Wire, Turns and Strokes (side C)

In 1996, Wire collected live and demo recordings from the period between 154 and their original break-up, to assemble the archival collection Turns and Strokes.  The earliest concert document was in July, 1979, and the last demo session was in spring, 1980.  Turns and Strokes is equally split between two sides of melodic songs and two sides of more abstract, extended pieces.  Of the songs, only "12XU" was previously released, though its extended instrumental section stretches nearly as long as the entire original recording.  The comparison also brings Lewis's evolving bass sound to the foreground — he's taken on a full and aggressive sound not unlike early Killing Joke.  Several songs initially performed here as a group would turn up, in wildly rewritten versions, on Newman's early solo recordings: "Lorries", "Remove for Improvement", and "Inventory".  It's easy to see Wire's breakup as tied to the two aspects documented here — Newman's first solo album A-Z collects melodic songs, while Gilbert and Lewis created abstract work on Dome 1.  The personalities, though, are somewhat more complex in retrospect, as Newman quickly took a less song-oriented turn with Provisionally Entitled the Singing Fish.  Both the Dome albums and Singing Fish feel more developed and refined than the sketches captured here — these sketches did not fully indicate how much these abstract ideas would grow and mature.  The restoration of the lo-fi live recordings was obviously done with care, but the mastering job, with particularly spiky hi-hats, feels less impressive.  Turns and Strokes tastefully reuses the "Crazy About Love" packaging, as the two tracks on side D originally appeared on that EP.