Wire - the greatest band of the late 70s

I'm a huge Wire fan, although I'll never say any band is the best of any decade. I love the first three, particularly Chairs Missing which sits perfect between the PF and 154. Just such great stuff.

I've found original UK Harvest versions of 154 and Chairs Missing in good condition finally and have a US Pink Flag. They sound so great on vinyl.

 

At last!

I used to confuse Howard Devoto and Devo for years.

Finally they're mentioned together.

 

I agree with you that Chairs Missing is the ideal balance between the two--more expansive and experimental than Pink Flag, but more focused and concise than 154. I love all three, but Chairs Missing is perfect from start to finish. I also dig some of the singles from that era like "Go Ahead" and "A Question of Degree".

 

To me, their masterpiece is 154.

Progressive and psychedelic - while also having a punky edginess!

 

I have good UK copies of CM and 154 -- been meaning to treat myself to PF for a while. They're surprisingly available, but still run a pretty high price for NM condition. Anyone have tips on what to look for?

 

FWIW, I bought vinyl CM & 154 from the 4 Men with Beards label. The 154 sounded flat, which was confirmed by the acquisition of a Harvest copy that sounds great and lively. Still looking for a decently priced Harvest copy of CM, but the 4 Men with Beards issue doesn't sound half bad.

 

The problem is that Harvest reissued "PF" for several years under the same catalogue number. Original 1977 copies shouldn't have a barcode on the back and include a solid innersleeve with lyrics and round corners (typical 70's UK style). Ten years ago when demand was high due to bands like Franz Ferdinand there also where counterfeits so watch out when buying online!

What I like about my 1977 copy is the fact that it doesn't end after "12XU". You sit there, wait for the stylus to lift off but there are at least 30 seconds of "empty" groove so the silence in your room suddenly gets VERY loud. No idea if this is some kind of cool concept - to show you the absence of sound - or simply a mistake...it fits the music perfectly!

 

ah, that's useful -- there do seem to be an awful lot of copies around online. I'd probably best look for a UK seller then.

 

Definitely! Check Discogs for matrix numbers or I could post mine

 

Just stopping-in to say how much I love Wire.
Spinning this one at the moment.

 

It makes me wish that they didn't split up at that point. They could have made a killer fourth album after 154.

 

I know what you mean. That first era is something special, but I love the stuff they did when they came back, too.
In fact, I still like what they're doing!