Argus [Remastered] - Wishbone Ash

Ash don't seem to have dated as well as other bands: they did the twin lead guitar thing and combined rock, folk and blues long before Thin Lizzy but while Lizzy are perennial favourites Ash are largely forgotten.

The Allman Brothers are revered but say "Ted Turner and Andy Powell" and people would probably say: "Television guy? Radio One DJ?"

Originally released in April 1972, "Argus" is ...
...of Wishbone Ash. Fans and critics see it as the definitive Ash album yet I bet it hardly ever figures in those "best 100 albums of all time polls" you get when magazines and newspapers need to fill space.

If you've never heard of Ash, they're a bit like Jethro Tull or Yes: prog rock combined with jazz, blues and folk, with quite delicate vocals. In fact the whole sound is quite delicate and precise, even when both guitars ... more

Ash don't seem to have dated as well as other bands: they did the twin lead guitar thing and combined rock, folk and blues long before Thin Lizzy but while Lizzy are perennial favourites Ash are largely forgotten.

The Allman Brothers are revered but say "Ted Turner and Andy Powell" and people would probably say: "Television guy? Radio One DJ?"

Originally released in April 1972, "Argus" is said to be the crowning moment of the recording career of Wishbone Ash. Fans and critics see it as the definitive Ash album yet I bet it hardly ever figures in those "best 100 albums of all time polls" you get when magazines and newspapers need to fill space.

If you've never heard of Ash, they're a bit like Jethro Tull or Yes: prog rock combined with jazz, blues and folk, with quite delicate vocals. In fact the whole sound is quite delicate and precise, even when both guitars are going full bore.

It opens with "Time was" initially a gentle acoustic track which then gently explodes into some kind of American alt country rock song; think the Allman brothers. There's a nice rocky ending with a big guitar solo. This is prog rock so it's 9.44 long.

"Blowin free" is a classic, from the opening guitar to the jazzed up 12 bar blues to the hippy lyrics: "I thought I had a girl / And all because I seen her". The guitar section towards the end could have been performed by Thin Lizzy in their early days.

"The king will come" is next, another classic: again, think Allman Brothers. If the riff was beefed up and speeded up, Iron Maiden (more twin guitars) could have done it. And I don't want to bang on, but the distorted guitar solo sounds suspiciously influential in Thin Lizzy's "The rocker".

The band members are all really good players so musically it's of a high standard and the tunes are good; it just lacks something, probably a vocalist with a distinctive voice - particularly noticeable on some songs, like "Sometime world".

It's also maybe just too good: it's technically superb and great for a bit of loud navel gazing but doesn't make you go "Whooooaa!"

This new edition features the original album mix, newly remastered from the original tapes, plus rare BBC Radio sessions, live recordings from 1972 and a bonus disc featuring the band's 1972 BBC Radio One "In concert" appearance which launched "Argus".

An ideal present if you (or your dad) are into prog rock, and if you like the Thin Lizzy twin axes or the rolling country tinted American rock from the early 70s. 

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