Mettler: I’m glad to hear you say that, because there is a tendency to want to “upgrade” vintage recordings these days as some people feel like they need to change things from how they were in the original mixes. I do admit that I like hearing alternate versions of some albums, but I also prefer having the “needle-drop” version too — the one we heard when an album was initially released. That said, this new edition of Argus sounds more like it did when it came out in April 1972 to me — which is exactly what you wanted to have happen here, isn’t it?

There’s no point being a musician if you don’t travel — and we were traveling musicians. We were seeing the world with a sense of wonder — no question about it. We were listening to FM radio as we were traveling, and the whole thing was like part of the movie, you know? And we wanted to be part of that movie with our music. But you’re right — it is a very profound statement, and it goes on to be this sense of, “Where am I? What am I? What is being human?” And then the whole album just opens up, and it gets expounded on — that idea of dislocation, and time and space, war and peace, why are people fighting each other, and how can we then make the peace?Unfortunately, the other CD – Live in Portsmouth – has fallen foul of Brexit and the current fuel problems and won’t be available until later in the tour. LPs: Original Argus replica, remastered for this release + Argus Live (from Alexandra Palace & Memphis). CDs: Martin Turner's "Argus" remaster, "Live At The Alexandra Palace 1973 & Memphis 1972". Also features 4 previously unreleased early version demos. One of the few albums ever that has a complete coherence between the cover art and the music. That by itself encouraged me to pay for that Art on a Boxset scale, the other one is The court of crimson king, and that art on the 50th anniversary boxset looks amazing and shining. Madfish are proud to present a new 10LP box set containing five concerts recorded between 1976 - 1980. Initially appearing on ’The Vintage Years’ CD box set in 2018, four of the shows will be issued on vinyl for the first time, with a newly sourced and previously unreleased recording from the band’s October 1976 run of shows in Nakano Sunplaza, Tokyo on the New England tour exclusively available within.

Mike Mettler: What were your instructions for the way the original tapes for Argus needed to be handled for this 50th anniversary box set release? We’ve now had confirmation that our tour tee and the Roadworks double CD – From California to Kawasaki – will be available for our first show in Chester. Mettler: Argus is such a rich-sounding record, I totally agree. And I also like how conscious you were where the organ [played by John Tout, from the band Renaissance] comes in during the second half of “Throw Down the Sword.” It’s really a nice, complementary sound there. You really could have done organ fills on the whole record, but that sequence in “Sword” really seemed to be the best place to have it, as opposed to it just being everywhere. I also like that this is all about the celebration of the music, and that 1972 superhuman creativity and beauty that those 4 people had. Wishbone Ash celebrate the 50th anniversary of their classic album Argus with a new 7-Disc multi-format Box SetCDs: Martin Turner’s Argusremaster, Live at The Alexandra Palace 1973& Memphis 1972.Also features 4previously unreleased early version demos. Mettler: Okay, so the last thing I want to ask you before you roll on is, since we’re talking 50 years of Argus here, let’s now project 50 years into the future, to the year 2073. And, as I like to say, unless there’s some weird science going on, you and I are probably not physically on the planet in that year. However people listen to music in the future, and they type in “Wishbone Ash” and/or “ Argus,” what kind of listening experience do you want somebody 50 years from now to get from doing that? CDs: Martin Turner’s Argus remaster, Live at Alexandra Palace 1973 & Memphis 1972 and 4 previously unreleased early version demos. We do, however, have a supply of our signature tote bags – perfect to hold your tees and CDs while watching a much anticipated performance on the Phoenix Rising UK Tour.