12) 10 Lowdown (02:10) 11 Mercy (05:41) 12 Outro (01:33) |
 | Album: 31 of 40 Title: Read & Burn 03 Released: 2007-11-05 Tracks: 4 Duration: 25:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 23 Years Too Late (09:47) 2 Our Time (04:33) 3 No Warning Given (05:27) 4 Desert Diving (05:33) |
 | Album: 32 of 40 Title: Object 47 Released: 2008-07-07 Tracks: 9 Duration: 34:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 One of Us (03:45) 2 Circumspect (03:13) 3 Mekon Headman (02:58) 4 Perspex Icon (03:16) 5 Four Long Years (03:45) 6 Hard Currency (03:50) 7 Patient Flees (05:23) 8 Are You Ready? (04:43) 9 All Fours (04:05) |
| Object 47 : Allmusic album Review : Although a playful, self-referential title marks the 47th entry in Wires discography, the band definitely isnt looking back. Some familiar motifs inevitably resurface, but theres no such thing as a predictable Wire album: thats especially true of this, their first without guitarist Bruce Gilbert. Overall, Object 47 is the antithesis of Send, its immediate predecessor. Send was wonderfully claustrophobic and compressed, painted mostly in aggressive, industrial-sized brush strokes eschewing nuance and variation and emphasizing surface over depth; Object 47 trades harsh monochrome for expansive wide-screen color and a pronounced melodic sensibility. Across these nine tracks, diverse new textures and dimensions emerge and, despite being typically elliptical, the words communicate a broader emotional range than Send displayed, with its tendency towards terse phrase-clusters. From the outset, Wire is a band reborn and reenergized. The anthemic "One of Us" sets the agenda, propelled by Graham Lewis and Robert Greys relentless rhythms. Its lyrics stand in tonal contrast to the music (a trademark Wire tactic): "one of us will live to rue the day we met each other" warns Colin Newman, against the grain of the singalong bounce. Regardless of their legendary artistic contrariness, Wire always deliver catchy songs and, in addition to the opener, Object 47 boasts several. On "Perspex Icon," the combination of stop-start buzzsaw guitar rhythms with Newmans bright, tuneful vocal proves highly infectious. Equally memorable are Lewis turns at the mic -- the funky "Are You Ready?" and "Mekon Headman," a denser, more insistent number accentuating the minimalist cymbal detail Grey minted on Pink Flag. Object 47 highlights Wires pop credentials, but the band hasnt lost its edge. Tempo changes punctuate Massive Attack-style rolling dread on the hefty "Hard Currency"; by contrast, "All Fours" hammers out rigid, astringent grooves as guest guitarist Page Hamilton plugs in with a feedback squall that adds extra menace to the albums apocalyptic coda. | ||
 | Album: 33 of 40 Title: Epic Comes in Silver and Black, the Forefathers: Daytrotter Studio, Rock Island, IL, USA Released: 2008-11-10 Tracks: 5 Duration: 18:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Welcome to Daytrotter (?) 2 Silk Skin Paws (04:14) 3 Mr. Marx’s Table (04:51) 4 Mekon Headman (02:56) 5 Boiling Boy (06:21) |
 | Album: 34 of 40 Title: Strays Released: 2011-01-10 Tracks: 4 Duration: 17:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Boiling Boy (06:23) 2 German Shepherds (04:30) 3 He Knows (04:42) 4 Underwater Experiences (02:16) |
 | Album: 35 of 40 Title: Red Barked Tree Released: 2011-01-10 Tracks: 11 Duration: 39:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Please Take (03:51) 2 Now Was (02:24) 3 Adapt (02:51) 4 Two Minutes (02:00) 5 Clay (03:12) 6 Bad Worn Thing (03:33) 7 Moreover (04:34) 8 A Flat Tent (02:16) 9 Smash (03:55) 10 Down to This (04:56) 11 Red Barked Trees (05:35) |
| Red Barked Tree : Allmusic album Review : In an interview with Crawdaddy magazine after the band regrouped in 2000, Wire frontman and guitarist Colin Newman said that the bands original intention was to destroy rock & roll by removing the roll from the equation. Drummer Robert Grey (aka Robert Gotobed), played a large part in the removal of "the roll" from the bands music. His straightforward timekeeping eschewed fills and cymbal splashes in favor of a simple, driving rhythm that gave much of the bands music its linear, avant-garde feel. But despite their roots in punk, theyve always had a few tunes on every album that could pass for pop hits, and that holds true here. "Please Take" opens the record with its warm melodic feel, even if the lyrics ("Please take your knife out of my back") are anything but the usual pop fodder. The album ends with another pop gem, "Red Barked Trees," a polished tune that sounds like a psychedelic-era Beatles number, complete with a scathing lyric that lays out the ills of modern society with bitter irony. The rest of the album ranges over the styles that have made the band so hard to pin down. "Two Minutes" is a punk screed about hating everyone and everything, driven by Grays measured pounding and distorted clanging guitars, "Moreover" is a noisy rock/rap tune driven by short, sharp lyrical bursts, grinding guitar, and Grays steady traps, and "Smash," another clattering, linear punk tune thats actually broken up by a chorus. Red Barked Tree is another strong effort, and while Wire is still making music that shatters expectations, after 30 years theyre sounding a lot like the mainstream rockers they once despised. | ||
 | Album: 36 of 40 Title: The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011 Released: 2012-02-06 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:03:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Adapt (04:01) 2 Comet (02:58) 3 Smash (03:38) 4 Please Take (04:24) 5 Kidney Bingos (04:32) 6 Clay (03:15) 7 Map Ref. 41°N 93°W (04:22) 8 Moreover (03:42) 9 Two People in a Room (03:03) 10 Down to This (06:45) 11 Drill (04:31) 12 Red Barked Trees (07:39) 13 Pink Flag (10:47) |
| The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011 : Allmusic album Review : The Black Session was recorded approximately 34 years after Pink Flag debuted, but original members Colin Newman, Graham Lewis, and Robert Grey (joined by touring guitarist Matthew Simms) are still a tightly wound unit, and oddly enough, this is a much better indication of their prowess on-stage than mid-career outings like Document and Eyewitness and Its Beginning to and Back Again. Taken from a 2011 performance for the French radio show Cest Lenoir at Maison de Radio, this recording concentrates on pop-oriented material, mainly from 2010s Red Barked Tree. Otherwise, there are three late-80s numbers (from Ideal Copy and A Bell Is a Cup…Until It Is Struck), and three late-70s landmarks (from 154 and Pink Flag). Fans of the oldies are treated to an enthusiastic ten-minute encore of "Pink Flag" for sticking it out, and even when Wire focuses on their not-so-classic material, they sound great in a live environment. | ||
 | Album: 37 of 40 Title: Change Becomes Us Released: 2013-03-26 Tracks: 13 Duration: 48:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Doubles & Trebles (03:50) 2 Keep Exhaling (01:39) 3 Adore Your Island (02:45) 4 Re-Invent Your Second Wheel (03:45) 5 Stealth of a Stork (01:54) 6 B/W Silence (04:40) 7 Time Lock Fog (05:45) 1 Magic Bullet (03:41) 2 Eels Sang (02:15) 3 Love Bends (04:01) 4 As We Go (04:36) 5 & Much Besides (06:12) 6 Attractive Space (03:20) |
| Change Becomes Us : Allmusic album Review : As with many things, Wire were ahead of their time when they reunited several years before other post-punk and indie favorites decided to get back together during the 2000s and 2010s. They were already a going concern when they began playing lesser-known material that had previously only appeared on the live albums Document and Eyewitness and Turns and Strokes during the Red Barked Tree tour. Inspired, Wire headed into the studio with touring guitarist Matt Simms to rework and flesh out these songs, which were seen as some of their most challenging music. While revisiting old material is often seen as a sign of artistic death -- especially for a band as innovative as Wire -- they handle it creatively on Change Becomes Us. Object 47 and Red Barked Tree had already suggested that the band had found a way to place the intensity of its early days into a more modern context, and this album is just a further expression of that. Tempering the more confrontational aspects of these songs with atmospheric productions and arrangements that feel of a piece with Red Barked Tree, Change Becomes Us is more meditative, and more focused, than the materials intimidating reputation would suggest. When it was known as "Ally in Exile," the opening track "Doubles & Trebles" sounded like it could bore into listeners brains; here, its tale of espionage gone wrong is just as paranoid but more resigned-sounding, only adding to its air of hopelessness. Similarly, "Eels Sang" trades the chaos