Giles

I thought I had started a thread on this, but apparently I guess I didn't - DVDTalk's search engine didn't help.

anyway - has any one heard the new album? It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that a US release may or might not happen. The turn around time for us US fans always is months in the waiting.

Adam Tyner

Here 'tis:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=505343

By the way, have you listened to any of Charlotte Hatherley's solo stuff? I've liked the samples that I've heard and have thought about importing her new album...maybe picking up the first one from Overstock.

Giles

actually I haven't, but I have read positive reviews of her music.

brokenhanger

Charlotte Hatherley's solo stuff is fantastic. Her debut "Grey Will Fade" was one of my favorite albums of 2004 - not to be like this, but it totally pissed all over "Meltdown". [Don't get me wrong, I enjoy "Meltdown" just fine.] An absolute power/dream-pop classic. I hear a lot of similarities to Belly - particularly "Star" - in it. More of a true follow up to "Free All Angels", I'd say.

This year's "The Deep Blue" isn't nearly as immediate or accessable, but it is just as good in it's own way. It's a lot more atmospheric and dreamy than the debut, but there are a few solid, knock you on your ass tunes as well. ['I Want You To Know', 'Very Young', 'Siberia' come to mind.] Frontrunner for my favorite of the year so far.

Especially if you're an Ash fan, I can't recommend her solo stuff enough. At this point, I much prefer it to Ash's output.

Speaking of, I finally got my copy of "Twilight of the Innocents" a few weeks back, and I'm mighty unimpressed. It's not bad, but it's really not that great either - easily their weakest. Very disappointing. That said, some of the b-sides to 'You Can't Have It All' [itself a pretty good single, but sadly the best thing on the album] and 'Polaris' were decent and worth tracking down the singles for. Awaiting my copy of 'The End Of The World' to see if they can redeem themselves a bit.

Matthew Chmiel

The first half of the album is fantastic. The second half (after 'End of the World'), not so much.

Adam Tyner

Thanks! I appreciate the recommendation, and I just ordered both albums.

Rocketdog2000

I've had an import copy since it was release a month or so ago. Didn't feel like waiting for a "possible" US release, and I got it for a very decent price for an import (around $15). I wouldn't say it's their weakest at all. Not nearly as brilliant as Meltdown, which to me, IS arguably their best album - but still a decent listen.

Adam Tyner

Bumping up an old thread...sorry. Just wanted to say that I picked up Charlotte Hatherley's third solo album, and it's terrific. "Cinnabar" didn't grab me on my first listen, but I'm still really tempted to say that this might wind up being my favorite album of 2009...probably a really stupid thing to say with only one and a half spins behind me, but whatever. All these months later, I'm still completely in love with "White".

It's only getting a digital release on these shores, so if you want a physical copy, you'll have to import it from the UK. (I got mine from HMV since I was ordering their exclusive Dawn of the Dead BD, but pretty much everyone is carrying it.)

Matthew Chmiel

Purchased New Worlds off iTunes this morning off iTunes, just like I have with all of Hatherley's other albums before they're oddly, instantly removed.

Nowhere near as great as Grey Will Fade, but I thought it was a gigantic improvement over The Deep Blue (which I just didn't like).

Matthew Chmiel

I'm going to bump this thread only because it's the only Ash thread that has had a post within a year.

Has anyone been listening / subscribing to Ash's The A-Z Series?

While I don't know if I necessarily like having to wait two weeks for each song (rather than just having an album with everything all at once), this has been some of Ash's best output to date. While I was weary at first (it took awhile to warm up to Return of White Rabbit), their use of mixing electronics into some of their songs (True Love 1980 and Space Shot) works alongside their music rather than say another three-piece band that I can think of (Muse).

brokenhanger

I think that the A-Z project is one of the most exciting musical endeavors to have come out in years. The whole concept is fantastic - I personally love the new song every two weeks, not only does it make every other Monday exciting but it also gives you time to digest the latest track.

I do think when all is said and done we're going to end up with a very strong double album rather than 26 single worthy tracks, but overall the quality of each individual track is quite high and many can sit comfortably amongst the strongest singles in their back catalogue - I'd even argue that "Arcadia" is their strongest single of the 00's, or at least tied with "Burn Baby Burn". [Which is a bit of a sigh of relief because 'Twilight of the Innocents' was not their best work.]

Matthew Chmiel

Honestly, I'm not that big of a fan of Ash's earlier work. I do appreciate 1977, but it took me a while. I appreciate it more after its re-listening to the recently released deluxe edition. Honestly, I could care less for Trailer and Nu-Clear Sounds. Neither have grown on me in the half-decade I've owned the albums.

Twilight of the Innocents, however, grew on me after multiple listens. While I thought it had a stronger first half and weaker second, I started to appreciate the album's ending tracks (such as 'Shattered Glass' and 'Twilight of the Innocents') compared to it's stronger half ('I Started a Fire,' 'You Can't Have It All' and 'Palace Of Excess' for example).

I'd rank their stuff "albums" in the following order:

1. Meltdown
2. (what we've heard of) The A-Z Series
3. Twilight of the Innocents
4. Free All Angels
5. 1977
6. Nu-Clear Sounds
7. Trailer

And in terms of what they've released with A-Z, I'd rank it as:

1. Arcadia (C)
2. True Love 1980 (A)
3. The Dead Disciples (E)
4. Pripyat (F)
5. Neon (I)
6. Space Shot (H)
7. Tracers (D)
8. Ichiban (G)
9. Joy Kicks Darkness (B)
10. Song of Your Desire (K)
11. Command (J)

Arcadia is slowly becoming my favorite Ash track yet and I look forward to every other Monday to see what's released. The last two tracks ('Song of Your Desire' and 'Command') feel to be the weakest out of the bunch, but this seems to be one of their most consistent efforts yet.

