Taking Sides: DNA vs. Wire

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DNA is so much less listenable than Wire, but

1) They never sucked
2) They influenced more bands. Wire's influence is minimized by the other post punk bands that sound like them!

― 0r4l R0b3rt5 (ex machina), Thursday, 17 June 2004 11:21 (twenty-two years ago)

By comparison, Wire's music is positively user-friendly. DNA required an adventurous ear, whereas Wire merely requires a moderately open mind....and not even that, these days. Wire are slaves to convention, compared to DNA. I'd still rather listen to five hours of Wire versus two hours of DNA, tho'.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 17 June 2004 11:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, but who is BETTAR

― 0r4l R0b3rt5 (ex machina), Thursday, 17 June 2004 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

wHo is BENATAR?

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 17 June 2004 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

*must resist picture posting temptation*

― 0r4l R0b3rt5 (ex machina), Thursday, 17 June 2004 11:55 (twenty-two years ago)

define less listenable.

― jesus nathalie (nathalie), Thursday, 17 June 2004 11:58 (twenty-two years ago)

awesome question.

umm - both are so essential. imna say wire, as i imagine most people here will. but, as i also imagine most people will, id like to add that DNA kicks ass, and that i would totally take their side if wire hadnt ruled so much between 1977-1980. a copy of that dna live japanese cd came in used to my cd store yesterday, and im gonna listen to it right now, and set the office on its ear.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 17 June 2004 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Although DNA have been influential, I don't think anyone has come near approximating what they did. The stuff from 'Taste Of DNA' still sounds totally alien today, as does some of the previously unearthed stuff on 'DNA on DNA' ('Grapefruit' - fucking hell!).

Wire have more material, which is a point in their favour, but both bands were all about short sharp shocks anyway, so for me, DNA swing it.

― Jason J, Thursday, 17 June 2004 12:12 (twenty-two years ago)

jasson - otm!

― stirmonster, Thursday, 17 June 2004 12:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Wire never sucked, Jon. Well, except for Manscape. DNA does rule tho.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 17 June 2004 12:51 (twenty-two years ago)

their 80s stuff is so non-essential!

(/me contemplates as a TS: Throbbing Gristle / DNA thread)

― 0r4l R0b3rt5 (ex machina), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, the 80's one I played the most is "Drill".

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:04 (twenty-two years ago)

dude "Kidney Bingos" is the best song with non-sequiter lyrics ever.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:04 (twenty-two years ago)

dude "Kidney Bingos" is the best song with non-sequiter lyrics ever.

Stence is engulfed in the flames of OTM today!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:06 (twenty-two years ago)

honoring the fire's a full time job 'round these parts.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:08 (twenty-two years ago)

oh but no ...

for me, The Ideal Copy and Snakedrill are right up there. And A Bell is a Cup ... come to think of it.

And, although The Drill didn't come out until the 90s, Drill itself is very much a product of Mk II Wire.

Given that Drill is probably the ultimate distillation of what Wire were/still are all about, I'd say it was pretty damn essential.

― coco, Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:10 (twenty-two years ago)

dugga dugga dugga.

Even the worst Wire is better than the Ambitious Lovers.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:14 (twenty-two years ago)

if 80's wire didn't exist...WIRE.
but since it does, DNA. Im sure if DNA kept going it would have sucked...as proven by Ambitious Lovers/Arto's solo stuff (some of it is good tho)

But give me Mars over DNA.

― ddb (ddb), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

agreed, Mars is better than DNA. Is that remaster still around?

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw it a couple of weeks ago...not so sure now.

― ddb (ddb), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:25 (twenty-two years ago)

fuck, I need it. Still have the crappy Atavistic one.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:26 (twenty-two years ago)

what mars remaster is there? i thought the atavistic one was the best one...

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Forced Exposure still has it:

http://www.fe.org/artists/mars.html

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:38 (twenty-two years ago)

the spanish one...came out early this year...i dont have it in front of me...can't remember the label.

not masterd by jim thirwell

― ddb (ddb), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:38 (twenty-two years ago)

my bad...h got it...i looked on FE and couldnt find it.

a duh.

― ddb (ddb), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I can see doing an FE order today, dammit.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:45 (twenty-two years ago)

soon as i get paid, im getting dnaondna and that new mars.

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Wire's _The A-List_ is a nice 80s compendium for those of you (JON) that don't want to bother w/ 80s Wire - I'm one of those, too, you see.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:49 (twenty-two years ago)

i have the a list

― 0r4l R0b3rt5 (ex machina), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't believe you.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

DAVID R> YOU NEED BELL IS A CUP AND ITS BEGINNING TO AND BACK AGAIN

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

AND A NEW HAIRCUT

(kidding)

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, you might not be far off re: my rug.

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 17 June 2004 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

To me, early Wire is very good, but lacks the fun-spiritedness that drove bands like the Fall or the Swell Maps (at least at their best--"Read About Seymour," etc.) to be even greater. DNA had that spirit.

― Tim Ellison, Thursday, 17 June 2004 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

DNA are so much weirder. When I heard "I am the fly" by Wire I thought "This is the greatest band ever." Then I bought Pink Flag and it was just a bunch of punk songs, save for Ex Lion Tamer, which I must concede held my face hostage in its rocking glory. DNA were also, far and away the best band on No New York, which definitely says something.

― David Allen (David Allen), Thursday, 17 June 2004 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Drill didn't come out until the 90s"

Not the album, but 'Drill' was on '85's 'Snakedrill' EP. And 'A Bell Is A Cup...' is fucking awesome (check out the CD w/ the live version of Drill)

New Wire is brill as well.

― Sasha (sgh), Friday, 18 June 2004 01:19 (twenty-two years ago)

That's what I was saying - Drill, but not The Drill.

And, yes, both volumes of Read and Burn and Send are all great too. 99.9, in particular, is as good as anything they've ever done, if you ask me.

― coco, Friday, 18 June 2004 09:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Humour? "Chorus!"

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 18 June 2004 10:04 (twenty-two years ago)

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