"'Ere it is. Again. And it's called... 12XU!" Wire

[william]

Anyone else like Wire? Which album? I'd always plump for pink flag, but Send has been really growing on me recently, especially Comet and The art of Stopping.

[mackro]

Man, where to start...

Of the Classic First Three, I'd have to go with Chairs Missing.  I can't dismiss any album that has "Mercy", "Too Late", "Outdoor Miner", "Heartbeat", and "I Am The Fly".   That said, 154 comes at a close second, and Pink Flag a close third.  All of these albums have excellent, excellent songs, and I couldn't live without any of these albums, or without any of the surrounding singles like "Dot Dash", "Outdoor Miner (piano version)", or "A Question Of Degree".  But whereas the urgency and grinding halts rule Pink Flag, and the watery, dark moods (overall) rule 154, there's the best of both on Chairs Missing .  I think the songs off the latter are more memorable to me, and more profound.  But only just.

I do like later Wire as well, though not as much.  My first exposure to Wire was the song "Kidney Bingos", when it was played as a radio single on the local commersh/alt radio station when I was young.  Relistening to that song, it is very New Order-ish musically, but no Bernie, and slightly more off.  If anything, it prototyped the more "pop"-ish songs that Disco Inferno, a grossly underrated UK three-piece from the 90s, would do during their tenure.  But that's for another future music thread.. heh heh.

[davy]

all i've got is the on returning compilation, and it's literally the best compilation of its kind i can ever remember purchasing (certainly better than gang of four's brief history of the 20th century. of the three albums represented on the collection, i too choose chairs missing. pink flag is a close second, and 154 a slightly less close third.

great stuff, though.

~fygmynt

[martin_van_buren]

Pink Flag is quality music. As is the rest of their music, I'd assume, although I haven't actually heard anything else.