Wishlist
by Wishbone Ash

Latest Wishbone Ash live CD, sold exclusively at live shows (though I was able to snag a copy off Amazon), coinciding with the "Wishlist" tour, where the band played songs requested by fans through online polls.

I'm not entirely sure how the polling process went down, because I seriously doubt that fans really requested The King Will Come, Warrior, and Throw Down the Sword AGAIN (three songs that have been played at almost every single live show since 1972), but at least there is a nice mix of new material that deserves to shine (Deep Blues, We Stand as One, In Crisis, Heavy Weather) and old classics that never got the proper love in the live scene (You See Red, Sorrel, Lady Jay).

Overall, the performances are strong and energetic, which is nice to hear after I was mostly bored listening to 2023's Live Dates Live, which lacked much of the enthusiasm that the original 1973 classic Live Dates had. Though unfortunately, none of the songs on the track listing mention any bit about where/when they were recorded. As a result, you've got some wild fluctuations in sound quality; songs like F.U.B.B. and In Crisis sound as crisp as ever, tracks like Blind Eye sound good but maybe not up to WA's usual recording standards, and two tracks, Deep Blues and Heavy Weather, sound very tinny and just above bootleg quality. Really could have used some better quality assurance, especially with some of the newer tunes that I would have really liked to hear in high definition.

Also worth noting that The King Will Come and Warrior are swapped on the CD back track listing, with Warrior listed as Track 9 and The King Will Come as Track 10, but the two play in the inverse, as you would expect they would.

As it stands, a solid live album and a good pickup if you're dying to hear live renditions of songs rarely played live like Sorrel, You See Red, and Lady Jay, as well as strong performances of live favorites like F.U.B.B., The Way of the World, and the Argus trilogy. Not essential by any means, but a good listen if you can get your hands on it. (Edited)