Pratice Makes Perfect

Wire - The Peel Sessions

Ripped from a 12" vinyl EP released on Strange Fruit Records (SFPS 041) in 1987 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio. Originally broadcast on January 31st 1978.

A1 Practice Makes Perfect
A2 I Am The Fly
B1 Culture Vultures
B2 106 Beats That

Two Minute Wonders

Wire - Pink Flag

Ripped from a vinyl album released on Harvest Records (SHSP 4076) in 1977 to high resolution 24-bit lossless flac audio. There are obvious challenges when ripping from a well worn 40 year old record, not at least when you consider how quietly some of the tracks were mastered onto this original pressing. I am quite pleased how this came out in the end, however perfection proved impossible. If there was ever such an important record in need of a reissue....

A1 Reuters
A2 Field Day For The Sundays
A3 Three Girl Rhumba
A4 Ex Lion Tamer
A5 Lowdown
A6 Start To Move
A7 Brazil
A8 It's So Obvious
A9 Surgeon's Girl
A10 Pink Flag
B1 The Commercial
B2 Straight Line
B3 106 Beats That
B4 Mr. Suit
B5 Strange
B6 Fragile
B7 Mannequin
B8 Different To Me
B9 Champs
B10 Feeling Called Love
B11 1 2 X U

The Second Coming

Wire - The Ideal Copy

Ripped from a compact disc album released on Mute Records (CD STUMM 42) in 1987 to high quality lossless flac. My vinyl copy of this is too worn so I have opted for the compact disc. This is one of the original CD issues and has been mastered  quite quietly save for a copy of digital spikes (fairly common on early cds). These spikes have been removed enabling me to normalise the volume a bit more without affecting those subtle audio details of the original. I quite like it this way, please let me know what you think.

1 Point Of Collapse
2 Ahead
3 Madman's Honey
4 Feed Me
5 Ambitious
6 Cheeking Tongues
7 Still Shows
8 Over Theirs
9 Ahead (II)
10 A Serious Of Snakes
11 Drill
12 Advantage In Height
13 Up To The Sun
14 Ambulance Chasers
15 Feed Me(II)
16 Vivid Riot Of Red

The Ideal Copy

Colin Newman - It Seems

Ripped from a compact disc album released on Crammed Discs (CRAM CD 058) in 1988 to high quality lossless flac audio. Here's the last of my Colin Newman solo albums, and like the last one, It Seems will be overlooked during the upcoming reissue campaign. Like Commercial Suicide is recorded with the worthy assistance of Robert Gotobed and Minimal Compact's Malka Spigel. Those of a more esoteric disposition will notice that John Bonnar (from Dead Can Dance) assists with his keyboards.

1 Quite Unrehearsed
2 Can't Help Being
3 The Rite Of Life
4 An Impressive Beginning
5 It Seems
6 Better Later Than Never
7 Not Being In Warsaw
8 At Rest
9 Convolutions
10 Round & Round
11 Si Tu Attends

Suicidal Tendency

Colin Newman - Commercial Suicide

Ripped from a compact disc released on Crammed Discs (CRAM 045CD) in 1986 to high quality lossless flac audio. In another thread comment, a blog reader pointed out that most of Colin Newman's solo efforts are to get a vinyl and cd reissue later this year. For that reason I'll skip ...Singing Fish and Not To...  and jump on a couple of years to the more obscurely orchestral Commercial Suicide which is not up for a re-release. I have always felt these tracks would have been better received if recorded with a traditional four piece band rather than mostly synths and strings - but then again, it would probably sound like Wire? The album also features considerable contributions from Minimal Compact's Malka Spigel. If there is demand I'll also dig out a copy of It Seems for later.

1 Their Terrain
2 2-Sixes
3 Metarkest
4 But I...
5 Commercial Suicide
6 I'm Still Here
7 Feigned Hearing
8 Can I Explain The Delay ?
9 I Can Hear Your...

They Waited Ages

Colin Newman - A-Z

Originally released as a vinyl album on Beggars Banquet Records (BEGA 20) in 1980. Ripped here from a 1988 compact disc reissue. I meant to post this a while back but for some reason overlooked doing so. The 12XU cover on the Serious Drinking album reminded me that this was ready to post. I have tended to avoid most of the Wire catelogue on ESWA purely because most of it remains available in one format or another. It would seem A-Z hasn't been available in any format for some considerable time. Wire had changed direction considerably by 1979 and I am only suggesting that A-Z would have made a fantastic Wire album.

