It hard to believe that some of the biggest milestones of what is now called, ‘Britpop’ happened 30 years ago. Oasis’ legendary Knebworth shows, seminal albums from the likes of Manic Street Preachers, Suede and Sleeper as far away from today as The Beatles ‘Revolver’ was from them.
‘1977’ by Ash is an album that for all intense and purposes should slot in with their contemporaries of the day, and yet, as their 30th anniversary collection highlights, there’s something about their Undertones-esque pop-punk that stood them apart then and keeps the record sounding fresh today.
‘Lose Control’ is a monumental opening track, with its raucous, punchy guitars still sounding as youthful as ever. ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘Girl from Mars’ makes a strong claim for the strongest 2-song run on an album ever, with both having an anthemic quality even Noel Gallagher would be envious of.
‘Kung Fu’ and, ‘Oh Yeah’ expertly highlights the bands ability to craft a breezy slice of pop-punk as well as a tender teenage ballad. Switching from aggression to emotion almost effortlessly is no mean feat, especially for a band as new to the game as Ash were.
The bands true songwriting abilities are most evident on, ‘Angel Interceptor’ with it being as close to a perfect pop song as an indie band can write. The guitars are sweet and crunchy, while Tim Wheeler’s voice was made for a melodic, youthful track such as this.
Alongside the album, this edition also includes a wide range of the bands B-sides from this era, which again go to showcase the bands versatility expertly. From ‘T Rex’ and, ‘Does Your Mother Know?’ to the cover of Star Wars’ infamous, ‘Cantina Band’, the B-sides are really a time capsule of what the band were at this time, three teenage boys having fun and trying to write pop songs. The sound of the bands we were all in at their age, except they actually had the songs to pull it off!
Ash’s debut album is by far one of the best albums of its day, and perhaps the one that has aged the best. Still sounding as urgent, vibrant and exciting as it ever has, ‘1977’ has truly stood the test of time and more than warrants this celebration of its longevity.
✍️ WORDS BY TOM DIBB
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