Post-punk pioneers Wire were oft recognized as a group in a strange nether region - one that was too artsy to be punk, too punk for the art kids. Wire was angular and minimal, with gorgeous melodies remaining subtle and rewarding. As such, it makes total sense to extract those under-the-surface pop structures, add dense layers of sound that the band sometimes hinted at, and reimagine this begrudgingly poppy gem as shoegazing, whose artists also tended to be begrudgingly poppy.
Covers of the song “Outdoor Miner” (from Chairs Missing) spanning ten years or more eventually all ended up on a limited release compilation called A Houseguest’s Wish from the Words on Music label. Flying Saucer Attack’s reimagining of the song, with a 1995 copyright date, indicates one of the last recordings from the original Flying Saucer Attack before Dave Pearce disappeared for a while. Flying Saucer Attack, as expected, provides the loudest rendition.
Lush’s dream pop interpretation keeps closest to the original structure of “Outdoor Miner,” while Austin neo-shoegaze collective Experimental Aircraft tastefully expands the song into a bombastic, anthemic, hummable wall of sound with a driving groove. Enjoy this rare treat!
MP3 :::
Flying Saucer Attack - Outdoor Miner
Experimental Aircraft - Outdoor Miner
Lush - Outdoor Miner
