Ash

I am an unabashed fan of Wishbone Ash.This album is the one that first made me a fan.I first heard about "Argus" from a good friend who was a talented young guitarist at the time.He was very impressed by the harmony-based,twin guitar leads.If anything,he understated the mastery present on this album.Yeah,I know I'm gushing,but,"Argus" deserves it.When I bought the original LP,I was blown away by not just the guitar,but also the songs and the whole band's chops;they are simply all very talented musicians.The whole'sword and sorcery'bit has been done to death in the years since,but,in the early 70's it was new and very different from the other music around at the time.All the songs are strong and,with an exception or two,follow a progression of a story.My favorite was,and is,"Warrior".From the first time I heard the lyrics,"I've got to be warrior,a slave I couldn't be.A soldier and a conqueror,fighting to be free",I was hooked.This CD brings the album into the modern era.Its sonics are far superior to the original CD and yet don't overpower your memories of the original LP.Anyone who has ever picked up an electric guitar and tried to play should have this CD.Anyone who ever wondered why guitarists play until their fingers bleed out of sheer love of the sounds they can make should buy this CD.Anyone who has ever loved the sound of Rock guitar played way beyond most people's abilities should grab this CD.YOU should buy this CD and play it loud.If you don't shout for joy at the sound of "Argus",you don't deserve to call yourself a Rock fan.

This album won awards in the UK for it's production when it was originally released on vinyl. The sound is great and the playing even greater!
Not only was it WA's finest, but possibly won of the best rock albums of all time!

"Argus" was and still is Wishbone Ash's ultimate statement. Part progressive rock, part blues / boogie rock and a bit of fok rock thrown in, this album really put all of the band's strengths together to form what is in my mind one of the classic guitar albums of the early 70's. The band actually had a hit single from this one with what is in my opinion the weakest track "Blowin Free". Even though it is my least favorite it is still a good song. The move towards more progressive material with "Warrior" and "Throw Down The Sword" was a great move and both tracks provide some of the best twin harmony guitar jams of the 70's. Tracks like "Time Was" and "Leaf And Stream" retain a folk consciousness and "The King Will" come remains a cool mini-epic song. If you have never explored Wishbone Ash this is the album to start with. Some of their other discs are very good, but this is the band at their high water mark.

Argus was a Greek mythological character who had a hundred eyes, any one of which would have seen the problems in this namesake. I'm not a fan of art by committee, but the opinion of a collector or two might have corrected the compiler's vision.

I'm very curious why Mark Powell, who did such a fine job compiling and producing other reissues (Camel, Nektar, Man), would allow such a frustrating compilation to grace the Wishbone Ash market. This 2CD set sounds wonderful, thanks to Paschal Byrne, who performed similar duties for the first two of the just-mentioned reissues. It was remastered from the original mix and the original master tapes. Powell's liner notes continue to be excellent. But, unlike in the other reissues, the proofreading is bad--a first sign of something out of focus, something missed.

Proofreading? Who cares? Well, sometimes bad proofreading suggests other problems (cf. Budgie). In this case, random punctuation seems connected to questionable compiling judgments.

The "Argus Deluxe Edition" comprises "Argus," "Live in Memphis" (minus one track, 'Jailbait'), a stereo version of the previously released "BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert" (minus two tracks, 'Jailbait' and 'The Pilgrim'), the B-side of a single ('No Easy Road' from 9/72), and two mono tracks previously released on "Wishbone Ash Live at the BBC" ('Blowin' Free' from the BBC Radio 1 Bob Harris show 5/31/1972 and 'Throw Down the Sword' from the Pete Drummond show 5/10/1972).

The expanded edition of "Argus" was nearly perfect. Remixed by an original and highly important band member (Martin Turner), remastered by a pro (Erick Labson)--all of which supervised by an expert in the reissue business (Andy McKaie) and someone well-versed in Wishbone Ash (Leon Tsilis)--its only flaw was its somewhat hagiographic liner notes by Tsilis.

This deluxe edition, however, makes little sense. The B-side, 'No Easy Road,' for example, was recorded in between "Argus" and "Wishbone Four" and has a lot more in common with the latter. It actually appears on "Wishbone Four" but with a brass section; otherwise, the single and the album version are the same. Why include it on "Argus," especially when a remastered version of "Wishbone Four" is sorely needed? (In my experience, "Wishbone Four" shares the title of Worst Major Label CD Issue with Bruce Springsteen's "Darkness on the Edge of Town.")

And that's perhaps the best news. An incomplete "Live in Memphis"? "BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert" is in stereo, to be sure, but what about the missing tracks?

