1977

Hey, I didn't hate this. Perfectly good '90's alt rock. No need to hear before you die, but that I didn't hate it might be an accomplishment for this list.

Sounds like early Foo Fighters.

Loved the guitar in this, but those vocals just don't go with this at all.

Underwhelmed. Felt like kind of generic 90s altrock

liked it

It's just ok. I like it, but it’s not the cat’s pyjamas.

I got a promo copy of this album way back then on the first Warped Tour. I didn't like it then and I still don't like it now. My theory then was i didnt like the melodies. The music was the right energy and not bad but the songs as a whole just did nothing for me. Listening now I don't even really like the music that much. I still appreciate the energy. I just can't get behind this one at all.

Kind of the same thing over and over.

Left no impression.

OK, no standouts though.

some beautiful plaintive guitar. This album started strong, decent opening track, then it slowly went into meh-ness. Guitar saved the album, guitarist is wasted.

Hello, racing game music. Sadly, you need the game to go with it. It's quite boring on its own. It's not bad, some decent guitar, just not an engaging album. A best of Ash would probably be better.

Yes yes yes!!!

I liked this a little bit. There are definitely passages that sound like Weezer, and some that sound like Pavement. I bet these would grow on me the more I listened, and I probably would have liked this band if I had heard them in the 90's.

This is the perfect example for generic 90's rock. Guys that know how to play their instruments but don't have any memorable melody inside them. Sounds like music made for a fake band in a 90's teenage movie.

I was gonna write this off for being yet another run of the mill 90’s alt rock album (thats overly long at that) but it’s got enough good tracks that i’ll be fair. That said i want a reprise from 90’s alt rock please, im somehow kind of sick of it even though i generally love it. Standouts are Girl From Mars, Let It Flow, Innocent Smile and Angel Interceptor.

Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Gute Scheibe!

Yes! The TIE fighter roaring over the opening of Lose Control is still one of the coolest ways to kick off an album. Completely unnecessary. Completely brilliant. Fast, loud, melodic and ridiculously fun. I love it.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Brit Pop guitar rock. love it.

This falls into that typical 1990's "let's strum some chords with ten times as much reverb as necessary and turn the amps to eleven so that everything sounds like static and we'll whine and complain over top of it" genre. I don't love it. If there is any talent here, it is lost in the reverb. One or two songs kept my attention, the rest didn't.

Nor a huge fan of the genre. The alblum seemed to drone on. Nothing really stood out. Good or Bad.

Great sixth form memories with this

I saw 1977 and mistakenly thought it was a real band from the 70s, not some UK Euro-trash trying hard to imitate Green Day (as if that were anything to imitate). Boo.

Ok

Having known "Girl on Mars" since time immerorial, I wasn't quite expecting what we got. There's a lot of variety up to front that deserves a fair bit of credit, but sadly it can't sustain the whole album.

Much better than I remember! Vocals are bit limited but I like the energy and there’s some great rock licks in this, right from the get go with Lose Control. And Girl From Mars was everywhere summer of 1995!

It’s pleasant enough but it didn’t leave a very big impression. In what way must I hear this before I die??

A bit mid, not my type of rock. Blink 182 ish. Heavier preferably

I do not object to this album.

I remember Ash being around in the nineties but I never really got into them. They just seemed too average and like any local indie band you might hear. Listening to them now, I stand by this. They’re not unpleasant to listen to. It’s just a bit samey and uninspired. They have a couple of stand out songs but most of the time I was thinking I’d rather be listening to something else, something a bit better. This is probably a 3.5 star album. Would I choose to listen to it again? Not really. The singles are good for nostalgia but I’m happy only to hear them down the pub or whatever. So, I’ll give this a very average 3.

It’s ok. Never really got Ash. They are not bad. Just not my thing I suppose.

Angel Interceptor

First Listen; 3.5; This album was really all over the place. After the first track, I had higher hopes that this would be a strong album, but then too many of the tracks sounded like basic Oasis songs or other generic 90s rock pop. Quiet verse, then big anthemic chorus with four chords. I enjoyed the couple of songs that broke out of this, were more aggressive, and a more driving backbeat. I would say I probably enjoyed this album more than it's actually good, but that's a reflection of my taste. Favorite Track: Lose Control

About 45 seconds into Goldfinger I realized it was a song I knew. The album was better than I was expecting. Standouts: Goldfinger, Girl From Mars, Oh Yeah, I'd Give You Anything, Kung Fu, Angel Interceptor 4/5

I actually really enjoyed this album. It was a little campy in a couple of parts, but I think played it well.

Had a few songs in there that were bops. It was good

A surprise. Really solid, I love the like alt/punk instrumentals with really solid vocals. Definitely a top 5 album I hadn’t heard before this list, will keep listening for a while yet.

I found this to be another album that while not *bad*, didn’t really warrant being on this list. I think it’s only here cuz of a uk artist bias

Was getting a Wheezer or maybe a Green Day vibe at times but still prefer both of those bands to this group.

90er rock wi 1977 heisst? s mastering isch chli brickwall hä? bis etz sinds noonig würkli songs. sehr lärmig gspielt. ok goldfinger no cool, girl from mars au wieder bitz pop punk aber er singt chli wonky? ich han recht spass s isch noisy und au poppy und recht stimmig. da git e vieri.

hmm iwie kenn ich de schriftzug vode band ohh es isch punkiger als ich denkt jan de energie isch reeecht ume, cool girl from mars isch iwie mega cool! OBBVVVVVV han ich nöd ständig glich genau glost, doch s album het grundsätzlich na spass gmacht leider isch aber würkli nöd vill hangeblibe aber immer wieder hets na es cools solo geh o.ä.

Not really feeling this album or artist.

Better than Coldplay

That first song rips. Hope the rest of the album has this feel. It isn't bad. A lot of the same melodies, but the first song is the best.

2,5

meh

An indie classic

Hand on heart, I didn’t enjoy this as much as I used to. I’m not saying it’s a bad album, it’s great. It seems that this album has some excellent bangers and some pretty poor songs, there seems to be no middle ground.

I loved this album when it was released and i love it now. It is ridiculous to think how old they were at the point they made this. The singles are great (and plentiful), but there isn’t much drop in standard with the other tracks like ‘lose control’ and ‘I’d give you anything’.

I’m not particularly a fan of Ash so, as I had expected, this did nothing for me. The only standouts are the two tracks I already knew - “Girl From Mars” and “Oh Yeah”. All the other tracks were uninspiring and dull. In the absence of a 1.5* option, it’s getting an undeserving 2.

