Filmed and recorded in Leicester in 2010, Life Begins documents a full concert performance by original Wishbone Ash bassist/vocalist Martin Turner and his band, which consists of Ray Hatfield, Danny Willson, and Dave Wagstaffe. Performing the classic album Argus in its entirety as well as plenty of other Ash gems from their back catalog when Turner was in the band, Life Begins is certainly a welcome live set for any longtime Wishbone Ash fan.
Featuring great sound and equally stellar visuals, Life Begins thrills both on CD and DVD here, and the setlist is sure to please loyal fans of Ash, providing for an alternative to the many live releases we've seen from the official version of the band fronted by Andy Powell. Turner is in fine form vocally, and he can still play a mean bass, but it is the sizzling guitar work of Willson & Hatfield that really are the draw here. Vintage Ash tracks such as "Phoenix", "Vas Dis", "Errors of My Ways", "Warrior", "Sometime World", "Throw Down the Sword", and "Blowin' Free" are given royal treatment and contain no shortage of six string pyrotechnics from the duo. However, it's the inclusion of some of the lesser known gems, like "Living Proof", "You See Red", "Sorrel", "Ballad of the Beacon", "Time and Space", and "Leaf and Stream" that really round out this live performance in a great way. Interesting to see both guitar slingers ripping it up on Fender guitars, which is a complete contrast to the mostly Gibson oriented set-up that both past & present Wishbone Ash line-ups have taken. Either configuration, the results are stellar in my view.
Life Begins is a fantastic way to celebrate the greatness that is Argus, one of the all time classic rock albums of the '70s, but this live set also shows just how formidable Martin Turner and his band are. As I've stated before, if Turner and Powell are just never to see eye-to-eye again, we now have two outfits keeping the music of Wishbone Ash alive, and that's not a bad thing at all.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
DVD-complete show
CD 1
1 Time And Space 7:26
2 Vas Dis 5:03
3 Ballad Of The Beacon 5:14
4 Rock 'n' Roll Widow 5:50
5 Sorrel 4:53
6 Everybody Needs A Friend 6:59
7 Phoenix 11:45
8 Lost Cause In Paradise 5:16
9 Errors Of My Way 6:48
10 Ships In The Sky 3:35
11 You See Red 6:35
CD 2
1 Time Was 10:03
2 Sometime World 8:08
3 The King Will Come 7:52
4 Leaf And Stream 5:30
5 Warrior 5:51
6 Throw Down The Sword 6:05
7 Blowin' Free 7:45
8 Living Proof 7:04
9 Jail Bait 8:53
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