The Ideal Copy
Encyclopedia
The Ideal Copy is the fourth studio album 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.
Wire had used electronic
instruments on the albums Chairs Missing
and 154
, but following their hiatus, Wire more openly embraced the use of sequencers
, synthesizer
s, 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-guitar
s 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.
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".
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:
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:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group Wire
Wire (band)
Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Bruce Gilbert , and Robert Gotobed...
. It was the first full-length recording following the band's hiatus of 1980–1985. (The band had recorded and released the Snakedrill
Snakedrill
Snakedrill was an EP released by Wire in 1986. The album features the return of the band after their five-year hiatus, and foreshadows their extensive use of electronic instrumentation on following albums, particularly on "'A Serious of Snakes...'", which contains multiple layered synth and...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 1986 after reuniting). Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
released the album.
Wire had used electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
instruments on the albums Chairs Missing
Chairs Missing
Chairs Missing is the second album by the British rock band Wire. It was released in 1978.Although it shares a punk-derived "outsider" voice with the band's debut, Pink Flag, it features more developed song structure and a broader palette of emotional and intellectual subject matter...
and 154
154 (album)
154 is the third album from the band Wire, released in 1979 on EMI imprint Harvest Records in the UK and Europe and Warner Bros. Records in America. It was first issued on CD in 1987 by EMI Japan and later reissued by Restless Records in 1989...
, but following their hiatus, Wire more openly embraced the use of sequencers
Music sequencer
The music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :...
, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, and drum machines. This prompted music critics to compare The Ideal Copy to groups such as New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
. One critic, Kirk Fillmore, further compared the electric bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
's sound on the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Ahead" to that of New Order's Peter Hook
Peter Hook
Peter Hook is an English bass player, musician and author.He was a co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division along with Bernard Sumner in the mid-1970s. Following the death of lead singer Ian Curtis, the band reformed as New Order, and Hook played bass with them throughout their career until...
, though bassist Graham Lewis
Graham Lewis
Graham Lewis is an English musician.Lewis is the bassist with punk rock/post-punk band Wire, a band formed in 1976...
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-guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s 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
Digital Audio Tape
Digital Audio Tape is a signal recording and playback medium developed by Sony and introduced in 1987. In appearance it is similar to a compact audio cassette, using 4 mm magnetic tape enclosed in a protective shell, but is roughly half the size at 73 mm × 54 mm × 10.5 mm. As...
format.
The album title
The phrase "the ideal copy" is repeated throughout the song "Ambitious." Graham Lewis, in a CreemCreem
Creem , "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine," was a monthly rock 'n' roll publication first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. It suspended production in 1989 but received a short-lived renaissance in the early 1990s as a glossy tabloid...
interview, stated "the ideal copy" ultimately refers to DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
, "but Bruce [Gilbert] had a dream about it and decided we had to take that out of the song".
Track listing
All titles written by Wire (Lewis/Newman/Gilbert/Gotobed).- "The Point of Collapse" – 3:18
- "Ahead" – 4:53
- "Madman's Honey" – 4:23
- "Feed Me" – 5:50
- "Ambitious" – 4:00
- "Cheeking Tongues" – 2:02
- "Still Shows" – 4:00
- "Over Theirs" – 5:18
In addition to the eight album tracks, the compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and cassette configurations appended the Snakedrill
Snakedrill
Snakedrill was an EP released by Wire in 1986. The album features the return of the band after their five-year hiatus, and foreshadows their extensive use of electronic instrumentation on following albums, particularly on "'A Serious of Snakes...'", which contains multiple layered synth and...
EP in its entirety, along with three concert recordings:
- "A Serious of Snakes" – 4:53
- "Drill" – 5:05
- "Advantage in Height" – 3:05
- "Up to the Sun" – 2:50
- "Ambulance Chasers" (Live) – 3:02
- "Feed Me" (Live) – 4:27
- "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:
- "Ahead (II)" – 3:29
- "A Serious of Snakes" – 4:42
- "Drill" – 5:03
- "Advantage in Height" – 3:02
- "Up to the Sun" – 2:42
- "Ambulance Chasers" (Live) – 2:55
- "Feed Me" (Live) – 4:28
- "Vivid Riot of Red" (Live) – 2:22
Personnel
- B. C. GilbertBruce GilbertBruce Gilbert is an English musician. One of the founding members of the influential and experimental art-punk band Wire, Gilbert branched out into electronic music, performance art, music production, and DJing during the band's extended periods of inactivity...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Robert Gotobed – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- LewisGraham LewisGraham Lewis is an English musician.Lewis is the bassist with punk rock/post-punk band Wire, a band formed in 1976...
– voiceSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Colin NewmanColin NewmanColin Newman is an English musician, record producer and record label owner.-Biography:Newman is a member of the rock band Wire. When the band temporarily split in 1980, Newman pursued a solo career. His first solo LP, A-Z, was released in 1980 on the Beggar's Banquet label...
– voice, guitar