The First Letter

Infobox Album |
Name = The First Letter
Type = Album
Artist = Wir


Released = October, 1991
Recorded = Swanyard Recording Studios, 1991
Genre = Punk rock, art punk
Length = 54:50
Label = Mute Records
Producer = Wir and Paul Kendall
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:nqq8b5f4tsqs link]

*Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=4108&name=Wir link] |
Last album = "The Drill"
(1991)
This album = "The First Letter" (1991)
Next album = "Send" (2003)

"The First Letter" is the last album released by Wire before their second extended hiatus. It was one of only two releases by the band. The other being a difficult to procure limited edition two song EP entitled"Vien". The band changed their name to "Wir" [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Wir] after drummer Robert Gotobed's departure, who quit the band because the musical direction increasingly relied on drum machines and loops. Other than an Erasure remix, the band would not reform until 1999, and not release any new material until 2002's "Read and Burn 01" and "Read and Burn 02" EPs and 2003's subsequent "Send". The album produced the single "So and Slow It Grows." All songs were composed by Bruce Gilbert, Colin Newman, and Graham Lewis, except "Naked, Whooping and Such-Like (Extended on and On)", with words by Lewis, and reading by Claude Bessey.

Track listing

#"Take It (For Greedy)" – 3:13
#"So and Slow It Grows (Single Mix)" – 4:00
#"A Bargain at 3 and 20 Yeah!" – 2:55
#"Footsi - Footsi" – 4:55
#"Ticking Mouth" – 6:31
#"It Continues" – 4:33
#"Looking at Me (Stop!) Stop!" – 4:12
#"Naked, Whooping and Such-Like (Extended on and On)" – 7:05
#"Tailor Made" – 3:48
#"No Cows on the Ice" – 4:16
#"A Big Glue Canal" – 4:09
#"So and Slow It Grows" – 5:13

Personnel

*Bruce Gilbert - Guitar
*Colin Newman - Vocals
*Graham Lewis - Bass
*Paul Kendall - Production, engineering
*Pascal Gabriel - Production, mixing on "So and Slow It Grows (Single Mix)"
*George Holt - Engineering
*Russell Haswell - Design and images
*Sven - "3w" and "stoneman" images
*Red Cloud - Layout