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Argus | 
| Artist: Wishbone Ash
Label: Universal / Island
Category: Music
List Price: £5.99
Buy New: £3.97
You Save: £2.02 (34%)
New (55) Used (14) Collectible (1) from £3.25
Rating:  43 reviews
Sales Rank: 1069
Format: Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Running Time: 77
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 112816
UPC: 008811281625
EAN: 0008811281625
ASIN: B000062X90
Release Date: March 18, 2002
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Time Was | | • | Sometime World | | • | Blowin' Free | | • | The King Will Come | | • | Leaf And Stream | | • | Warrior | | • | Throw Down The Sword | | • | Jail Bait | | • | The Pilgrim | | • | Phoenix |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 38 more reviews...
 Rocked me through my teenage years - still doing it in my forties! November 21, 2008
Sometime world had passed me by. Finding Blowin' Free on a recent compilation album got me flicking through Amazon. Now I have Argus on CD, not scratchy vinyl. It still works. Overblown guitar pyrotechnics? Yeah, but why not? I think this album is probably their finest hour; it's unfortunate that they peaked so soon, though I still remember subsequent albums with joy. And they were the first professional band I ever saw live (October '77, supported by The Motors). This is a good quality album, a good example of their craft.
A down note; why do record companies insist on sticking extra tracks on the end of re-issued (if that's the right term) albums? I'm not really interested in space fillers. Outtakes, rough demos - they give an insight into the process of honing the songs, but here they've chosen to add a completely separate release.
There is, somewhere, a CD of the original Argus; I would have bought that if I could. But let's not quibble; buy this, and enjoy a wonderful '70's rock band at its finest
magical moment in timeless November 19, 2008
This album just doesnt age, a real joy and one of the real worthy classics of all time, play it again guys.
 Like it, but don't love it October 25, 2008
Given that it was first released a year after Deep Purple released In Rock, I had expected something with a bit more guts and oomph - although my expectations are obviously not the fault of Wishbone Ash.
Even so, I find the whole album just a bit too tame. The strong hippy/pacifist background theme of the album rubs off on the music and I find the resulting album just a little bit too pleasant and inoffensive.
The strength of the album - the vocal harmonies - remind me heavily in parts (particularly Blowin' Free) of Crosby Stills and Nash, and I would file them firmly in the drawer marked 'Easy Listening'. The melodies are excellent pretty much throughout, but lack any sort of edge.
Where I can draw a Rock comparison is in the sort of early seventies guitar twiddling that the Sex Pistols were invented to abolish.
Time Was and Throw Down the Sword are particularly guilty, M'lud, but few of the others are entirely without sin. If that's not your bag, you should be a little cautious - especially of the bonus tracks. When the guitars are not committing future crimes against Punk, they are amped up to 5 on the Rock scale of 11, and mostly played at a measured, inoffensive, pleasant speed, which makes me want to give them a little kick. Blowin Free aside, its not really an album to keep you awake on long car journeys.
All the songs, most particularly Sometime World and the King Will Come, have hooks that get stuck in your head, and stay there, but twiddly bits and pleasant inocuous slow bits get in their way in many cases.
I have no doubt that this was great in 1972, and you can't help but respect an album which is worth remastering 35 years later. There is much in the album to like, but whether you can love it without having grown up with it is a more difficult question.
My Favourite Album of All Time. October 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
My favourite bands of all time are Led Zep, Thin Lizzy, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Sabbath, Rush and Metallica. But, Desert Island Discs style, if I had to choose only one CD it would be by none of these - it would be Wishbone Ash's Argus. It is a true masterpiece and still gets played regularly especially in the car where I can turn it up and just immerse myself in the sublime and magical dual guitar work and harmony vocals, ably supported by a great rhythm section.
I remember being about 15 (c.1982) when my mates and I were so hungry to hear all the great music out there and were amazed by some of the "new" discoveries we made. It was a particularly good afternoon when one of us borrowed from someone's brother Argus (and Boston - another fantastic CD). Onto the record deck it went...and wow!
Without being a concept album as such the tracks flow seemlessly into each other and almost form a single piece of music creating a wonderful uplifting atmosphere throughout. Makes you feel like all is well in the world on a warm, sunny, happy summers day in the country
If you like your rock music and have a reasonably broad taste but don't know this album I urge you to at least give it a listen. If you don't like it you've not lost much but if you do like it you have gained a CD you will return to time after time after time and be mournful that you have only just discovered it - it is that good. Don't judge it by other Wishbone Ash stuff - with perhaps the exception of Live Dates Vol 1 - as it is on a level all it's own. Great artwork too.
As another Turner said 'simply the best'!!!!! July 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
At a time when musical ability in writing, arranging and playing was all important (at least in rock circles), it was no mean feat to be awarded album of the year (1972).
I personnaly go one step further and class this as THE album of all time, no fillers on show here, every track is a sheer delight to listen to.
The acoustic opening of 'time was' creates a somewhat sombre mood prior to exploding into a more familiar rock format.
'Sometime world' starts in a similar vein, a song of wasted opportunities and could have beens, before building up to an almost jazz/rock rhythm with bass riffs only surpassed by Caravan's Richard Sinclair, this one really grows on you.
The chopping riffs of 'blowing free' made it a 'live' favourite, I can still visualise the bobbing heads.
The bouncy guitar/snare opening overlaid with wah wah heralds the advent of 'the king will come' fine guitarwork both in the riffs and the breaks, seven minutes of heaven.
'Leaf and stream' could be described as the lull before the storm, an acoustic number with an almost folk feel to it, some splendid finger picking guitarwork, and the only song on the album not to feature harmonised vocals. A chance to catch your breath before the final onslaught.
I always think of the final two tracks as being the one (they are segued together), 'warrior' tells the tale of mankinds warlike traits with rasping riffs that give way to a folky guitar riff that opens 'throw down the sword' which is a more laid back number extolling the virtues of turning swords into shears before embarking on a dual guitar finale that thirty six years on still sends shivers down my spine, it is awesome with a capital A, and worth the five stars on its own. Play it loud and shut your eyes its mind blowing.
All in all this album is as near as you'll get to perfection, good material, well played and the track running order couldn't have been improved had it been made for cd release.
A quick word about the bonus tracks, my copy (2002 Universal, MCA, Decca) has 'jailbait', 'the pilgrim' and 'pheonix' from the live from memphis ep, and I can't fault them, although I do agree with the sentiments of some of the other reviewers, after TDTS you do need a minute or two's reflection.
As for disc quality, mines ok apart from 'leaf and stream' which crackles a bit with headphones on. Sleeve notes state that Martin T has done some remixing, but not how much.
A must have for any self respecting rock fan.........
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