Not so new Wire

[Greg Earle <earle@MAHENDO.JPL.NASA.GOV>]

> The rabid Wire fans gave up on them last year, or so I claim.  Given
> that Commercial Suicide was a dismal failure and Ideal Copy was a
> bland sellout, I guess there's not much hope for this new album.

Oh good grief.

Facts is facts:
(1) `Ahead' is one of the greatest singles ever made.  Period.  When it was
    released it made a complete joke of everything that came out of the
    radio around it.
(2) The video for `Ahead' also makes a laughing stock of almost every single
    music video I've seen in the last two years.  It's that good.
(3) Any LP with a song like `Feed Me' (alas, practically the only song NOT
    done live during the `Ideal Copy' tour) can hardly be called a `bland
    sellout'.  `Over theirs' is also quite good, and is a highlight of their
    current live set.

Now, I would *agree* that there's `not much hope' for A Bell Is A Cup
Until It's Struck (although I did hear at least 2 strong cuts live),
but the previous two records have nothing to do with it.  What has
more to do with it is Colin Newman's increasing influence over the
content, and his apparent decision to become more `accessible', or
whatever.  If you listen *very* carefully to Gilbert & Lewis in
concert, you'll still hear that same `Keep It Simple, Stupid'
philosophy that isn't a million miles away from `Chairs Missing'.

	- Greg