Revered British rockers Wishbone Ash join the ranks of the severely-anthologized with the April 2018 release of the band’s The Vintage Years limited edition box set by Madfish Music. Offering a band history on steroids, the whopping 30-CD collection is limited to 2,500 copies and features all sixteen of the band’s studio albums released from their self-titled 1970 debut through 1991’s Strange Affair, all remastered from the original master tapes for optimal sound quality. Three of these studio discs have long been out-of-print (1987’s Nouveau Calls, 1989’s Here to Hear, and Strange Affair) while many of the band’s other albums frequently pop in and out of availability depending on whatever way the wind blows. Each album will feature bonus material including rare studio outtakes, B-sides, and previously-unreleased tracks.
Wishbone Ash also released three studio albums during the span of decades covered by The Vintage Years – Live Dates (1973), Live Dates 2 (1980), and Live In Tokyo (released exclusively in Japan in 1979) – and all three albums are included here. The box set also includes eight previously-released live albums on eleven CDs, all recorded during the band’s prolific gravy years between 1973 to 1980, including performances from British tours for the albums Wishbone Four (1973), New England (1976), Front Page News (1977), and No Smoke Without Fire (1978), among others.
The Vintage Years box includes a swanky 156-page hardback book written by Classic Rock magazine scribe Dave Ling and featuring personal photos, rare posters and flyers, and collectors’ memorabilia. The set also includes a wealth of goodies for the hardcore Wishbone Ash fan, including a 36-page poster book covering the band’s early years through the Here to Hear LP, four reproduction concert posters from shows in 1973, ’74, ’75, and ’77; a facsimile MCA debut album promo pack; a 7” flexi-disc for the single “Blind Eye,” the first of the band’s 11 Japanese singles series; and individually-signed photos of each band member.
Formed in 1969 by bassist Martin Turner and drummer Steve Upton, the classic early Wishbone Ash line-up came together with the addition of guitarists Andy Powell and Ted Turner (no relation to Martin). The band found its signature sound – a unique and ambitious mix of progressive rock and British folk fueled by their imaginative and influential twin guitar attack – with their sophomore album, 1971’s Pilgrimage. The band continued to explore new ground and outpace their contemporaries with pioneering albums like Argus (1972) and Wishbone Four. Band members have come and gone and come back again through the years, until Powell was the last man standing, both he and former member Martin Turner struggling for control over the band’s legacy during the ensuing decades.
Wishbone Ash continues to make vital, creative music as witnessed by the band’s most recent album, 2014’s Blue Horizon. All four members of the classic band line-up contributed to the construction of The Vintage Years, Martin Turner explaining in a press release for the box set, “I looked after most of these tape recordings for decades, wondering when they would ever see the light of day and I am very glad that they will at last be available for everyone to hear…It’s almost like having one’s whole musical life in one box. It certainly represents the most comprehensive Wishbone collection that I know of and I hope you enjoy it.”
Powell adds, “It’s truly amazing to look back at the musically fertile ‘70s and ‘80s and wonder at the sheer amount of incredible creative output from our band…I feel blessed to have played my part in it all and I’m truly thankful that it’s set the course for my entire life and all the music that’s followed, as the band continues to live on into the 21st century.” The resulting box set is a comprehensive and exhausting history of one of the more innovative and influential bands in rock ‘n’ roll history. Get more information on The Vintage Years from the Madfish Music website.
Classic rock legends Wishbone Ash will be launching a new “British Invasion” with their upcoming ‘Take It Back’ North American tour in September 2016. The band is celebrating its 47th anniversary since forming in England in 1969, and these performances will provide a musical journey that spans the band’s 1970s and ‘80s-era albums as well as including songs from more recent recordings.
“We'd like to mix it up a little,” says Wishbone Ash founding member Andy Powell in a press release for the tour. “Perhaps include a different epic instrumental, dust off a couple of the old harmony-driven songs, feature an unexpected track from our latest album, Blue Horizon.”
