COLIN NEWMAN: Bastard

First of all, Colin Newman was in Wire, and if you don't understand their greatness I pity you.  Second of all, most of his solo albums are damn good.  Third of all, he's into electronics, as anyone who survived the reunited Wire might have guessed.  This is sort of techno-y stuff, tempered by a few guitars and basses (with shades of Colin's instrumental LP from the 80ís, Provisionally Entitled the Singing Fish ) , but despite the electronica leanings it's still a pretty worthwhile affair.  I imagine a lot of this was recorded at home, where Colin and his wife Malka have a recording setup, and that sort of puts a glow in my heart that one of my earliest "punk" idols is still cranking out good music on his own terms.  (World Domination, 3575 Cahuenga Blvd. West Suite 450, Los Angeles, CA 90068)