The best Wire post ever

Wire is one of those bands, like Elvis Costello or the Pretenders, whom I just LOVED for a while, but then went off in some direction that just didn't get it done for me.... I think they still record even today, and I'm sure their long-time true fans still love them, but after those classic late 1970's albums, they were done for me (much like, I explained, the Pretenders were over "for me" after "Learning to Crawl")..... so "best ever"? Maybe not, for a band with such a huge discography, but those first three albums, I did/do love them, and for me THOSE albums are the "real" Wire.... sorry, sometimes for me, a band simply stays too "long at the fair".

1977's debut, "Pink Flag" was one of the most original and unique albums to come from that era, it is brilliant and sounds every bit as amazing in 2013 as it did in 1977, I am not kidding. It is VERY minimalst punk/new wave, but the song structures are bizarre for the era, "Field Day For the Sundays" checks in at less than a minute).... There are 23 "songs" on the album, I'd prefer to call them segments or movements, this is an album that REQUIRES listening to as a whole. It is also one of the greatest albums of the 1970's, perhaps THE Greatest of 1977, which was a great year for music..... do not miss this if you are unfamiliar.

The next album "Chairs Missing", is an experimental masterpiece as well, the tracks are longer and more atmospheric, again, it is a coherent work that needs to be listened to as a WHOLE.....this is NOT a collection of singles, it is a single, coherent work.

The next year they released "154", another five star masterpiece that is also amazingly experimental, although NOT a carbon copy of "Pink Flag".... this is weird stuff, "I Should Have Known Better" and "Map ref. 4 In. 93 W." are among the standout memories for me, again, like "Pink Flag", you really need to listen to this album as a whole. I know I keep saying this, but listen and you will see EXACTLY what I mean... I PROMISE!

IF you are not as into this as I am (and in high school I was VERY into this band), I have included a comp, "Behind the Curtain", with some of their better moments melded together as though attempting a statement, had it been the first album I had heard from them, I might just buy into it a a fine album as well..... I really, though, recommend the first three albums in totality.

Since then, Wire has released a whole bunch of albums, they don't really do much for me.... chances are if you are a huge fan of the band, you are familiar with them, I am shooting for the casual listener with this one, because latter day Wire just doesn't get it done for me. Sorry, Wire, but thanks TONS for those first three brilliant, amazing, thought provoking albums... they were/ARE great and still remain in fairly heavy rotation around BigScott62's household!

PINK FLAG-01 Reuters/02 Field Day For the Sundays/03 Three Girl Rhumba/04 Ex Lion Tamer/05 Low Down/06 Start To Move/07 Brazil/08 It's So Obvious/09 Surgeon's Girl/10 Pink Flag/11 Commercial/12 Straight Line/13 106 Beats That/14 Mr. Suit/15 Strange/16 Fragile/17 Mannequin/18 Different Zone/19 Champs/20 Feeling Called Love/21 12 X U/22 Dot Dash/23 Options R

CHARIS MISSING-01 Practice makes Perfect/02 French Film/03 Anstler the Letter/04 Men 2nd/05 Marooned/06 Sand In My Joints/07 Being Sucked In Again/08 Heartbeat/09 Mercy/10 Outdoor Miner/11 I Am the Fly/12 I feel Mysterious TOday/13 From the Nursery/14 Used To/15 Too late/16 Outdoor Miner/17 A Question of Degree/18 Former Airline

154-01 I Should Have Known Better/02 Two People In a Room/03 The 15th/04 The Other Window/05 Single KO/06 A Touching Display/07 On Returning/08 A Mutual Friend/09 Blessed State/10 Once Is Enough/11 Map Ref. 4 In. 93 W./12 Indirect Enquiries/13 40 Versions/14 Song 1/15 Get Down (Parts 1 & 2)/16 Lets Panic Later/17 Small Electric Piece/18 Go Ahead

BEHIND THE CURTAIN-01 Mary Is a Dyke/02 Too True/03 Just Don't Care/04 TV/05 New York City/06 After Midnight/07 Pink Flag/08 Love Ain't Polite/09 Oh No Not So/10 It's the Motive/11 Practice Makes Perfect/12 Sand In My Joints/13 Stablemate/14 I feel Myserious Today/15 Underwater Experience/16 Dot Dash/17 Options R/18 From the Nursery/19 Finistaire/20 No Romans/21 Another The Letter/22 40 Versions/23 Blessed State/24 A Touching Display/25 Once Is Enough/26 Stepping Off Too Quick/27 Indirect Inquiries/28 Map Ref 41 N 93 W/29 A Question of Degree/30 Two people In a Room/31 Former Airline