Reading some of the other reviews of this album, I never really considered that Ash might sound like Weezer, but that's actually a good point. And I generally like Weezer a lot, so you can see where this review is going. This debut album, written and recorded when the band were teenagers, is so much fun. I really cannot get over the idea that Tim Wheeler was 16 when he wrote Girl From Mars, which is such a joyous piece of pop punky rock. I have forever loved Kung Fu, which remains remains my favourite song on the album, mostly because it appeared on the soundtrack to the film Angus (with J.A.R. by Green Day, and Love Spit Love, and The Muffs, and Pansy Division and Dance Hall Crashers - just a great 90s film soundtrack). I don't think this album is perfect though. The production, while raw, is pretty muffled and I'd like a bit of a less muddy sound on the guitars, and much as I like the adore the upbeat numbers, I'm less keen on Tim's voice on the slower more reflective songs. It's still a great debut though and well worth a: 4/5

I am a little bit bored...nothing is grabbing me with this one.

Well that’s a hidden gem

Pretty decent 90s rock. It's a shame the best songs are the ones I already knew (Girl From Mars and Oh Yeah) but there was enough going on throughout to keep me interested.

This checks all the wrong boxes on paper, but I was instantly hooked in. This is loud and heavy, but still poppy. Kind of reminds me of early Weezer. It's a bit geeky. I would gladly give this another spin.

6.5/10

This album really felt like background noise. It was ok but not memerable even in the moment. For something you have to listen to, it felt very bland to my ear.

4/5

sem palavras.

it's alright sometimes Will I listen to again: 10%

Unexpectedly grungey! Thought I might enjoy this and was not disappointed...

I only knew Girl from Mars (which slaps), but pleased to hear the whole album slaps. Girl from Mars slaps the hardest though.

Sounds a lot like REM to me, but not as good.

Pfoeee, dit is me een knaller van een openingsplaat. Een hard, stevig rock album. Weet niet of ik daar echt op zat te wachten. DIt album voelt als een gigantische bak herrie, met een verveelde typische britpopzanger die er een beetje overheen aan het huilen is. Je hoort het misschien al; dit gaat geen heel hoog cijfer worden, dit is precies het soort 13 in een dozijn album waar ik er al een hoop van heb gehad. Althans qua zanger, de combi met stevigere rock heb ik volgens mij nog niet gehad en anders was ik het ongetwijfeld weer vergeten want dit blijft niet heeeeel sterk hangen. Nee, dit is weer zo'n album wat ik na het laatste nummer eigenlijk alweer vergeten ben. Ik heb daar gewoon al te veel van gehad. Kan hier niet echt nog veel meer over schrijven, I am tired boss... FAVO: Oh Yeah

Another just ok album, I don't really know what to say about it.

This is really forgettable.

A fun album, but nothing special for the genre in the 1990s. If you are into this sound, here is a short list, in no particular order of Canadian bands from the same era: Sloan Superfriendz Thrush Hermit The inbreds Limblifter The Flashing Lights The Local Rabbits Tristan Psionic The New Grand Salmonblaster The Killjoys Eric's Trip Chixdiggit! The Hardship Post Rheostatics Zumpano Jale The Smugglers Smoother Cub hHead Pluto Huevos Rancheros

At low volume I could have given this a lower score.. I knew I had to relisten and I'm glad I did. There's a lot of depth to this.

Wow this was really mediocre - label scrapping the bottom of the barrel for anything that vaguely sounded pop punk

(4/7) generic brand Weezer

Living in Northern Ireland I’ve known so many people down the years who were massive fans of Ash but, while I don’t mind listening to them, they’ve never been a favourite of mine. Of the albums I’ve heard from them I would definitely say this is their best. There’s a few bangers on it but also a few too many that don’t hit the mark for me to give it more than a 3.

Never heard of this band, starting off promising. This is pretty great, good and heavy indie rock. Not sure how I've never heard this but definitely enjoying it. This is pretty great for 1996, a bit of an early Weezer vibe. Not every song is a hit, especially the slower ones, but they are all enjoyable. Great album and glad to discover it.

Punky power pop well pissed on NY noise, The Undertones, Jesus and Mary Chain, Dinosaur Jr (especially the Bug album) Buzzcocks, Oasis covering Nirvana and seemingly endless amounts of fire n skill make for a fun hour. Anyone that can't have a killer Friday night with 1977, a friend or two and a six pack of 'it was on sale' is a lost cause. Lost I tell you! Meaty beaty big and bouncy!

No me gusta este estilo de rock

Didn't really listen to this at the time, it's a lot less indie than I thought it would be. Can't stand the voice, obviously. Push from the diaphragm please it's very simple

The Weezer power-pop aesthetic and cranked-up distortion is fun for a while. But it gets old fast, and the songs themselves aren't anything to write home about. Somewhere between a 2 and a 3.

A fun Power pop album with great guitar work however does fall flat at times.

I’m genuinely surprised to see this album on the list. There are a couple of catchy hits to be found and there is a nice mix of youthful romance with fun loving pop sensibilities. Kung Fu, Oh Yeah, Goldfinger, Innocent Smile are the standouts. Girl From Mars is one of the most lyrically tortured songs ever written. Truly cringeworthy. It’s all a bit meh. They seem like such nice people though, so it’s hard to dislike them. They are corny, safe and entirely unoriginal (you have never heard a more shameless Sonic Youth rip off in your life), but it’s not entirely unpleasant to listen to. Their 2004 effort “Meltdown” is far superior. Honestly, that is one of the great pop albums of the new millennium. This list has a lot of debut albums which are not as good or as important as later albums from the same artist which absolutely deserve a place more: QOTSA, Bee Gees, Britney Spears, Aimee Mann, Foo Fighters, Justin Timberlakd so many others too. Ash belongs in that group. This is fine, but their best is so much better.

I absolutely love this album. Always have and always will.

Als Ash 1996 ihr Album 1977 veröffentlichten, war sofort klar, dass hier drei Teenager aus Downpatrick etwas Ungestümes, Charmantes und absolut Zeittypisches eingefangen hatten. Die Mischung aus Britpop‑Energie, Pop‑Punk‑Drive und einem Hauch Garage‑Rock wirkt wie ein destillierter Moment der 90er‑Jugendkultur – impulsiv, melodieverliebt und ohne jede Ironie. Wikipedia Songs wie „Girl From Mars“, „Goldfinger“ und „Kung Fu“ sind bis heute kleine Hymnen, die das Album tragen: eingängig, verspielt und voller jugendlicher Übermut.

Indie rock like this does tend to push my buttons and this is no exception. A 3.5 rounded down.

