BLUE HORIZON

For fans of the classic Wishbone Ash sound, Blue Horizon does not warrant a high rating, particularly in the Prog Archives. The album has neither the classic Wishbone Ash sound, nor much progressive content. But, to be fair, a lot of Wishbone Ash music after the first few albums should be classified as classic rock, not prog rock. The music on Blue Horizon is essentially blues rock, this being the case with most Wishbone Ash releases under the leadership of Andy Powell. One notable exception is the 1996 Illuminations album, and it appears that former band member Roger Filgate had a lot to do with that album. The music on Blue Horizon is played well enough, but the songwriting is not very imaginative. Listening to Mk I and Mk II Wishbone Ash from the 1970s, it's apparent that singer, songwriter, bass player, producer Martin Turner is the prime source of the classic Wishbone Ash sound. It also appears obvious why the joint compositions on the early albums are credited to M. Turner, S. Upton, T. Turner and A. Powell, though the credits sometimes get listed alphabetically in the revisionist history of the band. For the classic Wishbone Ash sound, check out Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash. If you want to hear some really good blues rock, check out the Allman Brothers Band, who blend blues, jazz and rock in innovative ways.