WIRE Pink Flag (Pinkflag) Rating: NNNN Chairs Missing (Pinkflag) Rating: NNNNN 154 (Pinkflag) Rating: NNN Rating: NNNNN
Much the same way that the Velvet Undergound’s influence was disproportionately huge relative to their commercial success, Wire essentially created the blueprints for hardcore punk, math rock and electroclash with their exceptional first three recordings. Yet it appears they couldn’t afford a decent suit between them. Seeing how everyone from Franz Ferdinand and the Walkmen to Fisherspooner and LCD Soundsystem has been inspired by Wire’s first three classics, it’s a good time for remastered digipak reissues, unfortunately sans bonus tracks. Pink Flag’s 21 high-energy blasts in under 36 minutes makes it a pogo-punk favourite for those with short attention spans, and its endearingly experimental Chairs Missing is where they discovered they didn’t need to record an entire album in the time it took to rip through their set list. On 154, we hear what happens when the musical ability of four people who don’t like each other much is outstripped by their divergent artistic pretensions. Serious Wire fans can pick up the limited-edition Wire Deluxe Set 1977-1979 box containing all three CDs, lyrics and two bonus live discs recorded at London’s Roxy in April 1977 and at New York’s CBGB’s in July 1978. Get it at www.posteverything.com.