1977 was an album that at first glance, i didn't think i was gonna enjoy it that much but I'm glad i got to give it this surprise 5 star review. I didn't quite know what genre it was gonna be just some kind of rock music but it ended up being the kind that i really enjoy. That grungy, heavy, kinda dark style is a common style of music i enjoy and this album has that in spades. The guitars were easily the main show stealer and the main thing that rocketed this album into being such a great one but combined with the melodies and the vocals fitting with them so well and this has pretty much become an album that i can't just not 5 star. Best Song: Goldfinger Worst Song: Girl From Mars

1977 Ash 1996 Genres: Rock Styles: Britpop, Pop Rock, Indie Rock 1. Lose Control (★★★⯨☆) 2. Goldfinger (★★★☆☆) 3. Girl from Mars (★★★⯨☆) 4. I'd Give You Anything (★★★⯨☆) 5. Gone the Dream (★★★★☆) -Fav 6. Kung Fu (★★⯨☆☆) 7. Oh Yeah (★★⯨☆☆) 8. Let It Flow (★★★☆☆) 9. Innocent Smile (★★★☆☆) 10. Angel Interceptor (★★⯨☆☆) 11. Lost in You (★★⯨☆☆) 12. Darkside Lightside (★★⯨☆☆) -TOTAL = ★★★☆☆ (3)

I think that this album may have been the basis of every Kerrang compilation from the early 2000s. It is a rock album that is arranged expertly with melodic strings in places such as in "Gone the Dream". Tim Wheeler's vocals as smooth and provide a counterpoint to the rough and overdriven guitars. There are three absolute anthems on this album "Goldfinger", "Girl from Mars" and "Oh Yeah". I feel like I would hear one or more of these on every night out that I went on between 2001 to 2010. Which is impressive considering that they were 10 years old by 2006. This album also has a special place in my heart being a former student of Salford University. The Castle Irwell halls of residence had a Darkside and a Lightside. Which rumour has it was named after the final track of this album. (4.250)

Some good, some not so good.

Bubble gummy and fun. Not my style. Liked the dirty guitar on Girl From Mars for 5 seconds.

I would’ve loved this if someone told me to listen to it at 15 years old. Too bad i’m now 28.

4 stars Fun! I was expecting some mid-show gaze noise and instead got this delightful poppy punk goodness! And on top of that found out that a song I thought was called “Jackie Chan” by Goldfinger was actually a song called “Kung Fu” by Ash and is on an album with a song titled “Goldfinger.” KaZaA mystery finally solved 25 years later!

Come on, Jackie Chan, oh oh oh oh oh oh!

Not good

5/10

Lose Control - 3/5 Goldfinger - 4/5 Girl From Mars - 3/5 I'd Give You Anything - 3/5 Gone the Dream - 4/5 Kung Fu - 4/5 Oh Yeah - 5/5 Let It Flow - 2/5 Innocent Smile - 3/5 Angel Interceptor - 2/5 Lost in You - 3/5 Darkside Lightside - 3/5 Average score: 3.3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ there were a few tracks that stood out to me i suppose, but there's no way this album deserves to make the 1001 album list. this felt like yet another album slipping it's way into the list just because it's a british album

so fucking boring. I will say I liked the singers voice a lot but hoooly crap rock and roll can be so fucking stale man. is it so much to ask to write a catchy song??? something that fucking HITS you immediately and feels soulful and meaningful? Not everyone needs to make music and release it. I always say music nowadays is crap but the 90's had serious fucking duds. once again, i didn't need to hear this before I die - nothing music. Rather would listen to some teenage fanclub - they do this kind of music perfectly. This will be forgotten by me in about 2 days. Don't remember a single melody.

Middle of the 90s rock music that still clearly shows its ties to grunge isn't something I haven't heard before but this bad does it well. Its not anything that really pulled me in and wants me to go back again later but I enjoyed the listen through.

J'ai plus de misère à coter haut que Félix mais tu m'as donné une référence de comparaison qui me manquait. Pour moi ça sonne comme du Weezer qui se dilue vers du Blink ou à l'inverse. J'ai leur album Trailer depuis des lustres que j'écoute assez rarement.

beau mix de Blink, Ramones, britpop et Dinosaur Jr. Que s'est-il passé en 1977?!?!

Pas convaincu ici! Ça m’a laissé plutôt indifférent

I really liked this album especially when they leaned into Britpop's answer to Foo Fighters, which was most of the first half. But the more they leaned into their 90s alt meets the Beatles they come off as authentic as The Wonders (Oneders?) (7.66) ★★★½

Okay, but unexceptional, rock. 3 stars

The first half of this album was pretty good, and at their best they sound like a punkier Teenage Fanclub. "Kung Fu" is a great tune, and "Lose Control" and "Girl From Mars" are also were pretty good. Unfortunately, the second half got pretty mediocre. It's like they tried to stretch 30 minutes of material into an hour. 3.5 stars.

Bloody stunning. One of the best debut albums of the 90s that isn’t by Aphex Twin, Boards Of Canada or Goldie. This is so youthful and exuberant which makes sense because the band were only about 19 at the time. It carries all that chirpy immediate Britpop tunefulness albeit in much harder rocker way. Flies the flag for Thin Lizzy and also flies happy jolly flip side flag for Nirvana - not so obsessed with heroin and shotguns but more keen on scoring girls from Mars and loving life. Some absolute joyful whopper anthems on here like Goldfinger, Oh Yeah, Kung Fu and of course Girl From Mars but nearly all of this is just great big awesome sloppy rocking fun. A crucial cultural touchstone with the album being named after the year Star Wars came out so they have a dichotomy of being nerdy and awkward but also cool, comedic and heavy-partying so it set up ever so slightly a space for Shaun Of The Dead and Spaced writer Simon Pegg and his posse to thrive. Free tip for the owner of the website… if Phil Spector’s Christmas album generates itself for users on Christmas Day then this one should generate for users on whatever day Ash Wednesday is during the year.

7/10

goed begonnen, erna mehh 2.5

I didn't know the band. A rather loud and excited music. Not a big fan. An OK album.

Never heard before, solid

definitely has some "album tracks" on there, but still holds up well, big nostalgia value

I didn't know they'd been around that long

I guess they were all born in 1977 or something because this is mid-90s as hell, right between Nirvana and mall punk, stylistically and on the timeline. Good, but probably not something I'd go back to.

I wasn’t expecting much, going off the cliche 90s template logo, but I like this. They drift between sounding like Teenage Fanclub-esque power pop (“Gone the Dream”) to noise workouts (“I’d Give You Anything”) to the amped-up bubblegum fuzz of “Kung Fu.” Their songs are hooky and fun and the lyrical content (and the Tie Fighter sample at the top of the album) show they have a sense of humor.

Almost gave this a 1 for its nothingburgerness but then track 9, Innocent Smile, breathed some life into the affair.

Fine but unmemorable. Listened to it again 24 hour later and still not hooked.

I wish I'd listened to the hidden track on mute instead The album is pretty cool when the brain denies the track ever existed for the sake of its own self-preservation, though

вроде норм, но ничего не зацепило...

never heard of these guys before, and having listened to this album, i feel like i can see why. like, they're not bad, and i do like the sound here, but..... it's nothing particularly special, and i really don't think it needed to be over an hour long. having said that, there's still stuff i like here. i can always get into guitars loaded up with effects, so i enjoy the echoing feedback on "i'd give you anything" and the collapse into a mess of distortion near the end of "innocent smile", but i think i'd have enjoyed this more if they'd committed to shoegazing instead of just toeing the line, yknow? in spite of that my favourite tracks are "girl from mars" and "gone the dream" and honestly i couldn't say why for the life of me cos those are like, some of the furthest tracks from that sound on here i think. they just put all the pop punk sauce on those i guess? idk i could see the rating of this one bumping up a star, it's been growing on me a bit on each listen. but for now..... it's a strong 3.

liked it but didn't love it. of the superior sound in pop-punk imo so glad to have checked it out.

