154 (album)

Last updated

154
Wire-154 (album cover).jpg
Studio album by
Wire
ReleasedSeptember 1979 (1979-09)
Recorded (1979-04-00) (1979-05-{{{day}}})April – May 1979
Studio Advision Studios, West London, England, United Kingdom
Genre
Length44:41
Label Harvest
Producer Mike Thorne
Wire studio album chronology
Chairs Missing
(1978)		154
(1979)		 The Ideal Copy
(1987)
Singles from 154
  1. "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W"
    Released: 26 October 1979
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [6]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
Pitchfork 9.1/10 [8]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [11]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The Village Voice B [13]

154 is the third album by the English post-punk band Wire, released in 1979 on EMI imprint Harvest Records in the UK and Europe and Warner Bros. Records in America.

Contents

Music

Branching out even further from the minimalist punk rock style of their earlier work, 154 is considered a progression of the sounds displayed on Wire's previous album Chairs Missing , with the group experimenting with slower tempos, fuller song structures and a more prominent use of guitar effects, synthesizers and electronics.

The unusual title of the track "Map Ref 41°N 93°W" was based on a guess of the centre of the American Midwest by bassist and singer Graham Lewis; the location of these coordinates is coincidentally close to Centerville, Iowa. [14] One of My Bloody Valentine's last releases prior to reconvening in 2007 was a cover of this track for a Wire tribute entitled Whore. [15] The song was selected as a favourite cover of the 1990s by Flak Magazine . [16]

Releases and Reception

154 peaked at number 39 in the UK Albums Chart, the highest position the band has achieved. [17] It was first issued on CD in 1987 by EMI Japan and later reissued by Restless Records in 1989. First editions of the vinyl album were accompanied by an EP, the tracks from which are included on the Harvest CD, issued in 1994, along with an additional bonus track. The 1996 remastered release, released on Wire's Pinkflag label as a digipack, does not contain any extra tracks, because, according to the band, such additions dishonour the "conceptual clarity of the original statements." [18] In 2018 Pink Flag release a 3-CD Special Edition of the album. The first disc contains the remastered album, while the second disc includes 11 non-album tracks including the 4-song 154 bonus EP, two non-album singles and additional b-sides. The third disc contains the 16-song "Sixth" demo session.

The album is so named because the band had played 154 gigs in their career at the time of the album's release. In 2004, Pitchfork listed 154 as 85th best album of the 1970s. [19]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the 2018 Special Edition. [20]

Side one
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."I Should Have Known Better" Graham Lewis Lewis3:52
2."Two People in a Room" Bruce Gilbert Colin Newman 2:00
3."The 15th"NewmanNewman3:05
4."The Other Window"GilbertGilbert, Lewis2:07
5."Single K.O."LewisLewis, Newman [nb 1] 2:23
6."A Touching Display"LewisLewis6:55
7."On Returning"NewmanNewman2:06
Side two
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
8."A Mutual Friend"LewisNewman4:28
9."Blessed State"GilbertGilbert3:28
10."Once Is Enough"NewmanNewman3:23
11."Map Ref. 41°N 93°W"Lewis [nb 2] Newman3:40
12."Indirect Enquiries"LewisNewman3:36
13."40 Versions"GilbertGilbert, Newman [nb 3] 3:28
Bonus EP (included on 1979, 1987, 1989, 1994 and 1995 releases)
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
14."Song 1"  Robert Gotobed, Newman, Desmond Simmons3:02
15."Get Down (Part I & II)" David, Gotobed, Newman, Simmons, TV Smith 4:27
16."Let's Panic Later"LewisLewis3:20
17."Small Electric Piece" Gilbert3:33
Bonus track (included on 1994 and 1995 releases)
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
18."Go Ahead" (single B-side)LewisGilbert, Gotobed, Lewis, Newman4:01
Bonus tracks (1995 Japanese release only)
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
19."Stepping Off Too Quick"NewmanNewman1:22
20."Indirect Inquiries" (sic)"LewisNewman3:18
21."Map Ref. 41°N 93°W"LewisNewman3:49
22."A Question of Degree"LewisNewman2:56
23."Two People in a Room"GilbertNewman2:02
24."Former Airline"GilbertGilbert1:12

Tracks 19–24 are demo versions that have also appeared on compilations such as Behind the Curtain and After Midnight.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the 2018 Special Edition. [20]

Wire
Additional personnel and production
Bonus tracks

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wire (band)</span> English rock band

Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman, Graham Lewis, Bruce Gilbert (guitar), George Gill and Robert Grey. They were originally associated with the punk rock scene, appearing on The Roxy London WC2 album, and were instrumental to the development of post-punk, while their debut album Pink Flag was influential for hardcore punk.