Powell could have made the "Live in Memphis" addition complete by adding 'Jailbait' to Disc One and either eliminating the unnecessary 'No Easy Road' or putting it on the second disc. Disc One would then have repeated the track listing of McKaie and Tsilis's edition, but so what--why mess with perfection?

Powell could have included the two missing tracks ('Jailbait,' 'The Pilgrim') from the original "BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert" CD on the second disc, ignored the other two BBC tracks, and added 'No Easy Road' at the end of the second disc to indicate the new direction Ash was taking.

Or, for the second disc, Powell could have avoided previously issued material altogether and focused solely on something unissued, such as a live concert.

Instead he decided to cut songs that were originally on "Pilgrimage" ('Jailbait,' 'The Pilgrim') because, I think, of CD time constraints and because he might be using them on a possibly forthcoming deluxe edition of "Pilgrimage." Yet, if so, the second rationale seems strange to me because it ignores context and concert-set-list thinking. I'd rather have a live performance presented "as is" instead of cut and parceled out according to the original studio album sources. I'd rather recognize history and the musicians' decision making than a shoehorned, Procrustean fit.

Collectors will have to ask themselves if an original mix remastering, the B-side 'No Easy Road,' and a stereo version of a truncated "BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert" are worth the price of this new edition. Non-collectors would do best, I think, to stick to the previously released CDs.

I just hope that problematic sales of "Argus Deluxe Edition" aren't in a position to compromise the remastering and reissuing of other Wishbone Ash albums, such as "There's the Rub" and "Pilgrimage" as well as "Wishbone Four"--not to mention "Live Dates Volume Two."

Argus is a classic *must own* rock album released in 1972. It's a flawless record, with some of the greatest guitar playing ever put on tape. Yes, I've heard all the legendary greats- Eric Clapton, Santana, John McLaughlin, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, etc. Ted Turner and Andy Powell from Wishbone Ash are JUST as good as all the ones I mention above.

Argus is an album that was popular for a very brief time in the early 70's (in America) before eventually slipping away from peoples memories. That is, until now. *I* don't forget about classic rock albums no matter HOW many years go by.

The best way to describe the sound would be picturing Crosby, Stills and Nash joining the Allman Brothers Band and releasing an album together. You have the extraordinary vocals of the former, and the brilliant guitar playing of the latter. Now, I am NOT calling the members of Wishbone Ash ripoffs of those bands. NO WAY would I say that. They are simply able to take the sound and style of two extraordinary bands, mix them together, and make it work perfectly. Seriously, the word "perfect" gets tossed around a lot, but in this case, I honestly can't find a single flaw with this record.

You know one thing that's a personal memory for me about the album is how it reminds me of when I was a child and would constantly play this one old Nintendo game over and over called "Wizards and Warriors". Take the theme of that game and match it with the music from this Wishbone Ash album, and you will find the two connect together REALLY well. I love the memories of that video game, and years from now, I will hold on to the memories of this album.

I can't imagine a more spectacular sound and style than the ones these guys had for "Argus". It's just... amazing to me!

"Time Was" starts off slowly and quietly with *very* soft vocals that gradually build into a very likeable 70's rock song. I love it. Overlong? Nah, not really. It's 10 minutes that seem to go by in a hurry because of its easy-to-please style. Really, it's a great song. "Sometime World" is the first track that reveals just how talented the two guitarists for Wishbone Ash are. Their ability to switch between mellow and memorable notes and go directly into fast and exciting is unbelievable!

The guitar playing always seems to flow beautifully with the vocal melodies, on every single occasion, and that's just flat out *awesome* if you ask me. It's *not* guitar work taking place just for the sake of having a guitar player at the right moment- it's like those two guitarists BELONG with the band, and without them, the other band members would feel like they're missing something. Oh sure, the singing and songwriting would still be quite strong, but the guitar playing is too extraordinary to overlook.

"Blowin' Free" reminds me of the Crosby, Stills and Nash classic "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" with the vocal melodies, and the main verse melody in particular sounds like "Woman", the Sugarloaf song (the same band that did "Green-Eyed Lady" a couple years earlier). The guitar playing that you hear in the introduction is truly magnificent, and in fact, the entire track is just as memorable and exciting.

"The King Will Come" has a marching feel in the beginning that leads into some more very satisfying guitar work. I can't say enough about that guitar playing. It's just perfect. "Leaf and Stream" is mellow in a Dire Straits kinda way. This time we find out the guitarists have a talent for soft and quiet tunes, because their guitar work here is pleasant, emotional, and yes, nearly as perfect as a man (men) can possibly play an instrument. It *will* move you.