Since releasing its self-titled debut album in 1970, Wishbone Ash has built a catalog of unusually high quality music, including albums like 1971’s Pilgrimage, 1972’s Argus, 1976’s New England, and 1978’s No Smoke Without Fire – a total of nine studio albums during the ‘70s, another six during the ‘80s, two dozen altogether – a slate of acclaimed works that continued with 2011’s Elegant Stealth and 2014’s Blue Horizon. The current roster includes singer, songwriter, and guitarist Powell, Finnish six-string wizard Muddy Manninen, bassist Bob Skeat, and drummer Joe Crabtree; these four musicians have been together since 2007, making it the longest-lasting incarnation of the band.
Wishbone Ash’s trademark sound is based on the band’s melodic twin lead guitars, which have influenced bands as diverse as Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, among many others. Over close to a half-century, the band has dabbled in folk, blues, jazz, and electronica along with the landmark rock ‘n’ roll sound they created during their early years. Touring constantly and logging 30,000 miles annually, the band has forged a strong bond with its loyal fans.
“We laid down strong musical roots in the '70s, and these roots continue to prove productive,” Powell says. “Also, we nurtured our fan base as much as possible through fan club conventions, newsletters and the like; but this was all given a great boost once the digital age came into being, with websites and social media.”
Check out Wishbone Ash’s September tour dates below. Buy a copy of their most recent album through Amazon.com: Wishbone Ash’s Blue Horizon
Wishbone Ash's “Take It Back” North American Tour 2016
Sept 8 @ Soiled Dove, Denver CO
Sept 9 @ Stargazers, Colorado Springs CO
Sept 10 @ Knuckleheads, Kansas City MO
Sept 12 @ Pabst Theatre – Turner Hall, Milwaukee WI
Sept 13 @ Famous Dave’s, Minneapolis MN
Sept 16 @ Wildey Theatre, Edwardsville IL
Sept 17 @ Arcada Theatre, St. Charles IL
Sept 18 @ Callahan’s, Auburn Hills MI
Sept 19 @ C2G Music Hall, Fort Wayne IN
Sept 20 @ Rex Theater, Pittsburgh PA
Sept 21 @ Sportsmen’s Tavern, Buffalo NY
Sept 22 @ The Upper Room, Albany NY
Sept 23 @ Mauch Chunk Opera House, Jim Thorpe PA
Sept 24 @ Infinity Hall, Norfolk CT
Sept 25 @ Tupelo Music Hall, Londonderry NH
Sept 26 @ Ram's Head, Annapolis MD
Sept 27 @ Sellersville Theater, Sellersville PA
Sept 28 @ Highline Ballroom, New York NY
Sept 29 @ Daryl's House Club, Pawling NY
Wishbone Ash was one of those 1970s-era “classic rock” British bands who, while undeniably an influence on a legion of artists, remains criminally obscure in the states. The foursome toured the U.S. constantly throughout the ‘70s, and managed to place eight of their ten releases during the decade onto the Billboard Top 200 albums chart (their highest chart successes coming with Wishbone Four at #44 and Live Dates at #82, both in 1973). Yet they never managed more than a modicum of commercial success stateside, remaining much more popular in the U.K. and Europe.
Formed in 1969 by guitarist Andy Powell, bassist Martin Turner, guitarist Ted Turner, and drummer Steve Upton, Wishbone Ash sounded nearly fully-formed from day one, the band’s mix of hard rock, progressive, and folk-rock finding an appreciative audience that largely remains with them to this day. The band released its self-titled debut in 1970, and hit its creative peak early with their third album, the 1972 classic Argus. Wishbone Ash was, arguably, the first band to popularize the twin lead guitar sound later utilized by Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden, and the band’s use of two lead singers – Powell and Martin Turner – created a unique and effective sound that added to the band’s onstage dynamic.
Andy Powell’s Eyes Wide Open
The band’s sole remaining member from the founding foursome, Andy Powell has kept Wishbone Ash going strong deep into the new millennium. Some forty-five years after their debut, the band is still releasing creative, entertaining music (check out 2014’s wonderful Blue Horizon album) with Powell at the helm of a rotating cast of musicians. Band members have come and gone through the decades – the original line-up lasted almost four years before Ted Turner departed, replaced by guitarist Laurie Wisefield – and throughout the fallow years of the ‘80s and beyond, Powell has continued to tour and record as Wishbone Ash, enlisting new fans and creating an unshakeable legacy for the band.
