Customer Reviews

Wishbone Ash

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of the many hidden gems of rock 'n roll, Wishbone Ash's debut is nothing short of breath-taking. Consider the fact that they had only been playing together for about a year, and that makes it even more remarkable.

First of all, I consider Andy Powell and Ted Turner to be the two most gifted guitarists in all of rock music. For two guys who didn't make much of an impact, they could flat-out PLAY better than anyone else I've ever heard (yes, Hendrix included). Take the beginning of "Handy", for example. I have never heard any other players weave their guitars together and create such heart-breaking melodies. It's absolutely hypnotizing. The scorching solo on "Lady Whiskey" is another great example.
Martin Turner proves to be a phenomenal bass player, complemented by Steve Upton to form one hell of a rhythm section.

BLIND EYE: Their first single. A stomping boogie tune, the groove is just irresistible. Great, jazzy playing from Andy and Ted. Gotta love that stop/start structure.

LADY WHISKEY: Built around a wonderful riff, resplendent with some thundering bass and ferocious guitar playing in the middle.

ERRORS OF MY WAY: Here, the band incorporates folk music into their sound, and the result is grand. Those vocal harmonies by Mart and Andy are just divine. Great, emotional guitar solo as well.

QUEEN OF TORTURE: Now THIS is one rocking tune! Just listen to that riff. First solo is good, second one BURNS.

HANDY: In my opinion, probably the best song on the album. This is one of the most unique songs I've ever heard by anyone. Kind of hard to categorize, it's kind of "psychedelic jazz". It begins with some glorious, un-accompanied bass playing. Let it be noted that I've rarely heard anyone else who can get such wonderful melodies from a bass guitar. Martin was really awesome. Then, Ted and Andy come in and play some of the most beautiful, dreamy, haunting melodies that have ever been recorded. The atmosphere they convey is astonishing. Then Martin comes in with another bass solo, and it turns into a mid-paced rocker with awesome guitar. Then there's a short drum solo (and a great one) before it turns into a pure jazz tune. The most amazing thing here is the guitar solo. Andy and Ted were only 19 or 20 at the time. The fact that somebody could play jazz THAT GOOD at such a young age is incredible. Jazz is one of the hardest styles to play on guitar, yet these guys rip it out like child's play. The licks are amazing - fast, stinging and amazingly fluid. Don't know if it's Ted or Andy, but it's killer nonetheless. The songs ends with some crazy scat-singing from Martin. One hell of a song.

PHOENIX: Their show-stopper. This is the song that blew everyone away when they played it live. No doubt it's a masterpiece, the way it evolves from a slow, eerie ballad to an all-out guitar thunderstorm (courtesy of Ted Turner). Absolutely stunning. The lyrics, of course, are about the legendary fire bird Phoenix (from Greek mythology, I think), believed to have risen from ashes to fly again. This is, hands down, one of the greatest electric guitar pieces ever made. What Ted does here is amazing - going from lovely and serene to furious and gut-wrenching in a matter of seconds. His bends are almost tear-inducing, and that ear-melting lick at the 6:49 mark is especially devastating. Man, someone get an extinguisher 'cause that boy was ON FIRE!!!

All in all, one of the best albums I've ever heard. ARGUS is of course their most famous, but this one is equal to it.

This album is one of the 20 top Rock albums of all times. One of the classic Boogie Bands of all time. I am a Vinyl Freak and have this album 4 times over and have been listening to it for 30 years. Never get tired of it. I also reccommend Argus and Wishbone 4 for your collections. I have a wide variety of taste and these guys rate right up at the top. Awesome dueling guitar work and vocals. Your collection of music is not complete without them. Not a bad price either I might add!

I listened to this album at my friend's house.His father made us listen to it(I'm born in 79!).I was flabbergasted!I mean the twin lead on this album is fantastic and the singing too!I can't believe my ears:all this harmony.This is the best band in the world.Just checkout the opening bass line of handy and the way it progresses and do not forget the masterpice phoenix and the haunting beautiful errors of my way which shows great harmony.In short buy this album if you have an ear for good solos and perfect harmony!!