<i>Pink Flag</i> 1977 studio album by Wire

Pink Flag is the debut album by the English rock band Wire, released in November 1977. The album was critically acclaimed on release, and has since been highly influential; today it is regarded as a landmark in the development of post-punk music.

<i>The Ideal Copy</i> 1987 studio album by Wire

The Ideal Copy is the fourth studio album by the English rock group Wire, released in April 1987 by Mute Records. It was the first full-length recording following the band's hiatus of 1980–1985. The Ideal Copy peaked at number 87 in the UK albums chart.

<i>Chairs Missing</i> 1978 studio album by Wire

Chairs Missing is the second studio album by English rock band Wire. It was released on 8 September 1978 by Harvest Records. The album peaked at number 48 in the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Manscape</i> 1990 studio album by Wire

Manscape is the seventh studio album by the British post-punk group Wire, released in May 1990 by Mute Records. It was produced by David M. Allen, mostly recorded and mixed at RAK Studios, engineered by Roy Spong, and published by Dying Art Ltd.

<i>Snakedrill</i> 1986 EP by Wire

Snakedrill is an EP by English rock band Wire, released in November 1986 by Mute Records. It was the first release after the band's five-year hiatus (1980–1985), and foreshadows their extensive use of electronic instrumentation on following albums, particularly on "A Serious of Snakes", which contains multiple layered synth and keyboard parts.

<i>The First Letter</i> 1991 studio album by Wir

The First Letter is the ninth studio album and the last album released by Wire before their second extended hiatus. It was released in October 1991 by Mute Records. It was one of only three releases credited to "Wir", the others being the "So and Slow It Grows" single, and a limited edition two-song EP entitled Vien. The band changed their name to "Wir" after drummer Robert Gotobed's departure; he quit the band because the musical direction increasingly relied on drum machines and loops. Other than an Erasure remix in 1995, the band would not reform until 1999, and not release any new material until 2002's Read & Burn 01 and Read & Burn 02 EPs and 2003's subsequent Send album. The First Letter produced the single "So and Slow It Grows."

<i>Document and Eyewitness</i> 1981 live album by Wire

Document and Eyewitness is the first live album by the post-punk band Wire, released in July 1981 by Rough Trade Records. It marked the end of the first period of Wire's activity (1977–1980) and the end of their association with EMI. Recorded in February 1980 at the Electric Ballroom in London – at the final gig of Wire's first period – the original release came with a 45 rpm 12" EP that featured recordings from a July 1979 show at the Notre Dame Hall in London, along with one track from a March 1979 gig at Le Pavillon in Montreux, Switzerland.

<i>The Peel Sessions Album</i> (Wire album) 1989 compilation album by Wire

The Peel Sessions Album is a compilation album by English rock band Wire. It was released in 1989. It consists of nine recordings done for John Peel between 1978 and 1979.

<i>Object 47</i> 2008 studio album by Wire

Object 47 is the eleventh studio album by the English post punk band Wire, named so because it is the 47th item in the Wire discography – a methodology harking back to the name of their 1979 album, 154, which was named after the number of concerts they had played to that point. It is the first Wire album without the participation of guitarist Bruce Gilbert. It was released on 7 July 2008 in the UK and on 15 July in the US through the band's own Pinkflag label.

<i>Red Barked Tree</i> 2010 studio album by Wire

Red Barked Tree is the twelfth studio album by the English post-punk band Wire--digitally released on 20 December 2010, and as a CD on 10 January 2011 on the Pinkflag label. Featuring eleven tracks covering a diverse range of musical styles, the record was well received by critics, who found the record "representing the essence of their best work" and covering "virtually all aspects of Wire's varied history to create a stylistic best-of new material".

<i>The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011</i> 2012 live album by Wire

The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011 is a live album by English rock band Wire, released on 7 February 2012 through the band's own label, Pinkflag.

<i>Wire on the Box: 1979</i> 2004 live album by Wire

Wire on the Box: 1979 is a live album and DVD by English rock band Wire. Whilst recorded in 1979, it was released on 4 October 2004 as the first in a series of archival releases on Wire's own Pinkflag label. It features the complete live television recording for the German Rockpalast music television show, broadcast by Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). The live set consists largely of tracks from 1978's Chairs Missing and the then-yet-to-be-released 154, and is the second live recording to be released from Wire's original phase since 1981's Document and Eyewitness.

