Wire review, 1987
This review got accused of all sorts of things. Homophobia, for one. I still say it was at worst synthophobic (bad enough) if not discophobic, and I still don’t have any use for any Wire records after 154. But that doesn’t necessarily excuse my tossing so many unrelated (and apparently often gay-identified, not that I knew at the time) bands into the same basket. I dunno — If I ever had a “rockist period,” mid-1987 must have been it. Whether I’m at all responsible for Al Jourgensen’s rockist period is worth pondering, but if I wimp-shamed the guy, sorry: Forget industrial metal inspired by Big Black (also namechecked), Ministry had already peaked in ‘86, with their Adrian Sherwooded Twitch. As for Wire, does anybody not believe they peaked in the ‘70s?
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Stanley Whyte
I’ve always wanted to ask you since I read this in the Voice back in the day – but when you ended with that JL Godard dis, had you ever seen a Godard movie? Because your descriptions of PINK FLAG and CHAIRS MISSING (excellent, excellent, excellent by the way!) could easily describe the same spirit/feel to any of the first 8 or 9 of his films.
Chuck Eddy
That’s a great question, Stanley, and honestly? I have no idea. I do know I’m probably way more likely to have watched something by Godard *before* writing that Wire review (like, in my early 20s in the early ’80s say) than at any time since. Oddly though, this morning (before I read your note) I happened to read Greil Marcus’s blurb about Chairs Missing in his discography appendix in the back of Stranded — I’d inadvertently left Chairs Missing off my 150 Best Albums of 1978 post, but included Pink Flag, which in the UK was a ’77 album, and I was trying to remember what Uncle Greil had written about the then-import-only former. Here’s his last sentence: “This band, which hid melodies in almost impenetrable lyrics about dislocation, pleasure, and doom, probably owed more to Jean-Luc Godard’s New Wave than to that of anyone else.” So, 34 years on, I’ll take a wild guess that my ending sentence was a thinly veiled reference, tribute and/or rejoinder to his — whether I was personally familiar with Godard’s films or not. To what extent Marcus inspired anything else in the review is another great question. Also can’t hurt that the second song on Chairs Missing — which I’m listening to right now, first time in ages — is called “French Film Blurred.”
Chuck Eddy (September 13, 2022)
Rest In Peace Jean-Luc Godard.
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Steve Alter
As Stefon on SNL would say, “This review has EVERYTHING” that I love about Chuck Eddy reviews. Did you ever review that Yes album? 🙂
Sara Quell
Bought ‘Ideal Copy’ because “Ambitious” was playing in the store and it sounded like something it would be cool to tell people I bought. Still like the first two tracks, haven’t played remainder since I got it and never intend to play it again https://youtu.be/Faze7pIthuM
Peter Stenhouse
I still love those Sly & Robbie and Prince and Royal Crescent Mob albums, if they’re the ones I’m thinking of.
Chuck Eddy
I’m almost positive I haven’t heard a note of Royal Crescent Mob music since the ’80s.
David Allen Jones
Saw the RC Mob in.. 1991? I forget the year. Touring the album they thought would break them, Midnight Rose’s. Pretty good show, I thought but they just couldn’t get over the hump career wise… if that Sly and Robbie album is Rhythm Killers, that’s a longtime favorite of mine, darn near perfect in my book.
Chuck Eddy
Yeah, that’d be the one, for sure.
Peter Gorman
1985-1990: The A List is a very fine “best of” for the post-154 Wire. All the songs chosen by fans.
William Boyd
It might be nice if you can transcribe some of your stuff; it’s too difficult to read on my screen.
Chuck Eddy
I have transcribed some, and scanned some. Seems to work on plenty of screens, if not all. Sorry I don’t have time to transcribe all of them.
Zac Harmon
Sigue Sigue Sputnik were gay identified?!
Chuck Eddy
No idea. But I’d assume, at very least, Erasure and Frankie Goes to Hollywood were.
Sara Quell
The weirdest thing I discovered about England was how all the fan-identifying stereotypes were switched around. Carcass/Napalm Death fans were gentle, scholarly Gandalf types, Frankie/Erasureheads were yobs and hooligans (Depeche Mode = jail time. Spandau/Culture Club = get out, Bond villain alert). Sigue Sigue Sputnik was for “dumb American (yeah that was part of the insult) rock fans’ like me (nickname remained ‘Bon Jovi’ years after total hair loss), and predictably enough ‘Flaunt It’ is my favorite 80s.