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Wishbone Ash - Bona Fide CD (album) cover

BONA FIDE

Wishbone Ash

 

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3.65 | 51 ratings

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BigDaddyAEL1964
4 stars After 28 long years, finally, Wishbone Ash released a REALLY great album!

Let's see how they matched long forgotten excellence track-by-track:

Almighty Blues: ZZ Top style rocker, with a surprising atmospheric bridge that leads to an old fashion guitar solo section, and then back to the "regular" section, closing with another solo. Very nice song, one of the best WA songs of the "Andy Powell Band" period (1996 and on).

Enigma: Mediocre lyrics and vocal lines, but very nice music. The instrumental parts of the song are great, if the vocal lines were more inspired we could talk about a classic.

Faith, Hope And Love: Fantastic intro, a wonderful power ballad in general, with perfection in every aspect. The FIRST song that I'd put in a strict WA "Best of" compilation after Real Guitars Have Wings from Nouveau Calls (1987). Splendid!

Ancient Remedy: What a unique ethnic riff! Very catchy, I was singing along the rhythm instead the voice! I really love that, and I believe it would make a major radio hit if it was released by another band. I would just want it to be a shorter (3:00-3:30), as it becomes a bit repetitive.

Changing Tracks: Another ZZ Top style song, with a lyrical reference to the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Not so special, but very well played and produced. This band line-up really found a chemistry!

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda: A boogie rocker with playful nature, the groove reminds me of reggae music. It's an OK song, just not my taste.

Bona Fide: That riff sounds like "Tin Soldier" by Small Faces, only faster! Yeah, not THAT much, but it came to my mind right away. Anyway, the guitar work is truly inspired in this one! Excellent additional riffs here and there, fantastic solos, a wounderful instrumental track. Bravo!

Difference In Time: A radio friendly song, not very special, but with a fantastic guitar solo, which brings shades of the first WA albums. If the rest of the song was at the same level we would talk about something huge!

Come Rain, Come Shine: FLUTE?! YES!!! I love this instrument as a Jethro Tull Tull fanatic, so I moved from my sit as soon as it came through the speakers! The song is a very complex one: It stops at 2:30, and we're listening to TV news sounds about Islamic terrorist attacks, only to begin again at 3:00. Before and after it goes from elegant mid-tempo (Shine) to hard rock (Rain) over and over, in order to recreate it's title musically. A very intelligent song, big Jethro Tull influence here, listen carefully!

Peace: The basic riff reminds me a little of REM's Everybody Hurts, but it's a very basic riff in general, so it doesn't mean anything. A very bright, optimistic instrumental that comes as the ideal epilogue of Come Rain, Come Shine. War, Peace, War, Peace... Where does it stop? To Peace of course!

RATING: Fantastic! The Elite Four of Wishbone Ash albums (Debut, Pilgrimage, Argus, Where's The Rub) finds a fifth member, and a VERY powerful one. No track sounds odd, nothing to be taken out. Excellent production, steadily high musical level, comprehension, stand-out songs... Bravo guys! For me, the fourth greatest WA album overall, better than Pilgrimage and a bit less great than Where's The Rub. 4 stars without a question.

BigDaddyAEL1964 | 4/5 |

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