Wow! I never noticed before,looking at the cover photo's, that three of Wire are essentially the same person, plus Graham Lewis. Also what a miserable bunch of sods they were! Maybe they were trying to look like serious 'Artistes'? This would explain why they were popular in France, where the serious/miserable 'artiste' is king. I'm in fact registered as an 'Artiste' in France, and i'm definitely a miserable fucker too; but as i'm very English, i'm not at all serious.....and I assume this applies to our glum chums in Wire also?
This is strange, because Wire were/are very popular in the States for the opposite reasons; mainly because 'Pink Flag' rocked in a unique no nonsense style that motivated those Rock lovin' colonials to copy it and invent 'Hardcore Punk', which still resonates with the yoof to this very day!?...Wire, miserable sods that they aren't, quickly moved on from this innovation, to continue to innovate in a decidedly non rock direction. In fact they de-rocked themselves to such an extent eventually, that at least a couple of them became respected avant garde composers? Now that goes down very nicely in 'La France'!?
Here we have them, a year on from 'Pink Flag', playing a set of short,angular avant-pop tunes, sans "12XU", to an appreciative West Berlin crowd at one of the standard venues on the european Post-Punk circuit, the SO36 club.This is 'Punk'art, definitely NOT 'Punk Rock'!Leave that kind of stuff to the terminally repetitive UK Subs and their like.
Tracklist:
Practice Makes Perfect 1:56
Two People In A Room 1:56
I Feel Mysterious Today 1:51
Being Sucked In 2:49
Once Is Enough 2:46
A Blessed State 3:06
A Question Of Degree 2:45
Single KO 2:14
Mercy 5:24
40 Versions 3:16
Former Airline 0:51
A Touching Display 7:58
A French Film Blurred 3:01
Map Ref 3:35
Men 2nd 1:44
Heartbeat 3:40
Pink Flag 4:36