Back 1001 Albums Generator
Pink Flag by Wire

Pink Flag

Wire

1977
3.2
Rating
23272
Votes
1
5%
2
20%
3
37%
4
26%
5
12%
Distribution
Genres: Punk Styles: Post Punk, New Wave, Post Hardcore

Reviews (page 8 of 9)

Han zerst sehr bockngha. Aber für es ganzes album so inklöpft, heiligi makrelle wär scho biz gäch. Darum stopp ich da im ne drittel und gib 2 zu rockigi sternlis

sounds like noise and yelling!

Buncha kids making noises

This was alright, I wasn't really moved, I honestly don't know how many time I listened through it I couldn't really differentiate most of the songs from each other. Mannequin was heat tho.

silly song lengths. Overall inoffensive but nothing stood out

Punk. Not for me.

Non mi è dispiaciuto vibes un po caotiche ma non penso lo riascolterò

Was looking forward to my first Wire album but quite disappointed. Too many songs, all sounding the same! Strange was good though.

Me: Mom, can we have Pink Floyd at home? Mom: No, we already have Pink Floyd at home. At home: Pink Flag Uh… I mean this was ok at times? But it felt like a pretty below-average punk. And I am mighty tired of those kinds of albums, so I guess that should put it at a strong 2.

01) Reuters - 6,5 02) Field Day for the Sundays - 6,5 03) Three Girl Rhumba - 6,0 04) Ex Lion Tamer - 6,0 05) Lowdown - 6,0 06) Start to Move - 6,0 07) Brazil - 5,5 08) It's So Obvious - 5,5 09) Surgeon's Girl - 5,5 10) Pink Flag - 5,0 11) The Commercial - 5,0 12) Straight Line 5,5 13) 106 Beats That - 5,0 14) Mr. Suit - 5,0 15) Strange - 5,5 16) Fragile - 5,5 17) Mannequin - 6,0 18) Different to Me - 5,0 19) Champs - 5,0 20) Feeling Called Love - 5,0 21) 12 X U - 5,0 TOTAL: 5,52 (55/100) Current ranking: 566/656

I didn't like it.

Alright punk rock-ish album.

I was angry all day and punk still didn't speak to me. what does that say...

This album had me waving the white flag (I'm sorry, it was just there). Honestly not that great. It's not special nor different compared to any other punk band from this era. No memorable songs or anything that particularly jumped out at me. 4/10

Eh. Not annoying but not memorable

better than expected.. but I expected. 1, so...

Not my style

Not for me.

Not for me

Very punky and groovy, but not really my taste. I’d give a 2.5.

I don't want to go in too hard on this album, but at the end of the day it was pretty difficult to get through. That's saying something considering how short the songs, and overall album, are. I'll give a point for the instruments. However, the singer is unintelligible and by the time I got through the album (finally) I couldn't remember a single song. Just not an album I think I NEED to hear before I die by any stretch.

just fine, not memorable to me

Very meh

Not my cup of tea. Not bad just not anything I’d go back to

Musically, ok for some tracks; lyrics pointless. Might just as well have gone la la la all the time (and that's me not a lyrics person!). Wouldn't have been particularly impressed in 1977, don't think my impression is much different now. Reuters, Strange, Mannequin I would listen to again. Having said that, I would at least listen to their subsequent albums to see if they live up to their (?) suggestion they are innovative each time.

21 reason why I don't like punk, or variations of noise. The idea of short biting tracks is interesting, but in reality they sound the same bad to me.

The album invokes memories of Fred Armisen British punk band skits on SNL about 20 years ago. The short song format keeps it moving but overall just not my thing. I’m realizing from this project that punk, as a genre, isn’t my thing. 2/5

Album just didn't jive with me. I respect punk, but this album just was mostly uninteresting to me. Falls into a class of music I call annoying British music.

nope! More British Punk Rock that nobody asked for! I really am having a hard time seperating these bands from one another at this point. It works for the genre I guess, I got more annoyed the longer I listened.

Generic British punk album #10 For the next list update feel free to replace this album with any of these (courtesy of my wife) The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess - Chappell Roan The Gods We Can Touch - Aurora When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? - Billie Eilish First Body - Two People

One thing I hate more than a boring album is a directionless album. 21 songs 36 minutes of half-baked punk songs is not a recipe for success.

Didn’t find this very memorable or inspiring

I am so tired of noise

Cool alt-punk sound. With each song that passes I keep feeling like something is missing however, like some alternate guitar part to thicken the sound or a bass part that doesn't follow the guitar so closely to liven it up and add more movement. The arrangements just feel a bit too simple to me, like it's a 3 piece band that is desperate for more sound but refuses to add a member.. which is funny because I looked it up and for this album they were definitely a 4 piece. "Lowdown" reminds me of The Black Keys, even though they came way after this band, but it's an example of a cool riff and vocal part that should have been the basis for a great track but ultimately let me down when it doesn't really go anywhere. As I listen to this proto-punk thrashery I'm realizing that maybe that's just their sound and these are intended as little vignettes of tracks. If I look away for a moment I might miss a half dozen songs and ideas. It's OK, but in the standards of this list I think it's a 2/5. These all feel like short ideas and I wish there were more work put into making these into full songs. When they do that, like in "Ex Lion Tamer", and "Mannequin", the songs sound great.