of its origins for a lunging rhythm that underscores its wordplay, and "Re-Invent Your Second Wheel" (formerly "Zegk Hopq") is much more melodic and playful, its cryptic lyrics now playing more like a secret handshake than an impenetrable code. However, Change Becomes Us is more than just a rehash or compare-and-contrast exercise; these songs sound great in their own right. While "Adore Your Island"s mix of power chords and breakneck choruses proves they can rock as hard as ever, the quieter path Wire take on most of the album is just as compelling, particularly on "Time Lock Fog"s chilly undertow or "Magic Bullet"s shifting reflections. As tempting as it is to wonder what these songs would have sounded like if the band had recorded them in the studio closer to when they were written (instead of taking a hiatus for half of the 80s), hearing the group filter the energy of the past through years worth of experience should make Change Becomes Us the best of both worlds for many Wire fans. | ||
 | Album: 38 of 40 Title: Wire Released: 2015-04-13 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blogging (03:46) 2 Shifting (03:17) 3 Burning Bridges (03:17) 4 In Manchester (02:41) 5 High (01:52) 6 Sleep-Walking (07:30) 7 Joust & Jostle (02:12) 8 Swallow (04:17) 9 Split Your Ends (03:30) 10 Octopus (03:16) 11 Harpooned (08:23) |
| Wire : Allmusic album Review : Self-titled albums, especially those that arent debuts, usually imply some sort of definitive statement. Thats not necessarily the case with Wire, which feels more like an update than a manifesto thanks to its restraint. On first listen, its not as bold as Change Becomes Us, which isnt surprising since those were songs the group abandoned three decades before. Instead, these shadings recall Wires previous album of all-new material, Red Barked Tree, which tempered its explosions with more atmospheric evolutions of the sardonic, bittersweet post-punk-pop they pioneered in the 70s. "Split Your Ends" picks up where droning, implosive Tree songs like "Down to This" left off; "Octopus" jangles instead of jabs; and "Joust & Jostle," perhaps the most quintessentially Wire song here, adds a psychedelic glaze to its barbs. Wire also brings Red Barked Trees political undercurrents to the fore, arguably with more finesse: though "Blogging"s title could seem cringe-worthy, its acerbic melancholy regarding the digital age is a harbinger of the disconnection that runs through the album, as well as its mix of disquieting lyrics and droning sonics. On another album, the band might have blazed through a song like "Harpooned"; here, its a slow burner. Similarly, "Sleep-Walking"s plodding tempo enhances the ominous feel of lyrics like "the narrowest vision has the widest appeal." Even if Wire isnt the band at its most uncompromising, it requires closer listening than might be expected: is Colin Newman singing "on a mission/telling lies" or "an omission/telling lies" on the aptly named "Shifting"? Either way, its a highlight that, like many of the albums other best moments, lets the bands melodic gifts shine. "Burning Bridges" and "In Manchester" borrow from 60s pop, but the insistent rhythm section is unmistakable; meanwhile, "High" boasts the kind of dreamy chords that launched a thousand shoegazing followers. The album borders on monochromatic at times (possibly because there are no songs by Graham Lewis, who provided some of Red Barked Tree and Change Becomes Us finest tracks), yet its subtle subversions are thoroughly Wire, and thoroughly befitting the band at this stage in its career. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 40 Title: Nocturnal Koreans Released: 2016-04-22 Tracks: 8 Duration: 25:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Nocturnal Koreans (02:58) 2 Internal Exile (03:29) 3 Dead Weight (03:03) 4 Forward Position (04:50) 5 Numbered (02:30) 6 Still (02:54) 7 Pilgrim Trade (03:11) 8 Fishes Bones (03:02) |
| Nocturnal Koreans : Allmusic album Review : Wire reaped rich creative rewards in the 2010s by revisiting and reinventing their past. On 2013s Change Becomes Us, the band gave a batch of songs from 1979 and 1980 the studio treatment with results that balanced their art-punk heyday and their more contemplative 21st century sound brilliantly. Wire dont look back quite as far on the mini-album Nocturnal Koreans, but their (re)inventive spirit serves them well once again. They developed these songs while working on 2015s Wire, setting them aside to add more elaborate sonics, or as the band put it, "studio trickery." Sometimes this trickery is subtle: "Nocturnal Koreans" takes Wires whispery intensity in a slightly lusher direction, serving as a bridge between that album and more elaborate tracks like "Internal Exile," which incorporates lap steel and trumpet -- two instruments not usually associated with the bands palette -- into an anthem of futility that imbues Wires 2010s malaise with a more organic, affecting feel. While Nocturnal Koreans may be more embellished, theres no filler within its 26 minutes. Interestingly, its also more immediate than its more straightforward predecessor. Wires songs were so cohesive that they took several listens to penetrate fully, but hearing the band widen its sounds and moods -- and subvert expectations -- offers instant gratification. The jabbing riffs on "Numbered"s verses (as well as lyrics like “You think I’m a number/Still willing to rhumba”) are classic Wire, and are soon overtaken by a galloping Krautrock beat and droning electronics. Meanwhile, "Still"s doubled drums and major chords give it a swagger that nevertheless feels of a piece with the bands incisive, questioning attitude. Nocturnal Koreans also finds Wire expressing that attitude with more emotional range than they have in a while, whether on the haunting "Forward Position," where Colin Newman intones “I am black box, I remember/Every promise that you broke,” or on the surreal "Fishes Bones," where Graham Lewis declamatory vocals lead the rest of the band into increasingly psychedelic territory. Even if Nocturnal Koreans sound isnt always textbook Wire, its imagery and wit most certainly are, making the album much more than the collection of leftovers its origins might have suggested. | ||
 | Album: 40 of 40 Title: Silver/Lead Released: 2017-03-31 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Playing Harp for the Fishes (03:44) 2 Short Elevated Period (02:54) 3 Diamonds in Cups (04:08) 4 Forever & a Day (04:06) 5 An Alibi (03:10) 6 Sonic Lens (04:30) 7 This Time (04:16) 8 Brio (03:37) 9 Sleep on the Wing (02:59) 10 Silver/Lead (02:39) |
| Silver/Lead : Allmusic album Review : On Silver/Lead, Wire celebrate their 40th anniversary by throwing some intentional kinks into their well-oiled machinery. Much of their music in the 2010s was as fast-paced as their release schedule, but on their 15th album, theyre slower and stranger than theyve been in years. Aside from the swift guitar pop of "In a Short Elevated Period," this album doesnt blaze like Change Becomes Us or Nocturnal Koreans; instead, it turns the energy of those albums inward on songs that shimmer like silver and have the heft of lead. Wire are just as keenly observant when theyre introspective as when they take aim at the outside world, and when Colin Newman sings "be a good witness of all that youve seen" on the minor-key T. Rex riffage of "Diamonds in Cups," its an apt description of their modus operandi. Meanwhile, the grinding opener "Playing Harp for the Fishes," which features bassist Graham Lewis on vocals, revives the darkly surreal ruminations that this incarnation of the band seemed to have left behind. The feeling that Silver/Leads songs should be faster creates a different kind of tension thats arguably more provocative, and interesting, than a barrage of rapid-fire tempos. "An Alibi" is an uneasy post-punk lullaby, while the ironically named "Brio" evokes the languid spaciness of Pink Floyd as well as the desolation Wire mastered decades ago. Slowing things down also lets the melancholy that bubbled under on Wire come to the surface, and Silver/Lead delivers some of the bands prettiest, and saddest, music in some time. Newman imbues "Sleep on the Wing" with a highly literate, ever so slightly ominous sorrow, while Lewis weary baritone is used perfectly on "This Time," where he sings "this time is gonna be better" to a melody that sounds like a lie the moment it leaves his lips. And when he sings "Ooh darling/I want you to stay" on "Forever & a Day," it shows just how much power naked emotion can have in the hands of a band as famously cerebral and aloof as this one. As precise as ever yet oddly moving, Silver/Lead reaffirms that Wire are more like mercury, shape-shifting effortlessly while remaining true to the things that have always made them great. | ||