Wishbone Ash
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1969-75) - Andy Powell --
guitar, vocals - Ted Turner --
guitars, lap-steel guitarvocals
supporting musicians (1973) - Phil Kenzie -- sax - Dave Coxhill -- sax - Graham Maitland -- keybaords - George Nash -- keyboards - Bud Parks -- trumpet
line up 2 (1975-81) - Andy Powell --
guitar, vocals
line up 3 (1981) - Andy Powell --
guitar, vocals NEW - John Wetton -- bass (replaced Martin Turner)
line up 4 (1981-83) NEW - Trevor Boulder -- bass (replaced John Wetton) - Andy Powell --
guitar, vocals
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- 21 Guns - Alternative TV - Asia (John Wetton) - Big Daisy - Blodwyn Pig - Blue Law - Blue Meanies - Cash Pussies - Diamond Head - Glencoe - Gringo Locos - Home - The Ladder - Pendragon - Phenomena - Psycho Motels - Spiders from Mars (Trevor Boulder) - Uriah Heep (Trevor Boulder) - WIld Life - World of Leather
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Wishbone Four Company: MCA Catalog: MCA-327 Country/State: Torquay, Devon UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor edge wear; no insert Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $15.00
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I.m
not the first to point this out, but if you had purchased 1973's "Wishbone Four" expecting
to hear a continuation of "Argus" styled progressive
moves, you were liable to have been surprised. Depending on
your musical tastes, it might not have been a pleasant surprise and many
hard core fans were apparently appalled by the band's abrupt change in
musical direction. Hey, at least the album sported a cool cover and clever
title. LOL "Wishbone Four" marked
the end of then quartet's extended partnership with producer Derek
Lawrence. Wishful Ash's first foray into self-production, the set
featured eight original group compositions (seven reflecting Martin Tu
"Wishbone
Four" track listing: 1.) So Many Things To Say (Ted Turner - Steve Upton - Martin Turner - Andy Powell) - 5:00 rating: **** stars Featuring Ted Turner on lap steel guitar, 'So Many Things To Say' rocked out like nothing they'd done to that point. 2.) Ballad Of The Beacon (Ted Turner - Steve Upton - Martin Turner - Andy Powell) - 4:58 rating: **** stars I saw someone describe 'Ballad Of The Beacon' as an old Welsh drinking song. I laughed, but can kind of hear the comparison. Regardless its one of the prettiest ballads in their repertoire, It's one of those melodies that lodges in your head and reappears at unexpected times. While Andy Powell's guitar solo was luscious, the song's secret ingredient came in the form of Martin Turner's languid bass line. Darn, wish I could play bass like that. 3.)
No Easy Road (Ted Turner - Steve Upton - Martin Turner - Andy Powell) - 3:40
rating: *** stars
- 1973's 'No Easy Road' b/w 'Blowin' Free' (Decca catalog 33004) 4.) Everybody Needs A Friend (Ted Turner - Steve Upton - Martin Turner - Andy Powell) - 8:27 rating: **** stars Sporting another beautiful Powell solo, 'Everybody Needs A Friend' was another pretty ballad that had considerable commercial potential - particularly if edited down from the eight plus minute running time. Martin Turner seldom sounded as good on lead vocals and for someone with the sensitivity of a brick, the lyrics are touching.
(side
2) The rollicking 'Doctor' was my pick for the album's best performance. Nice Martin Turner vocals, great melody, the lyrics were a hoot and you got a brief taste of the band's powerhouse twin lead guitar dynamics. Kind of a Budgie feel going on here. 2.) Sorrel (Ted Turner - Steve Upton - Martin Turner - Andy Powell) - 5:02 rating: **** stars 'Sorrel' was one of the few tracks exhibiting at least a touch English folk flavor (though it wasn't a folk song). With a pastoral feel, this one also benefited from another killer bass line. Martin Turner was one of the most melodic bass players I know). It also sported some dynamite lead guitar from Ted Turner and Andy Powell. I suspect 'Sorrel' really wasn't about the plant used as a herb and for salads ... 3.) Sing Out The Song (Ted Turner - Steve Upton - Martin Turner - Andy Powell) - 4:21 rating: ** stars Admittedly I'm not a country music fan which put this country-tinged ballad at a disadvantage, 4.)