I just don't like this music. I could listen to it tho.

Much ado about nothing.

The first half was a bit of a snooze and pretty much the same song repeated a couple times. As soon as “it’s so obvious” hit, I started to lock in and appreciate the album. Maybe I’m just not the punk fan I thought I was as most of the album didn’t really speak to me but I can see the intention - but also, what is the singer saying?

As someone that hardly listens to anything remotely related to Punk this sounds like every punk album. That likely is a testament to its impact however for a single spin in 2025 it didn’t do much for me. Instrumentals are strong but the lyrics didn’t jump out for me

hmm and they're on here because..couple of good tracks but otherwise nothing I'd listen to twice

Same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Another punk album that somehow averages like 90 seconds per song. Could have been half the amount of songs and I'd still think it's too long. You'd think a band only wanting to have songs be 45 seconds would have more creative shit going on and just fail to make it all cohesive. Would not like to see these guys live. It's like they're allergic to groove.

Very average punk, and everyone here knows my feelings on punk. It always cracks me up when a punk album has 30 songs crammed into 35 minutes.

Very monotonous, same guitar tone, same rhythm, nothing really to write home about

Ex Lion Tamer is ok. I enjoy the tempo changes I hear a lot in these songs in the beginning. then it got of repetitive. Mannequin is alright too, and Champs. I recognized Strange too from the REM cover, I never knew that version was a cover of Wire's version. So far I'm thinking a 2.

Still not a fan of punk. This doesn't do anything for me. The biggest virtue of these songs is their brevity. I can imagine someone who enjoys punk would really like this album, but that someone isn't me. 2 stars.

Another overrated punk album

Favourite song - pink flag 2.5 stars

High 2. Singing is annoying but the rock is great

It’s Brit pop so it’s not getting anything above 3 stars. It’s a high 2. Started decent then just got more annoying. Their instrumentals were strong though

Pink Flag was better than expected. It's a bunch of cobbled together punk songs, some of which hardly qualify as so. Despite this, there's something endearing about an album that has such a garage-y sound to it. It makes me feel like I'm just listening to a couple friends jam in the basement before they really find their musical signature. I can recognize how this would be considered a quintessential punk album and a building block for the genre. I'm not sure I'll listen to it again, but I enjoyed my 30 minutes for what it was. Recommended for a single listen in the right scenario then move on. 2.46 stars

Ya know that part in “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by the Clash where nobody knows what he’s saying so we all sing random nonsense? That’s this entire album. The music is decent but that’s all it’s got going for it.

Not my favorite. A little washed out and not that punchy sound, all of it sounded somewhat same same to me

Another lesser version of The Clash.

I’m sure this is great if you like British punk but that’s not really my bag

Not my style but this was pretty good. 2.5.

Pretty decent for a debut album. Punk that feels a bit light with some easy listening songs.

A bit punky, chaotic, loud.. but all in all a bit underwhelming

Not bad post punk. Nothing amazing though.

It's funny, I speak English but I couldn't understand a word these lads were singing.

Can't say that I was terribly into this one...

It is a big surprise how far this was ahead of its time. It reminds me a lot of the music I used to listen to in the mid 90s. Later stuff is just a lot better, just like with the Clash.

Not for me

Influenced a bunch of other bands I don't like.

This sounds a lot like The Clash, it has those same kind of annoying 70s punk vocals. Not really for me. As this goes on, it's growing on me a little bit, but I still really don't love the vocals.

I don't get the appeal of punk

It was good Punk. But didn't really move me in any particular way. I had a 40 minute bike ride home at midnight after a game of Dungeons and Dragons and it fit the bill.

Rock, Punk, 1977 -> 2

Mäßige Homage an den Beatkeller der späten 70er zu einer Zeit als der Punk das Laufen lernte. Es hat zwar etwas Wumms und den Riff zu „Three Girl Rumba“ auch kleinen Wiedererkennungsfaktor. Trotzdem ist es insgesamt nur solider Durchschnitt.

They’re a band. They made some music. The end.

I am not a punk rock fan so this album was mostly noise for me. There are a couple of memorable tracks nonetheless.

Kind of a strange album. Filled with a whole bunch of very short songs that all sound pretty similar. Gives the feel of very early punk.