Okay, in my head, I never got around to listening to this because I assumed it was some sort of Brit pop that came out when Oasis was blowing up and it was going to just be that kind of sound that sometimes rocks out, but mostly has a laid-back vibe, in a derogatory "we don't give a shit about this" way. Well, fuck me, because I was completely wrong and I wish I had heard this years ago. I loved this. It was much louder than I was expecting, with melodies on melodies and really good, straightforward songwriting - the kind that just doesn't escape your head for days. I'm sure I'm not the first to point out that this album is like the songwriting of the first two Weezer albums mixed with the volume of the first Everclear albums, in a deferential way while not sounding like a ripoff. Really great stuff.

je ne connaissais pas. C'est le debut album de Ash. Britpop assez sympa des années 90. Avec parfois (rare) des accents hard voire métal.

This was a good album. I should listen to more by these guys. Definitely britpop, so I'll probably struggle to get into it like I did in Jr High and High school, but it's a little heavier than other stuff, so you never know.

Expected to hate this, ended up liking it, but still found it a little disappointing in the end because I thought it could have been a lot better. Honestly sounded somewhat ahead of its time, but some of those songs went on way longer than they needed to, which kind of ruined things. “Let It Flow” and “Lost In You” were my favorite songs, and the second half of the album is quite a bit stronger than the first. I understand why this album made the list, and I liked it, but I wanted something more.

Great one to revisit

Was vibing thru this. I like the sound very much, nothing standing out super much, but it is up my alley. Lower 4

3.5

Felt like I should like I like it, as it was similar in style to Jimmy Eat World which is one of my favourites. But I just couldn't really get into it.

Bonito

Basic 90's rock ig

Never heard of this band, very 90s alternative rock. I liked their vibe. 4* Highlights: goldfinger

I tried. This is one of those bands with a mediocre “band”, and a tone deaf singer. How they for a record deal and ended up in this list, nobody knows. I gave it a solid shot. Can’t stand the voice! It’s like the band your friends in grade 9 made. Listen again: nope Purchase for my collection: never Favourite Song: none

Excellent.

Girl from Mars was on a compilation cassette that someone made for me (without any info about who the bands were or what the songs were called) many years ago. I used to play that cassette all the time while driving. It’s nice to know at last who that particular song was by! The album is decent, though I hear more of the grunge influences than the others referenced in the reviews (it’s not really like Buzzcocks, is it?). I’m quite agnostic when it comes to grunge - it’s ok but it was never my thing.

Not bad. was at a 2 in the beginning but then it's raw 90's power charmed me a bit by th emidpoint

Joah. war recht gleichmäßig mies aber auch nicht schmerzhaft

fertiggehört und schon wieder vergessen

Erst genervt, aber wurd dann zum Ende hin besser, trotzdem nicht mehr als 3 Sterne

Superb

okkkkk rock is on a roll here. Maybe I dont hate it after all. Drink: root beer spiced with licorice and vanilla bean pods. rating 8.73/10

Oh boy. My first concert. One of my first CDs. I used to absolutely love this. I don't feel like it's aged well though, he sounds a bit whiny especially compared to modern Irish rockstars. Heck of an opener and some great songs though. The remaster is amazing and adds so much depth to the songs that the loudness war original mix loses.

Absolutely glorious. No need for it to be in this list of course, but for it's ability to transport me back to a house-party, buying alcohol as an under-age teen and standily moodily in a kitchen tortured by why girls didn't like me, this is right up there. Crank up the volume and blast it out. (side note - girls don't like self-loathing miserable bastards. It is not, repeat not, "being mysterious and elusive")

it was okay, but very repetitive and the songs sounded very alike

Liked this album felt nostalgic, but wouldn’t seek it out again

Mid but good

Some great guitar playing and energetic songs. Reading the (somehow extremely extensive) wikipedia page for this group is interesting. Real nice of the producer to start introducing drugs to kids fresh out of high school. The album is nice with a lot of bangers, but I really don't know why it's on the list to be honest

Fine, not really my favorite rock style but didn’t hate it.

No complaints, just not THAT remarkable.

I can see how you might like this if you grew up listening to it in high school or college, but I found it rather nondescript and boring. The vocalist really needed a voice coach. For most of the album it sounds like he's straining his voice.

Never heard of this before. Wasn't a bad album, but it did not hold my interest very long. 2.5/5 Probably won't listen again

Tried to be hard, missed the mark - weezerish pop, teenagers for teenagers Girl from mars

Probably the best band ever to come out of Down High School, Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland, UK. I didn't like it.

This is another one of those inclusions that right away on listening seems inexplicable, average at best, and then you read Wikipedia and it says they are from the UK and you go "oh, right, yet another random UK band that doesn't really deserve to make the 1001, but are in because the author is from the UK , has a soft spot for UK bands, and probably saw them live or had a relationship that used this album as theme music".

Seems competent but only one (1) guitar lick made me look up.

A fun first album by a band with charm and a lot in the way of melodies. Goldfinger is an imposing song that still sounds amazing. The rest of the songs are very young in their tone but they were just knocking 20 when this was released. Their first and best album.

90's alt rock. It was alright. Nothing really stood out to me about this album and I skipped through most of the songs. (3)

Completely forgot this band existed. I remover hearing some of their stuff in the soundtrack for a game, I think grand tourismo, and liking it at the time. But now listening back it feels like music you’d only listen to if you didn’t have an older sibling/friend to tell you just to listen to dinosaur jr. first half is ok, but then it just goes on and on. Certainly has no business appearing on this list.

One of my brothers favourite albums growing up, The first 3 songs are straight up bangers. Yes blatant Dinosaur Jr and Pixies rip offs but I love both of those bands too so that’s ok. Unfortunately in the following 9 songs only ‘Kung Fu’ and ‘Oh Yeah’ reaches the same level of catchiness. Should have been an awesome 5 song EP instead of a 50 minute long slog of an album. Sorry Gazz

Unknown gem for me!

Écoute intéressante. Pas ce qui a de plus original, un gros mélange de pleins d'autres bands 90s, ça sonne moyen, mais quand même bon somme toute.

Some interesting rock music on this LP. Couldn't believe they had 21 songs on a debut.

I quite enjoyed this album, good to great indie music, with the majority of cuts I liked better on the 2nd listen which bodes well for further listening (probably). But the puke-fest? That's just shitty. WTF were these blokes thinking? A solid 4 star becomes a near disastrous 1 star: in the end I'll just ignore that that "end-note" was ever put on vinyl. I've done some pretty shitty stuff myself: 4 "forgetful and forgiven but is that really Brit-pop when you're a Northern Irish band" stars.

Felt like all the fun parts of 90's alt-grunge rock. Guitar appeal, with some cool fills, and drum backbone that kept it movin.'

