Wire

7-16-10

Wire – Singles

I recently recommended Wire to a friend who lives in Washington state. He liked my recommendation! I told him their best stuff were their “punk singles”. I recommended he buy a collection CD of their older material…

DOT DASH / OPTIONS R

HARVEST UK HAR 5161, 1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

I AM THE FLY / EX LION TAMER

HARVEST UK HAR 5151, 1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

MANNEQUIN / FEELING CALLED LOVE / 12XU

HARVEST UK HAR 5144, 1977 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

MAP REF. 41N 93W / GO AHEAD

HARVEST UK HAR 5192, 1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

OUR SWIMMER / MIDNIGHT BAHNHOF CAFE

ROUGH TR UK RTO 79, 1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

OUTDOOR MINER / PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

HARVEST UK HAR 5172, 1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve, white vinyl

QUESTION OF DEGREE, A / FORMER AIRLINE

HARVEST UK HAR 5187, 1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

If hard pressed, I think I like “A Question Of Degree” and “Our Swimmer” the best. I think “Our Swimmer” is about their most commercial singles ever released – yet, it’s what got them off of EMI (and onto Rough Trade).

Wire were certainly popular with the artsy crowd in 1978/9. Some people “got it” immediately – others didn’t know what to make of their punk minimalism. I think I finally got the message about the time of “154”, which I still think is their strongest album. I never saw them play live.

I tried to follow Colin Newman through a solo career – but only got as far as his first few solo releases. I never got very many of the re-formed Wire albums / singles – though I understand they are popular with the post-new wave crowd.

I don’t think there were ever music videos made for any of the above listed singles – well, I certainly never saw any! Another friend eventually gave me some Wire videos, but I think they were live shows, not ‘produced’ music videos.

So, all hail Wire! But I do still enjoy other UK early new wave bands more: Magazine, XTC, Ultravox (Mk. I) etc.

Wire

4-14-10 Wire

I last wrote about Wire 2 years ago. I just listened to some more Wire stuff recently. My collection remains:

LP 154 HARVEST UK SHSP 4105

1979 13 TRKS LP + 7"

CD 154 re PINK FLAG US PF 13

1979 13 TRKS ('06 issue)

CD CHAIRS MISSING RESTLESS US 72361.2

1978 18 TRKS bonus tracks

CD DOCUMENT AND EYEWITNESS MUTE UK WIRE 80CD

1980 22 TRKS Live ('91 issue)

7" DOT DASH / OPTIONS R HARVEST UK HAR 5161

1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" I AM THE FLY / EX LION TAMER HARVEST UK HAR 5151

1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" IN VIVO MUTE US 75528-0

1989 5 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD IT'S BEGINNING TO AND BACK AGAIN MUTE US 73516.2

1989 11 TRKS

12" KIDNEY BINGOS MUTE US 72245-0

1988 5 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" MANNEQUIN / FEELING CALLED LOVE / 12XU HARVEST UK HAR 5144

1977 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" MAP REF. 41N 93W / GO AHEAD HARVEST UK HAR 5192

1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" OUR SWIMMER / MIDNIGHT BAHNHOF CAFE ROUGH TR UK RTO 79

1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" OUTDOOR MINER / PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT HARVEST UK HAR 5172

1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve, white vinyl

LP PF456REDUX PINK FLAG UK PF 456REDUX

2003 16 TRKS vinyl-only?

7" QUESTION OF DEGREE, A / FORMER AIRLINE HARVEST UK HAR 5187

1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD5 READ & BURN 01 PINK FLAG UK PF 4

2002 6 TRK CD EP CD5

7" SONG 1 / GET DOWN (free 45 w/ “154”) HARVEST UK PSR 444

1979 4 TRK EP; no pic sleeve, promo-only

Even “154” (CD, re-mastered) sounded a bit ‘uneven’ as I listened to it recently. I guess I just like their singles more than their albums. I never had the chance to see Wire play live, and that may have something to do with why I am less enamored of them that, say, Magazine or Ultravox (both of whom I had the opportunity to see perform live).

Their material on Mute Records doesn’t seem to be of much interest these days, as many (all?) of those are $3 or less CD’s. Good to see that the Harvest 45’s are still really worth something.

I might like to try and find a re-mastered CD of “Chairs Missing”. I wish there was a good sounding CD of all the Harvest 45’s! I would definitely try more of their newer stuff, if I could ever find it cheap enough – the Pink Flag label stuff. “A Question of Degree” remains my favorite Wire 45. Why doesn’t the rest of “Chairs Missing” sound like that?