Not interesting

Not bad but nothing I would want to listen to again

did not know this is where the Elastica sample was from, or that Strange was a cover by REM

Occasionally, I need to remind myself that the list from which these albums are drawn is full of suggestions only, not demands. Furthermore, it lists 1001 albums it wants you to HEAR before you die. Thank goodness the author doesn't consider the contents to be the 1001 definitive albums ever released, otherwise sales would be difficult to achieve. I've never heard of Wire, and after my first and only listen of Pink Flag, I can see why. I can also see why I needed to listen to it - this album appears to emanate from a time, place and human condition that I have given very little thought to. I can hear that it's British punk, but I would never have thought it was worthy of being included in conversations about the likes of Sex Pistols, Clash, Siouxie & The Banshees, or even New York Dolls! To my ears, the lyrics are not poetic or even important, the vocalist does not sing in a tuneful or particularly unique manner, and the general musicianship cannot match even the low standards of those aforementioned bands. In parts, I hear something of a bridge into the 90's British style plied by the likes of Blur and Suede, so that makes them different from the punk scene I already knew of until today. So, I've listened once to Pink Flag by Wire. Box ticked. Next!

Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.

A harder, but even more banal Ramones

Just not my style really.

Ok, interesting. Returnable. Not struck with delight. Not offended. Better than neural. I know folks who would love it. Not quite me. 2 stars for future potential.

ok punk album, but wasn't a fan of the lead singer, felt like more shouting rather than singing in this

It takes some effort to make punk rock dull and boring. This album manages it. Is it the guitar tuning or tone, the singer's accent? I normally enjoy punk, and 1970s rock in general, but something big was off here. None of the tracks made any kind of impression. Blah.

Largely forgettable

I guess I'm not a punk fan. Why is anybody?

A whole lotta the same thing. I grew bored quickly. Next!

Not the worst post punk we’ve had.

Never heard of this lot but their influence is clear - three girl rhumba shamelessly ripped off by Elastica and Reuters seems to be the basis for Teenage Fanclub’s career. At their best with songs like Strange, Mannequin and Pink Flag and their worst when they’re trying to be the Ramones.

Yay, post punk again. I guess this wasn’t awful so maybe as good as it gets?!

Not really my thing

I wasn't exposed to raw punk when it was a thing. I can appreciate the genre to a point and do think some is essential listening because of its emergence and influence. This album, to me is as representative as it gets, but, still didn't encourage me to explore further.

Sorta punk but dull

Not my thing! Mannequin is the highlight of the album obviously! 2/5

Strange Lowdown Mannequin

não me pegou

I hear and the punk legacy they helped establish but it’s more of a “hmm” than a “wow!” I think it’s more my issue though due to a first/only listen; many of the tracks are catchy but seem unfinished as if this were a demo tape. Three stars today, but could see with further listens could be higher.

Short and uninteresting. Very little development of any of these ideas and it just comes across as generic punk.

very samey after the second song

Not as obnoxious as other punk albums this project has cycled through so far, at least there is a semblance of musicality here

Not my type of punk

duplicate

Definitely punk

Punk halt! Handgemacht, einfach, eingängig, schnörkellos! Bleibt nicht wirklich hängen.

I don't know this just ain't my thing. Not terrible but not really good

punky spunky enjoy do me

Understand why this album belongs in this collection and appreciate that some will like it. First sounded like the same, second half is better, appreciated that the songs were short; post-punk ain’t my thing.

Een lijstje snippets, met af en toe een nummer ertussen. Met de stereotype net niet passende punk-zang. Af en toe hebben de fragmenten best een aardige basis. maar het meest geluisterde nummer op Spotify is het Lalala-nummer Mannequin. Tja...als dat je klapper op je album is....

Not really my flavour. It was okay enough, but I won’t seek it out again.

I always think I like punk until I actually listen to it.

Songs seemed to all run together so i give it a 2 rating. Fav song-Fragile

Boring. I'm not sure if this band is joking at times? Or are self aware? But some songs sound good. And the the next song is just God awful. I'm sorry to punk rock lovers... But that whiney punk voice... Is horrible. You know that sound? For example, Johnny Rotten singing "I yaaaam annnnd anti-Currr-ryst!" it's so dead pan and out of tune. I get it. Punk is raw. Punk is 'I don't give a Fuck' but also... Punk sucks! Punk is horribly played instruments with horrible singers. I'm generalizing, of course. I do like some punk bands but it's very few. And there hasn't been a new good pu k band since the 90s. So... Just like rock and roll, it. Is. Dead. Oooor hiding. This album, despite a lot I dislike, there is some good guitar tone and distortion that I quite like. Some decent riffs. But that really is it.

Bit shouty

Too repetitive in style

jai rien compris

How many generic punk albums do I have to listen to before I die?

Good beats. Interesting punk rock. Singer is terrible. Singer drags it from 3.5 to a 2.

cool punk album, cant say i've ever heard it before and it wasn't bad but didn't really catch me.

I can see how this album influenced some groups I love but I didn't live it. Maybe I'm just having a bad day, perhaps I'll give it a listen at a future date.

