154
Studio album by
Wire
ReleasedSeptember 1979 (1979-09)
Recorded (1979-04-00) (1979-05-{{{day}}})April – May 1979
StudioAdvision Studios, West London, England, United Kingdom
Genre
Length44:41
LabelHarvest
ProducerMike Thorne
Wire studio album chronology
Chairs Missing
(1978)		 154
(1979)		 The Ideal Copy
(1987)
Singles from 154
  1. "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W"
    Released: 26 October 1979
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]
The Guardian[6]
Mojo[7]
Pitchfork9.1/10[8]
Q[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[10]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[11]
Uncut[12]
The Village VoiceB[13]

154 is the third album by the English post-punk band Wire, released in 1979 on EMI imprint Harvest Records in the UK and Europe and Warner Bros. Records in America.

Music

Branching out even further from the minimalist punk rock style of their earlier work, 154 is considered a progression of the sounds displayed on Wire's previous album Chairs Missing, with the group experimenting with slower tempos, fuller song structures and a more prominent use of guitar effects, synthesizers and electronics.

The unusual title of the track "Map Ref 41°N 93°W" was based on a guess of the centre of the American Midwest by bassist and singer Graham Lewis; the location of these coordinates is coincidentally close to Centerville, Iowa.[14] One of My Bloody Valentine's last releases prior to reconvening in 2007 was a cover of this track for a Wire tribute entitled Whore.[15] The song was selected as a favourite cover of the 1990s by Flak Magazine.[16]

Releases and Reception

154 peaked at number 39 in the UK Albums Chart, the highest position the band has achieved.[17] It was first issued on CD in 1987 by EMI Japan and later reissued by Restless Records in 1989. First editions of the vinyl album were accompanied by an EP, the tracks from which are included on the Harvest CD, issued in 1994, along with an additional bonus track. The 1996 remastered release, released on Wire's Pinkflag label as a digipack, does not contain any extra tracks, because, according to the band, such additions dishonour the "conceptual clarity of the original statements."[18] In 2018 Pink Flag release a 3-CD Special Edition of the album. The first disc contains the remastered album, while the second disc includes 11 non-album tracks including the 4-song 154 bonus EP, two non-album singles and additional b-sides. The third disc contains the 16-song "Sixth" demo session.

The album is so named because the band had played 154 gigs in their career at the time of the album's release. In 2004, Pitchfork listed 154 as 85th best album of the 1970s.[19]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the 2018 Special Edition.[20]

Side one
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."I Should Have Known Better"Graham LewisLewis3:52
2."Two People in a Room"Bruce GilbertColin Newman2:00
3."The 15th"NewmanNewman3:05
4."The Other Window"GilbertGilbert, Lewis2:07
5."Single K.O."LewisLewis, Newman[nb 1]2:23
6."A Touching Display"LewisLewis6:55
7."On Returning"NewmanNewman2:06
Side two
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
8."A Mutual Friend"LewisNewman4:28
9."Blessed State"GilbertGilbert3:28
10."Once Is Enough"NewmanNewman3:23
11."Map Ref. 41°N 93°W"Lewis[nb 2]Newman3:40
12."Indirect Enquiries"LewisNewman3:36
13."40 Versions"GilbertGilbert, Newman[nb 3]3:28
Bonus EP (included on 1979, 1987, 1989, 1994 and 1995 releases)
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
14."Song 1" Robert Gotobed, Newman, Desmond Simmons3:02
15."Get Down (Part I & II)" David, Gotobed, Newman, Simmons, TV Smith4:27
16."Let's Panic Later"LewisLewis3:20
17."Small Electric Piece" Gilbert3:33
Bonus track (included on 1994 and 1995 releases)
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
18."Go Ahead" (single B-side)LewisGilbert, Gotobed, Lewis, Newman4:01
Bonus tracks (1995 Japanese release only)
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
19."Stepping Off Too Quick"NewmanNewman1:22
20."Indirect Inquiries" (sic)"LewisNewman3:18
21."Map Ref. 41°N 93°W"LewisNewman3:49
22."A Question of Degree"LewisNewman2:56
23."Two People in a Room"GilbertNewman2:02
24."Former Airline"GilbertGilbert1:12

Tracks 19–24 are demo versions that have also appeared on compilations such as Behind the Curtain and After Midnight.

