Girish Mahajan (Editor)

The Ideal Copy

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Released
  
April 1987

Artist
  
Wire

Producer
  
Gareth Jones

The Ideal Copy (1987)
  
A Bell Is a Cup (1988)

Release date
  
April 1987

Label
  
Enigma Records

The Ideal Copy httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaendddWir

Recorded
  
November 1986—January 1987

Studio
  
Hansa Tonstudio, Berlin, West Germany

Length
  
34:39 (Original album) 63:18 (Reissue with bonus tracks)

Genres
  
Post-punk, Alternative rock, Alternative dance

Similar
  
A Bell Is a Cup, Manscape, The Drill, IBTABA, The First Letter

The Ideal Copy is the fourth studio album by the English rock group Wire. It was the first full-length recording following the band's hiatus of 1980–1985. (The band had recorded and released the Snakedrill EP in 1986 after reuniting). Mute Records released the album. The Ideal Copy peaked at number 87 in the UK albums chart.

Contents

Wire had used electronic instruments on the albums Chairs Missing and 154, but following their hiatus, Wire more openly embraced the use of sequencers, synthesisers, and drum machines. This prompted music critics to compare The Ideal Copy to groups such as New Order. One critic, Kirk Fillmore, further compared the electric bass's sound on the single "Ahead" to that of New Order's Peter Hook, though bassist Graham Lewis had played in such a style on previous Wire albums. Indeed, journalist Richard Grabel pointed out that "New Order and any number of other synths-and-guitars bands took cues from late-70s Wire," suggesting that "things [had] come full circle."

In May 1988, The Ideal Copy became the first popular music recording to be commercially released on DAT format.

Wire the point of collapse


The album title

The phrase "the ideal copy" is repeated throughout the song "Ambitious." Graham Lewis, in a Creem interview, stated "the ideal copy" ultimately refers to DNA, "but Bruce [Gilbert] had a dream about it and decided we had to take that out of the song".

Reception

Allmusic said the album was a "stunning comeback picking up where 154 left off while also reflecting the strides made by the members' solo work" and that the album was "experimental and forward-thinking".

Track listing

All titles written by Wire (Lewis/Newman/Gilbert/Gotobed).

  1. "Point of Collapse" – 3:18
  2. "Ahead" – 4:53
  3. "Madman's Honey" – 4:23
  4. "Feed Me" – 5:50
  5. "Ambitious" – 4:00
  6. "Cheeking Tongues" – 2:02
  7. "Still Shows" – 4:00
  8. "Over Theirs" – 5:18

In addition to the eight album tracks, the compact disc and cassette configurations appended the Snakedrill EP in its entirety, along with three concert recordings:

  1. "A Serious of Snakes" – 4:53
  2. "Drill" – 5:05
  3. "Advantage in Height" – 3:05
  4. "Up to the Sun" – 2:50
  5. "Ambulance Chasers" (Live) – 3:02
  6. "Feed Me" (Live) – 4:27
  7. "Vivid Riot of Red" (Live) – 2:28

The UK CD edition on Mute Records (CD STUMM 42), in addition to the eight album tracks, appends a different version of Ahead, as well as the Snakedrill EP and the three concert recordings:

  1. "Ahead (II)" – 3:29
  2. "A Serious of Snakes" – 4:42
  3. "Drill" – 5:03
  4. "Advantage in Height" – 3:02
  5. "Up to the Sun" – 2:42
  6. "Ambulance Chasers" (Live) – 2:55
  7. "Feed Me" (Live) – 4:28
  8. "Vivid Riot of Red" (Live) – 2:22

Personnel

  • B. C. Gilbert – guitar
  • Robert Gotobed – drums
  • Lewis – voice, bass guitar
  • Colin Newman – voice, guitar

    • Songs

    Point of Collapse3:23
    Ahead5:00
    Madman's Honey4:29

    References

    The Ideal Copy Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA