Ash: All Albums Ranked
Exploding in the mid-90s with their incredible debut full-length ‘1977’, Ash are the perfection combination of rock and pop, with an almost embarrassingly huge collection of great songs over the last 30+ years. We have ranked every Ash album in order of greatness. Check out this playlist of fan favourites and have your say in the comments!
2007 was a strange year for Ash, and arguably for music in general. The reception to ‘Meltdown’ had been strong, on both sides of the pond, but tensions within the band led to Charlotte Hatherley’s departure, and Ash returned to being a 3-piece in 2006.
Returning to Ireland following a lengthy time in the USA, Ash regrouped and released the rather lacklustre ‘Twilight of the Innocents’ in 2007. It certainly isn’t a bad record, because Ash simply aren’t capable of making one, but it lacks the spark of the other albums, and they don’t seem to have had much fun making it. The album cover and logo say it all - somewhat uninspired, safe and uneventful.
That said, there are still some great songs here, particularly lead single ‘You Can’t Have It All’ and the epic title track, which builds continuously to a cacophony of sound and contains elements of Muse who, alongside Arctic Monkeys, had barged Ash out of the way and ascended to the top of the British guitar tree.
Standout tracks: ‘You Can’t Have It All’, ‘Twilight of the Innocents’
Armed with a snappy new logo, Ash developed the sound of their debut record ‘1977’ further with ‘Nu-Clear Sounds’, a record which is a mixed bag of highs and lows.
Of the 11 songs, 5 are low-tempo (‘Low Ebb’, which was a curious, languid choice for track 2, ‘Folk Song’, ‘Burn Out’, ‘Aphrodite’ and ‘I’m Gonna Fall’). ‘Numbskull’ and ‘Death Trip 21’ are attempts at a heavier direction, complete with DJ scratching which was becoming increasingly popular at the time (they even brought a DJ with them on tour). The more conventionally rocking moments (‘Projects’, ‘Jesus Says’, ‘Fortune Teller’ and ‘Wild Surf’) are reminsicent of ‘1977’, but with a more controlled sound.
Ash had been joined by 2nd guitarist Charlotte Hatherley before the recording of ‘Nu-Clear Sounds’, and her presence added a new dimension to the sound. Unfortunately, the songs on this record were not the best use of her talents - this came more on the significantly better follow-up, ‘Free All Angels’.
Standout Tracks: ‘Wild Surf’, ‘Numbskull’, ‘Burn Out’
In response to the ever-changing music industry towards the end of the 00s, Ash made national news headlines for openly abandoning the ‘album’ format, and instead only releasing singles. Radiohead recognised the decline in album sales by surprise-releasing ‘In Rainbows’ and allowing fans to pay whatever they wanted, while Ash enabled themselves the creative freedom of focusing on individual songs, outside of the confines of any album structure.
The idea was laudable, especially tied to the concept of releasing 26 songs over 52 weeks, alongside playing a 26-date tour in late 2009 of obscure towns in the UK with names from A to Z (Aldershot, Bradford, Carlisle… Yeovil, Zennor).
It was somewhat contradictory, though admittedly convenient, when Ash then decided to release the singles in an album format after all. ‘A-Z Vol. 1 & 2’ were released as compilations in 2010.
So, what of the music itself? It is a mixed bag. The earlier singles ‘Return of the White Rabbit’, ‘True Love 1980’, ‘Joy Kicks Darkness’ and ‘Arcadia’ (tracks 1-4 on ‘Vol. 1’) are superb, integrating more electronics and 80s elements than ever before. From here, with the exception of ‘Binary’ on ‘Vol. 2’, the songs are largely forgettable - nothing bad but a sense of quantity over quality.
Standout Tracks: ‘Return of the White Rabbit’, ‘True Love 1980’, ‘Binary’
After the excellent 2015 comeback ‘Kablammo!’, Ash had re-established their place among the UK’s greatest guitar bands. They may not generate the same hysteria as they did in the ‘1977’ era of the mid-90s, but by this point in their career there was nothing really left to prove, and any new release was another victory lap.
