From: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org (idealcopy-digest) To: idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Subject: idealcopy-digest V1 #24 Reply-To: idealcopy@smoe.org Sender: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk idealcopy-digest Tuesday, April 7 1998 Volume 01 : Number 024 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: idealcopy-digest V1 #23 [Steve Boismaison ] survey says: [KB 305 ] Re: A Greeting [Andrew N Westmeyer ] Re: A Greeting [stevenl@comtrol.com (Steve Loubert)] Re: A Greeting ["JH3" ] Re: A Greeting [Aaron Mandel ] taking off tight shoes ["mark.short" ] taking off tight shoes ["mark.short" ] taking off tight shoes ["mark.short" ] Wire in People [my spiritual forklift ] Re: A Greeting [flaherty michael w ] Re: A Greeting [Natsuko Sano ] Re: A Greeting ["Jeffrey with 2 f's Jeffrey" ] SMOE.ORG LIST MEMBERS PLEASE READ: fund raiser to keep smoe.org running :-) [Mike Connell ] Re: A greeting [Yoshi matsumoto ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 11:09:53 +0200 From: Steve Boismaison Subject: Re: idealcopy-digest V1 #23 Miles said: > >....how about a round of introductions from everyone? Something like this: > >*who you are >*when/where did you discover Wire >*favorite album(s) >*least favorite(s) (just to get us all yelling at each other) So here goes..... Hi, I'm Steve Boismaison from the NW of England. I'm thirty something and first discovered Wire in the late seventies, hearing "Pink Flag" on the John Peel show and the two tracks on the "Live at the Roxy" compiliation". I first saw Wire on their "154" tour in London, the gig that forms the 12" 45 of "Document and Eyewitness" ("The The" were the virtually unknown support act that night). My favourite album has to be "Chairs Missing", it formed such a seminal part of my wasted youth. I'm not so keen on "Manscape", though I've probably not made enough effort with it. I'm not as patient as I used to be. Amoeba, amoeba. Oh staunch believer ! Steve. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 10:20:29 EDT From: KB 305 Subject: survey says: In a message dated 4/6/98 3:41:39 AM EST, owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org writes: << *who you are *when/where did you discover Wire *favorite album(s) *least favorite(s) (just to get us all yelling at each other) >> My name is Kevin and I was born in 1961. I live in a dull town in the Midwest. I first heard Wire back in the late 70's when a drug-taking friend played me Pink Flag and/or 154. I didn't get it. I preferred Sttely Dan, Genesis, or Eno. You know, the Seventies. Fast forward to 1987 or 8, I've finished school and am working in a record store in Dallas TX. A good customer recommends the new A Bell is A Cup... and since I am already intrigued by (1) a video I'd seen sometime very late at night on MTV (true) and (2) the cover, I decide to buy it. I got it. Then I pick up each succeeding release, and many of the solos as well. I also check out the back catalog again, but I confess I still don't get it. I'd really like to have a copy of the Eden book but haven't gotten around to putting a check in the mail. favorites: A Bell Is A Cup Manscape (yes, I like this record. No, I love it.) Ideal Copy the single version of In Vivo can do without: pre-Ideal Copy (yes, I suspect this is heresy) most of First Letter also fond of: 8 Time He Said Take Care Ab Ovo This way to the Shivering Man last but not least: I liked your story, Amanda. If I met a woman that loved Wire, I'd marry her, too. Kevin Brunkhorst ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 12:53:07 -0400 (EDT) From: Andrew N Westmeyer Subject: Re: A Greeting I loved your story Amanda! My last girlfriend was the evil anti-Wire. On more than one occasion, she threatened me with "It's either me or Colin," to which I replied that Colin was already married. :) Excerpts from mail: 5-Apr-98 Re: A Greeting by Miles Goosens@mindspring > *who you are > *when/where did you discover Wire > *favorite album(s) > *least favorite(s) (just to get us all yelling at each other) This sounds like one of those group therapy sessions. Not that I would know... Andrew Westmeyer, from Cleveland, college in Pittsburgh, now in Phoenix. I was a punk rocker back in high school when I heard the "Burning Ambitions" and "Enigma Variations 2" compilations, which had "12XU" and "Ambitious"/"Drill" respectively. I thought that any band who could make both of these sounds must be incredible. So my collection started. Favorites, hmmm, that's a tough one. Let's say IBTABA, Dome1, and the new Lewis stuff are my current favorites. The Swim stuff is great too. For the worst, I'll say Manscape, for the obvious reasons. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 06 Apr 1998 12:48:38 -0500 From: stevenl@comtrol.com (Steve Loubert) Subject: Re: A Greeting >*who you are >*when/where did you discover Wire >*favorite album(s) >*least favorite(s) (just to get us all yelling at each other) I'm Steve Loubert, 45 year old engineer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. I discovered Wire when they released "Pink Flag". I thought it was interesting, but it didn't really grab me that much. Then I heard "A Question of Degree" and was blown away. I immediately ran out and picked up "Chairs Missing" and was not disappointed. As a matter of fact, I'd have to pick "Chairs Missing" as my favorite album, followed closely by "154", then "Pink Flag". My least favorite would be "Manscape". I also have to credit Wire for rekindling my interest in music in the late 80's. Back then radio sucked, and there just wasn't much that was inspiring to me. My listening was pretty much confined to old favorites, and I wasn't buying anything new. Then I heard Snakedrill on a local college station. I had no idea Wire was back together, and was amazed that they still had it after all that time. I went to both shows when they showed up in town, upgraded my stereo, and started buying new stuff again. It's great to see such a complete web site, a mailing list, and a mail order site(!) devoted to the band. Thanks to Andrew, Miles, and whoever else has had a hand in all of that. **----------------------------------------------------------------** Steve Loubert stevenl@comtrol.com "We drink the ashes of our dead in a banana stew." Yanomamo warrior **----------------------------------------------------------------** ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 13:51:42 -0500 From: "JH3" Subject: Re: A Greeting Hmm, for some reason I'm surprised by the number of people here who are saying they got into Wire with Ideal Copy/IBTABA and later stuff. But I guess they had much better distribution and promotion in the 80's, didn't they? So I shouldn't be surprised. > *who you are John Hedges, age 36, currently living in total isolation somewhere in rural Illinois (but hey, I'm not a right-wing anti-government militant or anything like that) > *when/where did you discover Wire The first thing I heard, actually, was "Live at the Vortex" in 1979 or thereabouts, which had 12XU on it and one other track which I now forget. I don't have that record anymore because the Wire stuff was the only thing on it that sounded interesting, so I traded it to a friend for a copy of Chairs Missing. (This was back when I actually traded records with real people.) That wasn't long after Chairs Missing came out, as I recall. But I didn't become a huge fan until 154, after which I bought Pink Flag (I had the worst time finding that one for some reason), and the rest is history. Everyone loves one of those... > *favorite album(s) Still 154. Probably my all-time favorite non-XTC album, in fact. (I think I was reading somewhere where the lead singer of Guided By Voices also considers that his all-time favorite album...) > *least favorite(s) (just to get us all yelling at each other) That would be Document & Eyewitness. (Or Manscape, if you only count studio albums.) But it was probably the Cupol 12" that put me off buying all the Lewis/Gilbert stuff that came after it. Only recently have I started to even look for any of those records... John H. Hedges (who would also like to thank Andrew & Miles & WMO for everything they're doing) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 16:17:01 -0400 (EDT) From: Aaron Mandel Subject: Re: A Greeting > *who you are Aaron Mandel but oh i think my email even has my actual name on it these days. i work for harvard and am looking for another job, if anyone has an extra. in my spare time i get on the radio sometimes. > *when/where did you discover Wire i was 13, and somehow ended up at the city library. (i love libraries, but i can't recall what i was going at one so far away.) only a few months earlier i had had the revelation that i could spend my allowance on tapes, thereby giving me more control over what i listened to. as a result, i was guiltily reading issues of Rolling Stone instead of finding substantive literature. i was intrigued by the review of A Bell Is A Cup, which mentioned that one needed a decoder ring to understand the lyrics. i took this literally, being a geeky kid, and excitedly bought myself a copy. that summer i got TIC and IBTABA, the latter of which, i was upset to discover, didn't have as many tracks as were listed on the j-card. sometime in the fall, i heard a 4-hour radio show dedicated to Wire and side projects. (i still have it on tape.) this