Change Becomes Us

Last updated

Change Becomes Us
ChangeBecomesUs.jpg
Studio album by
Wire
Released25 March 2013 [1]
Recorded2012
Studio Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales, UK
Swim Studio, London, England, UK
Genre
Length48:45
Label Pinkflag
Producer Colin Newman
Wire chronology
Red Barked Tree
(2011)		Change Becomes Us
(2013)		 Wire
(2015)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 78/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Consequence of Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Fire NoteStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Pitchfork (8.2/10) [6]
PopMatters (8/10) [7]
Spin (8/10) [8]

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. [1] It is the first studio album to feature guitarist Matthew Simms, [9] who initially joined Wire as a touring guitarist in 2010. [10]

Contents

Album information

The album features songs based on ideas from 1979/1980 that were originally quick sketches for live performances. [1] In particular, "Doubles and Trebles", "Keep Exhaling", "Reinvent Your Second Wheel", "Stealth of a Stork", "Time Lock Fog", "Eels Sang", "Love Bends", "& Much Besides" and "Attractive Space" are reworked versions of "Ally in Exile", "Relationship", "ZEGK HOQP", "Witness to the Fact", "5/10", "Eels Sang Lino", "Piano Tuner (Keep Strumming Those Guitars)", "Eastern Standard" and "Underwater Experiences" respectively, which originally appeared on the 1981 live album Document and Eyewitness ; similarly, "B/W Silence", "Magic Bullet" and "As We Go" revise "Lorries", "Over My Head" and "Part of our History", each of which were compiled on Turns and Strokes . The material underwent radical changes in the general process of working on it, [11] with arrangements, lyrics and even the music being changed in many songs, or only a small part of the original remaining. [12] Wire's Colin Newman called it "a wholesale rewriting of texts, as there was a wholesale rewriting of tunes, vocal melodies." [13]

Newman has stated that there were four main sources for the material: Document and Eyewitness, the Legal Bootleg Series, home demos, and "stuff that came out of my head." In its embryonic form, "Doubles and Trebles" was based on the earlier song "Ally in Exile," which had already been brought back into the fold in 2000 and turned it into another song, "I Don’t Understand," on 2002's Read & Burn 01 EP. On "Love Bends," 10 seconds of intro was taken from "Piano Tuner (Keep Strumming Those Guitars)", while the rest of the song is new. [9] "As We Go", musically, is an entirely new song to anyone outside of Newman. [12] "Re-invent Your Second Wheel" reuses the lyrics from "ZEGK HOQP" in its chorus with completely new music. [9] "ZEGK HOQP" was an attempt to use all the letters of the alphabet in a song. [14] "Eels Sang"–originally "Eels Sang Lino"– is made entirely out of anagrams. The original title is an anagram of "in Los Angeles". [12]

Newman has called recording the album "a slightly absurd and nonsensical exercise," saying, "That was almost the raison d'être: "Let's do this because it's the most stupid thing we could imagine doing." And also do it in a way which is not about recreating the past in any way, because that would be anathema to the band. So, as we went into the process, it became more and more absurd, and then it started to make more sense, and then it just became the new album, through this weird process. But it was never intended to be." [15]

The basic recording for the album was made during one week in spring 2012 [16] at Rockfield Studios in Wales with overdubs and mixing taking place at Newman's London studio over a six-month period. [13] Change Becomes Us was made available on CD and digital on 25 March, followed by a special edition on vinyl on 20 April 2013 (Record Store Day). [17] Also released was a special limited-edition of the CD as a hard-backed book featuring documentation of the story of the album with studio photographs and the complete lyrics. [18]

The album cover is a photograph of the red hallway in Seattle's Central Library.

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Doubles & Trebles" Graham Lewis Colin Newman (song) / Wire (music)3:50
2."Keep Exhaling"LewisNewman (song) / Wire (music)1:39
3."Adore Your Island"LewisNewman (song) / Wire (music)2:45
4."Re-Invent Your Second Wheel"LewisLewis, Newman (song) / Wire (music)3:45
5."Stealth of a Stork"LewisNewman (song) / Wire (music)1:54
6."B/W Silence"LewisNewman (song) / Wire (music)4:40
7."Time Lock Fog"LewisNewman (song) / Wire (music)5:45
8."Magic Bullet"LewisNewman (song) / Wire (music)3:41
9."Eels Sang"LewisLewis, Newman (song) / Wire (music)2:15
10."Love Bends"LewisNewman (song) / Wire (music)4:01
11."As We Go"LewisNewman (song) / Wire (music)4:36
12."& Much Besides"NewmanNewman (song) / Wire (music)6:13
13."Attractive Space"LewisNewman (song) / Wire (music)3:33

