1977 - Ash

This album is filled with memories for me. It can out in the summer of 1996, just as I was finishing fourth year (so work out how old I am from that!) and it was never out of my CD player. It was the album I listened to revising for my exams, when I was with friends. When I was down I listened to it, so you could imagine there is quite a lot of emotion wrapped up in all the songs. Although I prefer the more recent Nuclear Sounds album, this album runs it very close. It is very good, but in a different way than Nuclear Sounds is. It sounds a whole lot brighter, the songs are a lot more uplifting than the later album. Considering Ash where just about to hit 20 ...  Read the complete review

1977 was in fact the second album that Ash released, their first was a mini-album Trailer. That brought them some recognition and their talent and potential was starting to show through, but they got very little wide publicity. Their latest release Free all Angels has been their biggest success, while for me it is a very close thing for 1977 and that for my favourite Ash album. Those two great albums were sandwiched between a minor disappointment. Nu-Clear sounds had a few decent songs but on the whole did not live up to the standards set by 1977. Ash really are a teenage band. Literally they came to the music business straight from school. Tim Wheeler the ...  Read the complete review

Ash arrived on the music scene in the middle of the 90’s during the Brit Pop boom and they’re music reflects this. They’re very much rooted in the indy-rock style which was so very ‘OK’ to like. Think of it as punk crossed with the standard Brit Pop influences, Velvet Underground etc. Happily, unlike a lot of the material that was released under the hype of Brit Pop, 1977 (Named so because that’s when the first Star Wars film came out and they’re big fans) isn’t all that bad. True, it’s not ground breaking rock music. Compare it to the likes of Faith No More, later Metallica and the Foo Fighters and it starts ...  Read the complete review

This album was, in my opinion one of the best indie offerings of the 90s, a decade which had more than its fair share of memorable ones! Ash have gone on to release four more albums, and all of them have their moments, but this is still my favourite of the five. Opening track 'Lose Control' starts with a Darth Vader sound effect, a reference to the album's title, because the film 'Star Wars' was released in 1977. It then bursts into the kind of intro which is tailor made for the start of an indie album or live set, it just gets you in the mood instantly! Second track 'Goldfinger' is the first of a number of singles released off the album, with the biggest hit of all, ...  Read the complete review

Confession time: I am usually a bit of an indie snob,i.e. I have a huge dislike of most pop music (Steps/westlife),with its bland highly produced sound, and vacuous lyrics (etc,etc,etc). I tend to like miserable-ish music that is bleak, but is at least beautifull and lyrical (etc,etc). Although this music is good, it is very contemplatative music, you listen to it sitting down, often rather seriously. Sometimes however I want a break from Nick Cave, Bob Dylan et al and to actually RocK!!!(erm,yes...). Ash, and various other indie bands are a guilty pleasure in that they write wonderful melodious songs with sharp lyrics and hooks; but in an punk-pop guitar realm. ...  Read the complete review