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Wishbone Ash - Here To Hear CD (album) cover

HERE TO HEAR

Wishbone Ash

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4 stars While not exactly prog rock, for fans of Wishbone Ash Here To Hear is a must have. The Mk I lineup of Ash reunited in the late '80s and did three albums: in 1987 Nouveau Calls, in 1989 Here To Hear, and in 1991 Strange Affair. Here To Hear is the best of the three; Nouveau Calls is all instumental and a good album, but without vocals doesn't have all the Ash elements, and the songwriting on Strange Affair is weaker than Here To Hear. Classic Ash fans may not like the 1980s sound of the albums, but the playing, sound quality and production on all three albums are great.
Report this review (#102277)
Posted Saturday, December 9, 2006 | Review Permalink
SouthSideoftheSky
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Symphonic Team
3 stars This is a pretty good Wishbone Ash album in the same style as No Fire Without Smoke from 1978. Just like on that album, several songs remind me a bit of Dire Straits, only much better. Both of these albums also end with a two-part composition. Don't be fooled by this, however. This is not really progressive rock. Just very good and sophisticated hard rock music; well written, well performed, well recorded and well produced.

There are more keyboards on this album than on most Wishbone Ash albums, but only ever in the background - never as a lead instrument. The bass guitar is often loud and bottom. Especially on the Hole In My Heart (Parts 1), where the bass almost has that wonderful Chris Sqiure sound.

The electric guitars are very well played (as on most Wishbone Ash albums).

Apart from the very good Hole In My Heart suite, there is really no need to mention specific songs, everything is good but nothing is outstanding.

Not the ultimate place to start, but one of the better Wishbone Ash albums I have heard so far.

Report this review (#185129)
Posted Thursday, October 9, 2008 | Review Permalink
ZowieZiggy
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars After their disastrous « Nouveau Calls », WA could only released better music. Unfortunately, this one is not a big improvement in terms of song writing and musical compositions as a whole. Vocals do add a bit of flavor in comparison with their prior and pitiful release; but I can hardly be truly enthusiastic about this record. The proof is the pudding? Most of this album is filled with pretty basic rock songs without any prog feeling like "Keeper Of The Light". Most of the tracks are based on this rock scheme. "Mental Radio" is an upbeat anthem and by far my fave out of this maelstrom of weak songs.

The glory guitar twin solos are far away, I'm afraid. It is really difficult to be generous with the band at this stage of their career. But of course, plenty of giants have known lesser times. Just the same feeling with WA did while I listen to this recording (and some prior ones).

Some sort of "U2" ballad while they play "Witness To Wonder" isn't really what I would have expected from WA. But THEY decided to go that way, I didn't? To suffer a weak and disco track as "Lost Cause In Paradise" is quite challenging? This is a very much below Roxy type of songs.

The worse is still to come with the poppish "Why Don't We". The only positive sign in here is some good guitar notes out of this general disaster. And even if some good moments can be experienced during "In The Case", the whole of this album sounds rather flat.

As a whole, two stars is MY legitimate opinion. OK, the last and longest track "Hole In My Heart" (both parts) is the best song of this album and it sometimes remind me of the good old days (the twin guitar ones).

Some of the bonus tracks are interesting ("Heaven is"). At least, a great guitar part can be experienced.

Hate and war.

Report this review (#457708)
Posted Monday, June 6, 2011 | Review Permalink
3 stars Yes yes yes ,I know.This is not really prog anymore from Wishbone Ash.The days of Argus is over and thankfully we still get music from them ,and of course there are hits and misses. Now, like "Number the brave' 'New England' and albums from that era by them, which I really like,this is an album with shortish punchy rockin' tunes,and some of them catchy as hell..

So if you do need a break from the 10 minutes or longer dragging tunes by them (Or anybody else for that matter) ,there is relief right here.Wishbone Ash comfortably and confidently carrying on and delivering some gems.

Report this review (#457997)
Posted Tuesday, June 7, 2011 | Review Permalink
3 stars The first album with vocals by the Original Four after 14 long years. Not a huge success, but not bad either.

Let's do a track-by-track analysis:

Cosmic Jazz: It could easily be a Leonard Cohen cover, but it's actually a Martin Turner song. Not my taste, but not a bad song at all. The riff is pretty memorable too.

Keeper Of The Light: More simplistic than I would like it, the vocal lines sound a bit childish too. Not a special song for me.

Mental Radio: Pop rock form, with hyper simplistic lyrics and vocal lines. Nothin' fancy.

Walk On The Water: Quite intelligent lyrics, enjoyable rhythm, not bad vocal lines. A more than OK song, better than the previous.

Witness To Wonder: A monotonous song with no high points. Indifferent.

Lost Cause In Paradise: What do we got here? Strange keyboard intro with army drums creating an nitro for a song with a pretty catchy riff and unique sound, a song that gains you attention from the very beginning and rewards you for that. A very good song!

Why Don't We: A nice song that could be part of the No Smoke Without Fire album. Maybe the second best song so far.

In The Case: An instrumental in the spirit of Nouveau Calls, albeit better than most of the tracks from NC. I like it and I moved along to the rhythm!

Hole In My Heart (part 1): A slow instrumental with great bass that could be an Elton John composition, pleasant and ethereal. it fades into...

Hole In My Heart (part 2): ...which is a jazz workout, demonstrating the guitar skills of the duo and completing a quality trio of instrumental tracks.

RATING: The A-Side (songs 1-5) was largely dissapointing. The B-Side was much better, including the stand-out song of the album and all of the songs were of a dignified level at the very least. Very difficult to rank it among the other albums form the 2,5 stars pool (New England, Front Page News, Just Testing)... The fact that it's so uneven makes it even more difficult. Out of my guts, I'll give it 2,5 stars (so 3) but rank it lower than any other 2,5 stars album by them; better than Nouveau Calls but worst than New England.

Report this review (#1630665)
Posted Monday, October 10, 2016 | Review Permalink

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