It sounds like this band may have been an influence on The Black Keys. Overall, the album is too noisy for me, with one exception: I really like the track, “Strange.”

Rigtig 70’er punk, hæftig guitar, højt tempo, men vokal bliver for irreterende at høre på

I can only stand listening to classic Punk if I'm totally in the mood. Today I wasn't. 2/5

Pretty standard punk. I don't really like punk

Stanrd no nonsense punk! A little bland, few better ones…

Album 76 of 1001 Pink Flag - Wire Rating : 2/5 Favorite Track : Mannequin Decent enough album. Nothing special. Post punk. The album finished and Spotify played about a dozen "similar songs" before I even noticed. Nothing that led me to adding anything to my Liked Songs list.

not my fav. 2/5

Seth Putnam's band with bad song names. pink flag

Better than some of the other strange ones we've had, but meh.

I think this was quite forgettable. Not bad, but I'm going to give it 2* - I think I feel similarly to underwhelmed as with the PJ Harvey album.

Bored to tears.

Meh. ok punk rock

I mean it was better than The Clash musically, but I just can’t do the punk, whiny, toneless singing. Would I buy this album: No Best Song: didn’t listen enough to pick one Worst Song: didn’t listen enough to pick one

Faller mig inte helt i smaken. Ganska koncentrerad och gräll ljudbild, sång trummor och övriga instrument.

a bit too british for me. not outwardly awful though

Mannequin was good, but other than that the album is not for me

lowdown ist geil, alles geht mega ineinander über fragile nice, mannequin schon wirklich der hit des albums hier rein da raus ist son hintergrund album

One thing that struck me about this album was its futuristic lean. While this is a 70s punk album in the heart of the era, I definitely heard a 90s grunge lean, as well as even a 90s/2000s POST punk sound found in bands that were releasing (obviously) decades later. Coming in at 21 tracks, but only 35 minutes long, I feel like this album is only half baked; the album doesn't really seem complete. It seems like an album of ideas that weren't fully seen through. Then again, with many of the tracks clocking at around 1 minute or less, it's kind of interesting to hear something like punk rock be presented in such a minimal time frame. As a fan of 90s grunge and the other genres mentioned above, I had more of a disposition toward this album than I expected to. That said, the song length and incompleteness situation kept me from getting fully drawn in. I don't feel like the songs had enough time or substance to hook me. For me, this is more than a 2, but not quite a 3.

I was looking forward to hearing Wire, but a bit disappointed how basic and minimal much of this album was. There were a few decent tracks - Three Girl Rhumba comes to mind - but overall I guess I would find their subsequent material more rewarding

Not the best punk music has to offer. I’m not much of a fan. It wasn’t awful, just not my thing.

Ekki fyrir mig

The funny thing about checking out these classic albums are that I can definitely hear the influence and impact on later albums by other bands and even modern albums. This one is no exception. I'm sure it's groundbreaking for 1977 but I can't help but to feel it sounds like not fully developed compared to their later counterparts. I just wish some of these songs were fleshed out. Although overall this album didn't' really click with me, I'm actually curious about how they sound later on. This might just be because it's their debut album??

too rowdy for me

This was okay. Honestly, I listened to it Friday and - now that it's Monday - I don't even really remember it.

The epic(ish) post-punk opener descends into generic garage-punk strumming. ELASTICA! Really not sure about his voice. The longer songs are definitely better than the < 2 minute ones. Pink Flag is a good song, like this one a lot. Is this an R.E.M. song or is this a Wire song or is it someone else's entirely?! I know it as a song R.E.M. have done, possibly a cover. Like the guitar tone, though. Vocals are terrible. I already have Mannequin \"hearted\" in Spotify, so I must have heard this one before. Yeah, this one is alright, like the bass playing. Strange one, feels like a greatest hit album padded out with rarities and b-sides because they realized there weren't enough hits. 2 stars.

Not a fan

Didn't like, boring songs had to turn off

This was pretty forgettable but I didn't hate it.

Not feeling this one tbh.

I don't know what to say, but it sounded terrible to me. I had to stop before halfway.