Very weezer-esque in a great way

Very much fine background music, idk why it's here but again FINE

pretty cool instrumentals, shit lyrics

A little lull in the middle but overall pretty good

First song promised a 5/5 album. Then it went into a 3/5 territory and stayed there until the last note played in my headphones. I was tired by it then.

Oh, I get it! This is why there aren't any Weezer albums on this list. Weezer just blatantly ripped off this already established unknown band's sound. Wait, what? This should be Exhibit A in the legal argument that this list is UK biased right?

For 1996, this pop punk album doesn’t sound original or innovative. Maybe I’m misremembering, but there was music like this everywhere and it wouldn’t have stood out among the crowd. I don’t remember this band or album, and I certainly would have if it was on the charts in 1996. Guess they weren’t big in the US? Anyway, I’m not overly impressed by it. 2.5 stars

As I remember it, I first heard Ash when Kung-Fu came out, potentially it was on a magasine mixtape, and off the back of that, I bought their mini-album Trailer which was a lovely blast of gritty brit-rock. I actually remember being a little disappointed at 1977 although not enough to not ultimately enjoy it. The production was much more polished and they really started leaning into the poppier side of themselves which is ultimately where their career would go. So I have some nostalgia for this, but I haven't played it in probably 25 years and I doubt I will again.

This has such a great youthful energy, and knowing the band members were still in their teens when they recorded it makes the album even more enjoyable.

It just kind of drags. Starts decent and then stays mellow.

Excelente

Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 2/5

Nice rock album. nothing extraordinary.

Not sure how I have never heard of these guys. This is my kind of 90s music.

Did I enjoy this? Yes. Was I blown away? Absolutely not. I do enjoy the Brit-Pop / Rock vibes on this album but so many of the songs felt quite middle of the road for me. There's also something about the vocals that grate on me slightly. Having said that though, most of the album is an enjoyable listen and there's plenty of catchy hooks throughout. I'll give a strong 6/10, light 7/10 for this.

ok

A very, very 90s alternative album

This has so many components of so many other bands and albums. It's an effective pastiche, but I don't know that there's anything there that sets it apart or stands on its own. I mean, I enjoyed it, but it mostly made me want to listen to the other bands it reminded me of.

More unnecessary Britpop. Yay. Although this sounds more like generic 90s alt rock than just Britpop. There's also the fuzzy guitar because all generic 90s bands had to try to sound like Nirvana to sell CDs. I noticed a lot of reviews say this sounds like Weezer. It does, only Weezer is much better. They could have put the Blue Album on the list instead of this. 2.5

Cool album, enjoyed this much more than I thought I would, with its very loud, varied, and catchy take on a lot of the alt, britpop, and slacker rock sounds of the mid '90s. Nothing unique really, just good solid tunes. The album really started winning me over with the songs 'Goldfinger' and especially 'The Girl From Mars, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that even deeper into the album, many of the songs continued to stick the landing. I found this album more tolerable than many other albums associated with its style - I just find the riffs, melodies, song structures, and writing here to be more digestible and charming, and less grating and repetitive (given the record's length). Guitar playing is a highlight here; you get raging solos with some cool pedal effects, alongside those pretty typical fuzzy riffs you'd expect out of this genre. Also, a few oddly fitting instrumental choices, like with the string sections of 'Gone The Dream' and 'Oh Yeah', the latter of which was maybe my favorite song here, just gorgeously put together with this theatrical, almost glam-rock feel. Oddly enough, I really enjoyed the interlude-y but fun 'Kung Fu' which sounded like an early Ramones-type punk rock song. 'Let It Flow' was another earworm here, really highlighting just how tight, albeit simple, the melody and songwriting on this album are. An album that's really good at what it does, and varied enough across its 50-minute runtime to keep me entertained. Yeah, it's cliche and sort of cheesy at times, but also, it was just ridiculously easy to get through, and I had a lot of fun with it.

pijita

I didn't realise how well I knew this album but I must have listened to it a massive amount back in the day Bough back memories of being a teenager and it's full of bangers. This is a peach

Not bad but not tops either

Starts strong but then gets boring.

intense irritation

There’s an alternate universe where Spike Jonze made some music videos for Ash and they had a Weezer-esque career. They’re probably better off. I like this album a lot, though like a lot of 90s pop-punk, I forget about it the moment the CD ends.

Well, ok.

Nice gritty rock that still had some variety. Shows its age a little but still relevant lyrically and still interesting musically. Glad to find these new artists through the project. 4/5

I guess this was fine?

I like noise and tunes and this has both. Hard to fault really if it wasn't for those strings.

Standard, energetic 90s pop punk and power pop. While the hooks are undeniable and the guitar tone has a nice fuzz to it, the songwriting stays strictly within very safe, predictable boundaries without offering much rhythmic or structural variety.

Correcto

This is so good! 90s space rock filled with some beautiful sonic sounds on guitars!

Not sure where this exists, very monospaced but flat footed. Need to listen again a 2/3 but edging towards a 2

I was coming in expecting to hate it, probably from ptsd caused by the last two albums. But it wasn’t half bad, a handful of songs that I would definitely go back to.

ehh

This started out really promising and then descended into 'yeah, that sounds edgy enough and still will keep most of the target demographic happy'.

Godt britpop album rigtig mange sange jeg synes var mega gode

Fun power pop, cleaned up with a mid-90s sound, but not sure it's new or different than wasn't being played to death by dozens of American bands a half-decade-plus earlier.

Sleeper for the win! Despite loving 90s grunge I had never heard of this band or album before. While it was a -bit- generic I still overall enjoyed it!

This is one of those accessible Britrock bands that just seem to keep on going. It's a bit hit and miss as an album, but the guitars sound great and it's fun.

I'm pretty glad I listened to the version without the bonus track. I was preparing myself mentally, but there was no need for an extra 12 minutes of play time. I'm also pleased it wasn't quite Brit-pop, though I could hear the inevitable influence in there, but they really do have a stronger American rock influence that 'makes' the album. It's like a hard alt-rock, and that's a mood, and they're just commercial enough to work outside of that mood if you're into sounds that can be found on the radio. It was an ok experience for me, no hate. Not sure I'll feel like replaying, but if someone puts it on next to me I'll be able to rock out. 3.1/5

This album was one of the more adventurous ones I have listened to with some highs and lows, but each song felt like its own. I enjoyed the front half more.

Britpop meets Seattle grunge , two very distinct sounds combine in what is a Fun album all things considered. Very of its time but not bad for that The singles are all excellent and probably worth bumping this a rank

I think I just liked it because their music was in Shaun of the Dead That was them wasn't it

Girl From Mars so good. Ash were a great pop punk band. They had some hooks. I am quite a fan of Free All Angels too. This held up way better than I expected. Fave Tracks: Goldfinger, Girl From Mars, Kung Fu, Innocent Smile, Angel Interceptor 3.9/5

Never heard of this band or album before. And it rocks! I see a lot of people say it just sounds like other bands or albums of the time. Cool. If those other albums are included in this project, I reckon I’ll give them a high rating, too.

