Argus is the third album by the rock band Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...

. It is the most popular Wishbone Ash album and widely considered their greatest by fans and reviewers. It was named "Album of the Year" in the 1972

1972 in music

-Events:*January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard"*January 20 – The début of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties,...

 year-end issue of Sounds magazine. The album features a blend of progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

, folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

, and hard rock, and is considered a landmark album in the progression of twin-lead guitar harmonization later adopted by bands such as Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...

 and Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...

. The sound engineer on Argus was Martin Birch

Martin Birch

Martin Birch is a British rock and heavy metal music producer, who became renowned for engineering and producing albums by the British rock bands Deep Purple and Iron Maiden....

, who also worked with Deep Purple

Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...

, later with Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...

 and other hard rock

Hard rock

Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...

/heavy metal

Heavy metal music

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 bands.. The bulk of the melodies and lyrics were provided by bassist/lead vocalist Martin Turner

Martin Turner

Martin Turner is the bass guitarist, lead vocalist and a founding member of the rock band, Wishbone Ash.-Career:...

, although all members contributed to the song arrangements.

With the success of Argus, the band also became one of the most popular live attractions of the day.

In 2002, an expanded CD was released, featuring a remix (by Martin Turner) of the original album as well as 3 live tracks from the EP Live from Memphis

Live from Memphis (Wishbone Ash)

Live From Memphis was a live promotional recording by rock band Wishbone Ash. The promotional recording featured only a few tracks and was only released in America...

promotional EP, recorded in the studios of WMC-FM

In 2007, a deluxe edition was released. This included the 1972 mix as well as additional BBC Session tracks.

In 2008, Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash

Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash

Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash is a British rock band led by Martin Turner, original bassist, lead vocalist and songwriter of Wishbone Ash. Including various reunions, his tenures with the "original" Wishbone Ash band lasted 1969-1980, 1987–1991 and 1995-1996....

 released a new studio recording of Argus. Andy Powell's incarnation of Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...

 also released its own live version of the album entitled Argus: Then Again. Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash played the entire piece live for the first time in February 2008 - the first time any incarnation of the band had done so - and embarked on a lengthy Argus tour. Andy Powell's band followed suit and added the full piece to their repertoire for several shows.

Track listing

All songs composed by Andy Powell, Martin Turner, Ted Turner and Steve Upton

Side one

1. "Time Was" – 9:42 (Lead vocals - Ted Turner
   Ted Turner (guitarist)
   -External links:*.*.*....
   
   , Martin Turner
   Martin Turner
   Martin Turner is the bass guitarist, lead vocalist and a founding member of the rock band, Wishbone Ash.-Career:...
   
   )
2. "Sometime World" – 6:55 (Lead vocals - Martin Turner, Andy Powell
   Andy Powell
   Andy Powell is an English guitarist and songwriter, and best known as a founding member of Wishbone Ash.-Early life and career:...
   
   )
3. "Blowin' Free" – 5:18 (Lead vocals - Martin Turner, Andy Powell, Ted Turner)

Side two

1. "The King Will Come" – 7:06 (Lead vocals - Martin Turner, Andy Powell)
2. "Leaf and Stream" – 3:55 (Lead vocals - Martin Turner)
3. "Warrior" – 5:53 (Lead vocals - Martin Turner, Andy Powell)
4. "Throw Down the Sword" – 5:55 (Lead vocals - Martin Turner, Andy Powell)

Bonus Tracks from their Live From Memphis

Live from Memphis (Wishbone Ash)

Live From Memphis was a live promotional recording by rock band Wishbone Ash. The promotional recording featured only a few tracks and was only released in America...

Promotional EP

1. "Jail Bait" - 4:57
2. "The Pilgrim" - 10:10
3. "Phoenix" - 17:05

2007 Deluxe edition

Disc One

1. "Time Was"
2. "Sometime World"
3. "Blowin' Free"
4. "The King Will Come"
5. "Leaf and Stream"
6. "Warrior"
7. "Throw Down the Sword"
8. "No Easy Road"
9. "The Pilgrim" (live in Memphis 1972)
10. "Phoenix" (live in Memphis 1972)

Disc Two

1. "Time Was" (BBC in concert session 1972)
2. "Blowin' Free" (BBC in concert session 1972)
3. "Warrior" (BBC in concert session 1972)
4. "Throw Down the Sword" (BBC in concert session 1972)
5. "King Will Come" (BBC in concert session 1972)
6. "Phoenix" (BBC in concert session 1972)
7. "Blowin' Free" (BBC session 1972)
8. "Throw Down The Sword" (BBC session 1972)

Personnel

• Martin Turner
  Martin Turner
  Martin Turner is the bass guitarist, lead vocalist and a founding member of the rock band, Wishbone Ash.-Career:...
  
   – bass
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  , vocals
• Andy Powell
  Andy Powell
  Andy Powell is an English guitarist and songwriter, and best known as a founding member of Wishbone Ash.-Early life and career:...
  
   – guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  , vocals
• Ted Turner
  Ted Turner (guitarist)
  -External links:*.*.*....
  
   – guitar, vocals
• Steve Upton
  Steve Upton
  Steve Upton is the former drummer for the British rock band Wishbone Ash. He was with the band for two decades...
  
   – drums
  Percussion instrument
  A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
  
  
• John Tout - organ
  Organ (music)
  The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
  
  on "Throw Down The Sword"