By Cam LindsayWhile Irish rockers Ash are currently holed up in a studio deciding what their plan of action is after revealing that they will forgo releasing a proper album in favour of singles, the trio have recently been looking back 12 years to their classic debut album, 1977. Earlier this month, the band hosted a couple of gigs in London, playing the album in its entirety, and now it appears they will release an expanded deluxe edition through the king of reissues, Rhino.
November third has been suggested as a release date but not confirmed (a North American release is currently up in the air), however, details have surfaced that it will definitely be a three-disc set. The first disc will feature the remastered original album, as well as their debut mini-album, Trailer, while the second offers two live recordings from that era: the previously released limited edition Live At The Wireless and the unreleased Live At Reading 1996, and the third will include a grab-bag of rarities and B-sides.
The band's camp issued a detailed statement announcing the release that reads:
Rhino records are releasing a deluxe edition of our No. 1 debut. Rhino are known for repackaging classic albums and we think it's pretty cool they're going to be giving 1977 that recognition.
Tim has remastered the whole collection and Mark is overseeing the artwork. Also, we've mixed the Reading '96 show fresh from multi-track and we brought The Scream out of the vault and finally mixed it. We'd like to stress that this is not just some record company, "lets milk the fuck out of the back catalogue" project. We want this to be a great package and overview of our early years as a three-piece, rammed with value-added content.
We don't have a definite release date yet but it will probably be November third. There will be three CDs in the set and the track listing is planned as follows:
Disc 1: 1977 album plus Trailer mini-album
1977 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
Trailer 13. Season 14. Jack Names The Planets 15. Intense Thing 16. Uncle Pat 17. Get Out 18. Petrol 19. Obscure Thing
Disc 2: Live At The Wireless (Australian Triple J Radio Session) plus Live At Reading 1996
Live At The Wireless 1. A Clear Invitation To The Dance (Part 1) 2. Darkside Lightside 3. Girl From Mars 4. Oh Yeah 5. T Rex 6. I'd Give You Everything 7. Kung Fu 8. What Deaner Was Talking About 9. Goldfinger 10. Petrol 11. A Clear Invitation To The Dance (Part 2)
Live At Reading 1996 12. Lose Control 13. Jack Names The Planets 14. T Rex 15. Goldfinger 16. Angel Interceptor 17. Darkside Lightside 18. Oh Yeah 19. Innocent Smile 20. Lost In You 21. Petrol 22. Gone The Dream 23. Girl From Mars 24. Kung Fu
Disc 3: Rarities & B-Sides
1. Girl From Mars (4 track demo) 2. Jack Names The Planets (La La Land Records 7" version) 3. Don't Know (La La Land Records 7" version) 4. Punk Boy 5. Different Today 6. Hulk Hogan Bubblebath 7. Day Of The Triffids 8. Luther Ingo's Star Cruiser 9. Astral Conversations With Toulouse Lautrec 10. Cantina Band 11. 5am Eternal 12. Gimme Some Truth 13. I Need Somebody 14. Sneaker 15. Get Ready 16. T Rex 17. Everywhere Is All Around 18. Does Your Mother Know 19. I Only Want To Be With You 20. A Life Less Ordinary (Original Tim Simenon recording) 21. Sick Party 22. The Scream (Infamous and yet unheard masterpiece: The pure undiluted sound of Hell)
Ash don't have any current plans to tour nor have they revealed if they will take their 1977 show on the road. However, if you're in Lynchburg, Tennessee on October 18, you can check out front-man Tim Wheeler playing a solo gig to celebrate the birthday of Jack Daniels. Roisin Murphy, Young Knives' House of Lords and former Stranglers front-man Hugh Cornwall are also set to perform.
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