new Wire album, Change Becomes Us, March 2013

The Cologne show of that tour was pretty great too.

 

I actually did that, using the LP + EP combo - they came packaged together in one 12" sleeve. Made a nice-sounding needledrop.

 

I wonder about this ... they do tend to offer vinyl on their new releases, but the band doesn't seem like a very analog-y bunch. Colin's production in particular is very digital-oriented, don't you think? But I haven't heard the vinyl versions of the recent albums.

 

It sounds ok in the car, but on a revealing system it's so harsh! Awful. Maybe the UK cd is better. Maybe the vinyl is better, but I doubt it.

Btw, I recommend "Whore" - a comp of Wire covers. Surprisingly good! And very good sound.

 

You mean you didn't want to hear "maybe say yes!? maybe say no!" a hundred times? Lol. They should abandon waterboarding at Gitmo and use this song instead. Much quicker results.

Manscape had one ok song - You Hung Your Lights In The Trees - which I guess may be the only Christmas song Wire ever recorded

 

All of the recent releases have been pressed on vinyl but my perception is that there doesn't seem to be all that much enthusiasm for the format.

The band seems to put more of their efforts in terms of special releases into legal bootleg CDs and downloads rather than 7-inches and EPs.

For what it's worth, I had tons of pressings problem with Red Barked Tree (went through three copies until I gave up) and my copy of Object 47 is poorly pressed.

 

I'm still uncertain about the vintage of the four Read & Burn 03 tracks; Our Time and Desert Diving both appear on Send (deluxe) in differently-mixed form.

But no matter, they flesh-out Object 47 nicely. It took me a while to find a playlist sequence that I liked, but this one has survived a couple of listens without revision:

1. One Of Us - Ob47
2. Circumspect - Ob47
3. Mekon Headman - Ob47
4. Perspex Icon - Ob47
5. Four Long Years - Ob47
6. Our Time - R&B03
7. No Warning Sign - R&B03
8. Desert Diving - R&B03
9. Hard Currency - Ob47
10. Patient Flees - Ob47
11. Are You Ready? - Ob47
12. 23 Years Too Late - R&B03
13. All Fours - Ob47

 

You can listen to "Doubles & Trebles" here:

http://louderthanwar.com/wire-announce-new-album-change-become-us/

 

sounds good. I believe it is a reworking of the track "Ally in Exile," from Document and Eyewitness.

 

Astonishing. Sounds very much like 154.

 

Doubles & Trebles sounds great. I'm very much looking forward to the new album.

 

Egad, another one!

http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/concert/wire/20056243-8585

 

Samples have now been added. First impression: "hazy"

http://www.amazon.com/Change-Become...F8&qid=1362542353&sr=1-1&keywords=wire+change

 

Did they record this in analog? I really enjoyed the Gang of Four album when they rerecorded their 70's material. Can't wait to hear this stuff. For the record, I like Send more than 154. I think it's their strongest album behind their debut. The guitar tones are mind-blowing.

 

Analog, like tape? I think there's no chance. Wire Mk. III is very digital audio-centric.

 

On first hearing this is a bit too retro sounding for me. I loved the full bodied rock sound on their last two albums. This seems to have a much thinner sound, reminiscent of their 80's stuff. Most songs are pretty good though! I don't think this band has ever released a weak album.

 

"full bodied rock" is not "retro"? I really like Red Barked Tree, but I wouldn't say it wasn't retro ... some songs have acoustic guitar!

I think Object 47 is pretty weak; at this point I only like 2 songs, the first and the last.

did you mail-order your copy or find it in a store? I didn't have the patience to sift through the various "bundles" the band was offering for purchase.

 

I listened to the samples on iTunes. This actually sounds quite promising. More promising than any of their other Mk 3 efforts, IMO.

 

It was my first impression on the sound. Some songs remind me of Ideal Copy period. I wasn't trying to slam the album. I just wouldn't mind a continuation of Red Barked Tree/Object 47 myself.

You can hear the album on Spotify (and it's leaked on the internet). I ordered the album on cd after one listen.

 

I bought a copy when it came out and side 1 was a little noisy and pressed off center, but side 2 was literally just noise, not what was supposed to be there. The worst pressing problem I've ever encountered.. As it took me years to get to playing it (yes, I know I have a problem), there was no opportunity to return it -- but I did google it and found that it was an acknowledged pressing problem. The upshot is that I bought a new vinyl copy from http://pinkflag.greedbag.com/ in September of 2012 and side 1 is not off center, and side 2 plays music (though it's a little off-center and a little noisy). Just checked the site and I don't see the vinyl listed any more, but better pressings are out there and an email to greedbag may still uncover one...

Fred

 

Looking forward to this very much.

 

I think 'A Bell Is A Cup' is a stunning album. I have the original vinyl and I will never part with it. Sounds amazing.

 

Here's the lead off track. To me, the production sounds a little closer to late 80's Wire than 154.


Here's a favorable review from the Quietus.
http://thequietus.com/articles/11724-wire-change-becomes-us-review-2

 

The new album is now up on Spotify US and I'm enjoying it quite a bit. It's their best since Scary Monsters! It is interesting to hear them revisit this old Document & Eyewitness material, which was initially so jagged and abrasive, but applying their more polished modern approach.

 

I think it's quite strong. A bit more aggressive than the past couple of albums have been, which is a good change (and I liked Object 47 and Red Barked Tree a lot).

Has anyone seen the limited edition version of the album that comes direct from the band? It says it's a hard-bound book with info on the making of the album, but at the prices they're charging it's pretty hard to cough up that cash without knowing some more details - how many pages, etc. Wish they'd just sell a digital version of the album with a PDF version of this book. I'd even pay a bit more than normal for that.