Argus/Pilgrimage - Wishbone Ash

Advantages: excellent guitar playing
Disadvantages: inconsistent material

...Wishbone's sophamore effort from 1971 suffers by comparison with both its predecessor, their excellent, energetic debut album, and its successor, the career defining "Argus" which is one of THE classic British Rock albums of the 70s. It's a good album of course, but after an excellent start it sags in the middle, and the closing live track smacks of a band short of material and desperately trying to find forty minutes worth of material to meet a deadline. The first three tracks are classic Ash. "Vas Dis" opens proceedings with a duel between the lead guitars of Andy Powell and Ted Turner and bassist Martin Turner's scat vocals. It's an exhilarating start and paves the way for the outstanding (almost) title track. "The Pilgrim" wafts in gently, slightly reminiscent of Jimmy Page's "Black Mountainside" before evolving into a head... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Lots of Ash
Disadvantages: none

...With the 70's came the live album, and this rates up there with the best of them. Purple had Made in Japan and Yes had Yessongs, and now Ash had their Live Dates. Wishbone Ash had already released four excellent studio recordings, but like many bands in this era, they really came into their own on stage. Like Argus, their third album, no Ash fan should be without this album! All the classic Ash songs are on here: The King Will Come, Blowin' Free, Warrior, Pheonix, Lady Whiskey and many more. If you like guitar and vocal harmonies, then you'll like Ash, and you'll love this album. Wisbone Ash are still playing today, and are still well worth going to see. It's a pity everything after this album went downhill for Ash.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Brilliant early 70's rock music
Disadvantages: Some of the singing!

...The first version of Wishbone Ash in the early 1970s were a London-based band fronted by the twin guitars of Andy Powell and Ted Turner, who had released two albums prior to this, their self-titled debut in 1970 and Pilgrimage in 1971. Although nominally a progressive rock act, the Ash were too varied to be pinned to any particular style, alternating between hard rock, folksy-leaning acoustic material and melodic rock with jazzy undertones. All in all, a good band with more than capable musicians, who were: Andy Powell and Ted Turner (guitars, occasional vocals), Martin Turner (bass, vocals) and Steve Upton (drums). Argus was first released in May 1972, it was a very sucessful album at the time, going gold, and over the years has become their most famous record. Something of a "concept" album this one, but I use... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful