From: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org (idealcopy-digest) To: idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Subject: idealcopy-digest V8 #4 Reply-To: idealcopy@smoe.org Sender: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk idealcopy-digest Thursday, January 6 2005 Volume 08 : Number 004 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [idealcopy] Sum Wire Up In One Song [Derek White ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 08:19:23 -0800 (PST) From: Derek White Subject: Re: [idealcopy] Sum Wire Up In One Song Hmm. If we're going to look at a track from CM, I'd go for "Too Late" over "Mercy" myself, on the following grounds.... 1) It has more of the raw power that characterises much of their stuff, from PF to "Send". It build in layers in typical modular Wire fashion, to it's breakneck conclusion. It's sheer energy would, I feel, draw the unitiated in rather more than the more sedate (by Wire Standards) "Mercy". 2) I think that the 'economical, just-what's-needed' approach to their best material is better illustrated elsewhere. 3) Although lyrically it's as ...erm...obtuse as ever, again, I think there's better examples in the canon. However, I'm not absolutely certain I'd go for either as my choice. I'll ruminate further..... ps Hope y'all had a good yule....... MarkBursa@aol.com wrote: > Which track do you think most sells Wire to the uninitiated? How about Mercy? Mark Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 08:34:39 -0800 (PST) From: Derek White Subject: Re: [idealcopy] Sum Wire Up In One Song Andrew Walkingshaw wrote: On Wed, Dec 29, 2004 at 07:08:03AM -0800, Paul Pietromonaco wrote: > >>Which track do you think most sells Wire to the uninitiated? > >>I've chosen 'The Lowdown'. > >>Anyone got a better one? > > > >Lowdown is an excellent choice. > > > >I would probably go for Practice Makes Perfect. > > The obvious four to me are: Outdoor Miner (long version) Map Ref A Serious of Snakes Spent but the two I'd probably go for in the end would be "Mercy" or, especially, "A Mutual Friend"... maybe I'm weird, but those capture the particularly Wirish emotional and musical tension which is what snared me. ///// Good call, Andrew. Despite it not being *entirely* typical (how many other other Wire tracks have an Oboe on it ? ) "A mutual friend" always does it for me, and "emotional and musical tension" is as good a summation as any. But , as one other correspondent has noted, It rather depends on context. If you want to sum up the entire catalogue in one track, it's not easy. I'd probably go for "Map Reference..." myself, but how much that has to do with it being my favourite Wire song *period* is hard to estimate. It does however have certain Wire-ish 'trademarks', namely 1) Good, sparing & economical construction. No unnecessary frills. 2) Clever, somewhat obtuse lyrics, and (in the context of a 'pop' song) a killer 'hook' of a chorus. 3) Into the lovely confection, just a drop or two of vinegar.....in this case, that guitar riff at the intro etc that sounds like it was played through an auto-wah pedal with a dying battery. Oh, and regarding "Outdoor Miner", I'd go for the *short* version, ie without the tinkly, irrelevant piano solo.........;-) Old ground, I think...... The all-new My Yahoo!  Get yours free! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 09:01:33 -0800 From: Rex Broome Subject: Re: [idealcopy] Sum Wire Up In One Song Paul Pietromonaco wrote: > > >>Which track do you think most sells Wire to the uninitiated? > > >>I've chosen 'The Lowdown'. > > >>Anyone got a better one? I sold my ex-neighbor on the early stuff by putting "Mannequin" on a comp I made for her. Can't remember what made me include it; probably found out she didn't know the band, but liked related stuff, based on some conversation. Anyways, there you go. Yeah, all about context: what does the potential recipient like in general that sounds like one Wire era or another? Do they know any Wire covers (perhaps without knowing they're covers)? That kind of thing. - -Rex ------------------------------ End of idealcopy-digest V8 #4 *****************************