Search - Wishbone Ash :: Just Testing

Music/Performance: First Rate -- Remaster: Not So Much

eclectic shopper | Oklahoma | 09/08/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Wishbone Ash has been one of my all-time favorite bands for something like 30 years. I have all of their studio albums and a good portion of their live efforts. They're not for everyone and their musical output over the years has been a bit uneven to say the least. Maybe that's a natural result when you have the personnel turnover this band has had. Whatever the reason I still almost always found myself drawn to and drawn in by their music. Two reasons that I liked them so much, I think, is that much of their best music features Martin Turner on vocals and bass.

This album, in fact, features some of his typically stellar work. He has a vocal style that is perfect for their particular style of music. It simply works. As for his bass playing, let's just say that I never heard anyone else play like that. (And I mean that in a good way.) His recorded performance always seemed so in touch with the material. Which is not surprising since he either wrote or co-wrote five out of the eight songs on the original record and was co-producer of same. This is why I am completely mystified by the borderline ineptitude demonstrated in the "remastering" of this otherwise fine musical effort. Many of the cuts sound as if too many studio gizmos and "effects" such as reverb and phasing were introduced to the mix and in some cases made the music difficult to listen to. The first time I listened to this disc I couldn't believe my ears. I gave the documentation a good read and only then discovered the original recordings had been remastered by Martin Turner. If you want to hear this album in a much more palatable form (and one I'm pretty sure the majority of the band would prefer you to hear) get hold of it in the non-remastered form."