"Warrior" and "Throw Down the Sword" both sound a good 10 years ahead of their time. The demanding and catchy guitar style in the beginning of "Throw Down the Sword" is especially incredible. Once again, the memories of that old NES game "Wizards and Warriors" comes into play here. I love both of these songs a lot, but I can honestly see someone complaining about the chorus in "Warrior" sounding cheesy. Maybe it does, but I don't care- these guys are WAY too talented for me to complain about one minute of awkwardness.

If your version comes with a song called "No Easy Road", it's just a glammy rock song with lots of energy, similar to something Mott the Hoople would do a couple years later. I love it, but it's probably the weakest point on the album.

Overall, yes, a brilliant, brilliant masterpiece. Argus is truly a fantastic rock album. If you're not blown away by that guitar playing, you're not human!!

I'm sure not many has heard of Wishbone Ash, but their music is very easy to listen to and enjoyable.

The very first Wishbone Ash album is much different from Argus (their biggest-selling album to date). In the beginning stages the band probably wasn't sure what kind of rock music they wanted to create (or which style would make them a big success) so they focused on lengthy blues/hard rock jams for their very first record.

Upon hearing the first track I immediately recognized that sound and style... the very first song that appears on Nazareth's debut sounds a LOT like the song on this Wishbone Ash album- a short guitar riff, a piano solo, and a bluesy vocal melody. Do I like it? Yes! I think it's great in fact.

"Lady Whiskey" is where you'll *really* get to find out where Wishbone Ash is going with their style for the rest of the album- lengthy guitar playing inspired by the blues and Jimi Hendrix probably. In this case, the band was very good at jamming away and making it exciting, so most of the time it's quite melodic and pleasant. The drumming is pretty good as well, and the bass guitar is noticeable quite often. With a song like this, you might be reminded of Black Sabbath's debut.

Again, that's a good thing- because hard rock in the early 70's was experimental, creative, and just all-around GOOD stuff. Bands were free to develop their music anyway they wanted. Also, I could have sworn I heard some Judas Priest-like guitar playing in this particular song. Judas Priest must have been big fans. They would go on to release stuff like "Sad Wings of Destiny" that would make that guitar sound an influence on future generations of guitar players, but let's not forget Wishbone Ash did the same thing before they did.

"Errors of my Ways" shows signs of the Argus album with that vocal melody. It totally fits in with the style of the Argus album. Very pleasant vocals. I'd say it sounds like the song "Warrior" a little bit. "Queen of Tortune" has a speedy vocal melody obviously influenced by the blues, and would easily fit in with Uriah Heep's debut album.

"Handy" is over 11 minutes long, and most of the time is devoted to building up some emotional guitar playing. The jazzy style of singing doesn't even begin until the song is almost over. I'd say the vocals remind me of jazz mixed with blues. "Phoenix" is basically part two, and continues the same exact theme for over 10 minutes. I could have sworn I heard a sample of Deep Purple's "Child in Time" among all that guitar playing.

Overall, yes, hard rock perfection. Well, close to it anyway. While Wishbone Ash would go on to write better songs, their inspiration and influence on the debut is very interesting and worth owning. Melodic guitar soloing at its very best. If you like this album, I HIGHLY recommend you check out the UFO album called "UFO 2: Flying" released in the early 70's (a year after this album).

There's a reason everyone is giving this album a high rating- Wishbone Ash is a very talented, melodic, and exciting band. Even to this day I enjoy their new stuff. They seemed determinded to make great music while making people happy at the same time, and you know, that's how it SHOULD be.

Sure, the sound of the album is raw and muddy, which is totally different from the light and fluffy production of Argus. But if you like Deep Purple (particularly a song such as "Black Night") I think you'll like this album a lot.

So the thing is I've just recently rediscovered this record after over thirty years of sleepwalking and have only played it about eight or nine hundred times already so my comments here can be no more than preliminary at best. Notwithstanding the aforegoing I'd have to say that, initially, I am gobsmacked entirely by the whole shooting match. One time early in the AM I buttoned my shirt and stepped into my boots to Lady Whiskey and believe me for a bozo in my condition that is, quite simply, all it takes. I went out and got Argus on the strength of this record and isn't that just another classic album cover? Taken somewhere in France by all accounts--they have that light there apparently. Although to be honest I once headed out to smoke a cigarette on my bicycle and ended up at the corner of Second Avenue and So Fourth where it seemed to me the illumination that day was every bit as stupefying as its filtered French counterpart in this undeniably wonderful photograph of the dude in the iron helmet. I shouldn't wonder really if this isn't another one of life's imponderables come blowing in like they like to do but what isn't at all up for grabs is the scorchingly fat seventeen-minute semi-live version of Phoenix that wraps up the bonus tracks on Argus Remastered & Revisited. Now there's a counterpart I can tap my foot to.

