1.    "Eyes Wide Open"
2.    "Dreams Outta Dust"
3.    "Healing Ground"
4.    "Steam Town"
5.    "Loose Change"
6.    "Surfing a Slow Wave"
7.    "Slime Time"
8.    "Capture The Moment"
9.    "Your Dog"
10.   "The Raven"
11.   "Motherless Child"

Musicians:
    Andy Powell - guitar, vocals
    Muddy Manninen - guitar
    Bob Skeat - bass
    Ray Weston – drums

Wishbone Ash was mistakenly lumped in with the boogie bands of the late '60s and early '70s when it first started out, but the group soon developed its own voice—a majestic sound of intertwining guitars and regal vocals, matched by a certain propensity to improvise upon lyrical imagery of knights and warriors that made the group sound like refugees from King Arthur's court with guitars instead of swords.

Not surprisingly, the band's been through more than its share of personnel changes since then, but it soldiers on under the aegis of guitarist Andy Powell these days, constantly touring and regularly recording. Clan Destiny is a play on words that carries more than a little significance when you listen to the current Ash lineup (though some more action photos would have been preferable to the lyrics printed in the CD book liner).

It's one thing to deliberately try to recreate a distinctive sound and style, quite another to actually do it. Listening to the opening track, it's absolutely uncanny to hear the tenor vocals mesh with the dual guitars that harmonize to create hooks. The effect is the same on the next track, "Dreams Outta Dust, but the little things make it sound different, including how the second vocal enters on the second line of the verse while a mandolin murmurs in the background. The largely original material on this disc, recorded in just over three weeks in Massachusetts, takes a variety of forms. "Healing Ground, for instance, alternates a dirty guitar figure that acts as a refrain, the dynamics of which are highlighted by way the instruments drop out on the bridge to reveal a sole falsetto vocal.

Clearly Powell has assembled a band with a palpable chemistry, including some not untalented, though perhaps overachieving, musicians. Yet you can't really deny the savvy of bassist Bob Skeat, second guitarist Muddy Manninen and drummer Bob Weston, nor their versatility: Skeat plays various keyboards, while Manninen handles lap steel and slide (the way he decorates "Your Dog demonstrates how he serves the song, instead of flashing pure technique). And for his part, Powell, still brandishing a Gibson flying-V guitar, does an admirable job on vocals—and like his three compatriots, he knows that less is definitely more when it comes to soloing.

In fact, Clan Destiny keeps improvisation in tight rein. Wishbone Ash uses the studio as a means to craft smart arrangements, rather than confine jamming. Nevertheless, the quartet generates some momentum on "Steam Town, while the instrumental "Surfing a Slow Wave sounds at once everything like vintage Wishbone Ash and something more, its delicate tandem lines echoed in the melancholy of "loose change. ---Doug Collette, allabout.jazz

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1. We Stand As One (4:15)
2. Coat of Arms (7:55)
3. Empty Man (5:16)
4. Floreana (5:14)
5. Drive (4:55)
6. It's Only You I See (7:35)
7. Too Cool for AC (4:51)
8. Back in the Day (4:46)
9. Deja Vu (4:07)
10. When the Love Is Shared (4:21)
11. Personal Halloween (5:37)

Bass – Bob Skeat
Drums – Joe Crabtree
Guitar – Mark Abrahams
Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals, Backing Vocals – Andy Powell 
+
Alto Saxophone – Tom Greenwood
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Pete FraserPercussion
Trombone – Carol Jarvis
Trumpet – Hugh Davis
Mellotron – Tom Greenwood

Today, the musical world witnesses the rebirth of many legendary Rock bands from the past, names that are important to the genre’s history, even when the readers could not know them. And WISHBONE ASH’s name could not be as notorious as LED ZEPELLIN, THE WHO, BEATLES or ROLLING STONES, but the band’s importance to Hard Rock and Heavy Metal can’t be explained by simple words. And the quartet is back for another round, with their latest release, “Coat of Arms”.

Their musical work can be described as a Hard Rock/Classic Rock with a Bluesy touch and fine harmonies. But this band is famous and notorious for the extensive use of harmony twin lead guitars, their inheritance for names as THIN LIZZY, JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN (yes, they’re true pioneers of such thing into Hard Rock), and it’s amazing how their music pulses with life and energy, and even when brought to the present, it sounds fresh and new. It seems that “Coat of Arms” isn’t a type of ‘retired musician’s album’, but a great release, an album that shows that the band is ready for fight, and for higher flights.

The sound quality of “Coat of Arms” is really amazing. It sounds modern, clean and with everything defined, but there’s a feeling of a ‘rehearsal-like’ recording, something organic, filling the songs. It can be said that the band had chosen simple instrumental tunes for the recording sessions, and it’s the WISHBONE ASH DNA as well,

On the album, there are 11 inspired songs, all of them bringing an excellent, but the heavy and melodic “We Stand as One” (the excellent guitar duets create great melodies, and the weight is amazing), the Bluesy/Southern Rock touch on the harmonies of “Coat of Arms” and “Empty Man” (very good vocals on both songs, and it’s amazing to hear Andy singing in such way after all these years), the tender and deeper melodic insight of “Floreana”, the easy and funny approach used on the harmonies of “Too Cool for AC” (a good Country Rock touch, and a solid work from bass guitar and drums), the pure Rock ‘n’ Roll song “Back in the Day”, and the 70’s feeling that fills “When the Love is Shared” are the best ones.

Of course, “Coat of Arms” can’t be said as a classic of the band, but WISHBONE ASH made an album that is filled with their best classic features. And listen to it as loud as you can! ---Metal Mark, metal-temple.com

W październiku 2019 roku zespół Wishbone Ash skończył 50 lat. Pod koniec bieżącego roku minie pół wieku od premiery pierwszej płyty tej formacji. Robi wrażenie? Musi! Być może kwartet ten nigdy nie wszedł do rockowej ekstraklasy, jeśli weźmiemy pod uwagę tylko popularność wśród fanów rocka, ale przecież to właśnie Wishbone Ash, obok Lynyrd Skynyrd i Allmanów, można uznać za pionierów rocka z wykorzystaniem dwóch gitar prowadzących. Przy czym z tej trójki to właśnie WA najodważniej szli w muzykę progresywną, nagrywając zresztą jeden z najgenialniejszych albumów w tym gatunku – płytę Argus. I choć dla wielu liczą się tylko pierwsze cztery albumy, nagrane przez oryginalny skład Turner-Powell-Turner-Upton, grupa wciąż wydaje nową muzykę w swoich kolejnych wcieleniach. Od lat ostatnim łącznikiem z tym oryginalnym Wishbone Ash jest gitarzysta i wokalista Andy Powell. Jego obecni pomocnicy dołączali do zespołu co dziesięć lat – basista Bob Skeat w 1997, perkusista Joe Crabtree w 2007, a drugi gitarzysta Mark Abrahams w 2017 roku. Dla tego ostatniego Coat of Arms – 23. płyta studyjna Wishbone Ash – to debiut studyjny w szeregach formacji. I trzeba przyznać, że tego wydawnictwa nikt wstydzić się nie musi.

