Song of the Day 12/7, Wishbone Ash, “Blowin’ Free”

Guest post by Nathan Arizona

Wishbone Ash will probably never get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Too British, for one thing. Reasonably popular in its 1970s heyday, but now lacking the high profile needed to make those lists of “ten bands that should be in the Hall of Fame.” That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be.

Wishbone Ash is kind of what rock was all about, doggedly hitting studios and stages in a sweaty effort to make a name for itself. Picking a band name that sounded hippie-ish by choosing a random word from each of two lists. And, oh yeah, inventing the twin-lead electric guitar attack.

OK, it’s hard to say exactly who invented that harmonized double-lead-guitar sound, which became a staple of hard rock. But if you had to pick one, Wishbone Ash might be a good choice. They went in that direction after some guys who wanted to start a band held auditions for a guitar player and keyboard player and decided the guitarists were so good they would hire both and forgo the keyboards.

After that came well-regarded albums and some charting songs that still resonate even with listeners who couldn’t name the title or the band. Their energetic stage show was considered one of the best around. They are still lively in concerts headed by road warrior Andy Powell, a band founder who still has the chops.

Some bands had used twin guitars before, but elements of the style coalesced in Wishbone Ash to form a kind of template for the twin-guitar bands that have followed. Wishbone Ash brought more melody than its predecessors, partly because it drew from British folk and prog, not just blues.

Thin Lizzy picked up on the style. Heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest adopted it. It became a staple of Southern rock in the U.S., where Boston also scored with it by way of multi-tracking. And, of course, new bands who like heavy guitar-based rock spring up all the time even though it has become a niche style.

Wishbone Ash wasn’t cool for very long. Critics admired them, but punk came along to lure away the hipsters. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should be above that kind of thing.

This might be the band’s best-known song. Powell, to your left in the trucker hat, is sometimes in the conversation about best rock guitarists ever.

This is a slower song that builds to a crashing guitar climax. I’m posting this version because it shows a true believer who gets what the music is about. His enthusiasm is catching, or maybe it’s obnoxious. You could just ignore the visual part.

What the heck, there’s this guy too.