WISHBONE ASH (THE PRIMO COLLECTION)

This budget label compilation brings together the "Live dates 3" album of 2001 and the band's 1996 studio album "Illuminations". While this may at first sound like a strange pairing, it actually works well since both albums draw in different ways from the band's classic years.

Only Andy Powell from the classic Ash line up is still around for these recordings, and the line up which recorded the live tracks is substantially different to the studio one. "Live dates 3" was recorded during a tour of France, the tracks being taken from the earliest days right up to 1991's "Strange affair". The sound quality is superb giving the old tracks, especially those from "Argus", a revived freshness. Apart from the sublime "Phoenix" from the first album, one of the highlights for me is a rare rendition live of "Leaf and stream".

"Illuminations" saw Andy Powell put together a new line up following the departure of the Turners and Steve Upton. Powell was clearly intent on remaining faithful to the Wishbone Ash ethos, retaining the twin lead guitar approach. Tracks such as "No Joke" and "Top of the world" borrow heavily in terms of style from the early days, while sounding suitably contemporary. The album highlight is the 10 minute "Tales of the wise", a true Wishbone Ash epic which sits proudly alongside songs such as "Phoenix" and "Sometime world".

The packaging is adequate if rudimentary. No reference is actually made to the live tracks being previously available, although it does not take much research to establish their origins. The sleeve notes contain a superficial biography of the band but no photos. Being really pedantic, the link between tracks 5 and 6 is screwed up, as a short gap is inserted while the tracks should simply segue.

In all though, a cost effective way to obtain two fine Wishbone Ash albums, one live, one studio.