154 (album)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Robert Christgau	B^[2]
The Guardian	^[3]
Piero Scaruffi	8/10^[4]
Pitchfork	9.1/10^[5]
Rolling Stone	very favourable^[6]
Smash Hits	7½/10^[7]
Stylus Magazine	unfavourable^[8]

154 is the third album by the English post-punk 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. 154 peaked at number 39 in the UK albums chart, the highest position the band has achieved.^[9] 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 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."^[10] The album is so named because the band had played 154 gigs in their career at the time of the album's release. Pitchfork Media listed 154 as 85th best album of the 1970s.^[11]

Track listing

Side One
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I Should Have Known Better"	Graham Lewis	3:52
2.	"Two People in a Room"	Colin Newman, B. C. Gilbert	2:00
3.	"The 15th"	Newman	3:05
4.	"The Other Window"	Lewis, Gilbert	2:07
5.	"Single K.O."	Lewis	2:23
6.	"A Touching Display"	Lewis	6:55
7.	"On Returning"	Newman	2:06

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
8.	"A Mutual Friend"	Lewis, Newman	4:28
9.	"Blessed State"	Gilbert	3:28
10.	"Once Is Enough"	Newman	3:23
11.	"Map Ref. 41°N 93°W"	Lewis, Newman, Gilbert	3:40
12.	"Indirect Enquiries"	Lewis, Newman	3:36
13.	"40 Versions"	Gilbert	3:28

Bonus EP (included on 1979, 1987, 1989, 1994 and 1995 releases)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
14.	"Song 1"	Robert Gotobed, Newman, Desmond Simmons	3:02
15.	"Get Down (Parts 1 and 2)"	David, Gotobed, Newman, Simmons, TV Smith	4:27
16.	"Let's Panic Later"	Lewis	3:20
17.	"Small Electric Piece"	Gilbert	3:33

Bonus track (included on 1994 and 1995 releases)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
18.	"Go Ahead"	Gilbert, Gotobed, Lewis, Newman	4:01

Bonus tracks (1995 Japanese release only)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
19.	"Stepping Off Too Quick"	Gilbert, Gotobed, Lewis, Newman)	1:22
20.	"Indirect Inquiries" (sic)"	Lewis, Newman	3:18
21.	"Map Ref. 41°N 93°W""	Lewis, Newman, Gilbert	3:49
22.	"A Question of Degree"	Lewis, Newman	2:56
23.	"Two People in a Room"	Newman, Gilbert	2:02
24.	"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 – guitars, vocals
Robert Gotobed – drums
Graham Lewis – vocals, bass guitar
Colin Newman – vocals, guitar

Additional personnel

Hilly Kristal – bass vocals on "A Mutual Friend"
Kate Lukas – alto flute
Tim Souster – electric viola on "A Touching Display"
Mike Thorne – keyboard, synthesizer
Joan Whiting – cor anglais on "A Mutual Friend"

References

↑ Huey, Steve. "154". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
↑ Christgau, Robert. "Wire". Retrieved 29 February 2012.
↑ Simpson, Dave (3 March 2006). "Wire, 154". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
↑ Scaruffi, Piero. "154 review". The History of Rock Music. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
↑ Tangari, Joe (5 May 2006). "Wire: Pink Flag / Chairs Missing / 154". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
↑ Loder, Kurt (24 January 1980). Rolling Stone.
↑ Starr, Red (1979). "Albums. Wire: 154". Smash Hits (18–31 October). p. 29.
↑ Soto, Alfred (6 September 2006). "Wire – 154". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
↑ "Wire (Albums)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
↑ http://posteverything.com/news/article.php?id=13620
↑ Pitchfork staff (23 June 2004). "Staff Lists: Top 100 Albums of the 1970s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 August 2013.

External links

154 at Discogs (list of releases)
The making of Wire's 154 album

v t e Wire

Robert Grey Graham Lewis Colin Newman Matthew Simms Bruce Gilbert Margaret Fiedler McGinnis (touring only)

Studio albums	Pink Flag Chairs Missing 154 The Ideal Copy A Bell Is a Cup IBTABA Manscape The Drill The First Letter Send Object 47 Red Barked Tree Change Becomes Us

Live albums	Document and Eyewitness It's All in the Brochure Wire on the Box: 1979 The Scottish Play: 2004 Live at the Roxy, London - April 1st & 2nd 1977/Live at CBGB Theatre, New York - July 18th 1978 Legal Bootleg Series: 25 Oct 1978 Bradford University Legal Bootleg Series: 21 Jul 1988 Astoria, London Legal Bootleg Series: 08 Dec 2000 Queen's Hall, Edinburgh Legal Bootleg Series: 14 Sept 2002 Metro, Chicago Legal Bootleg Series: 10 Nov 1979 Jeanetta Cochrane Theatre, London Legal Bootleg Series: 01 Dec 1987 The Town & Country, London Legal Bootleg Series: 19 April 2002 Fleece & Firkin, Bristol Legal Bootleg Series: 12 Nov 1978, SO36, Berlin Legal Bootleg Series: 17 Dec 1985 Paradiso, Amsterdam Legal Bootleg Series: 02 May 2000 Great American, San Francisco The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011

Compilation albums	On Returning (1977-1979) The Peel Sessions Album 1985–1990: The A List Behind the Curtain Turns and Strokes Coatings 1977-1979

EPs	Snakedrill Ahead The Peel Sessions Kidney Bingos Silk Skin Paws Eardrum Buzz In Vivo The Third Day Read & Burn 01 Read & Burn 02 Read & Burn 03 Strays

Related articles	Discography Dome A.C. Marias Githead swim ~

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