7 WISHBONE ASH — ARGUS
On this, their 3rd album, British guitar band Wishbone Ash managed to fuse contemporary rock sensibilities with both British mythology and progressive arrangements. The twin guitars of Andy Powell and Ted Turner, interweaving and harmonising, add a glistening melodic flow to songs that hint at medieval sketches without ever crossing the invisible line into Faerie. It is fair to say that Argus is the peak of Wishbone Ash’s creativity; it has come to be regarded as their finest studio album. Even at the time it was well received, with UK mag Sounds naming Argus its Album Of The Year. One shouldn’t get hung up on categories with albums such as this. Argus could be equally well described as a first class guitar album or even (at a stretch) hard rock. Yet it is the melodies, the riffing, and the overall cohesion that will stay with listeners. Highlights: The entire second side, comprising “The King Will Come Again”, “Leaf and Stream”, “Warrior”, and “Throw Down the Sword”. But can you see a UFO?
[Released 28 April 1972]
***
6 FAUST — SO FAR
The first Faust album was a surrealistic schematic guaranteed to rearrange your head. The second is just as subversive, but much more subtle. Rather than two side-long collages, So Far has nine songs. But that is about as much concession to commerciality as the album affords. As a result, it continues to polarise Faust fans. I’m in the camp that maintains So Far is a development from the avant-garde anarchy of the debut, demonstrating a mischievous command of the rock music lexicon in addition to the confronting experimentalism demonstrated the previous year.
All three copies in the VC collection present the paintings in different formats. The artist, however, remains constant: Edda Köchl.
The songs are like a lucky dip of styles, colours, and textures yet are all accessible, given time. “It’s A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl” opens with a relentless bass drum beat that makes the VU’s Mo tucker sound like Bill Bruford. The entire lyric runs “It’s a rainy day Sunshine Babe, It’s a rainy day Sunshine girl” and features harmonica and a chirpy sax outro. “On The Way To Abamäe” is a beautiful acoustic guitar interlude before the disjointed menace of “No Harm” completes side one ten uncomfortable minutes later. “So Far” opens side two with a collage before an off-kilter riff with trumpet spikes rolls forward… And so it goes. Highly recommended for the aurally adventurous.
[Recorded March 1972, release date unknown]
***
5 ROLLING STONES — EXILE ON MAIN ST
One of three copies. Guess that’s a vote of some kind.
The Rolling Stones’ longest studio album—at sixty-seven minutes, just edging out 2005’s A Bigger Bang—was not exactly showered with universal acclaim upon release. No less a pundit than Lenny Kaye (compiler of Nuggets, as featured in the previous post) said, “if on the one hand they prove the group’s eternal constancy and appeal, it’s on the other that you can leave the album and still feel vaguely unsatisfied.” Creem magazine called it “an unstable masterpiece”. In the UK, The Guardian (May 1972) was clear and confident in its assessment off the Stones latest effort: “Exile on Main St will go down as their classic album, made at the height of their musical powers and self-confidence.” It is the last prediction that comes closest to the judgement of history.
All the Exile you could ever want. Vinyl, CDs, DVD, one of Mick’s nostril hairs. This box has it all.
Over the decades the ragged glory of Exile has come to represent both the inspiration and the dissolution that characterise the Stones best work. Mick and Keef, Charlie and Bill, plus Mick Taylor and some trusted session musos (including Nicky Hopkins and Bobby Keys) jammed and nodded their way through blues, soul and rock, producing a masterclass in classy messiness. Let’s give the last word to Mick. “I sort of remember the album Exile On Main St being done in France and also in the USA, and after that going on tour and becoming complacent and thinking, it’s ’72. Fuck it. We’ve done it.” Yep.
[Released 12 May 1972]
The story-telling postcards have varied in size across the years. The little ones here were in a very nice LP facsimile CD re-issue from 1994.
***
Four albums to go in the 72 FROM ’72 countdown.
vinylconnection.com.au 
Your doling things out in bits really heightens the anticipation! Back on the 29th of November, I wrote: “I have a guess as to what might be your #1 might be…when the time comes, I’ll let you know if I was right!” Well, as it turns out, I was wrong! I thought the Stones would land in your top spot. Now I’ve got a second guess in mind. I’m not fluent in either Wishbone Ash or Faust (to me, the latter has always been a work by Goethe or an opera by Gounod!), but do like Exile (spun by both of my aforementioned brothers).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exile is a great album, no doubt about it. And coming in at #5 in this particular year is no mean feat.