was just as Restless reissued the pre-80 material, which i snapped up. et cetera. my youngest brother is now 13, and i'm trying to imagine what i must have been like back then, listening to Wire, New Order and The Cure. favorites: ABIAC, Chairs Missing, A-Z and Hail. i don't know why i like Hail so much; if i start to listen closely i get bored. least favorite: IBTABA. with the bonus tracks it's okay -- "The Offer", in particular, is a favorite of mine. but to me the real version of the album is my old cassette, and it's not worth the time it takes to listen to it. what's all this Manscape bashing? it starts slow, but at least half the songs are great. i love the sound, too; more than any of the other post-breakup records. the first time i heard "You Hung Your Lights In The Trees", i wondered why they had put something so elegantly final on a record without breaking up. lo and behold... a ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 23:25:20 +0100 From: "mark.short" Subject: taking off tight shoes Finding a list devoted to Wire has been like taking off tight shoes. I'm Mark, 34, male, living in Cheltenham, UK. (Last resting place of the Rolling Stones' Brian Jones, for what it's worth). 7th October 1978 was when I first saw Wire, at Malvern Winter Gardens. I remember the gig for the subtle light-show. Also for Colin Newman cussing some folk in the audience who were gobbing at him. (This was the era of punk, when gobbing was a key bonding behaviour.) My fave album is Manscape; I'm disappointed to see that my fellow listees regard this as Wire's weakest moment. It has interesting textures, and the words provide an incisive commentary upon the last years of Mrs Thatcher's regime (among other things). Also mentioned in dispatches is Pink Flag, for showing how less is more. Least liked album is probably Document And Eyewitness. I also have problems with Drill. Regarding solo work, Colin Newman's Commercial Suicide do the most for me. I've not yet come to an opinion on his recent Bastard, but the two Malka Spigel albums on Swim are pretty good. The He Said albums have some strong points, but also longeurs. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 23:25:42 +0100 From: "mark.short" Subject: taking off tight shoes Finding a list devoted to Wire has been like taking off tight shoes. I'm Mark, 34, male, living in Cheltenham, UK. (Last resting place of the Rolling Stones' Brian Jones, for what it's worth). 7th October 1978 was when I first saw Wire, at Malvern Winter Gardens. I remember the gig for the subtle light-show. Also for Colin Newman cussing some folk in the audience who were gobbing at him. (This was the era of punk, when gobbing was a key bonding behaviour.) My fave album is Manscape; I'm disappointed to see that my fellow listees regard this as Wire's weakest moment. It has interesting textures, and the words provide an incisive commentary upon the last years of Mrs Thatcher's regime (among other things). Also mentioned in dispatches is Pink Flag, for showing how less is more. Least liked album is probably Document And Eyewitness. I also have problems with Drill. Regarding solo work, Colin Newman's Commercial Suicide and It Seemsdo the most for me. I've not yet come to an opinion on his recent Bastard, but the two Malka Spigel albums on Swim are pretty good. The He Said albums have some strong points, but also longeurs. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 23:25:36 +0100 From: "mark.short" Subject: taking off tight shoes Finding a list devoted to Wire has been like taking off tight shoes. I'm Mark, 34, male, living in Cheltenham, UK. (Last resting place of the Rolling Stones' Brian Jones, for what it's worth). 7th October 1978 was when I first saw Wire, at Malvern Winter Gardens. I remember the gig for the subtle light-show. Also for Colin Newman cussing some folk in the audience who were gobbing at him. (This was the era of punk, when gobbing was a key bonding behaviour.) My fave album is Manscape; I'm disappointed to see that my fellow listees regard this as Wire's weakest moment. It has interesting textures, and the words provide an incisive commentary upon the last years of Mrs Thatcher's regime (among other things). Also mentioned in dispatches is Pink Flag, for showing how less is more. Least liked album is probably Document And Eyewitness. I also have problems with Drill. Regarding solo work, Colin Newman's Commercial Suicide and It Seems do the most for me. I've not yet come to an opinion on his recent Bastard, but the two Malka Spigel albums on Swim are pretty good. The He Said albums have some strong points, but also longeurs. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 17:57:38 -0500 (EST) From: my spiritual forklift Subject: Wire in People Here's the Wire/Colin Newman review, from the Infotrac database at the Boston Public Library. I apologize for any weird formatting. Amanda - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source: People Weekly, Aug 17, 1987 v28 p22(2). Title: The ideal copy._(record reviews) Author: Michael Small Subjects: Sound recordings - Reviews People: Wire (music group) Rev Grade: C Magazine Collection: 41E0661 Electronic Collection: A5112470 RN: A5112470 Full Text COPYRIGHT Time Inc. 1987 THE IDEAL COPY Wire COMMERCIAL SUICIDE Colin Newman In Chuck Berry's worst nightmares he probably never dreamed that something called rock music could ever be as cerebral as these two releases. Comparing Berry to Colin Newman or Wire is like comparing Beethoven's symphonies to the strange orchestral music of Elliott Carter. It's the same basic genre perhaps, but, man, what a difference. Never quite a household name, Wire became one of the most influential British art/punk bands on the basis of four records released between 1977 and 1980. Since then Wire's four members, including lead singer Newman, have released only solo albums. The Ideal Copy, the result of Wire's long-discussed reunion, shows one remaining link to punk: These guys still like to give listeners a really hard time. Witness the lyrics, which seem to come from beyond the valley of the obscure. It's unlikely that such lines as ''A grand mute proof at Nem ert Dag'' will ever grace the pages of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. The melodies and backup sound are made to match: controlled, hollow and emotionless. Without getting any less esoteric, Newman makes much more appealing noises on his solo album. His artful variations on repeated musical themes become hypnotic instead of tedious; his prosaic lyrics overflow with so much meaning that they sound as if they were lifted from a philosophy text. In 2-Sixes Newman chants, ''All things that function under the constraints of what went before may not be the only possibility. There's always the chance of something new, of something that hasn't happened in a long time.'' Madonna, say, or Springsteen could never get away with spitting out such a mouthful, but Newman makes it work. Because he challenges listeners without scaring them away, he hasn't committed commercial suicide either. Maybe he and his Wire mates mixed up their album titles by mistake. (Enigma) -- Michael Small ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 18:43:08 -0500 (CDT) From: flaherty michael w Subject: Re: A Greeting On Sun, 5 Apr 1998, Miles Goosens wrote: > *who you are > *when/where did you discover Wire > *favorite album(s) > *least favorite(s) (just to get us all yelling at each other) I did this when I joined the list, but I'll go again (since many of you are new). Michael Flaherty; I discovered Wire in '77 ('78 at the latest) when, based on a review, I bought Pink Flag. While I drifted away a bit in the late 80s (from buying the new albums), I've been a steady listener since that time. I'm particulary interested (right now) in solo Gilbert. Favorite album: 154 (without a doubt), followed by Chairs Missing. Least: Documents & Eyewitnesses, although I haven't played it in well over a decade, so I can't really remember it very well. Ilike Ideal Copy, but some of the other 80s things are too, well, 80s. (Hey, just an opinion!) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Apr 1998 11:57:59 +0900 From: Natsuko Sano Subject: Re: A Greeting >*who you are >*when/where did you discover Wire >*favorite album(s) >*least favorite(s) (just to get us all yelling at each other) Hi all, My name is Natsuko Sano, 28 year-old Japanese female. I discovered Wire in '89 when I came across the video of "Eardrum Buzz", but it didn't attract me somehow though "IBTABA" version has been my favourite. A little later I got 2nd. album of This Mortal Coil (I was into 4AD stuff at that time) and liked "Alone" that made me want to listen to the original version. It was hard to find Colin Newman's solo albums in Nagoya where I live but managed to find "A to Z". It sounded weird for ears which were familiar with Cocteau Twins but fascinating. Like this, I started to buy other albums. As for Wire, "Ideal Copy" was the first one I listened. My favourite album is "A Bell Is A Cup..." (without doubt) closely followed by "IBTABA". I also like "The Peel Sessions" and it is impossible to live without "Not To". I still haven't got "Commercial Suicide" and have been wondering where to find. What about A.C. Marias? It seems that their album has been unnoticed or ignored even among Wire fans. I believe it is great though. Least favourite...can