Na pierwszy singiel wybrano otwierające płytę nagranie We Stand As One i chyba był to wybór całkiem niezły, bo to absolutnie jeden z najbardziej chwytliwych numerów w zestawie, a przy tym brzmiący tak, że fani starego, klasycznego Wishbone Ash z pewnością nie doznają wielkiego szoku. To udane wprowadzenie do tego albumu. W sumie na nowej płycie formacji znajdziemy 11 kompozycji i na pewno nie wszystkie się wyróżniają czy natychmiast wpadają w ucho. Ale o kilku z nich z pewnością warto wspomnieć. Kompozycja tytułowa to najdłuższy utwór na płycie, klasyczny numer Wishbone Ash z brzmieniem nie do pomylenia z jakimkolwiek innym zespołem, choć to przecież zaledwie ¼ oryginalnego składu, który odpowiadał za największe klasyki w dorobku grupy. Empty Man ma niemal folkową lekkość i taneczność, zaś w Drive zespół gra tak klasycznie rockowo, że bardziej się nie da. Mamy też trochę fragmentów mniej dynamicznych i intensywnych, jak choćby Deja Vu z niezwykle spokojnym, wysmakowanym początkiem, w którym pojawia się melodia niczym z kilkusetletniego, dostojnego tańca prezentowanego na dawnych dworach wśród wyższych sfer. Muszę też wspomnieć o drugiej ze zdecydowanie najdłuższych kompozycji na krążku, It’s Only You I See. Dobrze, że jest tu też coś takiego, w zupełnie innym stylu, klimatycznego, spokojnego, subtelnego. Kiedy wchodzi gitarowy przerywnik, wiadomo już, że to muszą być oni. I potwierdza się po raz kolejny, że ten zespół najlepiej sprawdza się właśnie w długich numerach, bo to dwa najdłuższe kawałki na albumie są moimi ulubionymi. I zaczynam żałować, że ta płyta nie składa się po prostu wyłącznie z 6-7 tego typu kompozycji o podobnej długości, rozwijających się tak udanie jak te dwie.

Coat of Arms to płyta, która nie pozostawia żadnych wątpliwości, kto ją nagrał. Z zespołami o takim stażu często jest tak, że nagrywają w kolejnych składach nowe płyty, które nierzadko są świetne, ale zazwyczaj nie brzmią jak te najbardziej znane krążki tych zespołów. Tu dobrym przykładem jest Uriah Heep, które przeżywa trzecią albo czwartą młodość, ale bądźmy szczerzy – ich nowe albumy to jest muzycznie jednak nieco inna bajka niż płyty nagrane z Byronem i z pewnością nie dałoby rady wziąć ich ostatnich krążków za coś nagranego w latach 70. Tu przynajmniej w przypadku kilku kompozycji spokojnie moglibyśmy pomylić się i założyć, że są to utwory z płyty Wishbone Ash właśnie ze wspomnianej dekady. I wcale nie jest to zarzut pod adresem grupy. Tu nie ma eksperymentów, ale wcale ich nie oczekiwałem. Ten zespół eksperymentował w swojej przeszłości sporo razy i czasami nie wychodziło to zbyt dobrze. Pewnie niektórzy fani do dziś wzdrygają się na myśl o płytach z muzyką elektroniczną. Największym minusem tej płyty jest dla mnie jej długość. Wiem, że zespół dawno nie wydawał nowej muzyki, ale mam wrażenie, że stare dobre trzy kwadranse w zupełności by wystarczyły. To nie znaczy, że są tu jakieś ewidentne wpadki, ale myślę, że bez takich utworów jak Floreana, Personal Halloween czy When the Love Is Shared (niezłe, ale chyba nie wykorzystuje potencjału na coś jeszcze lepszego) spokojnie byśmy przeżyli. Poważniejszych zarzutów jednak brak. ---Bizon, muzycznyzbawicielswiata.blogspot.com

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01. Reason To Believe (04:23)					play
02. Warm Tears (05:02)
03. Man with No Name (04:18)
04. Can’t Go It Alone (05:39)
05. Give It Up (05:07)
06. Searching For Satellites (06:02)
07. Heavy Weather (06:40)
08. Mud-slick (04:14)							play
09. Big Issues (07:42)
10. Migrant Worker (05:13)
11. Invisible Thread (05:09)
12. Reason To Believe (Remix) (05:29)

Personnel: 
Andy Powell (vocals, guitar, background vocals); 
Muddy Manninen (guitar, background vocals);
Joe Crabtree (drums, percussion); 
Bob Skeat (background vocals).