‘Islands’ was a solid release with a few strong moments, but it didn’t have the same fizzy energy as ‘Kablammo!’. The greyscale cover and somewhat uninspired new logo were an accurate representation of how Ash sounded in 2018 - more mature, still capable of writing great songs (especially lead single ‘Annabel’), still interested in exploring new territory (‘Confessions in the Pool’ had a danceable quality that built on ‘Return of the White Rabbit’ from the ‘A-Z’ series), but with less of the fun.
‘Islands’ starts with ‘True Story’ (or “True stor-weee” from how Tim sings it), which is nice enough but a long way from other openers such as ‘Cocoon’, ‘Race The Night’, ‘Lose Control’ or ‘Walking Barefoot’. It sets the tone for a album that is more mellow and minor-key overall. Decent, but not Ash at their best.
Standout Tracks: ‘Annabel’, ‘Confessions in the Pool’, ‘All That I Have Left’
‘Trailer’ was where it all began. It may only be an EP with 7 songs, but ‘Trailer’ (named because the band saw it as a trailor for their impending full-length debut) plays a significant role in Ash’s history.
Recorded on a low budget, when Tim, Mark and Rick were only 17, ‘Trailer’ made some waves thanks to the excellent singles ‘Jack Names The Planets’, ‘Uncle Pat’ and ‘Petrol’. Their youthful exuberance and playing ability were impressive, but all the more impressive was their knack for writing memorable, catchy melodies. Even the songs that were dropped from the setlist many years ago, such as ‘Intense Thing’ and ‘Obscure Thing’, have strong tunes, with a melodic sensibility to go with the Nirvana-worshipping sound.
‘Get Out’ has aged less well and exposes Tim Wheeler’s vocal limitations, but even this comparative low point scores points for passion and youthful energy.
The songs on ‘Trailer’ have been repackaged in different forms on the ‘1977’ anniversary deluxe edition and the 2020 ‘Teenage Wildlife’ compilation, and it is well worth listening to the re-recorded version of ‘Jack Names The Planets’. Wherever and however you hear these tunes, ‘Trailer’ was a superb introduction to Ash and it paved the way for an incredible career of 30+ years and counting.
Standout Tracks: ‘Petrol’, ‘Uncle Pat’, ‘Jack Names The Planets’
In many ways, ‘Ad Astra’ feels like the direct successor to ‘Race The Night’, released only a couple of years before. They share similar production, album art, logo, and upbeat, uptempo nature. Following some years of (relative) experimentation, it feels as though Ash have settled into a groove. They know what works, and what their fans love, and they are extremely good at it.
‘Ad Astra’ gets off to an incredible start, with an intentionally OTT version of the 2001: Space Odyssey theme ‘Zarathustra’. If this had gone into a high-octane second track then it would have been marvellous, but instead track 2 is ‘Which One Do You Want?’ - a decent song, but somewhat pedestian after such a wild intro. ‘Hallion’ may have worked better.
Ash certainly sound like they had a lot of fun making ‘Ad Astra’. ‘Keep Dreaming’ is power pop of the highest order. ‘Give Me Back My World’ and ‘Deadly Love’ are bold, strident songs with subtle but impressive guitar work. ‘Jump in the Line’ may have raised some eyebrows initially but it becomes more enjoyable with each listen. Unfortunately, the much-touted collaborations with Blur’s Graham Coxon fare less well. ‘Fun People’ has a great riff at points, but it sounds like late-period Muse trying to play a Hives song, whilst drunk, and it crosses the line into cringe. Closer ‘Ad Astra’ is much better, but ultimately Ash fare much better when it is just them.
