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Album Details

• Artist: Wire
• Album: Pink Flag
• Label: EMI/Restless
• Year of Release: 1977
• ME Rating: Indie Classic
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2005-06-13

Mention the phrase "band ahead of their time", Wire is sure to crop up. With the release of Pink Flag in 1977 Wire was forever put on the map of changing the face of punk music to come. These 22 tracks are still copied and mimicked by bands to this day, an honor that is left for unsung heroes like Wire. True, the group is still around but everyone looks to this essential debut album (and some the follow-up Chairs Missing as well) as a cornerstone in rock and punk music. The forward thinking and groove oriented tracks like "Reuters" and "Three Girl Rhumba" could easily fit into the groove of today's revivalist rock. Look at "Strange" for a perfect example of a style that Wire created on their own. It's got that sludgy, distorted guitar that grinds its way through the song. Colin Newman had a voice that completely suited this music which adds to the overall package. There is definitely the somewhat typical punk sound of the time on tracks like "Pink Flag" or "Straight Line" but overall the feel is so advanced that people wouldn't pick up on Wire for a few more years. The songs are so unconventional that they went over many people's heads, even if songs like "Mr. Suit" are quite accessible by 1970s standards. And to make matters worse, they were never really hailed as an important band until long after it mattered. Wire kept putting out music for many years to come but nothing ever came close to the group's early output. Wire's Pink Flag is an essential album in any rock or punk collection. It is so often used as a reference point that everyone needs to be familiar with it.

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