154 (album)

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154
Wire-154 (album cover).jpg
Studio album by
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

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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.