If you like dualing guitars then this is the album for you.

Sparing you the redundancies....and any poetic landscape creations by said reviewer, let me spell it out for you very simply. If you are a guitarist, and particularly one who salivates over anything that's British blues in the vein of Danny Kirwan, Paul Kossoff, Peter Green, Peter Frampton, Mick Abrahams.....among the many others you already know about and enjoy, and you have never heard of Ted Turner and Andy Powell, then you will truely enjoy the music on this CD. Best way I can describe their playing is they deliver more of what gives you goose-bumps when listening.....More of what made you pickup the guitar.....more reasons for you to grab it while listening. Awesome tone from I believe a Les Paul and Strat. Excellent phrasing, slow build-up of melodic jamming, think drifting floating dreamy playing climaxing into hard driving harmonies like early Fleetwood Mac...If you dig the Kirwan/Green harmonies on some of their live stuff but wished they kept it going than you will get an idea what this cd contains. I hear uniqueness in Turner/Powell, but I hear shades of Green, stinging attack and vibrato of Kirwan, phrasing of early Frampton (think Guilded Splinters)and more.
Buy it and immerse yourself.

I actually wasn't even aware that Billy Howerdel was working on a new record until hearing "The Stone" on the radio one night and thinking to myself, "wow, that doesn't sound like complete crap, unlike everything else on rock radio these days." I looked it up online and found that sure enough, it was the work of the musical genius behind A Perfect Circle. Without hesitation, I picked up this record the following day, not really knowing what to expect from the other tracks.

As it turns out, KTMiA draws from a diverse set of influences: I can hear everything from APC to Smashing Pumpkins to Radiohead and The Cure in these songs. Vocally, Billy's performance is more than sufficient, albeit inevitably a bit underwhelming in the shadow of Maynard's work with APC. His very straightforward and on-key delivery works well in all but a few spots (one of which would be the fast-tempo rocker "Enemies," in which his aggression and yelling on the verses feels rather forced).

The high points for me are "Too Late," which sounds not unlike something from the Mer de Noms sessions, along with the three-track sequence from "A Wish" to "The Stone." Billy's haunting, low-key vocals compliment the somber instrumentation well on the atmospheric "A Wish" and "Ritual," leading up to the explosive intro to "The Stone," one of the better mainstream rock cuts of 2008. Most of the remaining tracks, while not particularly striking, are pleasant enough; though I will admit to usually skipping the '80s-rock throwbacks "Defamed" and "The Prey."

In summary, if you were a fan of APC, this is probably worth checking out - especially if the more melancholy tracks on Thirteenth Step ("Blue", "Vanishing," etc.) were your thing. To be brutally honest, the emotional depth and mesmerizing atmosphere of APC's work is much harder to come by on Ashes Divide's debut - there certainly aren't any tracks I'd even think of putting on the same level as "The Hollow," "Orestes," or "The Noose" - but that doesn't stop KTMiA from being an enjoyable listen on its musical merit.

Billy Howerdel is an amazing artist that did a terrific job with his last band a perfect circle. I loved this cd and can't wait for another one.

Did you guys read the Editorial Review... & the Product Description?
That's nuff said about the album I guess.

So My review about this album will not be long, just a few points to note..

SOUND: U guessed it, almost like listening to APC if you don't see the singer!

PRODUCTION / MIXING: Superb!

ARTWORK: Superb!

SONGS: The songs could mistake anyone for APC, Though there are a few songs, that could take you by surprise! But lyrics are not as deep thought as Maynard, still a good listen. My favorite track is Forever Can Be, one which I listened to everyday everytime for almost a month, & @ one point it was even my phone ring tone, heh!

Overall, this album is a good listen, one that will grow on you in time, & make you fall in love with it. Mostly it shows how talented Billy Howerdel really is on his own, which alone is a statement & a big F*** You to all the Haters!

When Billy Howerdel formed A Perfect Circle, he wanted a woman to sing the words. He got Maynard Keenan of Tool. That might have been a mistake, and possibly a regret in Howerdel's book at this point: Keenan's distinctive voice drew the support of droves of Tool faithful, but with the Tool faithful came the assumptions that A Perfect Circle was a "side project of Maynard James Keenan." With expectations set high by the brilliant and unique guitar riffage present on 2000's Mer de Noms, A Perfect Circle's follow-up Thirteenth Step failed to make the same impression outside of a spare few tracks. What it boiled down to was that they had essentially become a Tool side project at that point, sonically if not in fact.

"Keep Telling Myself It's Alright" is Howerdel's long, long-awaited new record, ostensibly free of the influence of Tools. This time around, he's taking the Reznor approach and doing all the heavy musical lifting himself: composition, guitar, and vocals. Can he stand on his own two feet?

Not for very long. While Howerdel's much-lauded skill in creating guitar-borne survives in spots, nothing here is immediately gripping like the spidery, harmonic-laden riff of "The Hollow"; the attention-demanding power chug of "Judith"; or the whisper-sung, electronic jungle catharsis of "Thinking of You." Unfair to judge the output of one band against another? Perhaps, but like a hard drug, classic A Perfect Circle haunts the dreams of thousands. We collectively breathed a sigh of relief at the debut of that band's cerebral brand of hard rock, much needed at a time when Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach leeched radio airplay.

"Stripped Away" is a passable opener and one of the better Ashes Divide songs, but its simplistic, bastardized Eastern riff still comes off rather one-dimensional in the end. It's the combination of evolving instrumental interplay and a suckerpunch chorus that makes first single "The Stone" the head of the pack---that, and a vocal melody that doesn't strain Howerdel's admittedly paper-thin voice too far out of his range. The rest of the tracks mostly fall short of expectations: "The Prey" sounds like a purloined Queens of the Stone Age riff; the morose "Denial Awaits" is a perfect example of why Howerdel should continue to hide behind a more capable vocalist, if these are the types of songs he has stored up; and "Defamed" is just way too... happy sounding and bland modern rock for comfort.

Perhaps it's simply a case of rediscovering sure footing. Mer de Noms exhibited the results of years of playing roadie for top acts like Smashing Pumpkins, Faith No More, Nine Inch Nails and Tool while recording ideas in secrecy on the side.

As the old saying goes, "A lifetime for the debut, two years for the follow-up." Keep Telling Myself It's Alright feels rushed and unfinished---if it all crackled with the fiery energy of "The Stone," or better yet, some of the songs Howerdel thought up while he was only allowed to tune guitars on stage, it would probably have landed a spot on more best of lists. Unfortunately, it's little more than a disappointing mess of barely-above average stadium rock.

every, and I mean EVERY, song is good to amazing. If I had to choose a favorite, right now it would be the Sword. It was Forever Can Be, Ritual, Enemies, Too Late, Stripped Away. This is definitely my favorite album of 2008. Billy's got a great voice, this album deserves more recognition.

This is amazing.. Maybe the best TV series soundtrack album I've ever listened.

All album is amazing. Tracks are wonderful. G&D's mixes are brilliant.

You must have this album for your collection. Also if you love electronic or chillout music, you should buy this album.

I think this is one of the genre's best mixes ever. It flows to the point where you never have to skip a track, and by the time you finish listening, you are surprised at it being over so soon. 5 stars!

This is a unique CD. I love the songs and the arrangement is good too!

A good CD but I'm wondering who is doing the cover of "Wicked Game?" I believe it is the group Giant Drag, but with 57 covers of that song it's hard to tell.

The music fits well with the show and stands alone pretty well also.

I did enjoy this CD but not all of the music was as it was on the show.

At the time of its 1973 release, No More, No Less, received glowing reviews from Rolling Stone, Creem and Bomp, and the band was on their way with opening slots for Aerosmith, Bob Seger and Nazareth, and even Dick Clark gave them a spin on American Bandstand. By the following year, however, a lack of sales led to the dissolution of their contract with Mercury. The band managed one more album in 1979, but essentially disappeared without making a lasting popular mark. Further, unlike fellow cult pop heroes such as the Rubinoos, Blue Ash's unreissued catalog left their legacy in the hands of a small but influential cadre of fans: Chicago columnist Bob Greene mentioned Blue Ash in an end-of-the-70s best-of column, the Records covered "Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?)," and Scram's Lost in the Grooves highlighted the No More, No Less as a lost treasure. While the band's debut continued to languish in the vault, a 2004 two-CD set Around Again served up demos and outtakes that suggested what we were all missing.

Apparently the haggling over rights and the location of master tapes appears to have been settled, because thirty-five years after its initial release, the original dozen tracks are finally on CD. Best of all, this is a rarity that lives up to its hype, delivering on all the promises of early-70s power pop. Blue Ash, like Big Star, The Raspberries, Badfinger and less commercially successful peers such as the Flamin' Groovies and Hot Dogs, melded the best of mid-60s harmony with the beefier guitar and drum sounds of the early-70s. They then pressed this combination into the compositionally economic mold that commercial FM borrowed from its AM cousins and used to dethrone its free-form older brothers. The results are effervescent three-minute radio gems that pack musical adventure into a tightly scripted form: guitar solos that sting with energy rather than drag with excess showmanship, Keith Moon-inspired full-kit drumming that serves as a motor rather than an gaudy accessory, melodies that lay their barbed hooks in the first verse, and choruses that lend themselves to immediate sing-a-longs.