2018 Special Edition

Disc one (Original Album)
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."I Should Have Known Better"LewisLewis3:52
2."Two People in a Room"GilbertNewman2:11
3."The 15th"NewmanNewman3:05
4."The Other Window"GilbertGilbert, Lewis2:08
5."Single K.O."LewisLewis, Newman2:24
6."A Touching Display"LewisLewis6:56
7."On Returning"NewmanNewman2:06
8."A Mutual Friend"LewisNewman4:28
9."Blessed State"GilbertGilbert3:28
10."Once Is Enough"NewmanNewman3:23
11."Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW"LewisNewman3:40
12."Indirect Enquiries"LewisNewman3:27
13."40 Versions"GilbertGilbert, Newman3:29
Total length:44:48
Disc two (Singles, B-sides & Studio Recordings)
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."A Question of Degree" (single A-side, 1979)LewisNewman3:09
2."Former Airline" (single B-side, 1979)GilbertGilbert3:19
3."Go Ahead" (single B-side, 1979)LewisGilbert, Gotobed, Lewis, Newman4:03
4."Our Swimmer" (single A-side, 1981)Gilbert, Lewis, NewmanGilbert, Newman[nb 4]3:29
5."Midnight Bahnhof Cafe" (single B-side, 1981)LewisNewman4:30
6."2nd Length (Our Swimmer)" (single B-side, 1983)Gilbert, Lewis, NewmanGilbert, Newman2:49
7."Catapult 30" (single B-side, 1983) Gilbert, Gotobed, Lewis, Newman5:05
8."Song 1" (154 EP, 1979) Gotobed, Newman, Simmons3:02
9."Get Down (Parts I + II)" (154 EP, 1979) David, Gotobed, Newman, Simmons, Smith4:27
10."Let's Panic Later" (154 EP, 1979)LewisLewis3:19
11."Small Electric Piece" (154 EP, 1979) Gilbert3:31
Total length:40:43
Disc three (Sixth Demo Sessions, December 1978, Riverside Studios, London)
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."40 Versions"GilbertGilbert, Newman3:19
2."Ignorance No Plea (I Should Have Known Better)"LewisLewis4:02
3."Blessed State"GilbertGilbert3:11
4."A Touching Display"LewisLewis5:19
5."The 15th"NewmanNewman2:30
6."A Mutual Friend"LewisNewman3:56
7."Once Is Enough"NewmanNewman2:39
8."The Other Window"GilbertLewis, Gilbert2:09
9."Stepping Off Too Quick"NewmanNewman1:22
10."Indirect Enquiries (Version 2)"LewisNewman3:15
11."Map Ref. 41°N 93°W"LewisNewman3:50
12."Single KO"LewisLewis, Newman2:24
13."On Returning"NewmanNewman1:49
14."A Question of Degree"LewisNewman3:02
15."Former Airline"GilbertGilbert1:12
16."Two People in a Room"GilbertNewman2:03
Total length:46:07

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the 2018 Special Edition.[20]

