Wire

Stoffeler10, Jan 16, 2005

"I`ve found something no one else is looking for. I`ve found something that there`s no use for. And what`s more. I`m keeping it to myself."

Wire was a real phenomenon in the end 70`s. And probably THE BAND of that time.
Their first three LPs, all equally brilliant, absorbed or better reflected, what was happening in Europe these days.
Their sound changed from the fast and short punk tracks of "Pink Flag" and leaded to the longer, more complex sounds of "154" .

Wire was a band of four strong individualists with different music preferences.
And that`s probably the reason why their collaboration only lasts three LPs.
Newman and Gotobed surely were more Rock orientated, while Gilbert and Lewis were interested in more abstract soundscapes. But no doubt , it was this mixture, which made this band so special and ahead of the time during that period.
But it`s impossible to talk about Wire, without mentioning their lyrics. Because no other „Punk / New Wave“ band had lyrics like that.
To get a picture of what they `re about you have to imagine passages of a play by Beckett or something that was written by Kafka. (If that doesn`t help look above)

Anyway the band paused after this three LPs . Just a compilation of live tracks was released in 1981 on Rough Trade Records, called "Document And Eyewitness".
Gilbert and Lewis released LPs not only under their names, but also under Dome and Duet Emmo. Followed by „He Said“ (a Lewis project).
Newman had several solo albums on Beggar`s Banquet, 4 AD and Crammed. But in 1986 Wire started working together again, released a few albums, until their „final split“ in 1991.
After that the members came up with solo projects again. Newman also launched the label Swim, together with Malka Spigel.

Today Wire is active again with a new label called „Pink Flag“.

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