As much as the band set out to make pop music that reflected the Beatles, Kinks and Beau Brummels, they did so in a new context. The album's two covers are instructive: Dylan's then-unreleased acoustic-and-harmonica travelogue "Dusty Old Fairgrounds" was rearranged into a blazing Who-styled drums-and-guitar rocker, and the Beatles' "Any Time at All" mimics the original's gentler verses, but lays down heavier rock for the choruses. That stretching between the sweet pop and rock dynamic characterizes much of the album, as the group employed Byrdsian jangle, Left Banke harmonics and even Brewer & Shipley styled country folk-rock, and then turned around to lay on guitar and rhythm section muscle. The opening "Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?)," the wishful "All I Want" and the closing "Let There Be Rock" offer the glam-guitar energy of Mott the Hoople and Slade, and though "Smash My Guitar" never attains Who-like ferocity, it still manages to play out its angst with a one-take real-life smashup.

The traditional hard-luck broken hearts of power-pop turn up on "Plain to See," and the nostalgic tone of the Flamin' Groovies is heard on "I Remember a Time" and "Wasting My Time." There are country influences on "Just Another Game," bubblegum on "Here We Go Again" and West Coast folk rock (with wonderful accents of volume-pedal guitar) on "What Can I Do for You." It's easy to tag all these influences and fellow-travelers in retrospect, but in 1973 these sounds were simply part of the atmosphere, rather than icons already ripened for imitation. Blue Ash interpreted their `60s influences in the context and conventions of their times. What's surprising is how undated it still sounds, particularly compared to the radio pop of just a few years later. By sticking to the basics of guitar, bass, drums and a hint of piano, by relying on classic pop melody and craft, Blue Ash minted a timeless classic. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]

"No More, No Less" was one of those albums that I first encountered in high school through reading through Robert Christgau's 1970's volume, an album that I could never listen to because it was already out of print even then, but the review alone made me want more. There was also a brief account of this one in "Back from the Groove," I think--

I then encountered the first cut "Have You Seen Her?" on one of the Rhino Poptopia collections (1970's volume), and grew further intrigued, leading me to purchase the "Around and Around" demos when they came out a few years back on NOT LAME records.

So the verdict? This album holds up quite well, and the rating should be about a 4.25 but the Amazon system doesn't appear to accommodate fractionalquarter or half stars. The great cuts "Have You Seen Her," "Let It Be Rock," and "I Remember a Time" should have dominated 70's radio, as this was a band that combined Byrdsy / Searchers guitar (the "I Remember a Time" jangling intro) flourishes with a stronger rock edge.

In fact, I'm not always sure if "power pop" serves as the best description for this album, as it possesses much more bite than some of the other bands in this classification (sorry Rasberries fans). The cover of "Anytime at All" further illustrates my point, as it indicates the sources upon which the band was drawing: very early Beatles, that hybrid fusion of late 1950's American R & B with early 60's pop instincts. Even a few of the other tracks have touches of the late 1960's / early 1970's--I'm hearing traces of the Allmans and Traffic on come of the longer cuts--as the band explores its ability to jam, but this if focused playing, rarely excessive.

So grab this one now before it goes out of print, and let's hope the 2nd one also gets the same reissue treatment--in fact my only major complaint was that this wasn't issued as a double CD, which makes me think that the marketing folks are holding out for a separate reissue of the two albums.

Their best tracks live seeing it was recorded a while back, recording live music has come a long way since then and I feel this was well done for its time I am playing this through top quality hi fi equipment it sounds great. They are still out there.

My brother surprised me with this album for Christmas back in 1973.I was 16 at the time. Though I had seen the band's records in stores I had never heard them.Of course this album became an instant favorite(and Larry I am forever grateful).The best thing is that after all this time this record is still a major source of inspiration.I especially love plugging in and blasting along with Andy's killer lead on Warrior. Damn, what a way to kick off a song. Other faves are Blowin' Free, Ballad Of The Beacon and Throw Down The Sword. Great stuff.

This is by far the best CD of wishbone ash I have come accross.
the version of the King will come is by far the best. I cannot get enough of this CD the guitar work and drumming are out of the top draw.