<i>Turns and Strokes</i> 1996 compilation album by Wire

Turns and Strokes is a live compilation album by English rock band Wire. It was released in May 1996, consisting of various live recordings and rehearsal tapes from 1979 and 1980 with versions of previously unavailable songs, as well as two cuts from the band's EP release. In some ways, it can be considered a follow-up to the band's 1981 release Document and Eyewitness. The album cover, which features a saltire, was originally the cover for the band's 1983 single "Crazy About Love".

<i>Change Becomes Us</i> 2013 studio album by Wire

Change Becomes Us is the thirteenth studio album by British post-punk band Wire. It was released on 25 March 2013 through the band's own label, Pinkflag. It is the first studio album to feature guitarist Matthew Simms, who initially joined Wire as a touring guitarist in 2010.

<i>Wire</i> (Wire album) 2015 studio album by Wire

Wire is the self-titled fourteenth studio album by British post-punk band Wire. It was released on 13 April 2015 through the band's Pinkflag label.

<i>Nocturnal Koreans</i> 2016 studio album by Wire

Nocturnal Koreans is a mini-album and the fifteenth studio album by British post-punk band Wire. It was released on 22 April 2016 through the band's own Pinkflag label.

<i>Mind Hive</i> 2020 studio album by Wire

Mind Hive is the seventeenth studio album from English art punk band Wire, released on 24 January 2020 by Pinkflag. The release was preceded by a music video for "Cactused" made up of clips from the forthcoming documentary People in a Film and streaming audio for "Primed and Ready". They also announced a brief tour of North America to promote the recording.

<i>10:20</i> (Wire album) 2020 compilation album by Wire

10:20 is a compilation album by English art punk band Wire, released on 19 June 2020 through their own Pinkflag label.

<i>Not To</i> 1982 album by Colin Newman

Not To is the third studio album by Colin Newman, lead singer of post-punk band Wire. It was released in 1982, through record labels Beggars Banquet and 4AD.

References

  1. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Real to Real Cacophony – Simple Minds". AllMusic . Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  2. ↑ Hart, Ron (21 June 2018). "Wire Looks Back on Its Pioneering Art Punk Trilogy". Billboard . Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  3. ↑ "10 Essential Album Trilogies". Treble. 16 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Huey, Steve. "154 – Wire". AllMusic . Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  5. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Wire". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  6. ↑ Simpson, Dave (3 March 2006). "Wire, 154". The Guardian . Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  7. ↑ Myers, Ben (June 2018). "Wire: 154". Mojo . No. 295. p. 104.
  8. ↑ Tangari, Joe (5 May 2006). "Wire: Pink Flag / Chairs Missing / 154". Pitchfork . Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  9. ↑ Harris, John (July 2018). "Dawning of a New Era". Q . No. 386. pp. 120–21.
  10. ↑ Gross, Joe (2004). "Wire". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  883–84. ISBN   0-743-20169-8.
  11. ↑ Weisbard, Eric (1995). "Wire". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 435–37. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  12. ↑ "Wire: 154". Uncut . No. 106. March 2006. p. 106.
  13. ↑ Christgau, Robert (25 February 1980). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  14. ↑ "Map Songs: Wire's Map Ref. 41° N 93° W". Making Maps: DIY Cartography. 11 March 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  15. ↑ "Whore: Various Artists Play Wire - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  16. ↑ "Flak Magazine: Cover Tunes - "Map Ref 41N 93W," 1-29-01". 19 May 2011. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  17. ↑ "Wire" (select "Albums" tab). Official Charts Company . Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  18. ↑ "Wire: 1977 > 1979 – Pinkflag (America)". PostEverything. Archived from the original on 14 April 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2006.
  19. ↑ Pitchfork staff (23 June 2004). "The 100 Best Albums of the 1970s". Pitchfork . p. 2. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  20. 1 2 154 (liner notes). Wire (special ed.). Pinkflag. 2018. PF13SE.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ↑ Neate, Wilson (2013). Read & Burn: A Book About Wire. London: Jawbone Press. p. 81. ISBN   978-1-90827-933-0.

Informational notes

  1. ↑ The songwriting credits for 154 have been modified on all reissues since 2006. [21] "Single K.O." was originally credited to Graham Lewis alone.
  2. ↑ "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W" was originally credited to Graham Lewis, Colin Newman and Bruce Gilbert.
  3. ↑ "40 Versions" was originally credited to Bruce Gilbert alone.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.