The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011

The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011
Live album by Wire
Released	7 February 2012 (2012-02-07)
Recorded	10 May 2011
Venue	Studio 105, Maison de Radio France, Paris, France
Genre	Alternative rock post-punk experimental rock
Length	63:32
Label	Pinkflag
Wire live album chronology
Legal Bootleg Series: 02 May 2000 Great American, San Francisco (2011) The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011 (2012) Legal Bootleg Series: Set 2 – 23 February 2000 Nottingham Social (Recycling Sherwood Forest) (2013)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	70/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
BBC Music	(favorable)[3]
Consequence of Sound	[4]
The Independent	[5]
Pitchfork	6.3/10[6]
Uncut	[7]

The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011 is a live album by English rock band Wire, released on 7 February 2012 through the band's own label, Pinkflag.[8][9]

Background

The album was recorded for the Black Sessions, named for the series of radio broadcasts hosted by Bernard Lenoir for French radio station France Inter and featured on the C'est Lenoir show. The name is a pun based on Bernard Lenoir's name, translated literally as "Bernard the black". Recorded at the radio station's Paris studios on 10 May 2011, Wire performed in front of an invited audience.[10]

The Black Session focuses on tracks from Wire's latest album Red Barked Tree from 2011 but also includes songs from the 1970s and 1980s, as well as "Comet" from 2002's Read & Burn 01 EP.[6] It is the first Wire album to feature touring guitarist Matthew Simms, who would become a permanent member in 2012. The album was initially available as an exclusive tour item during Wire's 2011 UK autumn dates, but was released worldwide in February 2012.[10]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Robert Grey, Graham Lewis and Colin Newman, except where noted

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Adapt"		4:01
2.	"Comet"	Bruce Gilbert, Grey, Lewis, Newman	2:58
3.	"Smash"		3:39
4.	"Please Take"		4:24
5.	"Kidney Bingos"	Gilbert, Grey, Lewis, Newman	4:33
6.	"Clay"		3:16
7.	"Map Ref. 41°N 93°W"	Lewis, Newman	4:22
8.	"Moreover"		3:43
9.	"Two People in a Room"	Gilbert, Newman	3:03
10.	"Down to This"		6:45
11.	"Drill"	Gilbert, Grey, Lewis, Newman	4:31
12.	"Red Barked Trees"		7:40
13.	"Pink Flag"	Lewis, Newman	10:48

Personnel

Wire

• Robert Grey – drums
• Graham Lewis – bass, vocals
• Colin Newman – guitar, vocals
• Matthew Simms – guitar

Production

• Rémi Fessart – engineering, mixing
• Denis Blackham – mastering
• Jon Wozencroft – design, photography

References

1. "The Black Session [Live] by Wire". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
2. Jason Lymangrover. "The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
3. Alex Deller (14 February 2012). "Wire The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011 Review". BBC Music.
4. Brittany Flynn (8 February 2012). "Album Review: Wire – The Black Session: Paris 10 May 2011". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
5. Andy Gill (3 February 2012). "Album: Wire, The Black Session (Pink Flag)". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
6. Douglas Wolk (7 February 2012). "Wire". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
7. "Album review". Uncut: 107. March 2012.
8. Arnold Pan (29 January 2012). "Listening Ahead: Upcoming Releases for February". PopMatters. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
9. "Stream: Wire, 'The Black Session – Paris 10 May 2011' – live album out next week". Slicing Up Eyeballs. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
10. "The Black Session - Paris, 10 May 2011". Pinkflag.com. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

External links

• The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011 at Wire's official website
• The Black Session: Paris, 10 May 2011 at Discogs