Wishbone Ash Celebrates “Argus,” 50 Years On, at the Rialto
This piece is supposed to be about the upcoming appearance by legendary 70’s progressive rock act Wishbone Ash and their 50 year anniversary/celebration of their epic LP, Argus. As such, there will be thoughts on their signature twin lead guitar sound; what is it that defines progressive rock; and what it was like to be immersed in that very British primordial ooze that spawned bands of similar sensibilities, like early Genesis with Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, Jethro Tull, etc.
But mostly, after two phone conversations while he was driving between gigs (he assured me he was on Bluetooth), I find myself fascinated with Andy Powell, guitarist, singer, composer and keeper of the flame (and the brand) for Wishbone Ash since its inception in 1969.
At first, I thought his quiet, thoughtful demeanor to be in such contrast to the sound and power that can drive the music. And then I thought more about the music. And while it’s been a long time since I’ve had me some Wishbone Ash on the turntable, when I did get around to serving up Argus, I was moved by its artistry and the melding of quiet and soft with those brilliant guitar driven melodies. Having heard parts of it twice in two days, I still cannot get “Time Was” out of my head. But I digress . . .
These are but some of the things we touched upon.
Progressive Rock. When I asked Andy to define the term, he said with a wry chuckle, “It was really just bands playing with more than three chords. We were trying to flex our creative muscles, and really, just trying to be clever.” This led into his thoughts and reflections on the evolution of British music from the mid-1960s on citing bands like Small Faces and the Move and how the British fascination with American blues somehow fused with the psychedelia music of that time.
Argus. “It’s a vintage sound if you listen to the late ’60s 16-track analog. And while you always love every project you’re involved with, yes, we did know this one was special.”
50 Years of Wishbone Ash. In our first conversation I asked him if there was ever a time when he wasn’t doing Wishbone Ash, wasn’t playing or recording under that name. I know it’s not unusual for a classic rock band to reconstitute 15–30 years after its heyday. Or perhaps there was an extended hiatus or two—also not unusual for the genre. When I asked him about this again, he alluded to 1991–94, when he went off the grid, so to speak, working at what’s known as a teaching farm. But even then, he was still doing business and playing the occasional gig. Wishbone Ash sports a discography that includes at least 27 albums spanning more than 50 years, including 2020’s Coat of Arms.
Down on the Farm. In 1991, Andy joined his wife, who was a teacher, in a new job she had where she would be teaching kids on a farm. During this time, Powell deeply reflected on his life and his music career. “I decided I had had it with agents and managers and I’m only going to work with good people.” And so his time and energy would be split between doing chores on the farm and working on rebuilding the name and the brand of Wishbone Ash. “I needed to get real with it; strip it down to the basics and then rebuild. And I loved getting me hands in the dirt and seeing exactly what you’re made of. It doesn’t get any worse than pig shit!” he laughed. This time marked a significant turning point in his life and career. And Wishbone Ash? It was then and there Powell understood how much he needed to reach out and connect to the community of fans that was still out there.
Ahead of Its Time. Powell believes the funding for Illuminations, released in 1996 and paid for by asking the band’s extremely supportive fan base for money, was perhaps the first recording project to be funded in this way. While now quite commonplace, in the mid-1990s, crowdsourcing (Go fund Me, Indie Go-Go, etc.) was virtually unheard of. “I believe we were ahead of the curve when it came to finding new ways in reaching out to our fans. We also had one of the first websites up.” Since the advent of the internet in the mid-1990s, Powell has made excellent use of the social media tools available. In another example of being ahead of its time, Powell says it was the early 2000s that Wishbone Ash, teaming up with the band Yes, headlined a musical cruise, again quite commonplace now, but 20 years ago, not so much.
Favorite Albums in the Post-Argus Era. Post Argus simply means anything after 1980. “I’m very proud of Illuminations. I feel we were very successful in making a slick, American style rock album.” He also cites Elegant Stealth (2011), Blue Horizon (2014), and the most recent Coat of Arms. I would love to have heard him expand on his takes on what made each project so memorable.
I finally asked Andy if anyone had ever approached him about writing a book as his stories so well blended the precision of detail with the richness of the times. “Oh yeah, I’ve done that! My autobiography is called Eyes Wide Open.”
Not one who is generally a fan of older, iconic bands with multiple personnel changes, I am excited for this show.
Wishbone Ash plays the Rialto Theatre, Tuesday, May 10 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets range from $30 to 42.
Category: Community, Entertainment, MUSIC, The Scoop