I say " The Drill"? I am not keen on " The First Letter" either. Probably because Colin Newman doesn't sing much. I also liked your story, Amanda. This must be the last thing Wire members would expect their fans. Natsuko natsuko@tech.bss.co.jp eardrumbuzz@yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 22:46:27 -0500 (CDT) From: "Jeffrey with 2 f's Jeffrey" Subject: Re: A Greeting On Sun, 5 Apr 1998, Miles Goosens wrote: > about a round of introductions from everyone? Something like this: > > *who you are > *when/where did you discover Wire > *favorite album(s) > *least favorite(s) (just to get us all yelling at each other) Okay, I'll play. I'm Jeff Norman, who's been annoying the populace for some 36 years or so and currently manages to parlay his talent for loafing into a couple of jobs academic (nontenure, McDonald's-scale wages) - teaching, tutoring - as well as utterly non-academic - working in a small but boring office in which I mystify cow orkers by occasionally playing Wire in my walkman w/teensy-weensy do-not-disturb-the-important-putting-of-stamps-on-letters speakers. Based on the preceding sentence, you will doubtless be positively appalled to discover that I teach English: I use my posts as negative examples. I also do music criticism - again for no money (except occasionally). Actually, that's all a pack of lies. I'm really a dusty brown hat lying in the corner of a coat closet in a Nebraska primary school. I'm not really sure when I first discovered Wire - either the "Kidney Bingos" single or picking up _Chairs Missing_ on the strength of having read about this Wire act forever w/out having heard them. At any rate, sometime around 1989 (which seems a significant year for most of us here - peculiar). Hard to say what my favorite Wire is - although CM, 154, and a hypothetical compilation of the best tracks from IC and ABIABUIS are the most likely suspects. (Look, I'm just following suit from IBTABA...). The Wire I listen to the least is D&E, followed by DRILL. Wouldn't call them "least favorite" (because why not just say "worst"? But it's not...) I like MANSCAPE, so there. My gravest Wire apostasy is liking a whole lot but not worshipping PINK FLAG. Solo stuff? HAIL probably the favorite, although A-Z and NOT TO are fine. It always takes me longer to get into the more abstract solo stuff, although I generally find that when I'm in the mood it does wonderfully. Haven't heard BASTARD yet, or HE SAID OMALA, or recent Gilbert stuff.... I'm probably forgetting a lot... Jeff Ceci n'est pas une .sig ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 06 Apr 1998 23:52:22 -0400 From: Mike Connell Subject: SMOE.ORG LIST MEMBERS PLEASE READ: fund raiser to keep smoe.org running :-) Hello everyone on the Wire mailing list :-) Some of you may know me, many don't. My name is Mike Connell and I manage the Jewel and Patty Griffin lists here at smoe.org. My purpose for writing you today is to ask for your assistance in a project/fund raiser to help keep smoe.org up and running for many more years to come. A gentle bloke by the name of Jeff Wasilko owns smoe.org, and while he does have a merry band of smoe-elves to help him in various tasks in operating the system, Jeff has always paid the operating costs (NOT a small penny) and of course had paid for the expensive equipment it presently runs on. He's always offered this service for free since day one....no user fees....no list owner fees...totally free :-) Many of your favorite artists and their fans have benefited from this service as smoe.org hosts lists for such artists as Happy Rhodes, Paula Cole, Jewel, Wire, Garbage, Patty Griffin, Tori Amos, Thomas Dolby, Poe, Susan Werner, Leah Andreone, Lucious Jackson, Maria Callas, the Indigo Girls, Shawn Colvin and many, many more. Some of these once unknown artists, and more to come I'm sure, had their internet presence begin right here at smoe.org :-) For a complete list of which artists have mailing lists hosted at smoe.org, you can go to http://www.smoe.org/lists At the present moment Jeff is looking into replacing the hardware smoe.org operates on with more modern equipment, as the present workhorses are a pair of seven year old SUN Sparc stations. Being seven years old is pretty much dinosaur age in computer terminology (smoeasauruses?), and these systems are acting older than their age. This replacement is necessary to get newer and better equipment in place before the present smoe.org falls down and goes boom permanently, leaving the lists at smoe.org temporarily without a home :-) As you might imagine, this replacement is going to cost a pretty penny. On other list servers this would be no problem, as money would be used from the user