Wire’s first three albums need no introduction. They are the three classic albums on which Wire’s reputation is based.
Moreover, they are the recordings that minted the post-punk form. This was adopted by other bands, but Wire were there first.
These are the definitive re-releases. Each album is presented as an 80-page hardback book – the size of a 7-inch, but
obviously much thicker. After a special introduction by Jon Savage, Graham Duff provides insight into each track. These texts
include recording details, brand-new interviews with band members, and lyrics.
The original album is presented on its own CD, accompanied by discs that feature relevant extra tracks: singles; B-sides;
demos; and many previously unreleased songs. Pink Flag is a two-CD set; Chairs Missing and 154 have three CDs each. All
audio has been painstakingly remastered (or, in some cases, mastered for the first time).
This stunning set of presentations also includes a range of images from the archive of Annette Green. Wire’s official
photographer during this period, Green also shot the covers for Pink Flag and Chairs Missing. Promotional and informal
imagery – in colour and black and white – is featured throughout the books. Most of the photographs have not been seen for
40 years – and many have never been published anywhere before.
These special editions are something every Wire fan will want to own. It has been a number of years since these albums were
readily available. The aim with these new vinyl and CD releases is to approximate the original statements as closely as
possible, but with remastered audio. The vinyl releases have the same covers and inners as the originals (minus the Harvest
logo). The digipack CDs have identical tracklistings to their vinyl counterparts. These versions should be considered Wire’s
classic 1970s albums, pure and undiluted.