Wire - 154

Original Release Date

1979

Release Information

UK LP+7" 1979 (Harvest - SHSP 4105 / PSR 444)
US LP 1979 (Warner Bros - BSK 3398)
UK CD 1994 (Harvest - 7243 8 29859 2 1)
UK CD 2006 (Harvest/EMI - 7234 73199 2). Remastered

1 I Should Have Known Better 3:52
2 Two People In A Room 2:10
3 The 15th 3:04
4 The Other Window 2:08
5 Single K.O. 2:23
6 A Touching Display 6:56
7 On Returning 2:05
8 A Mutual Friend 4:27
9 Blessed State 3:27
10 Once Is Enough 3:23
11 Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW 3:37
12 Indirect Enquiries 3:34
13 40 Versions 3:27

Free E.P.
1 Song 1 3:02
2 Get Down (Parts I + II) 4:27
3 Let's Panic Later 3:20
4 Small Electric Piece 3:31

1994 CD Bonus Tracks
14 Song I 3:02
15 Get Down (Parts I & II) 4:27
16 Let's Panic Later 3:20
17 Small Electric Piece 3:32
18 Go Ahead 4:01

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UK 3xCD 2018 (Pinkflag - PF13SE). Special Edition

Disc 1 (Original album)
1 I Should Have Known Better 3:52
2 Two People In A Room 2:09
3 The 15th 3:04
4 The Other Window 2:07
5 Single K.O. 2:22
6 A Touching Display 6:55
7 On Returning 2:05
8 A Mutual Friend 4:26
9 Blessed State 3:28
10 Once Is Enough 3:23
11 Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW 3:36
12 Indirect Enquiries 3:34
13 40 Versions 3:27
Disc 2 (Singles, B-sides And Studio Recordings)
1 A Question Of Degree (Single) 3:08
2 Former Airline (Single) 3:18
3 Go Ahead (Single) 4:02
4 Our Swimmer (Single) 3:29
5 Midnight Bahnhof Café (Single) 4:29
6 Our Swimmer (2nd Length) (Single) 2:48
7 Catapult 30 (Single Version) (Single) 5:04
8 Song 1 (154 EP) 3:01
9 Get Down 1 + 2 (154 EP) 4:26
10 Let's Panic Later (154 EP) 3:19
11 Small Electric Piece (154 EP) 3:30
Disc 3 (Studio Demos) - Sixth demo Sessions
1 40 Versions 3:18
2 Ignorance No Plea (I Should Have Known Better) 4:01
3 Blessed State 3:11
4 A Touching Display 5:19
5 The 15th 2:29
6 A Mutual Friend 3:56
7 Once Is Enough 2:38
8 The Other Window 2:09
9 Stepping Off Too Quick 1:22
10 Indirect Enquiries (v2) 3:15
11 Map Ref. 41°N 93°W 3:49
12 Single K.O. 2:24
13 On Returning 1:49
14 A Question Of Degree 3:02
15 Former Airline 1:12
16 Two People In A Room 2:03

Chart Placings

None

Credits

SHSP 4105 / BSK 3398:

Produced by Mike Thorne
Engineer: Paul Hardiman
Assistant: Ken Thomas

Colin Newman - vocals, guitars
Graham Lewis - vocals, bass
Robert Gotobed - drums
B.C. Gilbert - guitars, voice

Instruments:
Hilly Kristal - bass voice
Kate Lucas - alto flute
Tim Souster - electric viola
Mike Thorne - keyboards & synthesiser
Joan Whiting - cor anglais

PSR 444 (Free Single):

1: Produced by Gotobed
2: Produced by Newman
3: Produced by Lewis
4: Produced by Gilbert

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Additional Credits on 1994 CD:

Track 18: Produced by Wire

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Additional Credits on 2006 CD:

Remastered by Dennis Blackham at Skye Mastering

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Additional Credits on Special Edition:

Mastered at Skye Mastering by Denis Blackham

Disc 1
Recorded and mixed April/May 1979 at Advision Studios, Gosfield Street, London
Engineer - Paul Hardiman. Assistant engineer - Ken Thomas
Produced by Mike Thorne

Disc 2
1 & 2. Recorded and mixed April 1979 at Advision Studios, Gosfield Street, London
Engineer - Paul Hardiman. Assistant engineer - Ken Thomas
Produced by Mike Thorne

3-5: Recorded and mixed November 1979 at Magritte Studios, Harmondsworth, Middlesex
Engineer - Daniel Priest
Produced by Wire

6 & 7: Recorded and mixed 1980 at Scorpio Sound, Euston Tower, London
Engineer - Steve Parker
Producer by Wire

8-11. Recorded and mixed July 1979 at Riverside Studios, Church Path, Chiswick, London
Engineer - Nick Glennie Smith
08 Produced by Robert Grey. 09 Produced by Colin Newman
10 Produced by G Lewis. 11 Produced by BC Gilbert

Disc 3
1-16 Recorded and mixed December 1978 at Riverside Studios, Church Path, Chiswick, London
Engineer - Nick Glennie Smith
Produced by Wire

Disc 2:
1-2: A Question Of Degree 7", released June 1979
3: B-Side of Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW, released October 1979
4-5: Our Swimmer 7", released 1981
6-7: Crazy About Love 12", released 1983

Additional Credits

1994 CD Bonus Tracks:
14-17: From Free E.P. with initial copies of LP
18: B-Side of Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW, released October 1979

Reviews & Opinions

RED STARR, SMASH HITS, OCTOBER 18 - 31, 1979: Despite anonymous presentation - the only info on the sleeve is on the spine! - this is a very impressive album. Powerfully intense atmosphere but muscular and melodic, sparingly but very effectively decorated - it's the same dark landscape as Bowie, but very much better than 'Lodger'. Generous timing, free (not so good) EP - investigate. Best tracks: 'I Should Have Known Better', 'Two People In A Room'. (7-and-a-half out of 10).

PUNKY GIBBON: By the time of 154 (named after the amount of shows they'd played up to the time of its release), Wire had almost weeded out their loud/fast/short songs, embracing a colder, more clinical style and triumphing again. A number of the tracks are slightly too obscure and self-indulgent for their own good: 'A Mutual Friend' and 'Once Is Enough' are either too structured, or not structured enough. Throughout, the overriding sensation is of viewing the world through glass, from a distance, with a bemused detachment, but you have to love a band that could write the catchiest single of their career and lumber it with a title like 'Map Ref. 41ºN 93ºW'. Yet another classic. The original vinyl version came with a free 7" single consisting of four patience-stretching solo noodles.

Additional Notes

The remastered CD from 2006 omits the bonus 7" tracks (Tracks C1-D2), although these were added to the 1994 CD version.

Images

UK LP+7" 1979 (Harvest - SHSP 4105 / PSR 444). Click here for more

US LP 1979 (Warner Bros - BSK 3398). Click here for more

UK CD 1994 (Harvest - 7243 8 29859 2 1). Click here for more

UK CD 2006 (Harvest/EMI - 7234 73199 2). Digipak. Click here for more

UK 3xCD 2018 (Pinkflag - PF13SE). Special Edition. Click here for more