Wishbone Ash – Argus

Two guitars sharing the story

Andy Powell and Ted Turner give Argus its two guitar voices. Martin Turner plays bass and sings, with Steve Upton on drums: the two Turners are different musicians with separate roles. Wishbone Ash recorded their third album at De Lane Lea in 1972, produced by Derek Lawrence and engineered by Martin Birch.

The twin guitars are an inviting starting point, but the phrase alone does not explain their work. Follow one line through a song. When does it carry the melody, when does it harmonise with the other player, and when does it become part of the accompaniment? Moving between those responsibilities is one way to hear the partnership in greater detail.

Seven pieces and changing scale

“Time Was” and “Sometime World” begin the album, with “Blowin’ Free” completing the original first side. “The King Will Come”, “Leaf and Stream”, “Warrior” and “Throw Down the Sword” follow on the second. Longer developments sit beside more concentrated songs, while titles and lyrics provide narrative connections across the sequence.

In the original stereo arrangement, Powell is placed on the left and Ted Turner on the right. That positioning can help you follow individual parts. Their relationship remains more important than their separation: a harmony line depends on its partner even when the speakers place the players apart. Listen for the points at which the two parts change their relationship.

An additional voice at the finish

John Tout contributes organ to “Throw Down the Sword”. The Renaissance keyboard player adds another instrument to the album’s conclusion, a detail worth remembering when the twin guitars dominate recollections of the record. Bass, drums and vocals also establish the setting in which those guitar lines develop.

Hipgnosis created the famous sleeve, photographing its sentinel above France’s Verdon Gorge. The image gives the music a visual narrative without defining a single literal story for every song. Released in April 1972, Argus reached number three on the UK album chart, becoming a significant early success for the band.

Analogue Productions at 45 RPM

AAPP 174-45 contains two 180-gram LPs. Sean Magee mastered the edition at Abbey Road from the original analogue master-tape source, according to the publisher, with manufacture by Quality Record Pressings. Four sides introduce different pauses from the original LP: this edition places a side change between “Leaf and Stream” and “Warrior”. The original seven-song programme remains intact.

Michael 45 keeps the goods in Germany and ships from Hilden, so customers in Germany and the EU can order without organising a personal US import or waiting for customs clearance.

Customer question: Buying Analogue Productions records in Europe

Musicians

Documented selection of participating musicians. Personnel may vary by track; this list does not claim to be complete.