The First Letter
The First Letter is the ninth studio album and the last album released by Wire before their second extended hiatus. It was one of only three releases credited to "Wir", the others being the "So And Slow It Grows" single, and a limited edition two song EP entitled Vien. The band changed their name to "Wir" [3] after drummer Robert Gotobed's departure, who quit the band because the musical direction increasingly relied on drum machines and loops. Other than an Erasure remix, the band would not reform until 1999, and not release any new material until 2002's Read & Burn 01 and Read & Burn 02 EPs and 2003's subsequent Send. The album produced the single "So and Slow It Grows."
The First Letter | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 1991 | |||
Recorded | 1991 | |||
Studio | Worldwide International, London Swanyard Recording Studios, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 54:50 | |||
Language | English | |||
Label | Mute | |||
Producer | Wir, Paul Kendall, Pascal Gabriel | |||
Wir chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Robert Christgau | A−[2] |
Track listing
All tracks written by Bruce Gilbert, Colin Newman and Graham Lewis, except as indicated.
- "Take It (For Greedy)" – 3:13
- "So and Slow It Grows" – 5:13
- "A Bargain at 3 and 20 Yeah!" – 2:55
- "Footsi — Footsi" – 4:55
- "Ticking Mouth" – 6:31
- "It Continues" – 4:33
- "Looking at Me (Stop!) Stop!" – 4:12
- "Naked, Whooping and Such-Like (Extended On and On)" (Lewis) – 7:05
- "Tailor Made" – 3:48
- "No Cows on the Ice" – 4:16
- "A Big Glue Canal" – 4:09
- "So and Slow It Grows" (Single Mix) – 4:00
Personnel
- Wir
- Bruce Gilbert – guitar, production
- Graham Lewis – bass guitar, production
- Colin Newman – vocals, production
- Additional personnel
- Claude Bessey – reading on "Naked, Whooping and Such-Like (Extended On and On)"
- Paul Kendall – production, engineering
- Pascal Gabriel – additional production, mixing on "So and Slow It Grows" (Single Mix) (at Swanyard Recording Studios)
- George Holt – engineering on "So and Slow It Grows" (Single Mix) (at Swanyard Recording Studios)
- Russell Haswell – design and images
- Sven – "3w" and "stoneman" images
- Red Cloud – layout
References
- Allmusic review
- Robert Christgau review
- "Wir Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-06.