WIRE: The Point of Collapse / 87-88-89
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- Опубликовано: 27 май 2024
- In many ways, this is a test for all of humanity; if genocide is allowed to happen anywhere, it will soon be exported everywhere. History has proven this to be true. And even your country...your town...and your community won't be immune to the horror we see today.
Hey Shawn, lovely whistle-stop tour of that second decade of their career! Lots to revisit and hear for the first time. One thing I always thought about Wire was the timlessness of their sleaves, the design is so brutal and minimal, the black bold sans serifs, sparse imagery... what was so cool 40 years ago is still just so cool. I think those covers would still capture young inquisitive minds all these years later. Absolutely top drawer! ✌
I’m in complete agreement about the sleeve. When I saw Ideal Copy for the first time; it was such a stark contrast between the Wire album and all the other sleeves in 87. My eye instantly went to the more minimal and, as you say, brutal design. And their EP continued that tradition. I was on the road today and had a chance to listen to A Bell is a Cup all the way through. What really got me was the quality and intelligence of the individual songs. Such a treat on a beautiful summer day. Bell is more less experimental and more optimistic than Ideal Copy. I’d encourage you to jump into this period. I really see this as (almost) a separate band from the first period. Those albums are brilliant but different. I’ve been slowly uncovering the solo albums too. Stunty has pointed out some under appreciated solo albums that I’m really getting into. Obviously, this is a talented group of musicians. ✌️
Shawn, I learned about Wire by reading a book about some of greatest albums to own and Pink Flag was in it. The music was original and refreshing I never did go deep into their catalog, I have maybe 4 albums from them but it is music that I do enjoy
I have no doubt that a deeper dive into their discography will produce some music that you will really find interesting. Ideal Copy is the place where you hear the band making a big impact. Or perhaps the Best of collection from the late 80s. Hope you’re doing well, Steve. Cheers. Shawn
As you probably already know I have the first 3, 7” Singles Set, Red Barked Tree & and Dome box set. Absolutely brilliant band. I’m not so familiar with what they did in the 89’s & 90’s though. “Phil Collins big sweaty face” 😂 7” & 10” formats usually get a decent amount of space in most independent record stores. I remember from the early 90’s there always being a 7” & 10” section in these stores. Thanks for shining a light on their period I need to investigate further. Cheers…Ben
Hey Ben! How are you? This format issue is interesting. Personally, I kind of feel like I missed out on some of my favorite releases by not hearing those extra tracks. It’s only been in the last 5-6 years that I’ve been more educated on those other formats. It’s what you do so brilliantly. Shining a light on those 7’ singles. I’ve probably purchased 50 or more 7’ in the last year or two. And I see the format has definitive for some bands. Many of the local Detroit bands that I love so much only released on the 7’ format. This is an era of Wire I’m certain you would appreciate. And I think my description of “art-punk” is fairly accurate. I’m jumping into some of the individual solo albums and singles that came from this period too; hopefully I can get a video out about those soon. Cheers! Shawn
@@the-vinyl-dreamscape5084 Going alright mate. Heading off on holiday on Saturday so looking forward to that. 60’s garage rock, punk & a lot of 90’s indie rock feels like it could only be on a 7” to me. It’s perfect for that 2-3 mins of pure energy.
@@benrankins4446Good for you, Ben. Nice to have a little time to do your thing. I feel like vacations are becoming fewer and fewer. Lol. Enjoy yourself!
Shawn, I never listened to Wire but may have heard them on 120 Minutes. Stunty is the perfect example of the European sensibility regarding the importance of Extended Play releases. For the most part, he seems to enjoy the EP format over the LP format , I guess he likes to trim off the fat. Sometimes I like to appreciate the excess fat, even though it's not good for my ears.
European collectors seem to be more oriented to EPs, i agree. Stunty has helped remind me of the role they played before the CD completely took over. But i think Americans miss some important; showing aspects of a group’s music that was more avant-garde. In the case of Wire, these extended EPs have material that is so important to understand Wire during this period. The addition tracks adding to the larger picture of the band. 120 Minutes was a big part of life in the late 80 and early 90. Without an Internet to find music, we depended on the show to turn us on to new music during those years. Plus… it was fun. Lol. Appreciate your comments. Cheers! Shawn