For all the strength of their studio records, it’s on-stage that – as this scribe could witness – WISHBONE ASH reveal their full force, and the array of concert albums issued by the veterans over the course of decades may suggest. And soon this string of releases is to be updated with a couple of new entries: one archival and the other of fairly recent vintage.
The latter, scheduled to see the light of day on October 29th, is titled “California To Kawasaki” and presents, on two discs, two shows – played in the USA in 2018 and in Japan the following year and featuring, among classic selections, tracks from “Bona Fide” and the then-latest "Blue Horizon" delivered by the group’s current line-up, with Mark Abrahams as Andy Powell‘s sparring partner.
California To Kawasaki
CD 1:
1. Bona Fide
2. Eyes Wide Open
3. Way Down South
4. The King Will Come
5. Warrior
6. Throw Down The Sword
7. Leaf & Stream
8. Wings Of Desire
9. Standing In The Rain
10. Phoenix
11. Faith, Hope, And Love
CD 2:
1. Prelude
2. Real Guitars Have Wings
3. Come In From The Rain
4. Front Page News
5. F.U.B.B.
6. Living Proof
7. Runaway
8. Lifeline
9. Sometime World
10. Errors Of My Way
11. Why Don’t We
12. Persephone
13. Blind Eye
The former recording is from the very end of Martin Turner’s original tenure with the quartet. Titled “Portsmouth 1980” and much less slanted towards popular material, The former recording is from the very end of Martin Turner’s original tenure with the quartet. Titled “Portsmouth 1980” and much less slanted towards popular material, it features rarer cuts such as “Queen Of Torture” from the ensemble’s 1970 debut and “Insomnia” from “Just Testing” that was out in 1980, as well as a Chuck Berry cover.
Portsmouth 1980
1. Doctor
2. Blind Eye
3. The Way Of The World
4. Living Proof
5. The King Will Come
6. Lifeline
7. Insomnia
8. Phoenix
9. Blowin’ Free
10. Queen Of Torture
11. Helpless
12. Jail Bait
13. Bad Weather Blues
14. Too Much Monkey Business
Both releases, despite being from different ears, look very enticing.
