Ok, so here’s where it all began, the very first music put out by my dear and favourite band, Ash. Although technically only an EP with 7 tracks, it is undoubtedly one of the finest albums ever produced and was, until their latest offering, Free All Angels, unrivalled as their best work. Which, although an admirable accolade for such a bright young band (they were still teenagers when Trailer was released), gave them something awfully big to live up to with the next album. 1977 came close, and was a fine album in its own right, but it was a different style and album for Trailer shows definite punk influences, jam packed full of youthful exuberance and energy.
Starting with Season, a lively track where the electric guitars positively sing and Tim Wheeler’s angelic vocals are heard for the first time, calmly sung over the top in start contrast to the electric guitars playing in the background.
Following this is the first example of the fine sense of humour which characterises most of Ash’s albums - a ‘message from Oscar Wilde’ where he discusses the naming of their next track, Jack Names the Planets. This is, without a doubt, the best song of the album, which of course makes it one of Ash’s best tracks ever. They acknowledge this themselves, shoving it on to 1977 as a hidden track and continuing to play it at gigs today. Slightly less punk like, Jack Names the Planets is in style very similar to how 1977 would eventually turn out.
Intense Thing is just that - 4 minutes of intense, hard core electric guitars and Tim shouting angrily over the top, getting louder and louder as the song goes on. Uncle Pat is another subdued track, with a brilliant riff, another instance where the guitars almost sing. In style it reminds me of the Life Less Ordinary single - the B sides there (Deaner Says especially) are very similar. Following Uncle Pat comes another wacky message, this time from Mr Waterman proclaiming some nonsense.
Get Out is much more punk inspired, but is sadly only a brief 1½ minutes. Fortunately those 1½ are adrenaline fuelled rock unlike any other! Petrol is another perennial favourite played at their recent live gig. Petrol is a truly beautiful rock song, once again Tim’s guitar, Mark’s bass and Rick’s drums complementing each other so well the effect is tantamount to magic, Tim’s vocals soaring with the guitar in perfect harmony.
Obscure Thing ends the EP, and is another thrilling 4 minutes of loud rock, fantastically done in the eclectic manner Ash do so well, with Tim whispering something in the background (the Obscure Thing of the title perhaps?) getting louder and louder as the song nears its end, but still just out of comprehensible range the whole time. The effect is, naturally, brilliant.
I’ve said it before, and I won’t apologise for saying it again, but Trailer is blindingly good and stands as Ash’s best work to date (only equalled by their new album, Free All Angels) Most bands will waste their careers attempting to produce an album of this high quality yet Ash managed it with their first try. Perhaps that was what made the new sound of 1977 all the sweeter, for the two worked so well together.
Bottom Line: As always in the music industry the early, less commercialised stuff is always the best, but nobody expects it to be this good!
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Oct 29th, 2002
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