Any Wire Fans Here?

[utero2001]

I stumbled across one of their songs on Ladytron's softcore jukebox compilation album. Loved the song called "the 15th", the song sounds original and fresh, then I found that this was recorded in the late 70s!.awesome

They were at the time being compared to Pink Floyd with their experimental music

I've tried their album 154, and just trying Pink Flag, (for true punk fans, Pink Flag is apparently up there with the clash and sex pistols best work), and 154 goes into more experimental stuff. Very impressed, as the band develope from boisterous punk to "art-punk"

I'm keen to find more of their stuff, anyone listened to them?

stand out track for me, is "the 15th", have a look for it

top 25 punk albums

154

[Rsdio]

One of the greatest bands of all time. Please don't use the Floyd comparison though, it's insulting

Try to get Chairs Missing, the album done inbetween the two you mentioned and sort of a halfway house between the two. I'd say it's their best album for me, but the other two aren't far behind. It's not often a band can do three albums in a row as good as those, each within a year of the other. They did do some good stuff here and there in the 80s, but most of that is despite the godawful production that plagued a lot of albums of the decade. Their most recent album, 'Send' is the best thing they've done since the first three and is much more aggressive than anything they've put out previously.

I'd highly recommend the 'On the Box: 1979' DVD as well, it's a concert they did on a German TV channel to a bizarrely disinterested audience, but it's a blinding set.

I could talk all day about them tbh .

[Don Rosco]

Yeah, I just have a few tracks I procured from 'Read & Burn 01'. I really like them, sort of punk krautrock with a hint of rockabilly. Is all their stuff like this? I'm not a big rock fan usually, but these guys make the grade.

edit: it seems Read & Burn 01 isn't one of their albums, but that's what the tag says. The tracks are from 'Send', their latest album it seems...either way, great stuff.

[Disgraced Toblerone]

Yes, a wonderful band.

Colin Newman also made cracking albums (try "commercial suicide") solo or with his wife Malka Spiegel, of Minimal Compact's fame. (Fame?)

[noizu]

Probably my favourite band, and that trio of early albums is just an amazing body of work. Best to listen from Pink Flag through to 154, 'cause their progression as musicians in such a short space of time is so impressive to hear. Remastered versions being released in a few weeks as well!

I think their use of sound is so nuanced and unique, there's stuff that makes you stop and go 'what's that sound coming from?'.

Like Rsdio said, Chairs Missing is the best one (lots of people think Pink Flag is though). Lovely, glacial production - 'Marooned' is one of the chilliest songs I've ever heard. And the way they can go from gorgeous melodic pop like Outdoor Miner or The 15th to tinnitus noise in Too Late or Sand In My Joints (guitar solo played on barbed wire with nails!) without missing a beat...

The fade-out of layered guitars in French Film Blurred makes my spine tingle even after I've listened to it thousands of times over

Plus their album covers are ace.

PLUS Newman's new stuff with Githead is really good - Headgit EP especially

[utero2001]

Just trying Chairs Missing, from what I've heard these albums sit as a great trilogy, Its great when you stumble across something so awesome

[utero2001]

bah double post

any key tracks on any of the three albums?

[Rsdio]

You can guage the general opinion here if you want, don't really like the idea of them ranking them all like that but it's as good an indication as you'll find. My favourites tend to shift quite a lot, that's usually how you can tell the best albums.

I'm quite envious of you discovering these, I remember when I did and how exciting it was . I don't know if you've heard much of the other post-punk stuff from the era, but to me it's the most fertile period for interesting music. The contemporary stuff they call post-punk is nothing of the sort and really takes nothing of the spirit of experimentation from the old stuff. Your Maximo Parks and Futureheads are basically just pop bands using a guitar sound ripped from Gang Of Four.. Nothing wrong with that at all, but to call it post-punk and align it with Wire, Joy Division, PiL et al is pretty misleading.

[utero2001]

I agree, this new wave indy/post punk stuff of today is shite, and won't last, theres nothing interesting about them imo

cheers for the list though. From hearing Chairs Missing I'm liking 154 more, even though that was the album i got first. I'll give these a real go for the next week or so then try some of their latter stuff

Actually this list seems a bit naff, map ref. can't be their best track, damn good but I'll put the 15th and single KO above it

[Rsdio]

Map Ref.'s a slow burner, it took me quite a while to properly 'get' it.

One of my favourite things about Wire is how they managed to do such interesting and varied stuff whilst rarely using anything but power chords, quite a trick really.

[Hemzoozlefluff]

Pink Flag is one of my favourite albums EVER.