Argus Through The Looking Glass

Missed this back in 2008 when it was first released,so its great to have the chance to purchase now,its always a risk re-doing something thats already held up as a classic,your damned if you do and damned if you dont,if you change it too much ,then you've tampered with aclassic,if you stay faithfull to the original,then what was the point,so its a difficult position.So Martin appears to have fallen between 2 stools,it remains very faithfull,only slight nuances of difference here and ther,which is as much to do with the modern production than anything else and the biggest change is the change to the track listing,'Blowin Free' now sequenced as the last track.This edition , as far as i can tell,has 4 bonus tracks which were not on the original release,namely an excellent version of 'Throw Down The Sword' containg vocals and keyboards from John Wetton & Geoff Downes plus 3 live tracks (Time Was,Sometime World,& Throw Down The Sword),the soud quality on the live tracks quite superb.The booklet has a decent interview with Martin Turner ( i suspect was part of the original release) where he explains his thought process behind re doing ARGUS,quite interestingit is to.All in all.this wont replace the original album as your go to copy but it is worth listening to and i wont regret buying it.

classy

As a Wishbone Ash fan for many years it is nice to know that Martin Turner is active again touring and now recording.Whether this album was made for some sort of cathartic reason, or to reclaim "ownership" of the album, I'm not sure, but like a previous reveiwer said, this is a bit pointless.I actually find it interesting when some artists revisit their old work after 20 or 30 years. Sometimes the results are very good reinterpretations and other times the results can be cringworthy.This is neither. The album has been re recorded almost note for note (and played very well)so the only difference at times is you can tell that the vocals are sung by an older person and the recoding quality is crisper. As it is so perfectly rendered however, there isn't even the interest of hearing a slightly different interpretation.Basically then, if you have everything else by the band and want to support Martin Turner and his new band, get it. If you're not that interested, just get the original album by the original band.

Unlike the previous reviewer, I really enjoyed listening to this version. I know Argus inside out and its nice to hear a fresh interpretation of it. Some guitar parts vary from the original whilst others are played true to the original but in a way that sheds new light. Just like listening to George Szell conduct Beethoven's 5th after you've been brought up with Von Karajan's version.So, if you can keep an open mind, you might be delighted as I was.Another point. The sound quality is very good with little or no dynamic compression (see loudness wars in Wikipedia). This makes for a wonderful, aurally relaxed, yet exciting listen. This contrasts to the overly compressed CDs that have been released by Andy Powell's version of Wishbone Ash in recent years, many of them unlistenable to from an audiophile standpoint, regardless of the merit of the music.No, I am not a partisan in the Turner/Powell wars. I have no 'axe to grind' or 'dog in the fight'! I simply enjoy the music of Wishbone Ash and enjoy hearing both versions of the band, especially in concert.So, if you take a punt on this you might just hear a version that will add to your enjoyment of a timeless classic. No, it won't replace the original, but it will add to its mystique and majesty.

Martin Turner re-records Argus, word for word and note for note. If you have/like the original then you will love this album. Martin Turner sounds as fresh as 30 or more years ago. Recommended.

I enjoyed the album when it was released in 2008 (I think) as it put a different slant on the original version and so when I saw this 2017 release with some addition tracks I thought "re-master" and bought it. Although this CD has a different cover this is a "re-record" (not sure what that means!) and so it is exactly the same as the earlier CD plus the three extra tracks. Is it worth buying? Only if you did not buy the previous one. I must admit to being disappointed.

This CD is long awaited! I went to see the band twice this year, and they did not disappoint. Amazing sounds from gifted artists. This music is etched into my mind for always

Absolutely excellent album ,i think it even probably surpasses the original 1972 Wishbone Ash version Argus.Very impressed indeed.