21 KIPALETTA:: TÄÄSSÄ MENEE HERMO!!! JUMALAUTA....................... Kolkytviisminutia... mitä......... vittua... tämä albumi........ 21/35 suhdanne saatanan perkule.. alle 1 min biisitkö häh... JAHAS KUUNTELUA SITTEN.. Noh mitäänsanomatonta huutoa.. Huutais kirkuen sataana tai metalli kirkunalla mokoman äänessä e ole mitään eikä selvääkään saa, ei ole mitään!!!! Noh se jotain... MUSIIKIN TOIVOTTU PUOLI tulee esiin kappaleessa numero.. NO OLI SIINÄ KESKIPISTEEN PAREMMALLA PUOLELLA (eli keskikohdan jälkimmäisellä puolella, sillä albumia on silloin vähemmän kuin puolet jäljellä..) "Strange" Outo kvarkki,,, fysiikan tietämys.. englannin,,,,,,,,,,,,, Kyllä meikä tietää.. Kuullostaa siltä kuin olisit ainoa todistaja raiskaus tapauksessa,,,,, johtuen siitä että teikäpoika on sen suorittaja.. JOS MUSIIKILLA PITÄÄ JOKU TUNNE SAADA NIIN TOSSA SE KYLLÄ ONNISTUU VAIKKA ON AVAIN PASKAINEN TUNNE KYLLÄ! Kivunhuudot on tässä punk biisissä vaikka sitä kyllä jää epäilemään onko ääni kivunhuuto vai jokun syntikka... tai soitin kuvittelonka tän kaiken. VIELÄ PASKEMPI TUNNE "Strange : If I had to choose the soundtrack of my rape, that would be it. B6 - Fragile : Bass is what bass should be. -- -- " Komppaan kaveria tässä kohtaa! Ei soinu musiikki ihan ohi niin se o kaks tähtee hyvin ansaittu! hyvää työtä johto artisti!

Most of the songs are super quick and simple and hard to understand the lyrics of. I would say only a handfull are actually memorable, but those ones are actually pretty good. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't reach that quality though. 4/10

YELLING AND LOUD NOISES!!!!!!

Thanks goodness this was short, it was not good.

I’d rather be pulling my wire lol

For a short time during my teens I would’ve liked this, and it’s good, but it’s not my genre anymore.

The multiple songs lack much dynamics or variation. Wire would get a lot more interesting with the release of their next record "Chairs Missing".

A Smorgasbord of nothing

21 songs in 35 minutes! Competent punk that had little to no impact on the musical scene at the time. The reason being that none of the songs would make a memorable single. It appears that music critics have made up their minds that this album was influential on the basis of a couple of credits for them bring important, from bands as important as The Minutemen and Sonic Youth. It is possible to list bands that have covered their music - the only one of any significance bein R.E.M. - but the song they covered is not on this album. Overall this is a footnote in the history of punk, more competent than most but as equally forgetable.

I am really surprised by how many punk, or post-punk albums are on this list. Were those bands pushing some kind of boundaries? Yes sir. Do those boundaries seem silly from our perspective now? Yes sir. Of course fight against an establishment is very noble and righteous, it is expressed differently nowadays. Punk and post-punk is not extreme anymore, doesn't seem vulgar or uncivil - I feel like it belongs in a Museum of Old Music, possibly located in London, like all the museums, and all those british bands should be hanged on the wall (symbolically, not literally) named "BRITISH PUNK 70s-90s", people would look at it, be amazed or not and then just move on. It's, in my opinion, a relict of not so old times, where music still had some power over the current affairs. Listening to "Pink Flag" was a chore. The songs were very diverse and different from one to another, you can tell the band was experimenting quite a lot on this album. But ultimately, it was like using the most expensive and rare spices on a raw egg. No matter how much of those spices or condiments you use, at the end of the day you are sill eating a raw egg. It's still just a simple punk album.

Only got to listen to this one, but it was pretty good! Nothing to write home about though

It was unfamiliar but cool early 80’s anger.

With 20+ tracks in half an hour was expecting something a bit more exciting. Maybe this album is very influential but wasn't that impressed

Pretty short and kinda meh

It's not bad but I don't like very much this music.

The album is very short considering there's 21 songs, only 35 minutes. A lot of the songs are pretty short. There's a couple of songs that I like, but overall I think the album is a little too experimental for my taste. Favorite song: Mannequin Worst song: Brazil

Never heard of Wire before and I'm not surprised - mediocre punk, lacks the raw energy and excitement of other punk bands.

Just another punk album, all the songs are super short don’t really get it

Some great riffs (hello Elastica) but the songs are weak. They went on to make some great music (and still are) but there’s not enough art in this art-punk.

Never heard of this before...I enjoyed the intro to Three Girl Rhumba. Clearly Elastica did too. Not the type of stuff I can listen to at home, but I'd be up for watching them live.

I hear elements that have been sampled in current artist. But the genre as a whole isn’t for me

Decent

Well, that became grating.

Nothing memorable and some annoying stuff.

Sex Pistols, is that you?

Bland, average punk

A couple songs were ok but I wasn’t really into this style of punk.

I can see how it would have been influential, but a bit same same for my taste

Rockiges Album bei dem man leider nur wenig vom Gesang versteht. Erinnert ein bisschen an die Ramones.

Idk I just found this album to be really boring. There’s basically nothing remarkable that I can remember from it. It didn’t help that I never understood any of the lyrics

i think i’m just burnt out on punk at this point

Brit punk noise. Guess I'm just not interested in it, nothing wrong with the music really.

Another band I never heard of and from what I read, that's the story of Wire's life. While I'm not a punk fan, I didn't hate this. But by track 15, I didn't like it either.