Girl From Mars is pretty cool, in a slightly rushed powerpop style, and Angel Interceptor is good, too. The rest of the songs are a bit lacking

I didn’t know this one. And that would’ve been fine. Uninteresting songs, uninterestingly sung. “Angel Interceptor” *might* be worth a repeat listen.

Not for me

Where britpop meets garage band. The collectors edition has covers of abba and Star Wars songs.

3/5

Temu-Weezer.

Opening your debut album with Tie Fighters is crazy. Never heard of this band, wasn’t expecting much. Vocally and lyrically it’s a pretty basic record. You can hear the influences baked into almost every song. But you know what, I think that’s great here. I normally complain about the Brit pop/alt rock pulls on here, but I’m totally vibing with this. The fact that these guys were 19 when they made this makes me like this even more. It’s got this super unfiltered feeling. As I said before, it’s just one big conglomeration of all their influences. The Star Wars nods, the sabbath riffs (listen to I’d give you anything” again) there’s no deep message behind the album. It knows what it is and I fuck with that. This record really just feels super nostalgic even though I’ve never heard of it before. I’m thinking Girl From Mars MAYBE got some radio play in the early 2000’s because that sounds almost too familiar. Regardless, I’m a sucker for nostalgia. All this to say, this is an EASY 3 but I’m bumping to a 4 because I found this at just the right time. I fuck with the youthful vibes. It’s loud, catchy, and not perfect. It knows what it is. Standouts/Saves: Kung Fu, Goldfinger, I’d give you anything, girl from mars, lost in you, Let it flow

I WANNA MOSH THIS IS AWESOME I LOVE POP PUNK

I haven't listened to this as a standalone album for quite some time, having had it sitting in my collection for many years. The singles are all worthy, but what I had forgotten was how good some of the non-single tracks on the album are. Basically, you can put on just about any track from this album and not have too many issues with it. Hard to believe these guys were only 17 when they wrote this, and also hard to believe they are still going strong 30 years later!! Pretty close to a 5, but maybe just short, so I'll give it a 4 for now.

Ash. Well, I never knew. Nice little album, though I enjoyed the first listem more than the second.

I think this just isn't my thing. Can't say there's anything wrong with it, just doesn't do much for me. I think my favorite moment was starting the album with a TIE fighter sound. I couldn't finish it.

This had an interesting enough grunge/alternative sound. But nothing really to make it stand out.

It was a fun album that reminded me of sonic youth mixed with a bit of dinosaur jr

Surprisingly fun and energetic exactly in the way I was looking for. There is the perfect amount of angst and metal rock for me but to a point that does not go overboard. The chord progressions are simple but very effective and the vibes overall are right where they should be which makes this an easy listen with quite a few stand out tracks.

Fun but generic 90s alt/grunge rock with a splash of Britpop for good measure. Less Oasis than Oasis, and somehow also less Blur than Blur. There was nothing unique, important, or interesting enough about the music that warrants inclusion on the list. 2.5⭐️

I had some high expectations after reading some of the comments. Girl from mars didn’t really impress me, a bit boring. The all the other songs I liked a lot, powerful sound, Heavy guitar riffs and some quite elements.

Standard 4/4 Rock. Destined to be the Dad Rock of the future, which I suppose is now. Inoffensive classic three star album.

Ash have some great songs, but I never really rated their albums. This was okay but not something I'd rush to put on again

Emotional feeling vocals with a very bright rocky sound, this was definitely an enjoyable listen and had a great composition. 8/10, Favorite Song: Gone The Dream

Run-of-the-mill 90’s alt rock. 2.5

Op zich vermakelijk. Niets bijzonders

Enjoyed felt like 2000s era not 90s. Delightful songs

Great start, with solid energy! I felt like things kind of slowed down as the album progressed, but I still very much liked the songs.

Prima. Begon sterk, toen minder en uiteindelijk wel tof

This was a real discovery. Awesome album.

Only 50 albums in or so, but I feel at this point I already know every crappy "alternative" rock album from the 90s

3.1 2x

4/10… alternative rock / 90er indie / *1996

I had never heard of Ash, but once Girl from Mars came on I started to get into the music and I felt like this song really propelled the rest of the album. 4/5

generic 90s music

I've loved this album for years. Girl from Mars and Goldfinger and Oh Yeah used to get radio spins, and there's a lot of charm in the album tracks as well.

- I've always enjoyed this album - it's got a lot of hits, for sure. - It's fun and full of a lot of youthful energy, but it also has a sweetness about it that I really enjoy. - Heavy guitar fuzz but agree with the Wikipedia page that it's catchy... definitely melody focused. I also appreciate the strings. - I remember them being fun live. Also have fond memories of dancing to Kung Fu at the Bomber - thanks DJ guy! - I'd maybe cut a song or two (e.g., I'd Give You Anything, Innocent Smile, and definitely the hidden barf track), but none of the songs are bad, and the album hangs together nicely.

I enjoyed this. Pretty typical of the time period, but it was a good listen. I will probably spin it again.

Not my thing…not a fan of this sound..screechy and annoying

Aggressively fun garage rock. I have never heard of this guys. It was nice enough.

Ok. Definitely of an era. Dodgy vocals on at least one track

Not listened to this since around the time it came out and I’m not sure I’ll listen again in a hurry. I mean it’s ok, a couple of the album tracks (e.g. Innocent Smile) I liked more than the singles. But it just doesn’t feel as good as some of the similar sounding stuff their contemporaries realeased (e.g. Supergrass, Weezer). But it was alright. I suspect a lot of these tracks probably sound better live than recorded.

Even I have to admit that some of the music of mid 90s indie bands hasn’t aged that well. His vocals are really bad in some of these songs and there are probably 1 or 2 songs that should have been binned. However, it still really rocks, Kung Fu, Girl from Mars, Innocent Smile, Angel Interceptor the highlights, and you realise it is packed full of great songs. Also never really noticed until now how incredibly similar to Weezer they are.

This album evokes strong memories because my mate Stu loves them to bits, and I’ve always enjoyed slagging them off to annoy him. What do I really think. While I truly can’t stand ‘Girl from Mars’, there are a couple of catchy pop punk numbers which are a good listen. But the filller, which is a fair chunk, just tends to show up what an average vocalist he is. Still, given they were teenagers when they wrote it, it’s a decent high energy effort.

Had me at the TIE fighter sound, lost me by th second sound.

