The Ideal Copy

[dube@nyu-csd2.arpa (Tom Dube)]

Yes, the new Wire album "The Ideal Copy" is finally in the bins,
and on my turntable.
I heard one side (side 2) about a month ago, and I must say that
I like it more now than I did then.  Perhaps my expectations were
lowered by the "Ahead" single.

Overall, the quality of this album is amazingly high.  Not as
good as "Snakedrill", but better than the "Ahead" single might have
suggested.  There is only  one song ("Madman's Honey") that I really
don't like. This sounds like it belonged on Colin Newman's awful
solo album "Commercial Suicide".

My biggest complaint has to be the brevity of the album.  Only 8 songs.
The running time of side 2 is barely over 15 minutes.  But, then again,
the running time of the good songs is more than most album releases.
A pleasant surprise is that although this record is on the Mute label,
it is being sold at domestic prices.  The album cost me only $.49 more
than I paid for the recent single.

Highlights:
 Some classic Wire off-beat pop: "The Point of Collapse", "Cheeking
        Tongues", "Over Theirs".  These songs could have appeared on
        their earlier albums.  "Over Theirs" is probably my favorite
        cut.
 "Feed Me".  A live version of this song was the highlight of the
        B-side of "Ahead".  The studio version really shines here too.
 "Ambitious"- The title-track of sorts.  Definitely commercial, but
        this catchy song is ambitious anyway.

PS: Has anyone heard the new Bruce Gilbert album?  Should I buy it?
                                      Tom Dube
                                      dube@csd2.nyu.edu