154

Wire, one of the most underrated punk bands ever, had a way of making groundbreaking classics that never made it past their cult status, influencing tons of much weaker bands and just soldiering on, sometimes with line-up changes and breaks in their career. In 1979, they followed up their first two great albums, the seminal "Pink Flag" and "Chairs Missing", both rock and rolling punk masterpieces, with "154", an album that switched gears, and violently at that. It was truly art speaking up for itself and challenging fans to accept that Wire would not be a one trick pony. It is an astonishing piece of music, heavy on atmosphere, with heavy almost doomy guitar figures playing minimal but very effective tonal notes, bringing a new dimension to what could have defined extreme music had such music not been dominated by guitar overkill. The closest I can bring by way of comparison is the spacier elements perhaps of David Bowie, but this music is almost undefinable. Showing pop sensibilities while being forlorn and futuristic at the same time, this album at its release was clearly too far ahead of its time. Even today it sounds new and innovative. There are not many bands with the brilliance of Wire, who in one lineup or another have managed to be cutting edge, almost unable to stay within acceptable confines, which makes them even better. Maybe The Cure might have taken some of their cues from Wire, but nobody would or will surpass them.

The music is amazing. The previously unreleased tracks a dream come true. The accompanying book fantastic.But the CDs are stored in the book in a way that will likely scratch your CD when you first take them out. A nice art object indeed. Just don't expect the CDs to survive more that a few listens. Reminds me of the awful design on the Brian Eno 2 CD reissues.

I bought the record album the year it came out and had also purchased their 1st album. It is very intelligent and we do not get this played anywhere in the U.S. anymore. Any time I have ever tried to upload video of its songs that I create with my movie maker the copyright holder blocks it. Why they do not want people to hear it I have no idea.

154 has always been a unique and special album. This deluxe version is fantastic and a must for fans. The original album sounds brilliant with the remastering. Having all of the singles and demos included is great. Possibly the very best of post-punk

"154." What to say about this masterpiece? To be sure, I am a Wire fan. As such, I write with a bias which favors the musical product of this band. The framework of Wire's compositions are rooted in intelligence, often wielding depth and complexity from minimalistic resources. I will always hold deep admiration and pleasure for their songs, which reflect the many corridors of human thought and feeling, translating those findings into incredible music. Wire is so much more than your typical "Baby, baby." (Incidentally, I am not knocking "baby, baby" songs. They're great, too.) Having said all of that, "154" is Wire at maximum command of all their musical prowess and charisma. I recommend this album for the listener who is exhausted with the trite and overused formulas that run rampant on the radio and TV. "154" is for those who want a little something different... and excellent.

Loved this collection! Been a fan of this album for 40 years. Liked the stories, the CDs and the photos.

Really cool album and definitely one of my favorites now. If you're looking at this album then you should probably get it

This is one of the best post-punk albums ever recorded. In my opinion, there is not a bad track on it, but the remastering is terrible. This remaster sounds like it was done in someone's bathroom, while they were drunk. It makes me wish I had my old copy on cassette, or the original vinyl. I'm going to try to find a copy of this before it was unnecessarily messed with.