How do you record 21 tracks on a 37 minute album? You make a lot of short tracks. Thirteen of these tracks are 1:30 or less, and six of those are less than a minute each. I found myself waiting for songs to develop only to have the track end and another begin. Although the band purposely took a minimalistic approach in writing this album, I found it a little unnerving.

Apparently I just do not like 70s euro punk

two stars to respect pioneers of a genre, but i'd never listen to this by choice

i just couldn't get into this. it's certainly LIKE tons of stuff i like. but it isn't. sorry wire!

This is the debut album by English rock band Wire. This British punk rock album earned the band a cult following after its release because it was a fresh and invigorating take on the genre. For some unknown reason the album was never a big seller, but it influenced a lot of the punk culture and gave inspiration to other bands that would even cover some of the songs on this album. The tracks were quick, explosive jam sessions of punk attitude that created a bundle of awesome songs. I liked the album and I would recommend it to any fans of punk or rock music.

Sounds like every other English punk band but a little better than the last one that sounded like every other English punk band but not as good as the other punk band after that so this one splits the difference.

Pos-punk meio repetitivo.

While I definitely heard worse, I fail to see the special in this album.

Niet zo tof.

Ik zat met een collega in de auto. Hij werd heel blij van deze muziek. Ik wat minder.

xaropinho na real

Punk type music.

wire less or wire full

Getting a bit tired of these old punk 'golds' tbqh. I know there's a legacy thing, but they're all sounding quite stale these days.

Not my thing- lots of short forgettable songs and thought the vocals were whiny and garbled. Surgeon's girl was bloody annoying in particular. There was plenty of energy at least and Strange was cool, had some Talking Heads vibes.

Best Song: Tough to find a standout in this list of noisy snippets. Worst Song: Three Girl Rhumba. It legitimately sounds like his mouth is numbed for this song. Overall: Really not that much to pick out here. Doesn't have the tempo or emotion of good punk or rock, instead just kinds of sits in this middle space of mediocre noisiness, as if being abrasive were its own virtue.

Big sounds and cutting guitars

I ain’t into it ngl

Meh, generic punk that isn't really punk, it lacks substance.

Not for me, this one. Not awful, but doesn't say a lot to me. I feel like this one must be something that inspired people rather than being brilliant in its own right? Does definitely sound later than 1977, more so the instrumental than the vocals (which are very punky and of their time). About the same number of tracks as Elton yesterday, but half the length in time - only two of the tracks are over 3 minutes long. There are a couple I enjoy in there - Ex-Lion Tamer being my favourite - but I can't see myself listening to this ever again. 2/5.

Correct, jn album punk queje n’ai pas trippee. 2.75

Sounds like generic punk to me. Including the annoying voice. No standout tracks. After seeing that the album got highest price from almost all critics I'm pretty sure I won't like any punk album ever.

I had this album when it first came out. I didn't listen to it much then, and I can see why.

s'alright eh? Prime UK punk era, which usually means at least good, but just didn't grab us. I dunno.

Yeah it was decent, nothing that I necessarily disliked but nothing that stood out to me as great. Just felt like kind of generic old-school punk rock.

Short songs. Lots of them. Enjoyed a few, wished some were a bit longer, but hey ho.

I feel like I'm playing Skate 3

not really a fan its like punk but in the underground sense, not the vibes

know that people have a high feelings for wire but I just don't get this late 70s punk at all.

Didnt grab me, early punk. It was ok

it's good.

It’s a punk rock album that shows signs or early hard rock. None of the songs really seem that special. It was a quick album that went by and flowed well. Just nothing there that seemed worth coming back to. 3.6/10

I don't like postpunk nor punk rock.

Meh. I've heard better punk albums.

Me enfadó pronto

This is one of those albums where the context matters: an angular, low-fi punk album from 1977 that was a little ahead of its time. Fun listen.

Mi stavano piacendo. Ma alla fine pure essendo un album breve con canzoni anche di 40 secondi, l'ho trovato un po' troppo fine a se stesso. Pur riconoscendo che hanno un suono punk che mi piace, forse quello migliore che ho ascoltato finora, alla fine non mi hanno convinto. Peccato! 2

Mai sentito questi Wire prima. Non ho molto da dire, non si distinguono particolarmente dai loro compari punkettoni contemporanei. Sarebbero potuti essere tranquillamente i Clash. Stavo per dire che apprezzo certe cose di chitarra che suonano un po' punk moderno ma poi ho realizzato che è semplicemente che il punk moderno non è che si sia particolarmente innovato (Punk is dead!!). Direi come i Clash dò 2 perché comunque il punk deve essere questo e alla fine me lo so sentito anche se sono stati 37 minuti un po' lunghi.

meh... classic shitty punk.

Old school punk, nothing special or interesting

not bad

Grungy/crusty early brit punk, pretty unremarkable. Lots of short songs with similar tempos.

