Search - Wire :: Read & Burn 1

Absolutely Stunning

War of Nerves | Asheville, NC | 07/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Oh, Wire, why do I love thee? Is it your primal energy that makes you smell so sweet? Or your constant search for reinvention? Your taste and restraint?



Yes, fans. Wire is back and as good as ever. Read and Burn 01 is especially good on three levels: 1.) it has a cold and emotionally distant feel like Joy Division. It also feels very mechanical in many ways, like Kraftwerk, although that is rather misleading. I think this works in the albums favor. 2.) it has the electric energy of the best "punk" bands since Wire's first incarnation -- Fugazi, Pixies, McLusky, even Sonic Youth, of whom I am not much of a fan. It's much more forceful and powerful than anything else in their catalog. 3.) Wire, along with the new Fall album and even the new Mission of Burma album, have completely shredded all their imitators to bits and superceded them. Its great to know that bands like these have such incredible staying power and vitality.



Actually, I personally find both Read and Burns more immediately satisfying than anything in their catalogue (while 154 will always be my favorite). Why did they bother with Send? They should have just put the two e.p.'s on one cd and added some extra tracks. Oh well. Read and Burns 01 & 02 are two of the best releases of the new millenium so far."

In Praise

alexander laurence | Los Angeles, CA | 04/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is no more perfect band than Wire. They have done more new records collectively than any other band. They started at the dawn of English Punk. They recorded three great records, Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154. Pink Flag was picked as the second greatest punk record behind The Ramones in some recent survey. Wire went on hiatus in 1980. Solo projects ensued. Some of the weirdest records ever imagined were foisted on a public. Wire (the second leg) returned in 1986 with Snakedrill. They released four more albums as Wire before the drummer left. They continued as WIR at the dawn of punk (the second leg, i.e. Nirvana). Soon a need to do more solo projects evolved. Colin Newman continued on as a techno producer. Bruce Gilbert did more sonic landscapes. Lewis did weird Swedish pop with aggressive lyrics. Robert Gotobed changed his name back to Grey and did some farming. almost ten years past without any collective Wire collaboration.In 2000, Wire reformed for a third time, and played live shows in Europe and the USA. They played songs from all their albums, including songs from their first three which they had never played in over twenty years. Many people who weren't born when Wire was first formed in 1975 so grew interested. In the past year Wire was invited to play some festivals including All Tomorrow's Parties. Out of this grew the first new material in over a decade. For people wondering about Wire picking up where they left off with Manscape and WIR, the new Read and Burn sounds like the most energetic music that Wire has ever produced. Where a lot of their punk associates have been doing the same thing for years, Wire shocks us again with fresh new songs. These songs sound like the "Chairs Missing" era. "In The Art of Stopping" kicks off the record like a bullet. There's a new sense of production but there's a sense of rock. I am reminded of some obscure Wire songs like "Dot Dash" and "A Question of Degree" but as well the Snakedrill EP. The drum sound on "I Don't Understand" is great and pounding. "Comet" may be one of the fastest Wire songs. It has lyrics "And the chorus goes ba ba ba ba ba bang" which is very funny. "Germ Ship" is probably the most new sounding Wire song. The EP goes from familiar to unfamiliar. "1st Fast" is maybe a sign of good songs to come. Lewis and Newman both sing the last song "The Agfers of Kodack" which is the hardest rocking Wire song here with true Wire Fuzz guitar. This reminds me why I liked Wire in the first place. They are a sonic assault in the land of Ur and Um. This seventeen minute is what we have been waiting for. (www.freewilliamsburg.com)"