Rock'n Roll Widow (Steve Upton) - 5:41
rating: *** stars
© Scott R. Blackerby October, 2024
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Genre: rock Rating: 3 stars *** Title: Hot Ash Company: MCA Catalog: MCA-5283 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor cut out notch lower edge Available: 1 Catalog ID: 6299 Price: $15.00
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I'm not sure what MCA marketing was thinking about when they decided to raid the vaults for another Wishbone Ash live set. Pulling together eight tracks from across the band's mid-to-late 1970s career didn't seem like a particular smart marketing move and certainly didn't deserve much in the way of creativity ... Oh, for a moment I forgot this was an MCA product. That explains most of the marketing (or lack thereof). I actually remember picking this set up for the weird cover art. I couldn't figure out why the image was so ill-focused. Only later did it dawn on me this was one of those 3-D pictures (no you didn't get 3-D glasses with the album.). I also remember the first time I heard the set thinking the fans were yelling "we want ass ...). So much for first impressions. At least to my ears quite a few of the performances sounded so polished I was left to wonder whether they'd been subjected to considerable post-production work. Tracks like 'Blowin' Free', 'Living Proof' and 'Goodbye Baby Hello Friend' literally sounded like studio material with very little in the way of in-concert rawness. Still, it wasn't a bad place to start if you were mildly curious about the band. They also deserved some credit for bucking the double live set trend and opting to release a single set concert documentary. (I know they'd already covered the double live set with 1974's "Live Dates".) Given the limited promotion support the collection received (to say nothing of the fact it was yet another live set), it actually sold fairly well, peaking at # 192 on the US charts.
"Hot
Ash" track listing: 1.) Blowin' Free (Andy Powell - Martin Turner - Ted Turner - Steve Upton) - 6:17 rating: **** stars Originally featured on 1972's "Argus", as mentioned above, I have no idea how much post-production work went into the set, but judging by the smoothness and overall caliber of this version, it sure sounded like their in-concert version underwent some at least some studio polishing. Regardless, the song served as a wonderful introduction to their classic twin lead guitar repertoire. YouTube has a nice 1973 era concert performance of the track at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeY9IRnVmk8 2.) Living Proof (Laurie Weisfield - C. Hamill) - 5:45 rating: **** stars 'Living Proof' came from Wishbone Ash mark II and the album "Just Testing" LP. Anyone critical of the band's early-1980s repertoire should probably re-evaluate their position after hearing this one, A fantastic mixture of the band's hard rock guitars, surprisingly catchy vocals, and a great Martin Turner bass line, this one must have been nirvana to hear in a live setting. 3.) Goodbye Baby Hello Friend (Laurie Weisfield) - 5:21 rating: **** stars People end to overlook the fact these guys were capable of more than mind numbing hard rock and 'Goodbye Baby Hello Friend' serves as the perfect example of just how commercial and radio friendly they could be. 4.) Bad Weather Blues (Andy Powell - Martin Turner - Laurie Weisfield - Steve Upton) - rating: ** stars The first disappointment and the first track that really sounded like it was recorded live, 'Bad Weather Blues' was a pedestrian, seemingly endless blues-rocker. The song was originally recorded for inclusion on 1975's "Locked In", but didn't make the final cut (big surprise). MCA subsequently released a limited edition, extended live version of the song coupled with the song 'You See Red.' This version was apparently recorded at a 1977 concert in Sheffield, England.
(side
2) Supposedly inspired by a female friend/heroin addict the Turner brothers knew, I think 'Doctor' came off of 1973's "Wishbone Ash". Abandoning their progressive leanings, this one found the band cruising along with a conventional rock feel. Have to admit the lyric was quite disturbing ... Clearly recorded at a concert, this one doesn't seem to have had much in the way or post-production help and it sounded all the better for that. 2.) Way of the World (Laurie Weisfield) - 10:05 rating: **** stars Classic Ash ... to my ears 'Way of the World' served to highlight just how melodic the band's twin led guitar line up could be. Starting out with one of their nicest melodies, the dark and haunting song morphed into an equally impressive rocker with some great lead guitar moves. It's one of my favorite Wishbone performances. 3.) Helpless (P. Kenderick) - 3:35 rating: ** stars The album's shortest performance, 'Helpless' was also he most pedestrian number. Forgettable. 4.) No Easy Road (Martin Turner) - 6:38 rating: *** stars Pulled from "Wishbone Four", 'No Easy Road' showed the band in prime boogie-rock mode. The life-is-tough-on-the-road lyric may not have been the most original thing you've ever heard and the song may have sounded a bit like a good Foghat performance, but that's not a bad thing. Besides, the lead guitar was wonderful.
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rner
lyrics; the eighth credited to drummer Steve Upton). Nothing wrong
with self-production, though I've
always found the sound the be a little under-whelming. Producer
Lawrence was missed. With the possible exception of 'Sorrel', the band's medieval-influenced progressive moves
were all but gone, as were their
patented twin lead guitar moves. In its place, musically the set
divided into two broad camps. The blazing opener 'So Many Things To Say',
'Doctor' and 'Rock'n Roll Widow'
showcased a set
of conventional rockers. Elsewhere tracks like
'Everybody Needs A Friend', 'Sing Out The Song' exhibited a knack for
touching ballads. The country-tinged ballad
'Sing Out The Song' was the only true mis-step on the collection.
The album certainly had a different vibe that their early catalog - far more mainstream and conventional. And while
most of the songs were quite good and occasionally even memorable (the
pastoral 'Sorrel'),
exemplified by the single 'No Easy Road' the overall results were a bit of an
FM rocker-styled letdown.
