WIRE - CHAIRS MISSING (180g LP)

With its Eno-esque synth textures, Chairs Missing has been often cited as the evolutionary link between punk and post-punk. In general, the lyrics are darker than those on Pink Flag, even morbid at times; images of cold, drowning, pain, and suicide haunt the record, and the title itself is a reference to mental instability. Originally released in 1978 and now available for the first time on 180 gram audiophile vinyl.

By the time of their sophomore effort, Wire had notched plenty of live gigs off the incredible strength of their debut Pink Flag. Where its predecessor had been awash in herky jerks and jagged guitars, Chairs was rife with what must've seemed like downright longform musical essays. The dirge-like 'Mercy,' after all, clocks in at an unheard-of five minutes and 46 seconds, and the synth-surrounded 'Another the Letter' is the only song that spans just over a minute, sirening and getting nervy and portending 1979's third Wire outing, 154. It's a silly phrase given the stature of Wire's debut, but compared to Pink Flag (see how silly it is to compare things to Pink Flag?), what's here is diffuse. It's also brilliant: claustrophobic and rich in post-punk detail, furious and floating, anthemic ('Sand in My Joints') and pop-laden ('Outdoor Miner'). And now it's back, in a gatefold digipak, remastered and rich in color.

1. Practice Makes Perfect 
2. French Film Blurred 
3. Another the Letter 
4. Men 2nd 
5. Marooned 
6. Sand in My Joints 
7. Being Sucked in Again 
8. Heartbeat 
9. Mercy 
10. Outdoor Miner 
11. I Am the Fly 
12. I Feel Mysterious Today 
13. From the Nursery 
14. Used To 
15. Too Late