This new CD from twin-guitar legends, Wishbone Ash, showcases not only the mighty guitar talents of founding-member Andy Powell and Muddy Manninen but the driving rhythm section of bassist Bob Skeat and drummer Joe Crabtree. This lineup has been performing together for about three years now and the constant touring has sharpened not only their substantial musicianship but has produced a powerful sound and songwriting result. Don Airey of Deep Purple guests on several tracks with his searing Hammond organ, along with fiddle player Pat McManus.

Andy Powell takes on the bulk of the vocal duties, as in previous albums but his voice is in fine form here and the songs fit his range very well. The arrangements too support not just the generous guitar-laden themes but Powell's voice. All combine to serve the songs first, resulting in a varied collection of moods and grooves.

Fans of great guitar playing will not be disappointed, there are extended solos by both guitarists, something in adundance in live shows but have been more subdued in prior releases until now. Wishbone Ash have never left the musical peak they first conquered forty years ago with the twin-guitar harmony concept. No surprise why so many like Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden cite them as major influences to their own sounds. This is the real-deal original!

There is a bonus remix of the EP single "Reason to Believe" not listed on package, it follows the final track "Invisible Thread". --- FRenzy "fudd55" (NH, USA)

Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash (1970), Argus (1972), There's the Rub (1974), and New England (1976). They were one of the first of many bands to come who used twin lead guitars.

Wishbone Ash are considered to be one of the major innovators of the harmony twin lead guitar format. Their contributions helped in Powell and Turner being voted "Two Of The Ten Most Important Guitarists In Rock History" (Traffic magazine 1989), and part of the "Top 20 Guitarists Of All Time" (Rolling Stone). Melody Maker (1972) described Ted Turner and Andy Powell as "the most interesting two guitar team since the days when Beck and Page graced The Yardbirds".

Formed in Torquay, Devon, in 1969, out of the ashes of trio The Empty Vessels (originally known as The Torinoes, later briefly renamed Tanglewood in 1969), which had been formed by Wishbone Ash's founding member Martin Turner (bass/vocals) in 1963 and complemented by Steve Upton (drums and percussion) in 1966. The original Wishbone Ash line-up was completed by guitarists/vocalists Andy Powell and Ted Turner. In 1974, Ted Turner left the band, and was replaced by Laurie Wisefield. The band continued on with strong critical and commercial success until 1980.

After revolving line-ups featuring former members from King Crimson, Trapeze, and Uriah Heep, Wisefield left in 1985. In 1987, however, the original line-up reunited for several albums - Nouveau Calls, Here to Hear, and Strange Affair - until 1990, when Upton quit the band. After Martin Turner was replaced in 1991, the band recorded The Ash Live in Chicago, before Ted Turner left in 1993. Since 1995, the band have continued with mixed critical and commercial success, changing members on several albums. In 2004, Martin Turner formed his own version of Wishbone Ash, and tours frequently.

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01. Front Page News - 5:09
02. Midnight Dancer - 4:27
03. Goodbye Baby Hello Friend - 3:49
04. Surface To Air - 4:50
05. 714 - 3:21
06. Come In From The Rain ) - 4:42
07. Right Or Wrong - 2:51
08. Heart Beat - 4:19
09. The Day I Found Your Love - 4:28
10. Diamond Jack - 4:18

Personnel:
- Martin Turner - bass, vocals
- Andy Powell - guitars, mandolin, vocals
- Laurie Wisefield - guitars, banjo, vocals
- Steve Upton - drums, percussion

Having always been a Wishbone Ash fan especially their first four albums, Front page News came as a bit of a surprise as it was more commercial than it's predecessors. Laurie Wisefield was part of the band now and if you had come to accept that bands in the latter part of the 70's were beginning to evolve ( some more so than others to survive) then you will like this album a lot. It is more in the easy listening category but the opener has the trademark Wishbone Ash 'slurry' like vocals. If you like Ballad Of The Beacon from Wishbone Four you will know what I am referring to.'Midnight Dancer 'has a great hook with some fine bass work and then Laurie Wisefield's influence and vocals kick in with the poppy ' Goodbye Baby Hello Friend' He is a great vocalist and an equally gifted guitarist. " Surface To Air' is a Martin Turner classic and side one closes with the docile '714'. In reference to the vinyl only side two is a patchy affair with a couple of decent tunes with the opener ' Come In From The Rain' and the upbeat closer ' Diamond Jack'. It is not as strong side two which unfortuantely reduces the overall rating but I still highly recommend Front Page News for anyone wanting to add this great band to their Progressive/rock collection. ---Chris S, progarchives.com

