1977

Ash | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 28, 2011)
• Original Release Date: June 11, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Reprise Records
• ASIN: B000002N5Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,831 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Lose Control

2. Goldfinger

3. Girl from Mars

4. I'd Give You Anything

5. Gone the Dream

6. Kung Fu

7. Oh Yeah

8. Let It Flow

9. Innocent Smile

10. Angel Interceptor

11. Lost in You

12. Darkside Lightside

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered and expanded three CD edition of the Irish trio's 1996 debut album. Disc One includes the original album plus the Trailer mini-album from '95. Disc Two includes Live At The Wireless (Australian Triple J Radio Session) plus Live at Reading 1996. Disc Three includes rarities and B-sides. Fully remastered by Chris Athens at Sterling Sound, NYC, and containing new sleeve notes by Mark Sutherland, this Collector's Edition has been fully approved by the band. 65 tracks. Rhino UK. 2008. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "I haven't been the same since my teenage lobotomy.", November 19, 2003

By 

Andrew McCaffrey "The Grumpy Young Man" (Satellite of Love, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1977 (Audio CD)

Ash's 1977 opens with the cheesy roar of a Star Wars TIE-fighter (did they have to pay royalties to the Lucas empire for that audio clip?), launching itself into a high-octane, quick energy groove, where it happy sits for its entirety. Infectious pop hooks, loud guitars, and a heavy punk influence characterize this album. The lyrics are what you'd expect -- nothing terribly deep, but good enough not to distract from the music. Who wouldn't want to sing along to the teenage-angsty "Girl From Mars" while head banging to its slick riffs?

1977 subscribes to philosophies that have served rock and roll well over the years -- never learn four chords when three will do, and when you're playing the drums, hit them as hard as you can. There's a fair amount of distortion and fuzz going on. The songs are fast and relatively short. It's a punk album that hasn't forgotten that punk is supposed to be fun. This is music to jump around to. The track, "Kung Fu", is wonderfully typical. It's a song featuring muffled lyrics with only the bridge being easily understandable: "Come on, Jackie Chan, a oh oh oh ah oh!" Listening to this song with its quick beat and catchy guitars will tempt even the most out-of-shape music lover to attempt a few martial arts moves on the furniture.

However, like other successes in this field, you get the feeling that these aren't just throwaway punk songs with a limited shelf life. Now, I'm not trying to justify my enjoyment by claiming this is grand art or anything. But I've listened to this album countless times and I dig it just as much now as I did the first time. The songs stay fresh even after one has memorized every second of the audio. That's impressive.

Now as much as I like this album, I simply cannot force myself to listen all the way to the end. Not because of any musical deficiencies, but because the hidden track is a long and really nasty sound byte of one of the Ash band members being loudly and violently ill after a night of heavy partying. Listen to the album all the way through once and you'll never again forget to leap for the stop button once the final musical selection has played.

1977 is a fun album full stop. It encompasses all the fun things about being a teenager: martial arts films, science fiction, love angst, and loud music. In fact, while quickly typing out this review, I've managed to listen to "Kung Fu" three times. Excuse me, but I've got to go off and practice my karate chops on my hat stand.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Its NOT 1977 all over again, September 1, 2002

By 

Russ Vennard - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1977 (Audio CD)

This album stormed into the top slot of the British music charts in 1996 and deservedly so. Its a great album in its own right and the fact that it was their first album proper, ignoring the patchy mini album Trailer, makes it all the more special. Unlike their Northern Irish contemporaries Stiff Little Fingers and The Undertones, Ash aren't concerned with painting a picture of life in Ulster. What they are concerned with is making catchy yet solid emo punk that swings evenly between heartfelt ballads (Lost in You) and out and out thrash (Loose Control) They also found a perfect balance between both in the Excellent singles Goldfinger and Girl from Mars. This album is and probably will remain their strongest, seemingly effortless punk pop thats a must for all fans of recent inceptions to the scene, such as the Hives and the Vines. It could be criticised for its lead singers weak voice (which some find a plus point in its frailty) and the bombast of some pieces, but then they were only 19 when they wrote it. Its a great album that all knowledgable music fans should own and its hidden "puke track" is almost worth the price alone!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 years I ve bought it and still one of my very favorites!, November 5, 2000

By 

"vitriol08" (Fremont, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1977 (Audio CD)

It has been love at first hearing with Ash! Powerful guitar, rich and pure vocals, amazing musical mastery, fresh poetic and romantic aspirations, fast paced solos... This mix of brit pop and punk scored high with me! What would the music have been without the Brits and the Irish? And these guys were so young when they released the album!!!