Some albums never seem to grow old, always sounding fresh. Derek & The Dominos 'Layla', The Beatles 'Abbey Road', The Rolling Stones 'Let It Bleed' are examples and if Wishbone Ash had received better or any? exposure in the States, their first album 'Wishbone Ash' would rank with those I mentioned as well as any others ever released. From the moment I heard the opening cut, I was hooked. Powered by twin lead guitarists Andy Powell and Ted Turner, with bassist Martin Turner *no relation to Ted* and tireless Steve Upton on drums, this 4 member band redefined rock. This debut album, along with the brilliant Argus, stand has two efforts appreciated by an almost cult following *I would guess that part of the reason this group lacked air play was their stubborn refusual to cut shorter tunes so that FM stations, trapped in AM mindsets, would give them cover...I'm glad they bucked the system in that regard*. For examples of this phenomenally talented group's live sound, I would suggest 'Live Dates' or 'Live In Chicago', where Andy and Ted were reunited. Last I heard, Andy still plows on. In fact, I heard Wishbone Ash just a few years ago with Andy and some very competent backups. Early in the 70's, I was lucky to see the original 4 twice in concert. Without hesitation, I would suggest that any serious lover of rock isn't truly serious without this MAJOR OPUS in their collection. Rolling Stone magazine a few years back selected their Top 20 Guitarists of all time: Andy and Ted were selected as a tandem. I think that alone speaks volumes. Unlike too many of today's guitarists with 3 power chords and incidental or accidental riffs?, Andy and Ted wove as one, would split off into twin melodic leads only to come back as one guitar in the hands of two masters. WISHBONE ASH are rock giants without peer...and sadly, without big time exposure.

Another case of superb performers that got very little recognition. If you are Michael Jackson or Madonna fan, this CD is not for you. This is a pure rock music with pleasant melodies and master musicians. I don't know of any other group that uses the technique of twin guitars. Just like harmony between two voices Powel and Turner are using two guitars, playing same melody in parallel tunes. At the same time , On other tracks, the other Turner is playing bass as the lead instrument while the twin guitars are accompanying him. The sound is the 70's sound when melody DID count and players actually had to be musicians and read notes. Wishbone Ash were unique in their style and if you are a 60-70's rock fan with fine ear for exceptional performers, this album is for you. I over used my LP, had to replace it and now I am on to the CD.

Incredible dueling guitar axework here. These guys invented the sound that would later give us Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden and the like. In my opinion, this is Wishbone Ash's best album by far. Heavy in its own way but rocks nonetheless! I was blown away when I first heard it and still am today...

This being their eponymous debut album ranks amongst the best in my collection. On the version i have the titles are on the cd. They begin with 'Blind Eye' [you turned a blind eye to everything i've said] , go on with indulgent 'Lady Whiskey' [lady whiskey's got a son, got a daughter, too], a classic 'Errors Of My Way', a masterpiece 'Queen Of Torture', long and wonderful 'Handy' and 'Phoenix' (Phoenix is the fire-bird) [rising from the cinders]. A true classic rock album right from 1970. I listen to it over and over without boredom.

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 determined 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.

Years ahead of it's time.. still sounds great and is relevent today!! Seen them live in 69 and became a fan.. As a musician I understand and enjoy their real singing and unique guitar duelling style..A classic Cd, a classic band.. Great sound quaility for it's time, still sounds great on Cd,, A must buy..enjoy...Chris

"Stoneage", is whay my son calls my old LP's. What a great work of art this LP is. I am currently replacing my old Lp's to disc and this band was my first priority. Dueling guitars, a tremendous bass, and vocals that are great. So much talent as musicians and writers all packaged together. I own the first 6 LP's and this one(1970), along with their 2nd (Pilgrimage 1971), and their 3rd (Argus 1972), are nothing short of 5 stars. As for Wishbone 4 (1973), to me, it is weak and sort of commercial. "Live Dates" is nice but several of the songs just don't do justice to their original recordings. I was fortunate to see this band about 2 years ago at the House of Blues and let me tell you, they are as good as they were way back in the early 70's.