Totally Wired? Think Again

It’s hard to fathom any devoted Stomp and Stammer reader not already owning Wire’s legendary first three albums. But if you’re a collector or completist, each is getting the deluxe reissue treatment on the band’s own pinkflag label. CD books, including 80 pages of essays and photos, will be out May 18th; vinyl and standard CDs will follow on June 22. Debut Pink Flag has been expanded to two discs, Chairs Missing and 154 to three apiece, the additions consisting mostly of demos and alternate takes.

Perhaps more exciting is the Nine Sevens box of Wire’s 7” singles being issued for Record Store Day – and sure to be an eBay treasure immediately following April 21st. For those keeping score, the seven platters that were actually sold as singles are evenly divided between LP and non-LP tracks, all from the era of the reissued LPs. The other two feature more experimental works reminiscent of Gilbert/Lewis’ post-Wire output – one is a four-song EP originally included with 154. Also of interest – the box art was designed by guitarist Bruce Gilbert, who parted ways with the band in 2004.

Photo by Annette Green.