Ash Plan Three-Disc Deluxe Edition of <i>1977</i>

BY Cam LindsayPublished Sep 26, 2008

While 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.

Ash "Goldfinger"

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