154 (album)
Encyclopedia
154 is the third album from the band Wire
, released in 1979 (see 1979 in music
)
on EMI
imprint Harvest Records
in the UK and Europe and Warner Bros. Records
in America. It was first issued on CD
in 1987 by EMI Japan and later reissued by Restless Records
in 1989. First editions of the vinyl album
were accompanied by an EP
, the tracks from which are included on the Harvest CD, issued in 1994, along with an additional bonus track. The new remastered release, released by Pinkflag (America) as digipacks in 2006, does not contain any extra tracks, because, according to the band, such additions dishonour the "conceptual clarity of the original statements." link The album is so named because the band had played 154 gigs in their career at the time of the album's release.
Side two
Bonus EP (included on 1979, 1987, 1989, 1994 and 1995 releases)
Bonus track (included on 1994 and 1995 releases)
Bonus tracks (1995 Japanese release only)
Tracks 19-24 are demo versions that have also appeared on compilations such as Behind the Curtain and After Midnight.
Additional personnel
Wire (band)
Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Bruce Gilbert , and Robert Gotobed...
, released in 1979 (see 1979 in music
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...
)
on EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
imprint Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
in the UK and Europe and Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
in America. It was first issued on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in 1987 by EMI Japan and later reissued by Restless Records
Restless Records
Restless Records was started in El Segundo, California in 1981 by Enigma Records and primarly released alternative, metal and punk records. Restless also licensed and released records from Bar/None Records, Metal Blade Records and Mute Records...
in 1989. First editions of the vinyl album
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
were accompanied by an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, the tracks from which are included on the Harvest CD, issued in 1994, along with an additional bonus track. The new remastered release, released by Pinkflag (America) as digipacks in 2006, does not contain any extra tracks, because, according to the band, such additions dishonour the "conceptual clarity of the original statements." link The album is so named because the band had played 154 gigs in their career at the time of the album's release.
Track listing
Side one- "I Should Have Known Better" (Graham LewisGraham LewisGraham Lewis is an English musician.Lewis is the bassist with punk rock/post-punk band Wire, a band formed in 1976...
) – 3:51 - "Two People in a Room" (Colin NewmanColin NewmanColin Newman is an English musician, record producer and record label owner.-Biography:Newman is a member of the rock band Wire. When the band temporarily split in 1980, Newman pursued a solo career. His first solo LP, A-Z, was released in 1980 on the Beggar's Banquet label...
, B. C. Gilbert) – 2:09 - "The 15thThe 15thThe 15th is a song from the 1979 album 154 by the English rock band Wire. It was written by Colin Newman.-Fischerspooner cover:Electroclash band Fischerspooner covered The 15th as the second single from their debut album #1.-Charts:...
" (Newman) – 3:04 - "The Other Window" (Lewis, Gilbert) – 2:07
- "Single K.O." (Lewis) – 2:22
- "A Touching Display" (Lewis) – 6:55
- "On Returning" (Newman) – 2:05
Side two
- "A Mutual Friend" (Lewis, Newman) – 4:26
- "Blessed State" (Gilbert) – 3:28
- "Once Is Enough" (Newman) – 3:23
- "Map Ref. 41°N 93°WCenterville, IowaCenterville is a city in and the county seat of Appanoose County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,528 in the 2010 census, a decline from 5,924 in the 2000 census. After the turn of the 20th century Centerville had a booming coal mining industry that attracted many European immigrants...
" (Lewis, Newman, Gilbert) – 3:36 - "Indirect Enquiries" (Lewis, Newman) – 3:34
- "40 Versions" (Gilbert) – 3:27
Bonus EP (included on 1979, 1987, 1989, 1994 and 1995 releases)
- "Song 1" (Robert Gotobed, Newman, Desmond Simmons) – 3:02
- "Get Down (Parts 1 and 2)" (David, Gotobed, Newman, Simmons, TV Smith) – 4:27
- "Let's Panic Later" (Lewis) – 3:20
- "Small Electric Piece" (Gilbert) – 3:33
Bonus track (included on 1994 and 1995 releases)
- "Go Ahead" (Gilbert, Gotobed, Lewis, Newman) – 4:01
Bonus tracks (1995 Japanese release only)
- "Stepping Off Too Quick" (Gilbert, Gotobed, Lewis, Newman) – 1:22
- "Indirect Inquiries" (sicSicSic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
) (Lewis, Newman) – 3:18 - "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W" (Lewis, Newman, Gilbert) – 3:49
- "A Question Of Degree" (Lewis, Newman) – 2:56
- "Two People In A Room" (Newman, Gilbert) – 2:02
- "Former Airline" (Gilbert) – 1:12
Tracks 19-24 are demo versions that have also appeared on compilations such as Behind the Curtain and After Midnight.
Personnel
Wire- B. C. Gilbert – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Robert Gotobed – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Graham LewisGraham LewisGraham Lewis is an English musician.Lewis is the bassist with punk rock/post-punk band Wire, a band formed in 1976...
– vocals, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Colin NewmanColin NewmanColin Newman is an English musician, record producer and record label owner.-Biography:Newman is a member of the rock band Wire. When the band temporarily split in 1980, Newman pursued a solo career. His first solo LP, A-Z, was released in 1980 on the Beggar's Banquet label...
– vocals, guitar
Additional personnel
- Hilly KristalHilly KristalHilly Kristal was an American club owner and musician who was the owner of the iconic New York City club, CBGB, which opened in 1973 and closed in 2006 over a rent dispute. -Early years:...
– bass vocals on "A Mutual Friend" - Kate LukasKathryn LukasKathryn Lukas is a contemporary flute performer and teacher. She is currently Professor of Music at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University...
– altoAlto fluteThe alto flute is a type of Western concert flute, a musical instrument in the woodwind family. It is the next extension downward of the C flute after the flûte d'amour. It is characterized by its distinct, mellow tone in the lower portion of its range...
fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... - Tim SousterTim SousterTim Souster was a British composer best known for his electronic music output.- Background :Born Timothy Andrew James Souster in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, Souster was educated at Bedford Modern School and New College, Oxford...
– electric viola on "A Touching Display" - Mike Thorne – keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Joan Whiting – cor anglaisCor anglaisThe cor anglais , or English horn , is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family....
on "A Mutual Friend"