[Photo: Annette Green/PinkFlag.com]
The seminal punk, post-punk if you will, band Wire have reclaimed a part of their history recently. Not About To Die, formerly a shoddy bootleg, has been taken back by the group and released in a fine form. Consisting of demos and alternate versions of material from what would become Chairs Missing and 154, the set bristles with promises and power.
Numbers like "Once is Enough" retain here in their early forms a real spark. This, built upon a nearly prog-like rhythmic base, clatters into greatness, while "On Returning" here roars a bit more than the slower version that ended up on 154. Not About To Die stands on its own, with numbers like "Love Ain't Polite" and "It's the Motive" sputtering atop a set of crunchy chords with the same kind of spirit as early Buzzcocks numbers. These, and early runs at classics like "French Film Blurred" make this a compelling listen. There's enough here that's familiar to please long-time and casual fans, and enough that's fresh and unheard until now to draw in those who barely know the band from this era. The production is simple, with the effect of hearing something that was once a bootleg being retained, even if things have been cleaned up just enough and just in the right way. Simple and direct, the tracks here are essential, of course.
Not About To Die is out now. Details via PinkFlag.com.