In the 70s everyone had a band...

Pretty raw Brit Punk/Indie that sounds all the same so by the fourth song I was getting bored. Would it kill them to throw a bit of variety in there?

This 3 chord British punk is just not my jam. I guess it has a historical place, but I just don’t really love it

Peruspunkkia, onneks oli lyhyt levy ku ei mitään kovin ihmeellistä tarjonnu

Ugh a 2.5 I guess. Some of the music was really good and ahead of it's time. Some was just screamy and mumbly and annoying. Nothing memorable lyrically. At least the songs were short but that doesn't speak well too the quality of the album.

oof I mean I spent a WHILE with this album probably listened 4 or 5 times because I felt like I wasn't giving it justice with background listening but damn its just kinda there Saved: Lowdown*

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Three Girl Rhumba, Surgeon's Girl Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: This is somehow super basic yet super erudite I don't know quite how to explain it. I appreciate that they were in and out before it hit 40 minutes though. I don't even know if you can call these songs man it's just riff riff riff. I wave the pink flag on this one. Good on Elastica for yoinking the riff to Three Girl Rhumba and making an actual song out of it, more bands should do that with these short ass 'songs'. 2.5 rounded down.

Not my thing. Kinda neat hearing "Three Girl Rhumba" and how clear it was plagiarized by Elastica on "Connection". I remember learning about that but had forgotten who was the original artist. When that song came on I thought it was playing the Elastica song.

Vocals are a little hard to listen to, mumble-y and annoying sometimes, but I enjoy the instrumentals. The vibe is kinda cool but for the most part I think they're just generic

Distinctive sound, terrible name. Green Day long before Green Day. With an average track of just over 100 seconds I can imagine a really tight fast set back in the day. No long intros here, just short, sharp, shock. The sound of the 70’s.

It's OK.

bad af

A little too punk for my taste

2/5 I didn't like this one. it kind of got on my nerves

Solid Punk; subverts a bit of the angst edge. Pretty standard fare tho

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Not a big fan of punk but could hear the influence an album like this has had on a lot of the music that I still listen to.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Not a big fan of punk but could hear the influence an album like this has had on a lot of the music that I still listen to.

Tracks flew by...opposite of Autobahn!

I don't like. No recomended for job.

Raw energy, fast tempos, culturally and politically rooted lyrics, this is truly classic English punk rock. While I did like the album as a fan of punk rock, in objective fairness, I don’t think it is one of the greatest albums of all time, as it does not live up to the bigger bands like Sex Pistols whose punk rock would be higher rated.

I dig the sound, but no tracks stuck with me.

I honestly don't even remember anything about this...

Mediocre

Meh, punk. Three Girl Rhumba and Pink Flag were the best. Strange is cool.

Very meh, sometimes rubbish

Este álbum tiene una onda Punk, tipo "Sex Pistols", con alguuuuunos ligeros toques de Oasis, como por ejemplo en "Reuters". Esos riffs y la vocalización se parecen mucho a Shakermaker, o más bien, al revés, ya que este álbum salió más de 10 años antes. Veo que la influencia de este grupo - y de este disco - es reconocida en muchos artistas posteriores, y realmente suena como si el disco fuera mucho más reciente (no como algo de los 70's), pero no me terminó de convencer.

yet another alternative punk irish album. Not that bad, but not really my cup o tea

Just another rock album, nothing outstanding or incredibly unusual. Back ground album.

Some hints there. Not my cup of coffee. I meant tea.

Short, jerky, angular songs delivered by a man who sounds like he’s hiccuping whilst having a fit. Three Girl Rhumba is interesting as the template for an Elastica song, but overall I’m afraid this is not my cup of tea.

Not my thing...can't figure out why it's on so many best-of lists.

eh, a little goes a long way.

Forgettable, not great

Sort of forgettable rock.

I wasn't impressed with this one. Even though the songs were very short it still felt incredibly long. I couldn't really get invested in any songs and it was hard to make out the lyrics. Overall I'm glad that punk learned from this album and improved on it.

Ok so this is just some late 70s punk nonsense like everything else from the time in this book. Sounds exactly like you'd expect - jangly, English, boring. 2/5.

Shouty, unintelligible noise

This sounded more like knockoff Brit punk than anything else. And if there's one thing I hate now that I've been on this journey, it's Brit punk. Yes, let's semi-rhythmically chant or yell into the mic with an off tune guitar and a drummer with a mediocre sense of rhythm, and then record that shite. And SELL IT. Yeah, that'll make money. Not that we care about money. Down with the man, maaaaan. Get off it, wanker. My rating: 1/5

Lame and Br*tish. I can barely understand what they're saying. Most of these songs are so short, it feels like they just compiled together some random studio recordings and called it an album. 0.5 stars.

nichts für mich

They emerged from the punk scene and apparently their music is difficult to categorize. Really? Sounds like punk to me and after 47 albums and 50 or so years later, I've heard about them for the first time this morning. I wonder why? I'll give Pink Flag a red flag warning - steer clear everyone!

