Music / 154

"Oh, what a pearl, what a well made world."

154 (pronounced "One Fifty Four") is the third studio album by English Post-Punk group Wire. Released in 1979, the album was an even bigger departure from their early work than its predecessor Chairs Missing, with slower tempos, greater use of studio effects and synthesizers, and a generally cold and bleak atmosphere overall, anticipating the later Goth Rock and Darkwave styles. It was the final album released by the band during their original incarnation, and is considered to many to be the last in their classic trilogy of albums.

Tracklist:

Side One

1. "I Should Have Known Better" (3:52)
2. "Two People in a Room" (2:11)
3. "The 15th" (3:05)
4. "The Other Window" (2:08)
5. "Single K.O" (2:24)
6. "A Touching Display" (6:57)
7. "On Returning" (2:07)

Side Two

1. "A Mutual Friend" (4:28)
2. "Blessed State" (3:27)
3. "Once is Enough" (3:23)
4. "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W" (3:40)
5. "Indirect Enquiries" (3:36)
6. "40 Versions" (3:28)

Contains examples of:

• Epic Rocking: "A Touching Display" is almost seven minutes in length.
• Meaningful Name: The album is named after the number of concerts the band played prior to its' recording.
• New Sound Album: A darker and more experimental album, setting the foundations of Goth Rock.
• No Animals Were Harmed: "The Other Window", which describes a commuter being forced to watch a horse struggling to free itself from a barbed wire fence from the view of his platform window, averts this hard.
• Non-Appearing Title: "The 15th" (which refers to the fact that it's the fifteenth song being recorded that session), "Blessed State", "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W" and "Indirect Enquiries".

---