New England/Front Page News - Wishbone Ash

Advantages: Technically very good, virtuoso performances, good prog
Disadvantages: A little dated, won't make you look trendy

...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... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Fantastic songs, classic Wishbone Ash guitar work, good variety, clear sound quality.
Disadvantages: Some songs carry a more simple and generic 'blues rock' feel...

...' contains references to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which is indeed something new for a band which used to carry messages of pilgrimages, ancient battles and tales of 'ye olden' times. This track also combines some light flute work with some later heavier riffs which really rock, and bring another different feel to the album. The closing track, 'Peace' is a slow moving, soothing and expressive instrumental - something which is found on many Wishbone Ash albums - and is a really nice way to close. There are so many different moods contained within this one album! If you get the Special Edition of the album, you'll have three bonus tracks to enjoy . The first, 'Hard On You', is a nice melodic tune which seems to feel a bit more 'pop'-esque than most of their material. There's a live version of Almighty Blues, and there's also an 11-minute... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Classic British rock music
Disadvantages: -

...Wishbone Ash are stalwarts of the UK rock scene, having been around in one form or another since the mid 1960's. They are my dad's favourite ever group and I grew up listening to every record they ever made! In their early 70's peak, of which this is the first in a series of top-notch albums, they were very big, but never quite made it to arena status. A gig with Deep Purple led to their guitarist, "Smiling" Richie Blackmore recommending the band to the record company MCA, and recording commenced! This, their debut album, released in December 1970, showcased their then unique style - a twin lead guitar attack, courtesy of Andy Powell and Ted Turner. It seems the intention was to have just a classic vox-guitar-bass-drums line up but after honing the sound, the band decided to have two guitarists. Thus was... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful