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Tom Ozric View Drop Down
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Points: 15916 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 06 2015 at 04:56
I'm a fuss-pot when it comes to Prog - sure I give some 5-star rates to various albums many folks disagree with ......
Now, I do think Argus is utterly excellent, but Pilgrimage, and especially the Debut, are stronger. Currently listening to No Smoke Without Fire, and it's a solidly good album, not quite as strong as There's The Rub, but very good. I think that the overall production, that pays respect to each musician in the band (thank-you Derek Lawrence) makes this album very solid, not to mention the clever song-writing involved. I'm glad I chose this No Smoke album over several others.......
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Andrea Cortese View Drop Down
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Points: 4411 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 07 2015 at 07:20
I've been listening to Front Page News a lot recently. An album bought years ago and quickly ended put on the shelf.
Well, I was wrong to neglect it.

About No Smoke... The Way of the World (part 1 & 2) is terrific!Clap


Edited by Andrea Cortese - July 07 2015 at 07:20
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Chris S View Drop Down
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Points: 7028 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 07 2015 at 17:00
^^ I think Pilgrimage is stronger too and the debut on a par with Argus
 
^ Love Front Page News Andrea, Laurie Wisefield at his best IMO.
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Points: 305 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 08 2015 at 05:20
I think the debut is a little stronger than Argus, though the latter is a really good album. The debut has some nice entertaining rock songs which are not really prog but they're not boring as much blues-based rock music can be when you're into prog. But it also has Phoenix, which is a great emotional and almost epic (I'm rather careful about that term as it is used way too much in my opinion) rock song. Nothing on Argus can really compete with Phoenix though there's a track with different, but remarkable qualities on Argus, Leaf and Stream, which is perfect in its own way. After all, both are very good albums. Pilgrimage and There's the Rub are also something prog fans should check out. Too my embarrassment I'm not sure whether I know their fourth Album.
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Tom Ozric View Drop Down
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Points: 15916 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 08 2015 at 06:01
^ Likewise - I only know the 'Fourth' album from the live cuts on the Concerts album.
Handy will always be THE Wishbone track for me. And, although I haven't hear all their albums, I doubt I'd dig anything as much as the debut. There's just something really 'special' I get from that very first album.
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Points: 1133 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 08 2015 at 07:07
I think the beauty of Argus is that all the hallmarks of Wishbone Ash, the twin lead, vocal harmonies and amalgamation of rock and folk vibes, all came together in an album that was almost a concept album. It's one of the few albums I've heard which contains no tracks I would skip.
 
Like Tom, I love Handy on the first album, in fact I've always preferred it to Phoenix. I am one of a group of people who keep badgering Martin Turner to play it live (probably a pipe dream. No lineup of WA has performed it live since about 1971).
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Points: 19614 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 08 2015 at 07:14
Originally posted by SteveG SteveG wrote:

It even features a cover photo by Hipgnosis. Fancy that!
 
What's your opinion of Argus?
 
I still don't understand why that white spaceship was airbrushed out of so many later vinyl & CD version ConfusedOuch
 
Argus is by far my fave... one of my first twenty albums bought, and still probably in my top 50.
 
 
 
 
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Intruder View Drop Down
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Points: 2086 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 08 2015 at 10:42
I dig Argus.....but, man, I wish it were an instrumental album.
I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there.....
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SteveG View Drop Down
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Points: 20497 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 08 2015 at 10:57
Ermm
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AlanB View Drop Down
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Points: 1133 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 08 2015 at 13:13
Argus would be pretty boring without vocals.
 
The lyrics on Throw Down The Sword never fail to give me goosebumps.
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Kirillov View Drop Down
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Points: 700 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 08 2015 at 15:23
I'm a big fan of Argus, 'Time Was' is my favourite song on it.
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SteveG View Drop Down
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Points: 20497 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 08 2015 at 16:18

Wow. this is starting to turn into a WA appreciation thread. Who would have thought that was possible?
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Andrea Cortese View Drop Down
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Points: 4411 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 09 2015 at 00:09
Good idea. We should start one. This band deserves it.

Edited by Andrea Cortese - July 09 2015 at 00:09
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Sean Trane View Drop Down
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Points: 19614 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 09 2015 at 03:12
Originally posted by Intruder Intruder wrote:

I dig Argus.....but, man, I wish it were an instrumental album.
 
Though I'm not that much a fan of WA (I am, but not overwhelmingly so), I always thought that argus was in a class of its ow,n, because this is a big effort from bassist Martin Turner
 
Otherwise when the others are singing, I can do without vocals, but the whole albums as well (especially during the Wisefield years)
 
 
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Kati View Drop Down
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Points: 6253 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 10 2015 at 11:13
Oh wow I love Wishbone Ash - Vas Dis [1971] starting from the bass and drums to every frickin' thing inc. the yodeling! This song is brilliant to date! Genius! <3
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GKR View Drop Down
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Points: 1376 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 10 2015 at 11:22
Wishbone Ash was discovered by me wehn I was looking for completly different stuff (I still hear a lot of Heavy Metal back then).

And even "Argus" sound was much more softer, that just made a lot of sense to me. I like the first albums as well, there's good stuff there.
- From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
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omphaloskepsis View Drop Down
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Points: 5908 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 10 2015 at 19:39
I saw Argus in a friend's record collection in the Mid 70's,  I liked the cover, never heard it a year ago,  When I saw the high ratings on prog archives...Bought Argus off Amazon... I Listen to Argus once a month...I give it a 89/100!Clap   Smooth........
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Intruder View Drop Down
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Points: 2086 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2015 at 08:58
All I know is I dig those guitars - love it when they play, hate it when they sing.
I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there.....
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terramystic View Drop Down
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Points: 776 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2015 at 10:28
I think Argus is the band's crown achievement. Pilgrimage is musically more proggy but Argus has a perfect flow of songs, twin guitar playing, beautiful melodies, epic story ...

Warrior and Throw Down the Sword are one of my all time favorite songs. There's somethink majestic, manly and heroic in these songs. It's like watching Braveheart.
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Tom Ozric View Drop Down
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Points: 15916 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2015 at 16:14
Warrior/Throw Down The Sword - the blue-print for Iron Maiden - listen to the rhythm and Turner's bass, particularly during the segue between the two. All it takes is a brief, but so inspired section to plant a seed in the right mind and then.............
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