Personnel

Adapted from the special edition liner notes. [19]

Wire
Production

Charts

Chart (2013)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [20] 165
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [21] 23

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 December 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>Mermaid Avenue</i> 1998 studio album by Billy Bragg and Wilco

Mermaid Avenue is a 1998 album of previously unheard lyrics written by American folk singer Woody Guthrie, put to music written and performed by British singer Billy Bragg and the American band Wilco. The project was the first of several such projects organized by Guthrie's daughter, Nora Guthrie, original director of the Woody Guthrie Foundation and archives. Mermaid Avenue was released on the Elektra Records label on June 23, 1998. A second volume of recordings, Mermaid Avenue Vol. II, followed in 2000 and both were collected in a box set alongside volume three in 2012 as Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions. The projects are named after the song "Mermaid's Avenue", written by Guthrie. This was also the name of the street in Coney Island, New York, on which Guthrie lived. According to American Songwriter Magazine, "The Mermaid Avenue project is essential for showing that Woody Guthrie could illuminate what was going on inside of him as well as he could detail the plight of his fellow man". It was voted number 939 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000).

<i>154</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Wire

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birthday (Beatles song)</span> 1968 Lennon-McCartney track from the White Album

"Birthday" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, mainly by McCartney, it is the opening track on the third side of the LP. Surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performed it for Starr's 70th birthday at Radio City Music Hall on 7 July 2010.

<i>If I Left the Zoo</i>

If I Left the Zoo is the third full-length studio album of the band Jars of Clay. It was released November 9, 1999, by Essential Records.

<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>Send</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Wire

Send is the tenth studio album by the English rock group Wire, released in May 2003 through their own Pinkflag label. It was their first recording as a four-piece since Manscape (1990) and the first full-length release by any incarnation of the group since 1991. The album contains seven songs previously released in 2002 on the EPs Read & Burn 01 and Read & Burn 02, and four songs exclusive to this release.

<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>Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)</i> 1965 studio album by the Beach Boys

Summer Days is the ninth studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on July 5, 1965, on Capitol. The band's previous album, The Beach Boys Today!, represented a departure for the group through its abandonment of themes related to surfing, cars, and teenage love, but it sold below Capitol's expectations. In response, the label pressured the group to produce bigger hits. Summer Days thus returned the band's music to simpler themes for one last album, with Brian Wilson combining Capitol's commercial demands with his artistic calling.

<i>Notes & Rhymes</i> 2009 studio album by The Proclaimers

Notes & Rhymes is the eighth studio album by Scottish folk rock duo the Proclaimers, released in 2009. It was produced by Steve Evans and recorded at Rockfield Studios.

<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>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>Silver/Lead</i> 2017 studio album by Wire

Silver/Lead is the sixteenth studio album by British post-punk band Wire. It was released on 31 March 2017.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Wire to release new album Change Becomes Us". NME . 23 January 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  2. ↑ "Change Becomes Us by Wire". Metacritic .
  3. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Change Becomes Us review". AllMusic . Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  4. ↑ Bray, Ryan (28 March 2013). "Album review: Wire – Change Becomes Us". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  5. ↑ Poindexter, Kevin (28 March 2013). "Change Becomes Us review". The Fire Note. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  6. ↑ Wolk, Douglas (2 April 2013). "Wire – Change Becomes Us". Pitchfork . Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  7. ↑ Pan, Arnold (27 March 2013). "Change Becomes Us review". PopMatters . Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  8. ↑ Gubbels, Jason (28 March 2013). "Wire, Change Becomes Us (Pink Flag)". Spin . Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 Walters, Barry (25 March 2013). "Q&A: Wire's Colin Newman on 'Change Becomes Us' and Ignoring Nostalgia". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  10. ↑ "Us. Wire: 2000–2016". pinkflag.com. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  11. ↑ Wyatt, Malcolm (20 August 2013). "Blogging Like Wire". writewyattuk.com. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 Barnes, Mike (2013). Change Becomes Us special edition book. Pinkflag / Mutesong. pp. 39–42.
  13. 1 2 Paul Gleason (3 April 2013). "For Wire and Colin Newman, Change is Good. (Interview)". Rockcellar Magazine. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  14. ↑ "Eels Sang". Pinkflag.com. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  15. ↑ Gavan, David (2013). "Colin Newman". Perfect Sound Forever . Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  16. ↑ "Change Becomes Us - Description". Pinkflag.com. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  17. ↑ "Change Becomes Us (pf19)" . Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  18. ↑ "Change Becomes Us Special Edition CD Album". Pinkflag.com. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  19. ↑ Change Becomes Us (special edition) (Media notes). Wire. Pinkflag. 2013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Wire – Change Becomes Us" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "Wire Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
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.