Wire
  • Colin Newman – vocals, guitar, backing vocals, distorted bass on "On Returning"
  • Graham Lewis – bass, vocals on "I Should Have Known Better", "A Touching Display" and "Blessed State", backing vocals, percussion on "Once Is Enough", sleeve concept
  • B. C. Gilbert – guitar, spoken word on "The Other Window", sleeve concept
  • Robert Gotobed – drums, percussion
Additional personnel and production
Bonus tracks
  • Colin Newman – vocals, guitar, syndrum on "Go Ahead", saxophone on "Former Airline", keyboards on "Midnight Bahnhof Cafe", production on "Get Down (Parts I + II)"
  • Graham Lewis – bass, keyboards on "Go Ahead", saxophone on "Former Airline", vocals and production on "Let's Panic Later"
  • B. C. Gilbert – guitar, bass on "Go Ahead", saxophone on "Former Airline", production on "Small Electric Piece"
  • Robert Gotobed – drums, production on "Song 1"
  • Mike Thorne – production on "A Question of Degree" and "Former Airline"
  • Paul Hardiman – engineer on "A Question of Degree" and "Former Airline"
  • Ken Thomas – assistant engineer on "A Question of Degree" and "Former Airline"
  • Wire – production on "Go Ahead", "Our Swimmer", "Midnight Bahnhof Cafe", "Our Swimmer (2nd Length)", "Catapult 30" and the sixth demo sessions
  • Nick Glennie-Smith – engineer on 154 EP and the sixth demo sessions
  • Daniel Priest – engineer on "Go Ahead", "Our Swimmer" and "Midnight Bahnhof Cafe"
  • Steve Parker – engineer on "Our Swimmer (2nd Length)" and "Catapult 30"
  • "A Question of Degree" and "Former Airline" recorded and mixed April 1979 at Advision Studios, London
  • 154 bonus EP recorded and mixed July 1979 at Riverside Studios, London
  • "Go Ahead", "Our Swimmer" and "Midnight Bahnhof Cafe" recorded and mixed November 1979 at Magritte Studios, Middlesex
  • "2nd Length (Our Swimmer)" and "Catapult 30" recorded and mixed 1980 at Scorpio Sound, London

References

  1. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Real to Real Cacophony – Simple Minds". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  2. ↑ Hart, Ron (21 June 2018). "Wire Looks Back on Its Pioneering Art Punk Trilogy". Billboard. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  3. ↑ "10 Essential Album Trilogies". Treble. 16 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Huey, Steve. "154 – Wire". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  5. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Wire". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  6. ↑ Simpson, Dave (3 March 2006). "Wire, 154". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  7. ↑ Myers, Ben (June 2018). "Wire: 154". Mojo. No. 295. p. 104.
  8. ↑ Tangari, Joe (5 May 2006). "Wire: Pink Flag / Chairs Missing / 154". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  9. ↑ Harris, John (July 2018). "Dawning of a New Era". Q. No. 386. pp. 120–21.
  10. ↑ Gross, Joe (2004). "Wire". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 883–84. ISBN 0-743-20169-8.
  11. ↑ Weisbard, Eric (1995). "Wire". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 435–37. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  12. ↑ "Wire: 154". Uncut. No. 106. March 2006. p. 106.
  13. ↑ Christgau, Robert (25 February 1980). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  14. ↑ "Map Songs: Wire's Map Ref. 41° N 93° W". Making Maps: DIY Cartography. 11 March 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  15. ↑ "Whore: Various Artists Play Wire - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  16. ↑ "Flak Magazine: Cover Tunes - "Map Ref 41N 93W," 1-29-01". 19 May 2011. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  17. ↑ "Wire" (select "Albums" tab). Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  18. ↑ "Wire: 1977 > 1979 – Pinkflag (America)". PostEverything. Archived from the original on 14 April 2006. Retrieved 2 May 2006.
  19. ↑ Pitchfork staff (23 June 2004). "The 100 Best Albums of the 1970s". Pitchfork. p. 2. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  20. 1 2 154 (liner notes). Wire (special ed.). Pinkflag. 2018. PF13SE.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ↑ Neate, Wilson (2013). Read & Burn: A Book About Wire. London: Jawbone Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-90827-933-0.

Informational notes

  1. ↑ The songwriting credits for 154 have been modified on all reissues since 2006.[21] "Single K.O." was originally credited to Graham Lewis alone.
  2. ↑ "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W" was originally credited to Graham Lewis, Colin Newman and Bruce Gilbert.
  3. ↑ "40 Versions" was originally credited to Bruce Gilbert alone.
  4. ↑ "Our Swimmer" and "2nd Length (Our Swimmer)" was originally credited to Bruce Gilbert, Robert Gotobed, Graham Lewis and Colin Newman.
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