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01. Rest In Peace - 6:42
02. No Water In The Well (Laurie Wisefield) - 3:46
03. Moonshine - 3:32		play
04. She Was My Best Friend (Martin Turner) - 3:50
05. It Started In Heaven (Laurie Wisefield/Steve Upton) - 3:15
06. Half Past Lovin' - 5:23
07. Trust In You - 5:02
08. Say Goodbye (Martin Turner/Laurie Wisefield) - 4:58

Personnel:
- Andy Powell - electric & acoustic guitars, bagpipes, vocals
- Laurie Wisefield - electric & acoustic guitars, slide guitar, vocals
- Martin Turner - bass, vocals
- Steve Upton - drums, percussion
+
- Pete Wood - keyboards
- Cissy Houston, Sylvia Shemwell, Eunice Peterson - backing vocals

The history of 'Wishbone Ash' goes back to 1966, when drummer Steve Upton of the 'Scimitars' joined bassist Martin Turner and Martin's brother Glen in the band 'The Empty Vessels'. The trio named themselves 'Tanglewood' and moved to London. Glen Turner quit soon and was replaced by Ted Turner of Birmingham band 'King Biscuit'. The line-up was finalised by guitarist Andy Powell (Ex-'Sugarband'). The two guitarists developed a melodic twin guitar lead style that would become the trademark of 'Wishbone Ash'.

In 1970 'Wishbone Ash' released their self titled first record, establishing a mixture of Blues-Rock, Jazz and English Folk, that the band would elaborate on in their following records. The production work by Martin Birch was excellent and the record contains the masterpiece 'Phoenix', that would become a 'Wishbone Ash' live classic and give way to elaborate improvisations on stage. At the same time the band would start to use lyrics and imagery drawn from mythology and fantasy. like 'The King will come', 'Throw down the sword', 'Persephone' & 'Argus'. In 1971 'Wishbone Ash' released 'Pilgrimage' and a year later 'Argus', both records bringing the 'Wishbone Ash' sound to perfection by introducing elaborate vocal arrangements and sophisticated instrumental passages. Both records are masterpieces. In 1973 the band released their fourth LP, 'Wishbone Four', and toured Europe, documented by their live release 'Live Dates' (1973) and followed by an extended America Tour. In 1974 Ted Turner left and was replaced by Laurie Wisefield (Ex-Home) who added steel guitar and banjo to the 'Wishbone Ash' sound on their 1974 release 'There's The Rub'. During the rest of the seventies the new line-up recorded a series of good but less interesting records.

In 1987 the original line-up re-united fora series of records, including the all instrumental 'Nouveau Calls' (1988), before going again though a series of line-up changes. At the end of the 90's the band found a new stability with founding guitarist Andy Powell, bass player Bob Skeat and drummer Ray Weston, joined in 2004 by Finnish guitarist Muddy Manninen. --- progarchives.com

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01 Sometime World
02 Rock 'n Roll Widow
03 The King Will Come
04 Warrior
05 Blowin' Free-Jail Bait
06 Phoenix
07 Time Was

Andy Powell - guitar, vocals
Martin Turner - bass, vocals
Steve Upton - drums
Ted Turner - guitar, vocals

1974-01-19 - Passaic, NJ (FM)

Recorded while the band was promoting its first album of live material (Live Dates), this recording captures the dual guitar rock quartet at its rockin' best, when the band was full of fire. It would be the last tour with the original lineup, as second guitarist Ted Turner would leave at the conclusion of the tour. It is anyone's guess if the band would have eventually broken through to be a legendary Brit band had this version stayed together.

