Argus: Wishbone Ash Appreciation Thread

AlanB wrote: cstack3 wrote: Martin Turner's WA project intrigues me, he has toured with Laurie Wisefield.  I'd enjoy seeing them, I've only seen a snippet or two on Youtube and really liked what I heard.     I've seen MT's band many times - you could say I'm one of their biggest fans. I think they recreate the sound of 1970s Wishbone Ash very well.   I think they played in your neck of the woods on the tour that Tom Ozric alluded to, but that was the only time they've crossed the pond. I recommend the Garden Party recording as the next best think to seeing them. Ted Turner and Laurie Wisefield play on that too.

I didn't get into Wishbone Ash or Uriah Heep until this year...I really dig Argus and Heep's Salisbury...True masterpieces!   The vocals, melodies and riffs are to die for. 

cstack3 wrote: Martin Turner's WA project intrigues me, he has toured with Laurie Wisefield.  I'd enjoy seeing them, I've only seen a snippet or two on Youtube and really liked what I heard.

Argus definitely has lots of proggy elements but isn't prog. I think all the mythical allegories are there, plus some interesting chord progressions, but they all tend to be scalular and riffed upon for a few minutes. They're kind of having too much fun for it to be prog  

Edited by Xonty - February 18 2015 at 12:31

cstack3 wrote: TODDLER wrote: It's their strongest effort. "The King Will Come" is my favorite song from the album. "Time Was" is a great Rock song ! I will always love that track. It reminds me of a song that Danny Kirwan would have written for Fleetwood Mac during the Future Games/Bare Trees period. I also hear a lot of Pete Townshend chord style changes/voicings in the song. "Leaf and Stream" is beautiful, but again...everything about it reminds me of Danny Kirwan's guitar playing and particularly vocals. I bought this album the week it was released and had a instantaneous reaction about it's originality. It is very original and to the character of Wishbone Ash. The emulation of others that I hear in their music does not hold a candle to their originality. Wishbone Ash are very unique. Sometimes they blend a "Traditional Folk" vocal sounding style with "Traditional Irish Folk" phrasings on guitar...such as "Jigs" ...for example the guitar harmony signature playing at the end of "Blowin" Free" and about a hundred other songs . Andy Powell is a very melodic player, technical enough to pull off surprising things, and a fine vocalist. The keyboardist from Renaissance, (forget name, shame on me), plays on "Throw Down The Sword" and then Andy Powell plays lead guitar on "Ashes Are Burning" A great time period to remember. John Tout, shame on you, Toddler!    I agree with your post. Has anyone seen either of the two touring Wishbone Ash iterations?  I've seen Andy Powell's WA twice, and he really does a fantastic job with this material, including singing the lead vocals!  Last time he had a Finnish guitarist who was a slide guitar whizz, it was fun!   Martin Turner's WA project intrigues me, he has toured with Laurie Wisefield.  I'd enjoy seeing them, I've only seen a snippet or two on Youtube and really liked what I heard.

TODDLER wrote: It's their strongest effort. "The King Will Come" is my favorite song from the album. "Time Was" is a great Rock song ! I will always love that track. It reminds me of a song that Danny Kirwan would have written for Fleetwood Mac during the Future Games/Bare Trees period. I also hear a lot of Pete Townshend chord style changes/voicings in the song. "Leaf and Stream" is beautiful, but again...everything about it reminds me of Danny Kirwan's guitar playing and particularly vocals. I bought this album the week it was released and had a instantaneous reaction about it's originality. It is very original and to the character of Wishbone Ash. The emulation of others that I hear in their music does not hold a candle to their originality. Wishbone Ash are very unique. Sometimes they blend a "Traditional Folk" vocal sounding style with "Traditional Irish Folk" phrasings on guitar...such as "Jigs" ...for example the guitar harmony signature playing at the end of "Blowin" Free" and about a hundred other songs . Andy Powell is a very melodic player, technical enough to pull off surprising things, and a fine vocalist. The keyboardist from Renaissance, (forget name, shame on me), plays on "Throw Down The Sword" and then Andy Powell plays lead guitar on "Ashes Are Burning" A great time period to remember.

It's their strongest effort. "The King Will Come" is my favorite song from the album. "Time Was" is a great Rock song ! I will always love that track. It reminds me of a song that Danny Kirwan would have written for Fleetwood Mac during the Future Games/Bare Trees period. I also hear a lot of Pete Townshend chord style changes/voicings in the song. "Leaf and Stream" is beautiful, but again...everything about it reminds me of Danny Kirwan's guitar playing and particularly vocals. I bought this album the week it was released and had a instantaneous reaction about it's originality. It is very original and to the character of Wishbone Ash. The emulation of others that I hear in their music does not hold a candle to their originality. Wishbone Ash are very unique. Sometimes they blend a "Traditional Folk" vocal sounding style with "Traditional Irish Folk" phrasings on guitar...such as "Jigs" ...for example the guitar harmony signature playing at the end of "Blowin" Free" and about a hundred other songs . Andy Powell is a very melodic player, technical enough to pull off surprising things, and a fine vocalist. The keyboardist from Renaissance, (forget name, shame on me), plays on "Throw Down The Sword" and then Andy Powell plays lead guitar on "Ashes Are Burning" A great time period to remember.

Edited by TODDLER - February 18 2015 at 09:19

Do you know "Epitaph" a (German, British ?) Band who play guitars like Wishbone Ash !

fudgenuts64 wrote: I need to listen to this one of these days. Heard so many great things about it.

Agree with all the above. A fantastic album all around. It is one I have never tired of hearing.