Wire's 100 Albums That Set The World On Fire (while no one was listening) + 30 runners-up that were left out of the original article (and some of my choices for the article)

Submitted by Feif Umgotnn on Thu, 06/18/2009 - 01:02
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  1. are there any albums you would recommend for this decade old article?

  3. Charles Ives: Symphony No. 4 (1910-16) (Grammophon) XX
  4. Blind Willie Johnson: "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground" (Columbia, 1929) G
  5. Bob Graettinger: City Of Glass/This Modern World (Capitol, 1953) VG
  6. Louis & Bebe Barron: Forbidden Planet OST (Small Planet, 1956) VG
  7. Esquivel And His Orchestra: Other Worlds Other Sounds (RCA, 1958) D - cute and easy listening at times with some flare here and there, but nothing terribly special.
  8. Joe Meek & the Blue Men: I Hear A New World (RGM White Label/RPM, 1960) G
  9. Joe Harriott: Abstract (Columbia/Capitol, 1961)
  10. Son House: The Original Delta Blues (Columbua/Legacy, 1964) d
  11. William S. Burroughs: Call Me Burroughs (ESP, 1965) d
  12. Steve Reich: Early Works: Come Out/It's Gonna Rain (Elektra, 1965) g - VERY interesting (novel) debut - later works are actually significant
  13. Albert Ayler: In Greenwich Village (Impulse!, 1967) XX
  14. Bill Dixon Orchestra: Intents And Purposes (RCA, 1967)
  15. Gottfried Michael Koenig: Terminus II/ Funktion Grün (Deutsche Grammophon, 1967)
  16. Sun Ra: Strange Strings (Saturn, 1967)
  17. Blue Cheer: Vincebus Eruptum (Philips, 1968) D
  18. Dr. John the Night Tripper: Gris-Gris (Atco, 1968) G
  19. Pearls Before Swine: Balaklava (ESP, 1968) XX
  20. Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Karyobin (Chronoscope, 1968)
  21. The United States Of America (CBS, 1968) X
  22. El Camaron De La Isla & Paco De Lucia: Al Verte Las Floras Lloran (Philips, 1969)
  23. Ram John Holder: Black London Blues (Beacon, 1969) - heard it, have it, needs a relisten
  24. Phil Ochs: Rehearsals For Retirement (A&M, 1969) G
  25. Buffy Sainte-Marie: Illuminations (Vanguard, 1969) d
  26. Sonny Sharrock: Black Woman (Vortex, 1969)
  27. Silver Apples: Contact (Kapp Records, 1969) - heard it, have it, needs a relisten
  28. Alexander 'Skip' Spence: Oar (Columbia, 1969) VVG
  29. Kevin Ayers & The Whole World: Shooting At The Moon (Harvest, 1970) X
  30. Comus: First Utterance (BGO, 1970) X
  31. Michael Gibbs: Michael Gibbs (Deram, 1970)
  32. Alvin Lucier: I Am Sitting In A Room (Lovely Music, 1970)
  33. Cluster: Cluster 71 (Philips/Sky, 1971) g - interesting, but pales in comparison to the other krautrockers of 1971, and beyond
  34. The Last Poets: The Last Poets (Douglas Music, 1971) - heard it, have it, needs a relisten
  35. The Master Musicians Of Jajouka: Brian Jones Presents The Pipes Of Pan At Jajouka (Rolling Stones, 1971)
  36. John Cale: Paris 1919 (Reprise, 1972) d
  37. Alice Coltrane: Universal Consciousness (Impulse!, 1972)
  38. Miles Davis: On The Corner (Columbia, 1972)
  39. Hugh Hopper: 1984 (CBS/Cuneiform, 1972)
  40. Modern Lovers: The Original Modern Lovers (Mohawk, 1972) ee - demos of demos, this is only for FANATICS of The Modern Lovers; get the self-titled (purple cover) release of this band, released in 1976
  41. Annette Peacock: I'm The One (RCA, 1972)
  42. Pierre Akendengue: Nandipo (Saravah, 1973)
  43. Faust: The Faust Tapes (Virgin, 1973) VG
  44. Herbie Hancock: Sextant (Columbia, 1973)
  45. Larry Young: Lawrence Of Newark (Perception, 1973)
  46. Betty Davis: They Say I'm Different (Vinyl Experience, 1974)
  47. Lewis Furey: Lewis Furey (A&M, 1975) g
  48. Pere Ubu: "30 Seconds Over Tokyo” (Hearthan, 1975) FAVORITE - get Terminal Tower, a great compilation of this band’s non-album singles
  49. Lee Perry: Revolution Dub (Cactus, 1975) - heard it, have it, needs a relisten
  50. Lou Reed: Metal Machine Music (RCA, 1975) X - I actually like this, most laugh at it (Lou Reed is one of them), and I am sure I will laugh at it one day as well.
  51. The Electric Eels: "Cyclotron/Agitated" 7” (Rough Trade, 1977) d
  52. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band: Bat Chain Puller (Unreleased, 1976) XX - most of these tracks appear on Shiny Beast, Doc At The Radar Station & Ice Cream For Crow, and together would have been one of the best albums of the 70’s – i would have put It Comes To You In A Plain Brown Wrapper since no one truly knows what that would have been, though it is fairly safe to assume it would have been in the vicinity of the outtakes on Safe As Milk and the whole of The Mirror Man Sessions.
  53. Henry Cow: Concerts (Recommended, 1976) VG
  54. The Residents: Satisfaction (Ralph, 1976) X - one of the greatest covers of all time, but their contribution to this list should have been either Meet The Residents (500 copies printed, and no one bought them), Not Available (supposedly sat on a shelf for “four years,” so no one listened to it when I was made!!!), or the best selection should have been the demos that they sent to the record label which subsequently declined the offer to pick them up for their label and synonymously gave them their band name by addressing the return letter to some variation of “The Residents.”
  55. Johnny 'Guitar' Watson: Ain't That A Bitch (DJM, 1976) - heard it, have it, needs a relisten
  56. Ornette Coleman: Dancing In Your Head (A&M, 1977)
  57. Glenn Gould: The Solitude Trilogy (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 1967-1977)
  58. Al Green: The Belle Album (Motown, 1977)
  59. Ron 'Pate's Debonairs featuring Rev Fred Lane: Raudeluna's ‘Pataphysical Revue (Say Day Bew, 1977) G - funny, lo-fi live album with hints at The Residents (music), and The Fugs (monologues), but those are just the first to pop into my head, and neither are perfect descriptions as they made much better statements or weirdness in their efforts, but a very enjoyable album.
  60. Iggy Pop & James Williamson: Kill City (Bomp, 1977) g - this is the slick and reserved Iggy Pop, unlike the wild man as he is most known. Kill City is to Fun House as L.A. Woman is to The Doors without the classics that L.A. Woman has like “Riders On The Storm” or “L.A. Woman”, Kill City is Iggy on cruise control.
  61. Tim Souster: Swit Drimz (Transatlantic, 1977)
  62. The Human League: Being Boiled (Fast Product, 1978) VG
  63. The Walker Brothers: Nite Flights (GTO Records, 1978)
  64. Chrome: Half Machine Lip Moves (Siren/Beggars Banquet, 1979) FAV
  65. Lol Coxhill: Digswell Duets (Random Radar, 1979)
  66. Robert Fripp: Exposure (EG/Polydor, 1979)
  67. Nurse With Wound: Chance Meeting On A Dissecting Table Of A Sewing Machine And An Umbrella (United Dairies, 1979) g
  68. Family Fodder: Monkey Banana Kitchen (Fresh, 1980) G
  69. Fire Engines: Lubricate Your Living Room (Pop: Aural, 1980) d - I think the article says it is Get Up And Use Me but I cannot find any mini album with that title, only a single, and the description of the album includes tracks only found on Lubricate Your Living Room so that is what I have for the list.
  70. La Nimba De N'Zerekore: Gön Bia Bia (Syliphone, 1980)
  71. Nancy Sesay & The Melodaires: C'est Fab 7” (It's War Boys, 1980) FAV - this is quite an underrated art-rock album
  72. Monoton: Monotonprodukt 07 (Monotonprodukt, 1981)
  73. Derek Bailey: Aida (Incus/Dexter's Cigar, 1982)
  74. Bad Brains: Bad Brains (ROIR, 1982) g
  75. Kip Hanrahan: Desire Develops An Edge (American Clave, 1983)
  76. Youssou N'Dour: Djamil (Senegalese Cassette, 1983)
  77. Mark Stewart & The Maffia: Learning To Cope With Cowardice (On-U Sound, 1983) X
  78. Jonathan Harvey: Bhakti (NMC, 1984)
  79. The Homosexuals: The Homosexuals (Recommended, 1984) g - compilation
  80. Chaba Fadella & Cheb Sahraoui: N'Sel Fik (Factory/Mango, 1985)
  81. Christian Marclay: Record Without A Cover (Recycled, 1985) X - i do not own the vinyl version, which is to say i do not own this at all; as lame as it sounds i have a digital copy of the album and would buy it if it were not $150+…maybe another time i can slowly destroy my own copy!
  82. Arthur Russell: World of Echo (Upside/Rough Trade, 1986) d - sadly, this sounds like something I would make, ummm, I hope I can make something better than this if I create anything at all.
  83. Fingers Inc: Another Side (Trax, 1988)
  84. Conlon Nancarrow: Studies For Player Piano (Wergo, 1988)
  85. The Dead C: Trapdoor Fucking Exit (Siltbreeze, 1990) g
  86. Royal Trux: Twin Infinitives (Drag City, 1990) FAVORITE
  87. Fushitsusha: DBL Live (PSF, 1991) - heard it, have it, needs a relisten
  88. Public Enemy: Apocalypse 91 ... The Enemy Strikes Black (Def Jam, 1991) VG
  89. Galina Ustvolskaya: Composition No. 1 (Hat Art, 1991)
  90. Steven Jesse Bernstein: Prison (Sub Pop, 1992)
  91. Bally Sagoo: Wham Bam 2: The Second Massacre (Oriental Star Agencies, 1992)
  92. Luke Skywalker: "I Wanna Rock" 12” (Luke Records, 1992) ee - too stupid and cheesy to be on this list, this is what rappers became instead of Public Enemy & The Last Poets
  93. Bernhard Gunter: Un Peu De Neige Salie (Selektion/Table of the Elements, 1993) - heard it, have it, needs a relisten
  94. Ken Ishii: Garden On The Palm (R&S, 1993)
  95. Jean C Roche: A Nocturne Of Nightingales (Sittele, 1993)
  96. Jeff Mills: X-103 Atlantis (Axis/Tresor, 1993)
  97. Paul Dolden: L'Ivresse De La Vitesse (Empreintes Digitales, 1994)
  98. 4 Hero: Parallel Universe (Reinforced, 1994)
  99. Joey Beltram: Places (Tresor, 1995)
  100. Oval: 94 Diskont (Mille Plateaux, 1995)
  101. Tony Conrad: Four Violins (Table Of The Elements, 1997) D - like a jet engine
  102. Cathy Lane: Nesting Stones (Unknown Public, 1998) – I can only find an excerpt of the album. I cannot find a copy of the album to buy at any price, and I cannot find a copy of the album on share networks; it is virtually deleted as of now.