Ещё один альбом в копилку "между гранжем и бритпопом" Очень милые вокальные партии на некоторых треках сочетаются с абсолютно ГРЯЗНЫМИ, ЖИРНЫМИ риффами, гаражными такими, сочными, уух! Очень напомнило ранних Dinosaur Jr. на некоторых местах. Вот знаете что думаю, пока слушаю этот челлендж - сколько-ж было таких групп которые следовали вот этому сырому звучанию, но при этом пытались смиксовать его с чем-то более лиричным и мягким без скрима и надрыва в вокале. И сколько таких альбомов и групп сгинули в неизвестности и остались незамеченными (порой совершенно заслуженно бтв) но Ash - 1977, точно не этот случай. Этот альбом довольно популярен у этой группы и попал он в этот список совершенно не зря. Это слепок великой эпохи, эхо девяностых, замечательная, талантливая работа.

really good!!

teenage dirtbag boy in love with a girl kinda album, iconic

90’s alt Brit rock

Ahhh... 1996, the music industry trying to find a Nirvana cover band while the alternative sound moves away from Grunge towards something more unique or mainstream (depending on the band)... Oh, and let us not forget the coming age of boy bands and sexualizing teenage girls from the Mickey Mouse Club. Can't say I remember ever hearing Ash, but it sounds like the perfect example of a mid 90s alternative band... I actually enjoy it for what it is.

Not the biggest fan of this one. Was hard to pick a favourite song as didn’t particularly enjoy any of them. Added dark side light side to my playlist for this one

Me gustó pero 100% olvidable. Alguien tiene que inventar algo de esta lista Nota: 2.8

грязно, перегружено, попсово я такое люблю вокал необычный и не приедается

There's a four hour pretentious version, I listened to the 50 minute original release. Lose Control is not a good song, but it is one I like. Girl from mars is ok. I like the heavy guitars and the drums and the bass individually but somehow the pieces aren't coming together. This is coming across like a cut rate Blink 182. Kung Fu is a fun song. Yeah ok this album is slowly winning me over.

I was not aware of this and it was a nice surprise. I probably liked the opener the best, but the rest was a decent listen. Will revisit. Not quite a 4 but rounding up because it deserves a separation from the 3’s. 3.5/5

A perfectly fine listen that definitely feeds the 90s hunger. Not bad, but not great. Pretty forgettable. The Dinosaur Jr and Teenage Fanclub comparisons are present for sure, but to me this also leans more into the world of Weezer, early Soul Asylum and Collective Soul, and even some Foo sprinkled on. Only, those bands do it way better. And nearly 600 albums in here, we have yet to receive an album from any of them. Hmmm…

This was a good listen, albeit a bit generic and didn’t totally feel like a standout to me. But enjoyable, prob not a repeat listen.

This was solid. I hadn’t heard of these guys (at least I don’t think I have 🤔). Regardless, will definitely be checking out more. Girl from Mars is a fun one. I also appreciate the Star Wars tie fighter sound at the beginning. And a song about Kung Fu. I’m tempted to rate higher but I think this benefits from being very much in my wheelhouse. But not sure if this is a huge standout for a lot of the music at that time. 3.25

Probably going too high with my rating, but this was a nice surprise amongst a lot of recent meh albums. Need to dig into their discography cuz this def piqued my interest. 3.5/5

Quite o.k. but it did not click for me. Unimpressive vocals plus pretty generic 90s rock.

Yet again a perfectly pleasant album that is just average 1990s fare. Too many of these on the list.

No

Early 90’s Irish grunge

I had never even heard of Ash. The question that remains is why this album had to be included in this book with the 15-20 other Brit-pop albums? What is being done here that makes the album essential listening? It's more of a power-pop version of Brit-pop, but they use Oasis's producer and are clearly influenced by garage rock...and Star Wars? There is nothing offensive here but it does feel like I have heard this all before, even when it comes to the song titles. Lose Control? Isn't that a Feeder song? Goldfinger? A Bond movie. Girl from Mars? I thought Bowie wrote this one already? Innocent Smile? I pretty sure that was originally a The The song. Lost in You? Another Feeder song? Darkside Lightside? Is this a Weird Al parody of Champagne Supernova? The Curse of Familiarity (trademarked) is strong with this album. It's comfortable in some ways because we have heard this all before, but it also isn't revolutionary because we have heard all this before. Favorite songs: Lose Control Goldfinger Girl From Mars Oh Yeah Let It Flow Lost in You

A Britpop blur of crunchy guitars and sugar-rush hooks that all kind of sound the same… but in a way that’s weirdly charming. It’s not breaking any new ground, but the whole thing radiates teenage optimism and “we just started a band and somehow got famous” energy.

Solid 90's alt rock. I listened through a few times and enjoyed most of it. I might check out the rest of their catalog. Kind of surprised I missed this back in the day cause it was the type of stuff I listened to.

I loved Girl from Mars first time around and Kung Fu is an absolute blast. Not sure why I never purchased the album at the time - maybe Ash had become too popular for me. The singles still hold up - but the album tracks are a bit patchy - noticeably grungier/ fuzzier and less polished then the singles.

1977 If Dig Your Own Hole was spring of 1997 A-Levels, this is pure summer of 1996 A-Levels. I haven’t listened to it in years but it still feels like a summer album, particularly Goldfinger, Girl from Mars and of course Oh Yeah, with its evocation of summer holidays from school. I absolutely loved this when it came out, but listening now it’s striking how American, particularly grunge and US punk sounding it is, something I don’t think I realised back in 1996. I’m not massively into those genres, but I think their sense of pop melody really differentiates them, and particularly Tim Wheeler's voice. It's very slight and teenage sounding, but that lightness and naivety combined with some excellent melodies gives their best songs a great dynamic. Those singles remain superb; Goldfinger, Girl from Mars, Kung Fu, Angel Interceptor and Oh Yeah in particular, and I still really like Lose Control and Let it Flow and Darkside Lightside is decent, but I’m not sure the rest stand up particularly well, not least as I had no rush of memory hearing them again now, and many of them do feel quite underdeveloped. Ultimately it's a bit of a mixed bag of some truly excellent songs, a massive heap of teenage nostalgia and some rather forgettable songs, putting it on the cusp of 3 and 4. I’ll let Oh Yeah and the nostalgia carry the day and give it a 4. ⚱️⚱️⚱️⚱️ Playlist submission: Oh Yeah

These cats were born two years before me and released this album 30 years ago when I could barely wipe my own arse. And I was 17. It's a superb power-pop nostalgia hit, and an album that completely escapes shoegazing influences for post punk ones. There's no sad introspection here - it's all outward looking, youthful energy and is often glorious. The singles are faultless, each delivering joyous energy from The Ramones worthy 'Kung Fu', the classic 'Girl From Mars', the teenage love rock of 'Oh Yeah', the Beach Boys harmonies of 'Angel Interceptor' to the anthemic 'Goldfinger'. The only negative is it's too long and does start to dip over the last few songs. This needs to be a power perfect 40 minutes, but comes in at over 50 minutes. Pull the the formulaic and bloated 'Innocent Smile' and the forgettable 'Darkside Lightside' and it would be immaculate. No matter, it rises above Britpop peers (yes, they're Irish) to create an enduring altern-classic.

Non è malaccio, ma un po' noioso.

Paar leuke nummers, verder heel erg saai

Standaard britpop. Niet ruk, zeker niet super boeiend.

solid

I am unfamiliar with this band, but overall pretty solid release.

