An Ideal for Living

An Ideal for Living was the band's first release, put out in June 1978 shortly after the change of name from Warsaw. It was recorded at Pennine Sound Studios in Oldham on a self-financed budget of 400 pounds. Morris said in 2001 that the band asked the engineer to make the drums sound like Speed of Life, the opening track of David Bowie's Low, and that the engineer could not.

The original sleeve, drawn by Sumner, shows a Hitler Youth member beating a drum. Together with the band's name it fuelled speculation about their politics. The 12-inch reissue replaced the cover with scaffolding artwork by Steve McGarry. Melody Maker's Chris Brazier reviewed the record.