Wishbone Ash deserved better, I thought this album would be there breakout in America and make them a superstar band. I rate this CD 4 1/2 stars. A great live collection that ranks up their with Humble Pie/Rockin the Fillmore, and the Allman Brothers Band at the Fillmore East. Live Dates holds it's own with the above mentioned bands.

This was recorded over June 1973 during their tour of England and featured their best lineup- Andy Powell, Steve Upton, and the Turners. Live Dates features the songs from their creative peak, and the audience is vocal throughout the duo guitar assault, responding to the incredible harmonics, interplay, melodies woven around each epic song.

I can only describe Wishbone Ash as being similar to progressive rock group Yes, subtracting the keyboards and then adding another lead guitarist. Martin Turner's vocals remind me a little of Jon Andersons' singing for Yes. This is a vague comparison for those who have never listened to Wishbone Ash.
The songs Phoenix and The Pilgrim are numbers that are paced like Yes tracks, layered with great guitar work, interwoven, with Andy Powell and David "Ted" Turner working together and not fighting against each other. Their improvisation on these tracks are tremendous, with Phoenix lasting 17 minutes, and The Pilgrim lasting just over 9 minutes long.

Disc One is centered around British mythology, legend of King Arthur themes, Lord of the Rings, it seems to me. The first 3 songs fit well together- The King Will Come, Warrior, and Throw Down The Sword, telling a story of battle in ancient England.

Rock n Roll Widow is the most commercial track on Disc One. I didn't care too much for the Everly Brothers' remake- Baby What You Want Me To Do. The most commercial tracks on Disc Two are- Jail Bait and Blowin' Free. The Pilgrim and Phoenix songs were previously mentioned above.

Had the original lineup stayed together, maybe they would have eventually taken America by storm. I could have pictured the Live Dates lineup recording songs for The Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter soundtracks.

I love this live set but just wish the CD sounded brighter and richer. Still highly recommended, but the mastering makes the recording sound a bit dated.

This was my first Wishbone Ash album and my favorite. So Many Things to Say... what a kickoff! If you have ever had woman troubles...The album is a little eclectic, but holds some real gems. Doctor, Ballad of the Beacon, No Easy Road, Sorrel and R&R Widow are all keepers. I love the bass on many of these songs as I play bass. I think it is the guitar heroes who rate this lower. I love it,,,ROCK ON!!!

I am waiting for a re-mix as the CD is mixed terrible - way too low.

I cant understand the reason for the negative reviews this album is getting.I own this album and can confidently rate this as one of their very best after ARGUS and their brilliant debut album.this album contains such fine tracks as SO MANY THINGS TO SAY,BALLAD OF THE BEACON,SORREL and the amazing EVERYBODY NEEDS A FRIEND.Every classic rock fan should own all these three albums.Very highly recommended.

The last and acceptable album from the Mark 1 line-up. As it always happens with most big albums follow-ups rarely live up to the formers' glory. With Argus becoming their biggest seller "Wishbone Four" was a difficult follow-up. Ted Turner would leave after this album only to return for the all instrumental Nouveau Calls album. Laurie Wisefield would replace Ted to continue the twin-lead legacy of WA and to usher a different but another nice era for the band. Martin's voice shows sings of wear and aging although the melody and the singing spirit is very much there. There are gems from the album, "Everybody needs a friend", `Ballad of the Beacon", "Sorrel" and "Sing out the Song". Good music on "So Many things to say" and "Rock and Roll Widow" but the familiar twin-lead guitar attack and harmony is diminished. Besides, most of the songs are slow and long and can wear you down. Album cover is a disappointment. Certainly not an attractive cover for the album with the band looking like a bunch of puny kids.

Wishbone Four, a must for the ardent fan. Wouldn't recommend for the first timer.

Argus was a hard record to follow.. My favorites on this one are Ballad of the beacon, and Sorrel. and a couple of others.. Being a fan I hate to knock them but only a few good ones here, so pick them up on the "Time Was" CD...I did also find the sound quality kind of tinny (live sounding)on a few cuts, but not as out right bad as one previous review found it.. No doubt not a outstanding album/CD... Chris

This is an OK 70s album but it followed the magnificent Argus so it had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately the Ash didn't even try following it up. I like Sorrel, it has an Argus vibe about it, Beacon is nice and sounds good live, but the rest is just OK.

Music labels are doing something that irates me. When the sales of a CD start to go flat or decline, they re-issue the same CD with "bonus" songs or a DVD. Sometimes they'll release an exclusive "bonus" CD that's sold only at iTunes, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, etc. That's why I've become somewhat hesitant to buy a first release of any CD. HABITACION DOBLE is a prime example of this.

