Wire - 154: Classic or Dud?

kinda in the mood for this album, all of a sudden

xp a few songs that just bore me

Glad to see the love for this. Seems like it was often unfairly derided as a dip in quality. Poppycock. It's #24 on my all-time list. It would be higher, except there was a lot of competition from that era, like Television, Buzzcocks, Feelies, Gang of Four, Raincoats, P.i.L.

Wire On The Box: 1979 is available on Netflix!

rah!

Providing
Deciding

It was soon there

so fucking classic, this is the first post-punk album that blew my mind

It really redefined the meaning of vendetta for me.

It was soon there

― kornrulez6969, Thursday, January 26, 2012 3:43 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark

so fucking classic, this is the first post-punk album that blew my mind

― ♈ᘮﬡᕮ-Ꭹᗩᖇᗪᔕ - ᗯ ᖺ ᗢ Ḱ ᓰ ᒪ ᒪ (diamonddave85), Thursday, January 26, 2012 4:08 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark

69 + 85 = 154 Huh? HUH???!!

No, 154 was the number of gigs they had played at that point. Or so the legend says.

yeah that's what I heard as well

When I was in my late teens, I was encouraged to buy this album at a used record shop (ca. 1998, maybe). The shop owner (an old-school punk) said: we used to get high and listen to this album. Best sort-of-advice I ever received!

Classic! This may actually be my favourite Wire album.

http://cdn.discogs.com/0xvQfrhEUO_D8Y5tc2Z05DOYAg4=/fit-in/588x589/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(96)/discogs-images/R-6731843-1425502746-4364.jpeg.jpg

Looks like rockets shooting off and flags and stuff.
Idunno. Douknow? Always wondered.

/\ That was supposed to be "WTF is the art?"

"Chorus!"

i have always found this album mostly impenetrable, save "i should have known better", "the 15th", "a touching display", "map ref", and ESPECIALLY "40 versions". "40 Versions" is just unbelievably sick.

A Mutual Friend 4eva!!!

re the cover:
SPOILER!!!!

look away

it says WIRE in highly stylized typography
turn the album cover upside down
unmistakeable 'W' right?
the 'i' is easy to see too

squiggly/rippled line/strips represent 'r'
3 lines or strips are the 'e'

think the designer managed to get other references in there too, like pink flag...

so what does the back cover say?

Designed by Lewis and Gilbert I think? (not sure I buy your theory that it say 'Wire')

all part of the same picture if you have the LP

the W wraps around to the back so you may not see it if you're not looking at the LP cover

this album is perfect

correct!

what is your favourite song

https://i.ibb.co/MB2Vgf3/154.jpg

would wear wire

what is your favourite song

― imago, Monday, December 3, 2018 5:12 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

idk! at this point "a touching display" i think?

Don't tell Alfred.

hot take: goth prog is good

Damn, those sweaters are the ultimate post-punk Dad uniform.

I'm sure someone could do a Christmas version as well.

a touching display is a fine, fine choice, probably in my top three

still can't look beyond i should have known better for #1 tho. one of those openers that guarantees the album immortality no matter what the rest of it is like

obviously the rest of it is full of stuff like a mutual friend and on returning so it would be immortal even without ISHKB but still

"A Touching Display" was always my favourite too.

154: I should have POLLed better?

the two shortest songs are my favorites, but the whole thing is soooooo classic

i heard a long time ago that the first three wire album covers are meant to work together, in combination. i was absolutely certain of this, and even thought i saw an image that showed how it looked.

i'm doing it now and it doesn't look right at all? am i making all this up?

pink flag and chairs missing makes some sense, overlaid. but 154 throws everything off.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51v0KGMKu9L._SY355_.jpg

pink flag / chairs missing:

https://i.imgur.com/2idNn2d.jpg

pink flag / chairs missing / 154:

https://i.imgur.com/XdFC35p.jpg

ah, thanks J Sam. the On Returning comp is a remix of the covers. i must have seen it when i was younger and assumed it just a full overlay. how many weird lies have i told myself over the years, this could be a problem

154 throws everything off.

― Karl Malone, Monday, December 3, 2018 10:39 AM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

there's no center, so otm

what is your favourite song

― imago, Monday, December 3, 2018 5:12 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

idk. at this point "a touching display" i think?

― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Monday, December 3, 2018

Going to see these guys in March!

Toying with seeing them again. Current version of band were good live a few years back

they're not coming to SF this time :(

I listened to the entire album today and can't remember a single thing about it except one of them yelling OKLAHOMA really loud

They still play only new songs?
If so👎