  106. The 30 others that did not make it into the original article



  110. King Sunny Ade: Ju-Ju Music (Island, 1982)
  111. Arcane Device: Engines Of Myth (1988)
  112. The Art Ensemble Of Chicago: Fanfare For The Warriors (Atlantic, 1974)
  113. Baby Ford: Ford Trax (Rhythm King, 1988) d/ee - this is the type of electronic music i hate: unemotional cheesy repetitive slop.
  114. Ray Charles: The Spirit Of Christmas (CBS, 1985)
  115. Vinicius Cantuaria: Sol Na Cara (Gramavision, 1997)
  116. Charles Brown Superstar: Days Of Our Drive/Sweet Piece Of Ass (Win, 1995) - I have The Summertime EP which has 4 tracks from this album; it is good stuff, but not enough to make me hunt down the rest of the album for the $100’s it would probably take to make it mine if I were to find it – I may get a bootleg of the album in the coming months, since those who created it will not respond to my emails about acquiring the album…for money…real money, what are they in it for? the non-art, to be forgotten, to make it on THIS LIST…?
  117. Lowell Davidson: Lowell Davidson Trio (ESP Disk, 1965)
  118. Dead Can Dance: The Serpent's Egg (4AD CD, 1988)
  119. Eric Dolphy: Out To Lunch (Blue Note, 1964) X
  120. Bob Dylan: Live At The Manchester Free Trade Hall (Columbia, 1966) FAVORITE
  121. The 49 Americans: We Know Nonsense (Quartz LP, 1982) g
  122. Jimmy Giuffre: Free Fall (Columbia, 1962)
  123. Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet: Golden Gate Gospel Train (Bluebird, 1937) VG
  124. Hot Gossip: The Hollywood Jungle (DinDisc unreleased, 1981) - impossible to find, so there will probably never be a rating; I am not sure it exists in ANY form other than some dusty tapes someone has forgotten or will not release.
  125. Howlin Wolf: The Howlin' Wolf Album (Chess/Cadet, 1968) g
  126. Lee Konitz: Motion (Verve, 1961)
  127. Labradford: A Stable Reference (Kranky/Flying Nun, 1995) - heard it, have it, needs a relisten
  128. Last Exit: Last Exit (Enemy, 1986)
  129. JB Lenoir: Alabama Blues (Bellaphon CD, 1965)
  130. Derrick May: Debut LP (Transmat unreleased)
  131. Rachel's: Music For Egon Schiele (Quarterstick CD, 1996)
  132. The Soul Stirrers (featuring Sam Cooke) : Jesus Gave Me Water (1951) X - I love Sam Cooke
  133. The Staple Singers: Uncloudy Day (Vee Jay Records, 1959)
  134. Cecil Taylor: Looking Ahead! (Original Jazz Classics, 1958)
  135. Willie Mae Thornton: Hound Dog (Vogue, 1953) X
  136. Lennie Tristano: "I Can't Get Started With You” (Keystone, 1946) X
  137. Various Artists: Ice Cream And Suckers (Mercury, 1963) G
  138. David S Ware: Third Ear Recitation (DIW, 1993)
  139. Marva Whitney: It's My Thing (King, 1969)



  143. and these are some that i think could have gone on the list:

  146. are there any albums you would recommend for this decade old article?

  148. my picks will be "rock" heavy because i do not know much about classical or jazz, or any other type of music

  150. Pärson Sound Pärson Sound (1967-8)
  151. Ant-Bee: Pure Electric Honey (1990)
  152. The Beatles: Carnival of Lights (1967) - unreleased, the article's bread and butter
  153. The Red Krayola: Parable of Arable Land (1967)
  154. Butthole Surfers: Butthole Surfers EP (1983)
  155. Fifty Foot Hose: Cauldron (1967)
  156. The Fugs: The Village Fugs............... ()
  157. Von Lmo: Cosmic Interception (when was this recorded? not 1993/4)
Author Comments: 

i saw this list some years ago and started then, with wades of money, but stopped looking for some reason i cannot remember, then started again with the internet as my main source and then lost all my files. i started again and have tracked down most of these. i only have an excerpt of Nesting Stones and cannot find a copy of the album, CD or vinyl, anywhere for any price. i am not sure i will ever find the rest of the last 30, and i am not sure if i should care to look VERY HARD for them, and shell out big bucks for albums that are more interesting than good. i will go back and highlight the ones i do not have and rate everything else as i go through them.