Jay G.

I've been an Ash fan since I bought 1977 the year of its release (1997). That album has a special place in my heart, and all the follow-ups had plenty of play time to win me over as well.

That said, I haven't been really getting into the A-Z series that much. Part of it is that I'm used to experiencing Ash in the form of albums, so getting one song parsed out every two weeks doesn't keep my enthusiasm that much. I don't want 3-4 minutes of new music; I want 30-40 minutes of music delivered in one massive chunk that I can listen to on repeat. It's only now, after about 20 weeks, that I have enough songs to really give it a good listen through.

I was planning on just waiting out the series until it was released on CD, but the subscriber-exclusive "bonus tracks" sucked me in. I'm a sucker for Ash B-sides. And sure enough, the upcoming "A-Z Series Volume 1" CD will contain completely different bonus tracks. At this point, I may wait for the inevitable Box Set before buying the series on CD.

Giles

here are the bonus tracks for those interested. I have the CD/DVD on preorder - can't wait to hear these songs!

Bonus Tracks

1. Coming Around Again
2. The Creeps
3. CTRL-ALT-DEL
4. Do You Feel It?

DVD

50 minute tour DVD “A is for Ash” featuring A tour diary filmed last autumn on the A – Z tour.

brokenhanger

EIL.com is reporting there's a Japanese pressing coming as well with 2 additional bonus tracks - "Kamakura" and "Disenchanted" - as well as a bonus disc of acoustic versions/remixes/subscriber tracks:

1. Lay Down Your Arms
2. Gallows Hill
3. True Love 1980 (acoustic)
4. Tracers (acoustic featuring Emmy The Great)
5. Space Shot (acoustic)
6. War With Me (acoustic)
7. Return of White Rabbit (Jaymo & Andy George Remix)
8. Return Of White Rabbit (Atomic Heart Remix)
9. True Love 1980 (Loverush UK! Vocal Remix edit)
10. True Love 1980 (Loverush UK! Dubstrumental)
11. True Love 1980 (Vince Clarke Remix)
12. Space Shot (Pete Doyle's Rocksolid Remix)
13. Space Shot (Snitch Brothers Remix)
14. Neon (Beatcave Remix)

*sigh*

Giles

you're kiddin' oh god damnit, well at least I have a five dollar certificate over at CDJapan to use. but wait... bonus disc... DVD? hmmm which to choose.

brokenhanger

My pre-order for the DVD version is already locked in so I'm definitely getting that one. I'd like to think I'm not going to bite on the Japanese version as well, but I know myself too well. I'm holding for some kind of announcement that they're going to sneak mp3 subscribers the bonus studio tracks, but I think at this point that's not going to happen...

This era was supposed to be easier to collect, but instead we've got an entire bonus disc that's country-exclusive. Dammit.

edit: I also just noticed that the Japanese edition comes out two weeks earlier and has the original "Return of White Rabbit" - absent from the UK disc for some reason - at the beginning of the main disc. Guess that's a definite purchase.

Jay G.

Just received this info in an email:

http://www.ash-official.com/details....1-f103105888ee

Matthew Chmiel

I know Ash will never release another "traditional" album, but they need to release a cover album.

Their cover of David Bowie's "Teenage Wildlife" on The A-Z Series, Vol. 2 is awesome (and I feel outshines the second half of the series which I felt was lackluster compared to the strong first half).

Has the band released any other covers outside of this and "Everybody's Happy Nowadays?"

Jay G.

Only Want to Be With You
What Deaner Was Talkin' About
Does Your Mother Know
Cantina Band Song
Teenage Kicks
Punk Boy
Who You Drivin' Now?
Please Let That Be You
Gimme Some Truth
Get Ready
Blew
Warmer Than Fire
Only In Dreams
Here Comes the Music

Most of these were released as b-sides to their singles.

Giles

here's the tracklisting for the A-Z Volume 2:

N. Dare To Dream
O. Mind Control
P. Insects
Q. Binary
R. Physical World
S. Spheres
T. Instinct
U. Summer Snow
V. Carnal Love
W. Embers
X. Change Your Name
Y. Sky Burial
Z. There Is Hope Again

Bonus Tracks

i) Nightfall
ii) Spellbound
iii) Teenage Wildlife

The Japanese import edition has two additional bonus tracks:

17. [Japan Bonus Track] Midnight In The Garden
18. [Japan Bonus Track] Running To The Ocean

The Japanese 'Limited Edtion' 2 Disc:

19. [Disc 2] Midnight Militia
20. [Disc 2] Night Terrors
21. [Disc 2] No Heartbreaker
22. [Disc 2] Replicants
23. [Disc 2] Pirates Are So 2004
24. [Disc 2] Empire Of Sand
25. [Disc 2] Nouvelles Aventures
26. [Disc 2] Lights Out
27. [Disc 2] Arcadia (Acoustic)
28. [Disc 2] Command (Acoustic)
29. [Disc 2] Joy Kicks Darkness (Acoustic)
30. [Disc 2] Space Shot (Live)
31. [Disc 2] Arcadia (Live)
32. [Disc 2] Binary (Co-Pilots Flying Through Ash Remix)
33. [Disc 2] Binary (The Argyle Raver Pornographic Remix)
34. [Disc 2] Dare To Dream (Mogwai Remix)