So, with your ‘second guess’: four albums remain, all of which have featured at Vinyl Connection over the past nine years… except the #1. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Color me intrigued! 😉
LikeLike
I think ‘So Far’ might be a good way to stretch the ears this weekend.
(I’ve been favouring Hammond/ soul works the last couple weeks, especially Breakout by Johnny ‘Hammond’ Smith, so something with more bite is due.)
Thanks
DD
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love Hammond/Soul/Ur-Acid Jazz workouts, DD. I think I have something by Johnny Hammond Smith, but not entirely sure. Might see if I can find ‘Breakout’ on youtube.
In the meantime, ‘So Far’ will certainly elasticize the ears, but more tunefully than their confronting debut.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The two words ‘So far’ reminded me of a similarly titled album to add to a mellow jazz mix:
~~~
So near, so far
~~~
gentle thoughtful joe
most plaintive of sax
delights
three degrees of blue
~~~
by Joe Henderson
LikeLiked by 1 person
Must be tricky to get your ahead around a long double album before an editorial deadline.
I haven’t been keeping track very well of what’s been on the countdown, but 1972 is clearly a big year for prog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is if it’s a new work to me. Nothing in this Countdown series is in that category, fortunately. In fact, several are so well known to me that the pieces have been written from memory. (Not saying which ones!)
LikeLike
I meant for people writing about Exile back in 1972. It’s pretty dense.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, I see. I guess advance copies help. Also, at just over an hour it’s a pretty lean double. But yeah, lots of songs to process.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Argus! Exile!! Hooray! Choice, pleasing picks for me, this high in your most excellent countdown. And that Faust album is no slouch, either. “Rainy Day” is one of those songs I used to put on mixtapes back in the day, just to confuse and befuddle people.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha ha, that’s brilliant. How to entertain and annoy your friends simultaneously! Delighted you are enjoying the trip, J. Eric. 🙂
LikeLike
I remember playing with the postcards when I was little because my father had the vinyl Exile on Main Street and I thought the whole packaging was really cool. And he also had Sticky Fingers with the real zipper. But it fell out of the album when it started getting old and I think it got lost. I agree with whoever said that Exile is only partly good. I never thought it was really super-great because I only like about half of the tracks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Personally, I prefer the more polished Sticky Fingers, but Exile is definitely in my top ten driving albums!
LikeLike
Me too. I like the songs better on Sticky Fingers
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, “Exile on Main St”, which is definitely among my favorite Stones albums!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It has a timeless, ragged charm.
LikeLiked by 1 person
#5?!?!?! I demand a recount! Russian judge! It’s FIFA’s fault! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Storm City Hall! Make Main Street Great Again!
LikeLike
Well I know the truth, anyway! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
One tune on “Exile,” Sweet Virginia, sorry, to my post-20th c. ears, sounds like a 2nd rate roadhouse band bragging on their drug habits, another I can never get enough of = Tumbling Dice
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is probably no accident that double albums are often described as ‘sprawling’.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 Ha, yes! and “musical influences” vs “under the influence of…”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay for “Argus” placing this high. C’mon the suspense is killing us, where’s the top four?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent. I was hoping for some champing at the bit! Good news: two posts to go, both in the next week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exile is the real deal for me. As you will remember from our Wishbone Hash conversation, they really were the sound of my childhood too. Argus is perfect, near enough, with such a wonderful cover too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Snap, dude. Argus and the two live double LPs. The biz.
I do have an oscillation with Exile. Some plays it’s the apogee of honest, don’t-give-a-fuck roots driven rock and roll. Other days a shambling wank-fest sans clothes. Fortunately the former wins most of the time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A truly great writer once wrote about the ‘numb-nutted strut’ of Exile. I’m with him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had forgotten that critics didn’t like “Exile” much when it came out. Funny that given how it’s so lionized now. Glad you shined a spotlight on “Argus,” which I haven’t listened to in year. Andy Powell is a massively underrated guitarist. – Marty
LikeLiked by 1 person
That twin guitar sound they patented is often thrilling, isn’t it Marty?
LikeLiked by 1 person