The First Letter

Last updated

The First Letter
The First Letter.jpg
Studio album by
Wir
ReleasedOctober 1991 (1991-10)
Recorded1991
StudioWorldwide International, London
Swanyard Recording Studios, London
Genre
Length54:50
Language English
Label Mute
Producer
Wir chronology
The Drill
(1991)		The First Letter
(1991)		 1985–1990: The A List
(1993)
Singles from The First Letter
  1. "So and Slow It Grows"
    Released: April 1991 [1]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Robert Christgau A− [3]

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. [4] 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" [5] 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, [6] 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."

Contents

Content

The track "Take It (For Greedy)" is constructed out of samples from Wire's own music. It contains elements of "Strange" and "Straight Line" from Pink Flag (1977), and "Another the Letter" from Chairs Missing (1978), among others. "Making a track out of Wire samples," singer and guitarist Colin Newman explained, "seemed to me to be an extremely funny thing to do." The departed Robert Gotobed appears on the track in sampled form, as the snare drum used was taken from one of the band's 1970s albums. [7] "Ticking Mouth" features a rare lead vocal by guitarist Bruce Gilbert. [8]

Critical reception

Stereogum ranked The First Letter 11th (out of 15) in their "Wire Albums from Worst to Best" list. They felt that the album included some "genuine standouts" such as the "beat-heavy industrial dance track "Take It (For Greedy)" ... two dreamy and beat-driven versions of "So and Slow It Grows," the ominous dark wave tones of "A Big Glue Canal," and the surreal factory throb of "Naked, Whooping and Such-Like," which opens with a spoken-word reading." [9]

Trouser Press felt that the album is "more spirited" than anything since 1988's A Bell Is a Cup , [10] and AllMusic wrote, "the vocals mean considerably less than the musical textures – it's all about the sound, not the song. Some of the soundscapes are quite interesting, but much of the music fails to be compelling." [2]

Track listing

All tracks written by Bruce Gilbert, Colin Newman and Graham Lewis, except as indicated.

  1. "Take It (For Greedy)" – 3:13
  2. "So and Slow It Grows" – 5:13
  3. "A Bargain at 3 and 20 Yeah!" – 2:55
  4. "Footsi — Footsi" – 4:55
  5. "Ticking Mouth" – 6:31
  6. "It Continues" – 4:33
  7. "Looking at Me (Stop!) Stop!" – 4:12
  8. "Naked, Whooping and Such-Like (Extended On and On)" (Lewis) – 7:05
  9. "Tailor Made" – 3:48
  10. "No Cows on the Ice" – 4:16
  11. "A Big Glue Canal" – 4:09
  12. "So and Slow It Grows" (single mix) – 4:00 (CD and cassette bonus track)

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes, except where noted. [11]

Wir

Additional personnel

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 (drums). 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 studio album by English rock band Wire. It was released in November 1977 by Harvest Records. The album gained Wire a cult following within independent and post-punk music upon its initial release, later growing to be highly influential on many other musicians.

<i>A Bell Is a Cup</i> 1988 studio album by Wire

A Bell Is a Cup... Until It Is Struck is the fifth studio album by the British post-punk group Wire.

<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>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.

<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>Its Beginning To And Back Again</i> 1989 studio album by Wire

It's Beginning To And Back Again, also known by its acronym IBTABA, is the sixth studio album by the British post-punk group Wire, released in May 1989 by Mute Records.

<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>Coatings</i> (album) 1997 compilation album by Wire

Coatings is a compilation album by English rock band Wire. It was released on 21 October 1997 which compiles studio recordings from the band's second era (1985–90) that appeared only as B-sides, alternate mixes, bonus tracks previously unavailable in the UK and several Peel Session tracks.

<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>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 Drill</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Wire

The Drill is the eighth studio album by the British post-punk group Wire, released in April 1991 by Mute Records. The album comprises rerecorded and remixed versions of the same song, "Drill", with some versions featuring new lyrics. It is officially listed as an EP rather than an album despite its length of almost one hour.

<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>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>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>Live at the Roxy, London – April 1st & 2nd 1977/Live at CBGB Theatre, New York – July 18th 1978</i> 2006 live album by Wire

Live at the Roxy, London – April 1st & 2nd 1977/Live at CBGB Theatre, New York – July 18th 1978 is a live double album by English rock band Wire. It was released in 2006. It comprises 1 and 2 April 1977 performances at The Roxy, London, England and an 18 July 1978 performance at CBGB, New York City, United States.

<i>The Third Day</i> (EP) 2000 EP by Wire

The Third Day is an EP by the English rock band Wire. It was released in 2000.

<i>Provisionally Entitled the Singing Fish</i> 1981 album by Colin Newman

Provisionally Entitled the Singing Fish is the second studio album by Colin Newman, lead singer of post-punk band Wire. It was released in 1981, through record labels Beggars Banquet and 4AD.

<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.

<i>It Seems</i> 1988 album by Colin Newman

It Seems is the fifth studio album by Colin Newman, lead singer of post-punk band Wire. It was released in 1988 by Crammed Discs.

References

  1. ↑ Lester, Paul (2009). Lowdown: The Story of Wire. London: Omnibus Press. p. 180. ISBN   978-1-84772-710-7.
  2. 1 2 Allmusic review
  3. ↑ Robert Christgau review
  4. ↑ Lester 2009, p. 163.
  5. ↑ "Wir Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
  6. ↑ "Erasure – Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day) cover credits". Discogs . Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  7. ↑ Neate, Wilson (2013). Read and Burn: A Book About Wire. London: Jawbone Press. p. 285. ISBN   978-1-908279-33-0.
  8. ↑ Neate 2013, p. 288.
  9. ↑ Terich, Jeffrey (22 April 2015). "Wire Albums From Worst To Best". Stereogum . Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  10. ↑ DeRogatis, Jim; Neate, Wilson. "Wire". Trouser Press . Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  11. ↑ The First Letter (CD liner notes). Wir. Mute Records. 1991. cdstumm87.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Neate 2013, p. 274.
  13. ↑ Vandenberghe, Patrick (2000). "Graham Lewis Interview - Uzine, 2000". Ultra WWW Magazine (Uzine). Retrieved 10 January 2023.
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.