Powell has taken time out from a steady tour schedule to pen his version of the rock ‘n’ roll memoir, joining contemporaries like Keith Richards, Pete Townsend, and Bob Dylan in framing his career on his own literary terms. Powell isn’t the first Wishbone Ash founder to push his bio; disgruntled former member Martin Turner published his No Easy Road book back in 2012. As the last man standing, however, Powell has insight and experience provided by decades in the trenches, and as he’s struggled to keep the band rolling throughout the inevitable ups ‘n’ downs of the music biz, Powell has earned the right to offer his own spin on the band’s history.
True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior
Powell’s Eyes Wide Open is an entertaining tome, the writer describing his childhood fascination with music, the making of his first guitar, and playing in his first bands, which provided him with the confidence and stagecraft to forge a career in rock ‘n’ roll. It’s with the formation of Wishbone Ash that the story takes off, though, and Powell goes into depth in talking about the band’s early years, the camaraderie between the members, and the creation of the band’s classic early albums like Pilgrimage, Argus, and Wishbone Four. This isn’t a ‘tell all’ styled bio, though, so while Powell alludes to, and sometimes writes explicitly the band’s extracurricular activities, he seldom goes into all the sordid details. Powell is quite frank about both the successes and the problems the band had with original manager Miles Copeland and the internal tensions that led to, first, Ted Turner’s departure and, later, that of Martin Turner, which opened the revolving door of band members.
Even more interesting are Powell’s memories of those years of struggle during the 1980s and ‘90s, his assumption of the mantle of band leadership through attrition, and the fight to continue creating credible new music (with the sonic experimentation that included) with an ever-changing line-up of talented musicians. The band’s modest success during these later years has only happened via the support of a loyal, worldwide fan base that has allowed Wishbone Ash to continue touring and recording to the present day. Powell acknowledges a large number of the band’s fans and their contributions in the book, also pointing out a few of the more detrimental hangers-on, haters who have attempted to derail Powell’s ongoing efforts, either due to jealousy or simple malevolence.
Blue Horizon
One of the biggest ‘haters’ of the Wishbone Ash legacy is former member Martin Turner, whose obviously bruised, but enormous ego won’t allow him to bury the past and move on. Powell goes into detail about the legal battle between he and Turner that eventually arose over the use of the Wishbone Ash name (the former bass player and singer began touring as Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash in 2004 without Powell’s consent), a fight that Powell won. True, Eyes Wide Open provides Powell’s perspective on the issues between himself and his former bandmate, but considering that Turner never developed a significant solo career and, to this day, considers himself as the “key creative force” behind Wishbone Ash while using the band’s name to sell his music, you’ll forgive me if I lean towards Powell’s version of the story as the band’s longtime captain and surviving member.
Powell’s frequent ‘detours’ from his story are welcome, including a chapter on his long-suffering partner of 45+ years, wife Pauline, Powell’s school sweetheart who has stoically kept the home fires burning while the musician was off making money. His chapter on India is simply fascinating, Powell displaying a keen eye and a real talent in talking about touring the country and observing the economic chasm that exists between its poorest and richest citizens. A detour into talking about guitars is also a lot of fun for any gear fanatic, as the guitarist known for his Flying V talks about the various axes he’s had and played through the years. The obligatory chapter on touring (“Road Works”) should be required reading for every young musician, as Powell describes in depth the many obstacles and hazards of the road warrior.
The Reverend’s Bottom Line
One doesn’t have to be a Wishbone Ash fan to enjoy Andy Powell’s Eyes Wide Open. Sure, classic rock fans will find a lot to like in Powell’s stories about rock ‘n’ roll during the 1970s, but equally of interest are his efforts in dealing with the changes in the industry through the years, his attempts in keeping the band relevant in this age of instant (and fast-fading celebrity) and, most importantly, the process behind making vital new music like 2011’s Elegant Stealth and the aforementioned Blue Horizon album.
Eyes Wide Open includes an extensive Wishbone Ash discography compiled by music journalist Colin Harper, including an accounting of all the band’s BBC sessions and their studio and live albums (almost three dozen recordings to date), as well as an exhaustive list of the band’s live dates from 1971 through 2015, all of which will certainly appeal to the Wishbone Ash fanatic. For the rest of us, the book defines a legacy of great music, the product of an unheralded rock ‘n’ roll genius that continues to chase the brass ring almost five decades down the road. Grade: A (Jawbone Press, published November 9, 2015)