fees. However since such fees don't exist here at smoe.org, we are asking for your help in the form of donations. We are not asking for buku bucks here, just whatever you can give, whether it be $1, $2, $5, $10....whatever. You can send a check, a money order, or if a buck or two or three you can send cash (that is your choice) Money orders are a piece of cake. (At least in the USA) They don't have a large fee at all, generally less than a buck, sometimes as low as 35 cents....although money orders from banks usually carry a larger fee (go figure ;-) Your best bet for a money order (in the USA) would be from the US Post Office....all money orders there have an 85 cent fee no matter what the dollar amount of the money order is. *** All checks or money orders should be made out to Jeff Wasilko :-) FOREIGN (Non-USA) LIST MEMBERS: I'm not sure at all what is the best method for you folks. We are open for suggestions. I know that the USA Post Offices cash Canadian Postal money orders, so no problem there, Jeff can cash them there. Of course, any foreign cash sent in can easily be exchanged at a bank. From what he told me, his bank has a 15$ surcharge on any overseas money order cashed, so this option is out. If you have any ideas, please write me and I'll discuss the best ones with Jeff and mention them in a follow up post to all the lists next week. ********************** HOW TO DONATE: ********************** Simple :-) Just send what you want (no Monopoly money please) to me at Mike Connell PO Box 1206 Binghamton NY 13902-1206 and I'll tally up all the figures etc and send it all on to Jeff :-) In your envelope, please include a note that contains your full name, the list(s) you belong to, and your email address you use here at smoe.org Please help in this mission to give smoe.org a new home :-) If you have any questions, please feel free to write me and ask. I thank you all in advance :-) Mike "Once a bell ringer, always a bell ringer" Connell :-) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 06 Apr 1998 22:16:09 -0600 From: Stewart Mason Subject: Re: A Greeting At 10:46 PM 4/6/98 -0500, Jeffrey with 2 f's Jeffrey wrote: >I'm not really sure when I first discovered Wire - either the "Kidney >Bingos" single or picking up _Chairs Missing_ on the strength of having >read about this Wire act forever w/out having heard them. At any rate, >sometime around 1989 (which seems a significant year for most of us here - >peculiar). Mmmm...not really. 87-89 was the time Wire were at their most prominent in the US, wasn't it? A BELL IS A CUP had gotten glowing reviews and (shocking for Enigma Records) an actual promo budget. And in 1989, "Eardrum Buzz" and "In Vivo" were all over MTV (admit it--we still watched MTV back then), which pushed them even further out into public view. I wonder what might have happened if Enigma hadn't gone belly-up--I can see a Nine Inch Nails/Ministry fan (both bands being a big deal in 1990-92 or so) getting behind THE DRILL or MANSCAPE or THE FIRST LETTER, had they known they existed. Stewart *****************************FLAMINGO RECORDS**************************** Stewart Mason | Flamingo Records | Box 40172 | "Less talk, more monkey." Albuquerque NM 87196 | www.rt66.com/~flamingo | ************************HAPPY MUSIC FOR NICE PEOPLE********************** ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Apr 98 14:37:45 +0900 From: Yoshi matsumoto Subject: Re: A greeting Hiya y'all, 'tis my turn... I'm Yoshi Matsumoto, 26. Back in my high school days I was handed a tape by a certain Mr. Devabaktuni, which happened to be The Ideal Copy. I fell in love with it - esp. A Serious... and Vivid Riot of Red. A few weeks later WUNH (Univ. of New Hampsh. college radio) was doing a donation marathon, where the DJ threatened to stop his regular programming and play only Debbie Gibson tunes unless he received $xx in donations. Whilst waiting for the pledges to roll in, he played a tune sung by a familiar voice... which I learned months later was the 12-inch of Only One i. Finding a common thread in those two moments of discovery I went out to buy Ideal Copy, later Bell is a Cup, He Said 'Take Care' then 'Hail', AC Marias... and the list kept growing. My fave albums are definitely Ideal Copy and 154. First Letter comes very close. Solo albums-wise, Catch Supposes, Take Care, Insiding, and Commercial Suiside are all still on my personal 'medium rotation' list. Least favorite Wire... for me... has got to be Document and Eyewitness. I felt that the sound quality muddied the playing so much that I can't quite grasp the atmosphere of the whole event. ------------------------------ End of idealcopy-digest V1 #24 ******************************