For example, after the release of this CD, iTunes released as free downloads two Ha-Ash songs. One was Ha-Ash's "Already Home (A Dueto con Brandi Carlile)" which is sung entirely in English and a Spanish-language only version of "Already Home." To my surprise and dismay, the Spanish-language only version of "Already Home" is NOT on the CD and it's one of the best song that Ha-Ash has ever released.

This CD has only 11 tracks/songs. "Already Home (A Dueto con Brandi Carlile) is included, but NOT the Spanish-language version of the same song. I'm still scratching my head in wonderment about this exclusion.

If you're thinking of buying this CD and the music label has still not included the Spanish-language version of "Already Home," you might want to wait and see if the music label releases a "bonus" edition that includes it or you can find and download it from a music sharing website.

In addition to the Spanish-language version of "Already Home," there appears to be another missing song. On iTunes, if you buy HABITACION DOBLE as an album, there's another song that's not available on this CD. It's a song titled "Punto Final." Again, I'm scratching my head in wonderment as to why this song was not included in the CD.

Although this is probably one of Ha-Ash's best CD, the missing Spanish-language version of "Already Home" would have made it an even better CD. Hopefully, the music label (Sony / BMG) will do the right thing and include the missing songs on a later release. Then I'd give it 5-STARS.

PILGRIMAGE is one of the finest albums from the classic ash lineup of ANDY POWELL and TED TURNER and is as good as ARGUS,the debut albums.I bought this album recently and have thouroughly enjoyed this along with WISHBONE FOUR nd LIVE IN CHICAGO albums.A must for all lovers of good classic rock music.

This one is more boogie and free flowing.. not as serious or dramatic as their more elaborate styles.. A nice outing for the avid fan, sure brings back memories for those of us that grew up with them.. enjoyable CD..Chris

I went to see Wishbone Ash AGAIN this Thanksgiving in Memphis....and the new lineup impressed me as much as the first time I saw them at the Warehouse in New Orleans in 1972....How Andy has held onto that energy is amazing, they came out with Outward Bound, off of the New England albun, and I was blown away again. Even more amazing, there was pitiful turnout at Neils, the venue in Memphis, because of the holiday, and they STILL played like they were playing to a sellout crowd. Muddy's style compliments Andy's perfectly, and i'm wondering if Bob Skeet isnt the best bass player i ever saw. GO SEE THEM whever you can....unlike so many other older touring bands, they are as fresh as they were way back then.

If you've stumbled upon this group by accident as you plow thru music on cdnow or some other venue and you are not surewhat this group is about, click on "Where Were You Tomorrow" *if a clip is provided* THIS IS WISHBONE ASH! If that clip doesn't move you, then you should immediatly make an appointment with your nearest coroner. In Pilgramage, you find WA as jazzy as you will find in any of their other efforts *the tail end of their tune "Handy" is another jazzy example * But they were not just jazz...they were ROCK when others were pretenders. In fact, they were not so much jazz as they were innovative. Twin lead guitarists? Who knew? Many bands of the early 70's featured more than one guitarist but NO other band I know of featured two leads. It made for a unique sound. I have to agree with another reviewer: the departure of Martin Turner removed so much of the original 4 member's sound. They did go on to record more and even some equally great stuff here and there, but their highwater mark came as a 4-some. All in all, PILGRAMAGE is one fine album...it won't disappoint *unless you're not willing to challenge conventional rock like Wishbone Ash did*

Firstly, I'd like to correct an earlier reviewer who said this album follows "Argus" as their third album. "Pilgrimage" is actually their second album. "Argus" being their third.

Also, unlike what the same reviewer said about "Argus" and the first album being their best, Wishbone Ash continued to progress all the way up 'til 1980 with spectacular songs and guitarwork by Powell/Turner/Turner, and then later Powell/Turner/Wisefield. The reason I say only up until 1980 is because Martin Turner on bass and vocals left after that year, which IMHO, was a deadly blow to the band.

When "Pilgrimage" was recorded, Andy Powell and Ted Turner were about 20 or 21 years old. That is just unbelievable. The song "The Pilgrim" is worth the price of admission alone and is one of the most adventurous compositions to ever be recorded. The remainder of the album is great as well.

If you think rock has progressed in our day and age (2005) from what it was back in 1971, think again. This album comes from a time when musicians actually played rather than relying on some studio technology and amp-modeling technology over-sanitizing and sterilizing all the music that seems to be the norm today.

And wow, you can actually hear the bass with definition on this album, unlike today's wall-of-mush bass that is so common.

If you love From Autumn To Ashes then this is a must add to your collection. Excellent recording combined with all the FATA songs you love doesn't get much better than this.