Why it took so long to post some Wire is beyond me. It took Assayas to kick us in the pants, and now I believe we'll be posting three Wire albums over the course of this wine-and-sex-soaked jag. So keep up with us comrades...it's all good stuff. And when you're finished, you'll be the first kid on your block to own a shiny new Carlos OST. En-fucking-joy!
From Craig Grannell:
Never a band to take a nostalgic approach, Wire's reformation in the mid-'80s began with a 'year zero' methodology, which meant no relying on old material. The Ideal Copy also shows how the band's approach to the studio fell under this idea; drum machines and electronics replace much of the live instrumentation, and samples are in evidence throughout. Despite this, the combination of Newman's melodic pop and Lewis and Gilbert's penchant for intelligent noise loops and odd narratives ensure that the bulk of the material is still engaging.
The busy overlaid rhythms of Ahead provide the obvious highlight of the album and hide a risqué lyric: 'I remember making the body search/That it was nothing, but enough for a head.' The repetitious Over Theirs brings to mind the clanging riffs of Reuters and the jaunty Cheeking Tongues provides a bit of light, punk-like escapism. In each case the sound is clean, perhaps even stark; narratives are delivered with cold precision and the music is almost machine-like.
The CD reissue usefully contains a number of extra tracks, including the entire Snakedrill EP, which was the band's first recorded output in over five years. The style is similar to The Ideal Copy although, if anything, the material is better. A Serious of Snakes is an infectious track that centres on a relentless beat and striking guitar loop. Combined with the bizarre narrative, it becomes almost hypnotic, something the next track, Drill, takes to the extreme. This one-chord drone is totally engrossing and perhaps proves the old chiché that less is more
Technical Information:
Artist: Wire
Album: The Ideal Copy (2000 Reissue)
Year: 1987
Audio Codec(s): FLAC
Encoding: Lossless
Rip: Accurip, EAC split tracks
Avg. bitrate: 800 kb/s
Sample rate: 44100 Hz
Bits per sample: 16
Channels: 2
File size: 363 MB
Length: 1:03:25
Personnel:
Robert Gotobed: drums
B.C. Gilbert: guitar
Lewis: vocals, bass
Colin Newman: vocals, guitar
Tracklisting:
01. Point Of Collapse (3:23)
02. Ahead (5:00)
03. Madman's Honey (4:29)
04. Feed Me (5:59)
05. Ambitious (4:05)
06. Cheeking Tongues (2:08)
07. Still Shows (4:11)
08. Over Theirs (5:24)
09. Ahead (II) (3:30)
10. A Serious Of Snakes (4:43)
11. Drill (5:04)
12. Advantage In Height (3:03)
13. Up To The Sun (2:42)
14. Ambulance Chasers (2:55)
15. Feed Me (II) (4:28)
16. Vivid Riot Of Red (2:22)
The Ideal Copy Megaupload Link