Featured here are songs from the first three albums and a couple of remakes, including "Sometime World," "Warrior," "Rock 'n Roll Widow," and "Time Was."

Wishbone Ash began as a blues-based guitar band and eventually became a progressive rock force with a dual guitar format. They formed in the late 1960s with guitarist Andy Powell, bassist Martin Turner, second guitarist Ted Turner, and drummer Steve Upton. They were quickly scooped up by rock manager Miles Copeland, years before he would spearhead the careers of Sting, his brother Stuart Copeland, and Andy Summers as the Police. Copeland got them an opening slot with Deep Purple, and one day when guitarist Andy Powell was jamming with Purple's Ritchie Blackmore at a sound check, they were offered a record deal with Decca Records in the U.K.

The group released four studio albums in four years, growing in popularity with each record. They were faves of the British press, and in many ways offered as a sort of U.K. counterpart to what the Allman Brothers Band were doing with dual guitars in the United States. After the tour for Wishbone 4 in 1974, Ted Turner left the band and was replaced by Laurie Wisefield, who remained with Wishbone Ash through the late 1980s. Bassist and founder Martin Turner would also leave for a time and was replaced by former King Crimson and future Asia bassist John Wetton.

Wishbone Ash has essentially remained a cult favorite, never really achieving widespread commercial success. The original lineup did reunite for one LP and tour in 1992, and today Powell lives in Connecticut and Turner remains in the U.K. There have been two different versions of Wishbone Ash touring since the mid-1990s, with both musicians fighting over the right to the name. --- concertvault.com

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01. Vas Dis	 4:42
02. The Pilgrim 		8:29
03. Jail Bait 	4:40
04. Alone 	2:20
05. Lullaby 	2:58
06. Valediction 		6:15
07. Where Were You Tomorrow 	10:23

Personnel:
- Martin Turner – bass, vocals
- Andy Powell – guitar, vocals
- Ted Turner – guitar, vocals
- Steve Upton – drums

Wishbone Ash's sophomore release, Pilgrimage, unveiled their creative genius after a debut that merely presented them as a boogie- and blues-based rock outfit. The opening track, "Vas Dis," with its jazz bassline, slicing rhythm guitar, and gibberish vocals was their answer to "Hocus Pocus" by Focus (or vice versa as both were released in 1971). "Jail Bait" has gone on to become a Wishbone Ash staple as well as possessing one of the more memorable guitar riffs of '70s rock & roll. A conscientious effort seemed to be in place for this band to write and perform material better suited to their gentler vocal tendencies. Where Wishbone Ash essentially went full tilt throughout, Pilgrimage is a moodier affair that includes beautiful, slower melodies like the brief instrumentals "Alone" and "Lullaby" along with the chilling "Valediction," which should have been an Ash classic but is rarely featured on live and hits collections. Even though this band toned it down a bit for this album, their impressive guitar playing was heightened due to the variance in their songwriting. Next to Argus this is the Wishbone Ash album to judge all other Ash albums by. --- Dave Sleger, Rovi

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01. Silver Shoes - 6:32
02. Don't Come Back - 5:08
03. Persephone - 6:39
04. Hometown - 4:42		play
05. Lady Jay - 5:35
06. F.U.B.B. - 9:13

Personnel:
- Martin Turner - lead vocals, bass
- Andy Powell - guitars, mandolin, vocals
- Laurie Wisefield - guitars, banjo, vocals
- Steve Upton - drums, percussion
+
- Nelson "Flaco" Padron - congas on 06
- Albhy Galuten - organ & synthesizer on 03

"Four and a half stars for me really. My second favorite album from my favorite band. Has to be one of best produced albums I ever heard. A little bit of hard rock, a little bit of prog and a little bit of folk. A wonderful combination. Not what most would call a prog album but they were doing things with two guitars that no one was. In my book innovation is progression." - harmony-ProgArchives --- silveraintr.blogspot.com

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