1 I've Waited Ages
2 & Jury
3 Alone
4 Order For Order
5 Image
6 Life On Deck
7 Troisieme
8 S-S-S-Star Eyes
9 Seconds To Last
10 Inventory
11 But No
12 B
13 The Classic Remains
14 Alone On Piano
15 This Picture
16 Not Me
17 Don't Bring Reminders

Not A Contract Obligation Record

Wire - Crazy About Love

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Rough Trade Records (RTT 123) in 1983 to high quality lossless flac audio. Taken from a September 1979 Peel Session, which featured just the title track, Wire seduce our senses for fifteen minutes with the obscure Crazy About Love. Fans will no doubt also enjoy the re-configuration of Our Swimmer which made it onto the b-side. Good stuff!

A1 Crazy About Love
B1 Second Length (Our Swimmer)
B2 Catapult 30

Drop The Last Letter

Wir - The First Letter

Originally a compact disc on Mute Records (CDSTUMM 87). Ripped here from the US version released on Elektra Records (9 61238-2) parallel released in 1991 to high quality lossless flac audio. Much over-looked, and strangely accessible body of work by Wire as a trio. There are some hidden Wire classics on this album, your blogmeister particularly loves the amazing Looking At Me (Stop!).

1 Take It (For Greedy)
2 So And Slow It Grows (Single Mix)
3 A Bargain At 3 And 20 Yeah!
4 Footsi-Footsi
5 Ticking Mouth
6 It Continues
7 Looking At Me (Stop!)
8 Naked, Whooping And Such-Like (Extended On And On)
9 Tailor Made
10 No Cows On The Ice
11 A Big Glue Canal
12 So And Slow It Grows

And Then There Were Three

Wir - So And Slow It Grows

Ripped from  a 12" vinyl single released on Mute Records (12 MUTE 107) in 1991 to high resolution 24-bit flac audio. Those zany Wire boys lose a drummer, drop an E and get down with the kids by unleashing an acid-drenched disco monster.

A So And Slow It Grows (Extended)
B1 So And Slow It Grows (The Orb In Atlas Mix)
B2 Take It (LFO Remix)

Get Ahead!

Wire - Ahead

Ripped from a crackly 12" vinyl single released on Mute Records (12 MUTE 57) to high resolution 24-bit flac audio. 

A Ahead
B1 Ambulance Chasers
B2 Feed Me
B3 Vivid Riot Of Red

Pop Stars

Wire - Play Pop

Just before the relaunch of Wire with the Snakedrill EP on Mute Records in 1986, small indie label The Pink Label (home of The June Brides, The Wolfhounds and That Petrol Emotion among others) released a budget priced LP of seven songs of Wire greatness. I suppose we can't really call this a greatest hits compilation as we can all name songs which should have appeared but don't, and there was a parallel compilation on reissue label Dojo at the same time with more tracks, but it's the simplicity of this LP which tells the story. It is seven songs of powerful pop-punk running to less than twenty minutes. Apologies for a little bit of quiet vinyl noise in the quieter moments, but any digital-pockery would have diminished the end result. 

Ripped from a vinyl album released on The Pink Label (PINKY 7) in 1986 to high resolution 24-bit FLAC audio.
A1. Low Down
A2. Dot Dash
A3. Mannequin
A4. Map Ref 41°N 93°W
B1. Outdoor Miner
B2. I Am The Fly
B3. 12XU

The Second Coming

Wire - Silk Skin Paws (Filofax Edition)

A very clever bit of packaging here by Mute. A mini-CD single held inside a foldable, pre-punched card sleeve, just the right size to fit inside one's Filofax. How very 1988? I doubt Wire found a new audience from the yuppy generation. 

Since their rebirth in 1986, Wire have been the most prolific exponents of classy, arty creative rock music, which has had this eager listener hooked for many many years. Silk Skin Paws is a great track, but the reworked version of Ambitious from The Ideal Copy is a gem.

Ripped from a 3" mini-cd single released on Mute Records (CD MUTE 84) in 1988 to high quality lossless FLAC audio.

1. Silk Skin Paws
2. German Shepherds
3. Ambitious (Remix)
4. Come Back In Two Halves (Re-Recorded)