Wishbone Ash Argus Then Alive

If Wishbone Ash can be considered a group who dabbled in the main strains of early-'70s British rock without ever settling on one (were they a prog rock outfit like Yes, a space rock unit like Pink Floyd, a heavy metal ensemble like Led Zeppelin, or just a boogie band like Ten Years After?), the confusion compounded by their relative facelessness and the generic nature of their compositions, Argus, their third album, was the one on which they looked like they finally were going to forge their own unique amalgamation of all those styles into a sound of their own.

If Wishbone Ash can be considered a group who dabbled in the main strains of early-'70s British rock without ever settling on one (were they a prog rock outfit like Yes, a space rock unit like Pink Floyd, a heavy metal ensemble like Led Zeppelin, or just a boogie band like Ten Years After?), the confusion compounded by their relative facelessness and the generic nature of their compositions, Argus, their third album, was the one on which they looked like they finally were going to forge their own unique amalgamation of all those styles into a sound of their own…

"Argus" is the third album by the rock band Wishbone Ash. It is the most popular Wishbone Ash album and widely considered their greatest by fans and reviewers. It was named "Album of the Year" in the 1972 year-end issue of Sounds magazine. The album features a blend of progressive rock, folk, and hard rock, and is considered a landmark album in the progression of twin-lead guitar harmonisation later adopted by bands such as Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden. The sound engineer on Argus was Martin Birch, who also worked with Deep Purple, later with Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and other hard rock/heavy metal bands. The bulk of the melodies and lyrics were provided by bassist/lead vocalist Martin Turner, although all members contributed to the song arrangements.

Essential: a masterpiece of rock music
The kings have come
While Wishbone Ash may fall into the “Prog related” category, there is little doubt that “Argus” stands as one of the finest prog albums ever.

Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular albums included Wishbone Ash (1970), Pilgrimage (1971), Argus (1972), Wishbone Four (1973), There's the Rub (1974), and New England (1976).

The companion release to the quiet-moments compilation TENDER, Wishbone Ash collection TOUGH represents the more hard-rocking side of this stalwart British band. Wishbone Ash made their name in the 1970s with their dueling guitars and epic tunes, but TOUGH features a number of latter-day selections from the long-lived band, proving that as the decades went on, they managed to retain that hard-rock bite that had always endeared them to their legions of fans.

British rockers Wishbone Ash gained fame in the 1970s for their twin-guitar attack and captivating blend of hard rock and progressive stylings. TENDER is a collection of tunes that showcase the softer side of the band's musical personality, including a number of latter-day tracks. Acoustic-tinged balladry and dynamics that veer towards the low end of the spectrum are the order of the day here, but if you want the harder stuff, check out this disc's companion release, entitled (what else?) TOUGH.