The First Letter

The First Letter
Studio album by Wir
Released	October 1991 (1991-10)
Recorded	1991
Studio	Swanyard Recording Studios
Genre	Electronic art punk alternative dance
Length	54:50
Language	English
Label	Mute
Producer	Wir and Paul Kendall
Wir chronology
The Drill (1991) The First Letter (1991) 1985–1990: The A List (1993)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	A−[2]

The First Letter is the ninth studio album and the last album released by Wire before their second extended hiatus. It was one of only three releases credited to "Wir", the others being the "So And Slow It Grows" single, and a limited edition two song EP entitledVien. The band changed their name to "Wir" ^[3] after drummer Robert Gotobed's departure, who quit the band because the musical direction increasingly relied on drum machines and loops. Other than an Erasure remix, the band would not reform until 1999, and not release any new material until 2002's Read and Burn 01 and Read and Burn 02 EPs and 2003's subsequent Send. The album produced the single "So and Slow It Grows." All songs were composed by Bruce Gilbert, Colin Newman, and Graham Lewis, except "Naked, Whooping and Such-Like (Extended on and On)", with words by Lewis, and reading by Claude Bessey.

Track listing

1. "Take It (For Greedy)" – 3:13
2. "So and Slow It Grows" – 5:13
3. "A Bargain at 3 and 20 Yeah!" – 2:55
4. "Footsi — Footsi" – 4:55
5. "Ticking Mouth" – 6:31
6. "It Continues" – 4:33
7. "Looking at Me (Stop!) Stop!" – 4:12
8. "Naked, Whooping and Such-Like (Extended on and On)" – 7:05
9. "Tailor Made" – 3:48
10. "No Cows on the Ice" – 4:16
11. "A Big Glue Canal" – 4:09
12. "So and Slow It Grows" (Single Mix) – 4:00

Personnel

Wir

• Bruce Gilbert – guitar
• Graham Lewis – bass guitar
• Colin Newman – vocals

Additional personnel

• Pascal Gabriel – production, mixing on "So and Slow It Grows" (Single Mix)
• Russell Haswell – design and images
• George Holt – engineering
• Paul Kendall – production, engineering
• Red Cloud – layout
• Sven – "3w" and "stoneman" images

References