90s rock. Debut. Northern Irish band. Immediately goes off with great guitars. Catchy and nostalgic.

Not really my cup of tea. A couple decent songs but overall pretty bang average

it starts strong but kinda tapers out

This was exceptionally boring, and I grew up in this era, so I have a soft spot for the grunge / britpop sound - but this felt very derivative, more pop than anything else, and without much in the way of memorable .... anything....

Was vantevoren bang dat dit een soort Oasis soundalike zou zijn maar het is gelukkig een 90s sound die ik wél tof vind. Soort Britse variant van Fountains of Wayne, maar dan anders. Love de productie, en dat een heel aantal van de nummers in elkaar doorlopen. Plus, het album begint met het geluid van een TIE Fighter. De bassist heet Mark Hamilton, GeT iT?!

2.8/5 Girl from Mars is just a brilliant song. I used to listen to it all the time when it first came out and I never get sick of it. A couple other decent songs on the album and it's one I could probably listen to more in the future.

Hard-hitting 90s garage rock \m/ Love the fuzzy, grungy sound, and "Lose Control" is a killer opening track -- the whole band comes out swinging and rarely lets up for the next 50 mins. Nothing about the production stands out as particularly innovative or revolutionary, but I'll give it a pass anyway as it's easy to groove along to and just all around fun.

I liked it!

Riffs aplenty, I have a friend that loves these guys and sings like Tim Wheeler.

2.5

Pretty good punk album

It had some jammin' riffs. Nothing really stuck out to me. Not bad.

I like the music way more than the vocals. Lead singers voice is a bit weak and doesn’t always measure the intensity of the guitars and drums. His voice on Oh Yeah, when he attempts to sing higher than his voice can manage, is cringe-worthy.

one of those 'leaves me cold' bands

Fine, but nothing special Best Song: Lose Control Rating: 5.0/10 Stars: 3

𝟣𝟫𝟩𝟩 is an enjoyable Britpop record with plenty of energy and catchy moments. The songs are straightforward, melodic, and easy to like, giving the album a light and accessible feel. Still, it doesn’t offer much that sets it apart from other Britpop releases of the time. While it’s pleasant to listen to, it ultimately feels a bit generic and lacks a stronger identity. Nice in the moment, but not something that sticks.

This album starts so well with the song "Lose Control", a very frenetic, fast pop punk track with some very distorted guitars that have a lot of energy. Unfortunately, from this point what the album focuses, in its majority, way more in power pop and britpop, losing all the energy the opener established, with the exception on some other tracks like "Kung Fu", "Angel Interceptor" and "Darkside Lightside". On the bright side, the guitars and bass stay super noisy through the whole record, which is what I liked the most about it. When it comes to the ideas, it sounds quite generic britpop, but still has a really catchy and fun sound, and as already mentioned, the very distorted sound adds a bit of uniqueness to their music. Maybe there are some cuts that come as a bit cheesy like "Kung Fu", "Oh Yeah" and "Let it Flow", but overall, it is a fun experience, yet a bit forgettable.

como suele pasar con muchos de los albumes del challenge: un par de bangers y el resto un embole. En este caso bastante punk rock and roll, no me parecio memorable 4/10

A little nondescript but still fun and easy on the ears

Very cool overall, some annoying bits, but I like its style

I liked the first song, because it was more intense, but afterwards it became kinda generic. It wasn't bad, but I got bored after that first track.

Nostalgi. Ok album, noen hits. Har ikke revolusjonert verden på noen som helst måte.

I like that one, may relisten

From the Vault #6 (March 5, 2026) I've never heard of this album or artist before, but I've marked it as an album over one hour in length, so we're ripping off the band-aid early. There's nothing this can be other than a grunge album, right? This album cover has that exact aesthetic going for it. Either grunge or some edgy, poppy, metal-adjacent genre that was popular with dirtbag teens in the 90s. Let's get into it. Britpop, power pop, garage rock, pop rock and pop punk. All genres I never would have successfully predicted if my life depended on it. This is fucking bleak. I've had this album on for half an hour now and I haven't been able to get past the first five tracks. I space out so heavily and so regularly to these tunes that two or three of them are able to pass by without me noticing, which causes my charitability impulse to kick in and skip back to where I initially spaced out, perpetuating the cycle of disinterest once more. This music is just so washed out and empty. The vocals frustrate me the most with how lackluster they are. They sound oddly restrained, which is the worst thing a vocal performance can be in my eyes - way worse than just being straight-up bad. The music doesn't impress me much, either. The songs have a very generic power pop guitar growl guiding the lead melody, which I don't find to be all that engaging - especially with how stretched thin it is across an hour runtime. The uninspired power pop sound is occasionally interrupted with a bit of Britpop flavouring - particularly the string sections, spiraling guitars and mild washed-out sound which hangs over the piece. While power pop has worked for me before, Britpop has never. Overall, a tragic listen which left me phenomenally bored out of my mind. Book time. Named after the year the artists were born, which I suppose makes them 19 when this album released. "Surely one of the finest debuts of the 1990s, 1977 magically mingled the recklessness and raucousness of youthful abandon..." An individualistic album that rides the trends of the time while injecting its own flavour into the mix, notably power pop. Had a successful single on the UK charts. "...defined the musical experience of a micro-generation of youth." Wikipedia says this album was well-received by critics, topped the UK charts and was the 31st best-selling album of the year in the country. It had some decent chart success in a few other Western and European countries, too. Nah, fuck this album. Bye byeeeeeeeeeeeee. In place of this album, I humbly submit Homogenic by Bjorke for inclusion on the list. Another album I haven't listened to, but I know it's commonly heralded as her best. I pulled Medulla from the list in my yet-to-be-released review of that album, but I figured she still deserved four list albums, so I'm once again being charitable here. ================== I think I was a little mean to this album. In its defence, this is the exact kind of music I and many others would think of making as teens if we were musically inclined. High energy, zany rock tunes about picking up Martian broads with the exact same, wafer-thin songwriting and instrumentals repeated guiding each track. I'm still not really into this, but I suppose I have more respect for it now. I'm bumping this album to 2 stars.

I've never heard of these guys. They're from the UK(of course) and this came out in 1996, which means it's highly likely to be crappy Britpop. It is...kind of. "Lose Control" is what people who don't listen to heavy metal think heavy metal sounds like. The rest is loud alternative rock with radio-ready hooks. It's part Britpop, part dream pop, all radio rock. The vocals are almost inaudible under the distortion, which doesn't really hurt the album too much as they sound rather generic for the era. The album's lyrics are bog-standard love lyrics, which fits its poppy nature. Most damning of all, it's very obscure and therefore inessential to the time period's music. This is not a list of OK albums that aren't noteworthy. It's a list of albums that are essential listening, and this isn't essential listening. It doesn't belong here, especially when actually essential albums like the Blue Album are missing completely.

This is Beta Band + Pixies to me. Good stuff, but it doesn’t cross the border into greatness.