Standout Tracks: ‘Give Me Back My World’, ‘Keep Dreaming’, ‘Ghosting’
By 2015, Ash had more or less accomplished all they needed to accomplish. Headlining festivals? Done. Greatest hits collection? Check. Staying together after expanding to a 4-piece, then reducing again to a 3-piece? Done. Making national headlines for abandoning albums and focusing on singles (for a short time, at least)? Check.
There was a lengthy gap between the ‘A-Z’ compilations and Ash’s comeback. During the break, Tim Wheeler released a heartfelt double solo album, ‘Lost Domain’, as a tribute to his father’s battle with dementia. The future of Ash felt uncertain between 2010 and 2015, and no-one wold have begrudged them if they had decided to retire at this point, such was the quality of what had come before.
It was all the more of a treat, therefore, when Ash not only came back, but they did so with one of the finest albums of their career. ‘Kablammo!’ is a life-affirming collection of everything we love about Tim, Mark and Rick, heralding a new era for the band. Kicking off with the excellent ‘Cocoon’, 'Kablammo’ has top-quality choruses (‘Let’s Ride’, ‘Machinery’, ‘Hedonism’), the fast-paced punk skiffle of ‘Shutdown’, and excellent, Knights-of-Cydonia-esque instrumental (‘Evil Knievel’) and one of the finest ballads the boys have ever recorded (the gorgeous tearjerker ‘Moondust’). It isn’t all excellent, and the album peters out towards the end, but overall ‘Kablammo!’ is a vibrant, essential part of Ash history.
Standout Tracks: ‘Cocoon’, ‘Let’s Ride’, ‘Moondust’
After the solid but lacklustre ‘Islands’, the world came to a standstill with the Covid pandemic. When the world eventually started to bounce back to life, Ash came back at the perfect time with an album that fizzed with the energy of their ‘Free All Angels’ days, with consistently top-level songwriting. ‘Race The Night’ is the sound of Ash rejuvinated, re-renergised, and wanting to bring life and excitement back to a world that needed it more than ever.
The opening title track is superb, as are the 99-second blast of ‘Peanut Brain’, breezy second single ‘Usual Places’ and reflective ‘Crashed Out Wasted’. ‘Oslo’, featuring guest singer Demira, provides a complete change of pace and an absolutely gorgeous melody. A couple of tracks towards the end (‘Over & Out’ and ‘Double Dare’) are less essential but still solid; and overall ‘Race The Night’ is a short, sharp, concise and highly enjoyable record.
After the experimentation of ‘A-Z’, the brief resurgance of ‘Kablammo!’, then the more monochrome ‘Islands’, ‘Race The Night’ was Ash getting back to what they do best: up-tempo, guitar-led rock songs with melodies and harmonies that stay in your head for hours. It was great to have them back (again).
Standout tracks: ‘Race The Night’, ‘Peanut Brain’, ‘Crashed Out Wasted’
After the lukewarm response to second album ‘Nu-Clear Sounds’, and a US tour that was cut short following a change in record label personnel, Ash came out swinging with the magnificant ‘Free All Angels’, their most polished and mainstream pop-rock album.
Charlotte Hatherley was more prominent here than on ‘Nu-Clear Sounds’, providing vocal harmonies that complemented Tim Wheeler’s singing perfectly. Packed with no less than 5 Top 40 singles (‘Burn Baby Burn’, ‘Sometimes’, ‘Shining Light’, ‘Candy’ and ‘There’s a Star’), ‘Free All Angels’ helped to plant Ash firmly back in the public eye. The best track is arguably opener ‘Walking Barefoot’, which is still a regular setlist staple more than 25 years on, capturing the dynamics and wistful energy of ‘Green Album’-era Weezer with the same youthful exuberance as Tim Wheeler had shown on early singles ‘Oh Yeah’ and ‘Jack Names The Planets'. Speaking of Weezer, ‘Cherry Bomb’ and ‘Pacific Palisades’ are so close in sound to Rivers Cuomo & co that they could almost be covers (that’s a compliment and not a criticism, by the way!).
If closer ‘World Domination’ sounds a little different to the rest, it is because it was recorded live in the studio rather than assembled in layers on Pro Tools. It does a great job of foreshadowing the grittier, heavier direction that Ash would take a couple of years later in the follow-up ‘Meltdown’. If there are any criticisms of ‘Free All Angels' then they would be that the rest of the record is a little too polished - and tracks like ‘Nicole’ may have benefited from a rougher sound.
Standout Tracks: ‘Walking Barefoot’, ‘Burn Baby Burn’, ‘Cherry Bomb’
Like the phoenix on the album cover, Ash were absolutely on fire in the early 2000s. ‘Free All Angels’ had made them international megastars, and ‘Meltdown’ was a vibrant, exciting attempt to incorporate more of an American rock (and occaionally metal) flavour into their sound. This was their 3rd album as a 4-piece, and Charlotte Hatherley’s guitar playing and vocal harmonies stepped up a further notch here.
Like ‘1977’, every song here sounds like a single. Strangely, the album opener and title track ‘Meltdown’ is possibly the weakest, sounding a little restrained (the live version, released on the special edition of the record, is much looser and beefier), but from then on it is banger after banger. Lead single ‘Orpheus’ has a chorus (“Sunshine in the morning…”) to die for. The darker ‘Evil Eye’, ‘Clones’ and ‘Won’t Be Saved’ have unforgettable melodies; and closer ‘Vampire Love’, following its System of a Down-esque guitar opening, gives way to a chorus which is possibly the best ever example of Tim and Charlotte’s vocal harmonising which, sadly, ended when Ash returned to being a 3-piece after the ‘Meltdown’ tour.
Even the slower tracks ‘Starcrossed’ and ‘Renegade Cavalcade’ maintain a sense of energy, and ‘Meltdown’ is hands-down Ash’s heaviest and most singular record. If you enjoy their darker, more riff-focused side, ‘Meltdown’ is the album for you.
Standout Tracks: ‘Orpheus’, ‘Evil Eye’, ‘Vampire Love’
Released at the height of the Britpop movement in the mid-90s, ‘1977’ came at the perfect time for fans of noisy guitars who were mourning the lack of Nirvana, loved the timeless melodies of Oasis and Blur and wanted something a bit more youthful and rebellious. The whole album has aged extremely well, especially ‘Goldfinger’ which is arguably one of the very best songs of the entire decade. Full of dynamic shifts, tempo changes and unexpected melodic twists, ‘Goldfinger’ is a wistful love song of the highest order.
‘1977’ also pulls off the feat of not only containing featuring FIVE top-drawer singles (‘Goldfinder’, ‘Girl From Mars’, ‘Kung Fu’, ‘Oh Yeah’ and ‘Angel Interceptor’) but also not having a single skippable moment. Even the non-singles could have been hits in their own right, from the breakneck ‘Lose Control’ to the beautiful ‘Gone The Dream’, to the darker, heavier ‘Innocent Smile’ and ‘I’d Give You Anything’.
The production has similarities to the multiple guitar ‘wall of sound’ of Oasis’ first 2 records, but with a grungier, punkier quality. Tim Wheeler’s voice doesn’t have anything like the snarl of Liam Gallagher, but with tunes as good as these it doesn’t really matter - and, in fact, Tim’s more uncertain-sounding vocals have a youthful, teenage charm all of their own.
There were some fantastic b-sides from this era too, including ‘T Rex’, ‘A Life Less Ordinary’ (which was eventually released as a single to accompany the movie of the same name), and a cover of the ‘Cantina Band’ backing music from Star Wars, Tim, Rick and Mark’s favourite movie which inspired the ‘1977’ title.
Standout tracks: ‘Darkside Lightside’, ‘Goldfinger’, ‘Angel Interceptor’
