Live At The Wireless - Ash > Reviews > A clear inviation to the dance

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Average
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money

Advantages:	Songs sound great live, Ash messing around
Disadvantages:	Expensive import, nothing really new

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Live at the Wireless is a Live album released in Australia a few months after 1977 came out and available on import here. It's basically something for the completist Ash fan, as there are only two new tracks - T Rex (which was also a b-side to Oh Yeah) and What Deaner was Talking About (which subsequently made it onto A Life Less Ordinary as a B-Side). There's also the jingle "A clear invitation to the dance" which sounds like the band having a bit of fun in the studio, which was used as a advert on the radio for this session.

This album is a copy of a session Ash did for Triple AAA radio in Australia - you'll find live versions of all your favourite Ash tracks - Goldfinger, Girl From Mars, Oh Yeah etc, and some of the other tracks from 1977. They have a much more stipped down feel than on the 1977 album - gone is some of the fancy guitar work, as well as the strings, to be replaced by a heavier bass and a more rough and raw approach. As I always have adored Ash live, I found this to be brilliant, as the energy of a live performance is there - although you do expect some kind of cheer at the end of each song, only to be met by silence as they're in a studio. They don't sound as good live on this as they do now - back then they where a three-piece and where trying to play songs designed for two guitars on one guitar - so to compensate, the bass is given a much greater emphasis and I feel this gives the songs a great deal of power.

It's very laid back, Tim says the odd word between songs, and there is a fun moment when they mess the start of Goldfinger up three times in a row. Apart from that, the tracks here aren't too different from the album tracks, which is why I'd only recommend it to a completist fan, especially as it will set you back about £12 being on import.

Tracklist

Darkside Lightside
Girl From Mars
Oh Yeah
T Rex
I'd Give You Anything
Kung Fu
What Deaner Was Talking About
Goldfinger
Petrol
A Clear Invitation To The Dance

Highlights

I'd Give You Anything is the song to benefit most from the live treatment. A song they rarely play live, it has a whole new feel and energy to it live.
Girl From Mars on this album is the best version I've ever heard, and the intro - Darkside Lightside - is played amazingly.