Not for me. 1/5

I did not like this one at all

"Weebubalows stanidtain, weoub anamuboadisnass meebupasol lalilnaw beemlaws ois. Au menninseeguh awuh, hoi." The wiki tells me this is a (YET ANOTHER GODDAMNED) British rock band, but I have no idea what language they're yelling. It sure isn't English. Sounds like the aural equivalent of boiled cabbage.

First off, Tidal fed me the 2006 remaster and hooo boy, what an abysmal mastering job. I guess I have a philosolphical bone to pick with the engineering on this 2006 reissue. I expect a remaster to update the aesthetic to fit the listening sensibilities/expectations of the time. Here, a 1977 production gets a renovation 30 years later, and the result sounds like a coat of primer over graffiti paired with new-old-stock shag carpet that sat in my chain-smoking uncle's garage. The point is, the intent was to refresh this, but it comes off as a poor attempt to polish a crusty turd. I hear poor stereo balance, off-centre bass, awkward panning, weak dynamic range, and thin transients. Some of these aspects remain characteristic of 70s production, and some clearly indicate misdirection during the remastering process. With that said, the music itself sounds like a school bus full of sugar-high fourth-graders chanting nonsense on an unwanted field trip. It begets suffering. I look forward to reading the deluded rationale our "critics" offer up in the book. I can barely imagine a listening experience of lesser value. 1/5, onto the trash heap it goes.

too teenage post punk for my taste, overall songs have the same energy

Not impressed

This is the weakest of the "punk" albums I've heard so far. I liked that all the songs were so short but this one didn't leave a lasting impression on me.

favs: lowdown rating 0.1/5

It's not too often you encounter an album where the average track length is 1:42. Couple that with the unpolished, abrasive punk-in-its-prime sound, and Wire's debut acts as the perfect antithesis to the progressive rock that took the music world by storm earlier in the decade. But punk is nothing new. The late 70s were bustling with so-called English "rebels" that had zero musical talent but a good deal of motivation and alcohol. Wire is just another one of these. Do you think these young British blokes recognise how absolutely horrendous they sound? Especially their vocals? There's nothing good about the congested swamp of anti-establishment faux-musicians during this time period, apart from the sentiment itself, and a few select bands that composed and produced their music better than the pack. But, in general, my ears are not those of a 70s rebellious tween. This genre, for the most part, has not aged well – particularly when the melodies, harmonies, lyrics, and instrument-playing are all crap. The music is extremely simple – almost minimalistic. The first track that could qualify as a proper song is Three Girl Rhumba, but even that isn't particularly strong, with its two-note main riff and shallow drumming being the two most interesting features. Its successor, Ex Lion Tamer, is much better. The interacting vocals and thick wall of guitars make for a rowdy atmosphere that's perfect to dance along to. Following this song is a slew of short snippets of (essentially) weak musical ideas. Low Down, Start To Move, Brazil, It's So Obvious... yeah, It's So Obvious that these songs are pointless and contain nothing of substance. The title track is a big improvement, though: it has this ferocious rise in energy and tension in the second half, making use of heavily distorted guitarwork and rowdy crowdfunded vocals. The following instrumental, The Commercial, is pretty good too. It helps to not be subjected to Colin Newman's voice. The gritty riff in Strange is pretty good. And the singing tone is alright, but I can't get past the godawful enunciation ("Thare's sahmthing gowin awn thass nawt quoit roit!"). Still, one of the standouts so far. The following track, Fragile, continues the unusually long streak of bangers, which ends with the excellent, polished Mannequin. Champs is also strong. Why is all the best material bunched up near the end of the record, instead of fleshing them out and removing the ten-plus tunes that have no reason to exist? There's a lot of good music here, and it would've been so, so easy to make this into a solid album. But artists who shoot themselves (and their record) in the foot deserve no sympathy. 1/5 Key tracks: Ex Lion Tamer, Fragile, Mannequin, Champs

Decent punk album for 1977. 3/10

I'm a simple man. You speak sing at me, you get 1 star

guess I don't like post punk?

not a fan

I will never really understand the appeal of music that sounds like it was written by middle schoolers. Midtempo punk is absolutely that way most of the time to me. This is no different, though Mannequin was a pretty good song.

Crap punk

Screaming garbage

Not in the mood for this crap

Beginning to understand why a lot of American 1001’s complain about the excessive amount of British post punk bands on this list. All much of a muchness. Was just about OK back then but has not stood the test of time. 1/5 13/11/25

Not for me :( All of the songs are sooo short. I kinda liked Ex Lion Tamer, Mr Suit, and Strange. Definitely had to force myself to finish this despite how short. Usually I listen to each album at least twice, but I'm good here...