Wishbone Ash has managed to amass quite a following without the slightest hint of a hit. After trying for commercial success and failing miserably with Wishbone Four, the group released this live album which returns to the band's original calling card—the twin lead guitars of Ted Turner and Andy Powell. It has produced mixed results. When Wishbone builds tunes around the concept ("Phoenix," "The Pilgrim"), they're capable of sustained peaks of intensity and masterful interplays. But when they attempt to incorporate the dual blitz into overt song structures ("Warrior," "Blowin' Free"), they sound forced and soon boil down to an all-too-predictable slosh of melted crayolas. Wishbone Ash cannot be limited to lengthy neo-Allman/Betts jams. Perhaps a suitable alternative lies in the direction of "Rock 'n' Roll Widow" and "Lady Whiskey," two hard-chargin' rockers on which the guitars take turns at more conventional (albeit equally violent) roles. (RS 163)

GORDON FLETCHER