BLUE ASH

LINKS TO OTHER COOL SITES Power Pop Lovers http://powerpoplovers.blogspot.com/ Lost In The Grooves http://www.lostinthegrooves.com

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Youngstown's Rock & Roll Photos... Verdens Beste Powerpop?

YOUNGSTOWN'S ROCK & ROLL PHOTOS
This site has great old photos of album and 45 covers and newspaper ads from classic Northeast Ohio bands such as the Human Beinz, Glass Harp, Blue Ash, Left End, LAW, Holes In The Road.....and many, many others
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/YoungstownRocknRollPhotos/


VERDENS BESTE POWERPOP?

BLUE ASH

http://www.pstereo.no/Webdesk/netblast/pages/index.html?id=314258

Norwegian To English Translation

by Ole from Mike Orwell

World's Best Powerpop

Blue Ash

Blue Ash got together in 1970 and spent three years on an intensive concert tour before their debut record came out in 1973. A debut, as in my ears, stands like the strongest in history, at the same time one of the best, if not the best, powerpop record ever. No, not the best, but top ten, of course! In my opinion, this record came out too early to be defined as powerpop because, if you think about it, the category was not invented at this time. But then you have this thing about categories where a spade is a spade no matter how you look at it and this is powerpop in a classic performance despite the category not even being invented.

OK, I know I have offended a lot of the readers now and maybe I have done it on purpose because don't I forget Raspberries, a big star, and Badfinger and a whole lot of other bands? No, I don't. For me these guys have always been straight pop. When I think about powerpop, I compare this sound to the punk rock influence on the pop harmony inheritance from the 60's. And this definition you can link to the period of 1977 to 1982. Blue Ash is not necessarily far from bands like Big Star and Co., but the band is falling more naturally into the category with it's energetic follower.

Maybe you can look at this record as a connection between these periods.

How can I then call Blue Ash powerpop? Inspiration from punk rock is impossible despite the fact that you include bands which many people said started punk rock. The musical influence these bands could have had would just turn into an experimental sound so far from the harmony you could have. But, I think that the gold old rock and roll from the 70's has done a lot for Blue Ash. From a strange situation Blue Ash was able to put together the same sound picture as the powerpop generation. Listen with your rock and roll ears and you will find . . .

I don't know how I can explain myself better but I stand for what I am saying.

What can this record offer? Yes, I can tell you. Here you find something as seldom as a good collection of powerpop pearls. It's no secret that you usually find only one or two hits on most powerpop records. One after another they tumble over you with the sound of guitar playing, both electric and acoustic. This is love in uncomplicated form. Maybe the text tries to tell you something else but who is able to absorb that or understand that when you get so happy. The band was able to make only two albums. The name of the second record was "Front Page News" and it came out in 1977, but it's this one you want if you are looking for powerpop. The music critics were nice to Blue Ash. The public was not. You cannot buy much bread and milk with good reviews. There have been a few reunion concerts through the years but I doubt that you need more than one hand to count them. I think you also can play with your father's circular saw without losing the count. But, with a little curiosity I can mention that bass player Frank Secich is playing on Stiv Bators' legendary "Disconnected" from 1980.

As you probably understand by now, this record has a lot of qualities which should secure the golden wings in rock and roll sky, but that's not where it belongs. It deserves to live. It keeps itself fresh and good even today. This is not only one of the best records that has been sailing under the powerpop flag, but because of the clear old rock and roll vibes it gives a special particular sound which is also refreshing and calming. This is one of my absolute favorites and they deserve a special place in each and everyone's respectable collection.

Kenneth Dahlgren

MORE BLUE ASH ARTICLES


Pop Culture Press-Review And Interview
by Kent Benjamin
Http://popculturepress.com/blueash.htm

Ohio On Line-Frank Secich Interview
by Peanuts
http://www.ohioonline.com/2004/nov04/music.phtml

Blue Ash At Isound

Has a free mp3 of an acoustic demo called "The Goodie Wagon"

http://www.isound.com/blue_ash

Blue Ash Review From UNCUT Magazine UK

http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/blue_ash/reviews/8488

Blue Ash At "Lost In The Grooves"

http://www.lostinthegrooves.com/tags/blue-ash

Blue Ash Pop 45 From 1974

http://www.geocities.com/popfortyfive/blueash.html

Blue Ash Article In German Magazine "Oldies-Markt"

http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:Thf2hR37kdYJ:www.funwithmusic.de/oldiemarkt/Flashback/pdf-files/Magazin%252005-2006.pdf+Frank+Secich&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=88

Blue Ash Review In Pstereo From Norway

http://www.pstereo.no/Webdesk/netblast/pages/index.html?id=329821

Cool Cleveland Review Of "Around Again"

http://www.coolcleveland.com/index.php?n=Main.MusiCleveland

Poplopedia-Seventies Rock

http://poplopedia.com/12301.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val*








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