The lyrics on "Pink Flag" are mostly imaginative and timeless, certainly better than most of what was written back then. This version was recorded for inclusion on 2017’s Silver/Lead but was omitted due to lack of space.

Very few of the songs followed traditional verse/chorus structures -- if one or two riffs sufficed, no more were added; if a musical hook or lyric didn't need to be repeated, Wire immediately stopped playing, accounting for the album's brevity (21 songs in under 36 minutes on the original version). [25] The tracks were also left off both editions of Pink Flag's 2018 remaster, but can be found on the 2018 deluxe reissue of Chairs Missing. The most original album of punk's first wave. And Wire are full of ideas; for such a fiercely minimalist band, they display quite a musical range, spanning slow, haunting texture exercises, warped power pop, punk anthems, and proto-hardcore rants -- it's recognizable, yet simultaneously quite unlike anything that preceded it. American alternative rock band R.E.M. However, the song has never sounded quite as it does here . A glimpse into Wire’s working practices, when Wire play live there are different 3 classes of pieces that are performed, new songs, old songs and “new old” songs. But, just in case things were in danger of settling into any kind of pattern, Wire’s next album was another diversion into the unexpected. Live, Wire continued to gain a reputation for being one of the most psychedelic of post-punk bands – and certainly the loudest. Although the album was released to critical acclaim,[16] it was not a big seller. Is this a bootleg? The shows left audiences divided and potential labels unsure of what they might be signing. NEW AGE . Newman and Gilbert’s chord sequences often took unexpected turns, Graham Lewis’s unique lyrics were vivid but oblique, and Grey’s drumming was minimal and metronomic. Another key factor was guitarist Matthew Simms, who’d played live with Wire since 2010. The band followed Snakedrill up with The Ideal Copy. The album divides in to two halves - the 2010 side & the 2020 side - hence the title. 10:20 is that rare thing: an album that not only serves as a must-have for long-term fans and completists, but paradoxically also the perfect introduction for anyone new to the band.

Although the song appeared on The Ideal Copy and has been an intermittent component of the group’s live shows since 1985, its true power had never been properly harnessed in the studio – until now. [22], Credits adapted from the 2018 Special Edition. The latter often involves taking something that existed on a previous release and re-working it, very often evolving a stage highlight from it. In my view, the only "weakness" here is the inclusion of the two "bonus tracks" ("Dot Dash" & "Options R" from "the rare stuff"), though these are not exactly rubbish, the space may have been better …

Pink Flag's enduring influence pops up in hardcore, post-punk, alternative rock, and even Britpop, and it still remains a fresh, invigorating listen today: a fascinating, highly inventive rethinking of punk rock and its freedom to make up your own rules. Britpop band Elastica also used a riff similar to that of "Three Girl Rhumba" for their song "Connection". Track 1 ‘Boiling Boy’ first appeared on 1988’s A Bell is a Cup… Until it is Struck. 2019 not only saw Wire commence work on two major new recording projects, but also it marked the announcement of the launch of a career-spanning documentary called People in a Film. There also … Manscape followed, moving the band into territory where the electric and the electronic were more closely interwoven. SOUL . POST-ROCK . The album's wide-ranging influence is exemplified by the number of bands which have covered its songs.

After this detour, Wire again ceased operations. The resulting sound was far colder and more brutal than anything else around at the time.

The Art Of Persistence

Following 154, the band and EMI parted company. ROCKSTEADY. New releases (both audio and video) are finished, mixed and authored in-house, reflecting Pinkflag’s cottage-industry ethos. EXPERIMENTAL, SYNTH-POP .

Subverting genres, Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Robert Grey and Matthew Simms continue to work on … New releases (both audio and video) are finished, … "Options R" was credited to Lewis alone on all pre-2006 releases. Edit Release All Versions of this Release Data Correct .

Buy now. Pink Flag is the first studio album by the English band Wire. 2. It was released in November 1977, through Harvest Records. LEFTFIELD . Pink Flag is the first studio album by the English band Wire. 1988’s A Bell Is A Cup… Until It Is Struck displayed a summery motorik and boasted unforgettable pop single ‘Kidney Bingos’. In 2017, the year of the band’s 40th anniversary, Wire released their 15th studio album Silver/Lead, a set of songs that encompassed the menacing widescreen grandeur of ‘Playing Harp For The Fishes’ and the breakneck-paced guitar pop of ‘Short Elevated Period’. Wire had judged the moment perfectly, as Send received widespread critical approval and rode high on numerous end-of-year lists. Though the album failed to chart on its initial release, it has been widely acclaimed and is considered by critics and other commentators to have been highly influential on many other musicians since its release. This re-mastered version of "Pink Flag" … Pink Flag is the first studio album by the English band Wire. Credits adapted from the liner notes of the 2018 Special Edition. Whereas the original was a skeletal and arch computer-driven pop song, this new version sees the composition retooled as a piece of melodic rock. 2003’s Send took the urgency and impact of their 1977 debut and retooled it via the production techniques of techno. Wire played their debut proper at London’s Roxy club on 1 April, 1977. The next album took a curious swerve: It’s Beginning To And Back Again collected live recordings and heavily reworked them in the studio. And yet, it’s equally true to say they could be viewed as part of the British tradition of left-field art-school bands that includes Roxy Music and The Pink Floyd.

However, unlike the Ramones, Wire ultimately made their mark through unpredictability. Did they edit the image for some reason? As well as being the name of the first Wire album, Pinkflag is also the name of the label that has released all of Wire’s releases since 2000.

The band subjected themselves to a lengthy period of intense, 12-hour rehearsals, honing their (admittedly basic) musical skills until razor-sharp. Hardcore punk and post-hardcore acts that have covered songs from Pink Flag include Henry Rollins ("Ex Lion Tamer", on Drive by Shooting), Minor Threat ("1 2 X U", on Flex Your Head), and Firehose ("Mannequin", on Live Totem Pole), while Minutemen attributed to Pink Flag their approach of recording and releasing briefer songs. Originally scheduled for RSD 2020 Pink Flag have decided to make 10:20 a regular LP/CD release. BOOGIE, BALEARIC . Pinkflag releases all new Wire material as it becomes available. BROKEN BEAT, SOUNDTRACKS .