Now a little over 35 years old, ‘Argus’ is awarded the deluxe 2 CD treatment with this edition boasting the original album mix (newly remastered from the original tapes), plus rare BBC Radio sessions, live recordings from 1972 and a bonus disc featuring the band’s memorable Radio 1 “In Concert” appearance which launched the album. Still their best known, and most critically acclaimed, work it features the widely considered “classic” line-up of the band comprising of Andy Powell, Martin Turner, Ted Turner and Steve Upton, and is often cited as a landmark album for twin lead guitar harmonies later used by Lizzy, Maiden and countless others.

Undoubtedly this is an album that still holds up remarkably well, even if some of the medieval themed lyrics (for ‘The King Will Come’ and ‘Warrior’) are now somewhat dated. The two stand out moments here are still the near ten minute ‘Time Was’ and, of course, ‘Blowin Free’, both of these songs displaying an air of confidence and taking the band into previously unexplored musical areas that finds them seamlessly switching from prog to folk to rock and back again. Another song that stands out is the gentle acoustic ambience of ‘Leaf and Stream’ with its dreamlike and calming atmospheric qualities. And any review of this album has to make a mention of the exemplary guitar solo in the dramatic closing number, ‘Throw Down The Sword’ which remains a captivating listen.

The added extras here all combine to make this a very worthwhile purchase, in particular the “In Concert” gig boasts some outstanding guitar work from Powell and Ted Turner and has a 20 minute, largely improvised, version of ’Phoenix’ that fans will relish in hearing again.

It is well worth remembering that back in 1972 this was the record voted ‘Album of the Year’ in end of year readers polls, placing it ahead of ‘Close To The Edge’, ‘Foxtrot’ and ‘Thick As A Brick’ to name just three. More than a third of a century may have passed, but ‘Argus’ remains the quintessential Wishbone Ash recording.