I first found out about Wire via Minor Threat’s cover of “12XU” in the early 80’s. I very quickly learned it was a cover, so I had to hear what the original was like. An older friend of mine had Pink Flag and told me that I needed to hear the whole album and not just “12XU”. I’m eternally grateful for his wisdom in that regard. I was only 14 at the time, but Pink Flag absolutely stunned me, and I mean the whole album. Every song. Instant favorite. It took me a good while longer before I could start to appreciate Chairs Missing and 154. About another 10 years, when I was in my mid twenties, but once I did it was a real game changer. The sheer brilliance of those first three albums is something that few other bands have ever been able to approach. To this very day it’s some of the best and most challenging music I’ve ever heard.
I think seeing them on SnubTV circa 'Kidney Bingos' and 'Eardrum Buzz' was my very first encounter with Wire, and I've loved them ever since. Saw them at Reading Festival 1990 doing Manscape-era stuff, and even during that period, without Gotobed, they completely knocked me out. The fact that they're currently putting stuff out that stands toe-to-toe with their most-iconic early recordings, speaks volumes. To me, they're still the greatest of the post-punk bands, without question. D
What a brilliant band. Been revisiting / listening to Chairs Missing a lot recently….I appreciate it more as the years roll by. Was is band where we did a cover of Heartbeat…. Well actually it was a cover of Big Black’s cover of it…we had very limited musical ability…So was one of the simplest songs we could try do a cover of. In fact we got forcibly ejected from a battle of the band’s competition in the middle of doing this cover….as they organiser had heard enough of our racket!!😅
I was actually present at the infamous “Pigpile” show at the Hammersmith Clarendon in London. From the start, Albini was exclaiming “1 2 Fuck You”, and then at the end they pulled up 2 members of Wire for a mighty version of Heartbeat. No wonder, Albini said at the end, “Tonight, we have walked with giants” 😍
Great Wire stuff, love your other Wire videos also. Did I miss "Map Reference...."? There are so many greats. Their " In Returning" compilation of their first three albums is terrific, picks the best of Wire. Keep Wire music videos coming. I stopped after 154 and did listen to Read and Burn which is the only Wire music I enjoy after 154. They were great live at CBGB in 1977. I enjoyed them mire than any of the other NYC bands.
Hi Dave, and thanks for the support! Yeah, "Map Ref" was a tricky one...I love the song, but it's the most consciously "pop" song off 154, and so I chose to highlight some songs that reflected that darker, twisted, more experimental side of the record, rather than "the single". And I do agree that "On Returning" is a very good summation of the first three albums, and a great starting point for the uninitiated. D
My intro to Wire was Drill on an Enigma Records sampler. Followed that up with the Kidney Bingos cassette single and I was hooked. Went to one of the Drill fest's (St Vincent and John Spencer Blues Explosion) and have to say I was incredibly disappointed in the evening as a whole. I'll lay all that on John Spencer, who constantly reminded us it was a Blues Explosion and in my recollection really screwed the group vibe on Drill. As an aside, love the Whore sampler. Some of my favorite cover versions of anyone's songs.
I first found out about Wire via Minor Threat’s cover of “12XU” in the early 80’s. I very quickly learned it was a cover, so I had to hear what the original was like. An older friend of mine had Pink Flag and told me that I needed to hear the whole album and not just “12XU”. I’m eternally grateful for his wisdom in that regard. I was only 14 at the time, but Pink Flag absolutely stunned me, and I mean the whole album. Every song. Instant favorite. It took me a good while longer before I could start to appreciate Chairs Missing and 154. About another 10 years, when I was in my mid twenties, but once I did it was a real game changer. The sheer brilliance of those first three albums is something that few other bands have ever been able to approach. To this very day it’s some of the best and most challenging music I’ve ever heard.
I got into WIRE in the early 90's, still have and play their music. There is much there to love ...
I think seeing them on SnubTV circa 'Kidney Bingos' and 'Eardrum Buzz' was my very first encounter with Wire, and I've loved them ever since. Saw them at Reading Festival 1990 doing Manscape-era stuff, and even during that period, without Gotobed, they completely knocked me out.
The fact that they're currently putting stuff out that stands toe-to-toe with their most-iconic early recordings, speaks volumes. To me, they're still the greatest of the post-punk bands, without question. D
What a brilliant band. Been revisiting / listening to Chairs Missing a lot recently….I appreciate it more as the years roll by. Was is band where we did a cover of Heartbeat…. Well actually it was a cover of Big Black’s cover of it…we had very limited musical ability…So was one of the simplest songs we could try do a cover of. In fact we got forcibly ejected from a battle of the band’s competition in the middle of doing this cover….as they organiser had heard enough of our racket!!😅
I was actually present at the infamous “Pigpile” show at the Hammersmith Clarendon in London. From the start, Albini was exclaiming “1 2 Fuck You”, and then at the end they pulled up 2 members of Wire for a mighty version of Heartbeat. No wonder, Albini said at the end, “Tonight, we have walked with giants” 😍
One of the best, great job 👏
Like deployed 👍
Great Wire stuff, love your other Wire videos also. Did I miss "Map Reference...."? There are so many greats. Their " In Returning" compilation of their first three albums is terrific, picks the best of Wire. Keep Wire music videos coming. I stopped after 154 and did listen to Read and Burn which is the only Wire music I enjoy after 154. They were great live at CBGB in 1977. I enjoyed them mire than any of the other NYC bands.
Hi Dave, and thanks for the support! Yeah, "Map Ref" was a tricky one...I love the song, but it's the most consciously "pop" song off 154, and so I chose to highlight some songs that reflected that darker, twisted, more experimental side of the record, rather than "the single". And I do agree that "On Returning" is a very good summation of the first three albums, and a great starting point for the uninitiated. D
My intro to Wire was Drill on an Enigma Records sampler. Followed that up with the Kidney Bingos cassette single and I was hooked.
Went to one of the Drill fest's (St Vincent and John Spencer Blues Explosion) and have to say I was incredibly disappointed in the evening as a whole. I'll lay all that on John Spencer, who constantly reminded us it was a Blues Explosion and in my recollection really screwed the group vibe on Drill.
As an aside, love the Whore sampler. Some of my favorite cover versions of anyone's songs.
They had a song called Brazil.
Didn't know that.