Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Wishbone Ash
Label: MCA Records
Release date: May 11, 1973
Running time: 43:37
Rating: 3.5/5
In 1973, just before releasing their fourth studio album, »Wishbone Four«, Wishbone Ash were sitting at the artistic and commercial peak of their career. The masterpiece »Argus« (1972) had shot them out of nowhere into the stratosphere of the most exciting rock bands of the day, which meant everybody expected the follow-up to keep up the quality of that outstanding record. »Wishbone Four«, the last album by the original Wishbone Ash lineup, left a lot of die-hard fans disappointed, along with the crowd of listeners who had only just started discovering the band with »Argus«, because it’s a pretty big stylistic detour from its predecessor.
Their trademark twin-guitar harmonies all but vanish on some of the tracks, or turn downright shy, as if the band had suddenly gotten tired of them for a while. On the other hand, there are plenty of acoustic guitar arrangements, more than ever before, which is a plus in its own right. A few pastoral touches on the album do recall certain moments from »Argus«, but that mystical, rustic, mysterious vibe that so defined the aforementioned Wishbone Ash magnum opus is something they never managed to recapture. That said, »Wishbone Four« is far from a bad album; it just failed to live up to the sky-high expectations of an audience that was waiting for yet another masterpiece.
Instead, Wishbone Ash served up a series of good-quality hard/art rock crowd-pleasers and pastoral ballads, none of which, to be honest, really stands out, except maybe the ballads »Everybody Needs a Friend« and »Ballad of the Beacon«, which still turn up on their setlists every now and then. The opener, the fun hard rocker »So Many Things To Say«, is marked by a bluesy guitar phrase and an unusually riled-up bassist Martin Turner on lead vocals. A solid album opener, but honestly nothing special. Much more interesting is the very pretty pastoral ballad »Ballad of the Beacon«, which has some gorgeous acoustic and electric guitar harmonies, and where a more mystical mood briefly takes over, helped along by the nostalgic singing of guitarist Andy Powell.
»No Easy Road«, another feisty blues-based rocker that also came out as a single, is a semi-autobiographical track featuring guest piano from Graham Maitland as well as a horn section, which was a real rarity for Wishbone Ash. Thanks to the vocal harmonies, the main chorus is a bit reminiscent of the singing style so popular with their contemporaries Uriah Heep. On »Everybody Needs a Friend«, yet another lovely ballad, where Wishbone Ash show off an exceptional knack for laying down romantic-sounding acoustic arrangements, George Nash steps in as a guest keyboardist, and his symphonic contribution helps build a distinctly nostalgic atmosphere. Toward the end you can also catch the band’s signature twin-guitar harmonies, which are otherwise in short supply on »Wishbone Four«.
»Doctor« is yet another energetic rocker with mighty guitar passages and wild drum fills from Steve Upton, but it’s first and foremost made for a good time at a gig. Martin Turner is back on lead vocals here, with his somewhat rougher approach compared to the subtler singing of his bandmate Andy Powell. Much more impressive is the pastoral-flavored ballad »Sorrel«, which once again sounds a bit more like the stuff from »Argus«. Besides the lovely acoustic guitar harmonies and a few improvisations, the melodic bass lines from Martin Turner really stand out, as does Powell’s subtle vocal approach, where you can clearly feel the cult guitarist pouring every ounce of emotion into the performance. It’s a shame more songs on »Wishbone Four« weren’t built in a similar style.
The next ballad, »Sing Out the Song«, where Martin Turner takes over the vocals over a slow rhythm, isn’t quite as interesting with its bluesy melos, but the instrumental parts offer some really tasty acoustic embellishments. »Rock ‘n Roll Widow«, where Mr. Powell takes the vocal baton again, with its energetic guitar passages and galloping rhythms, is a quality, spirited finish to the album, and the ‘Wild West’ vibe that briefly takes over the song is not to be sneezed at either.
»Wishbone Four«, a solid effort but an artistic step back from its predecessor, marked the end of an era: the early Wishbone Ash years, when for a brief moment it looked like they might become bigger than some of the far more famous names that came later. Original guitarist Ted Turner decided to leave the band after the first official Wishbone Ash live album, »Live Tapes«, which also came out in 1973. His replacement was Laurie Wisefield (ex-Home), who lasted a full 11 years in the band and helped contribute some really high-quality and interesting songwriting ideas during that time.
Lineup
Andy Powell – electric and acoustic guitar, vocals
Martin Turner – bass guitar, vocals
Ted Turner – 12-string, acoustic and electric guitar, backing vocals
Steve Upton – drums and percussion
GUEST MUSICIANS:
George Nash – keyboards on “Everybody Needs a Friend”
Graham Maitland – piano on “No Easy Road”
Phil Kenzie, Dave Coxhill and Bud Parks – horn section on “No Easy Road”
Production
Wishbone Ash
Track list
1. So Many Things to Say
2. Ballad of the Beacon
3. No Easy Road
4. Everybody Needs a Friend
5. Doctor
6. Sorrel
7. Sing Out the Song
8. Rock ‘n Roll Widow
