Wishbone Ash
Clan Destiny

After more than thirty years since their debut (this time we're dealing with a 2006 album), Wishbone Ash are fully in their final phase characterized, let's say, by a family-run approach. The only remaining founding member, guitarist and singer Andy Powell, now has full control of the band's brand and career strategies. The band has been reduced to a "cult" status, which may be out of fashion, but is supported by a devoted core of fans—those who have stayed since the golden age of the seventies plus a host of their children and grandchildren, as well as younger folks with well-trained ears to appreciate the new/old "classic" rock that exploded in the seventies.

With albums selling modestly to the usual patrons, plus the occasional new convert won over here and there, it is the relentless and rigorous touring activity that keeps the band afloat and finances their new albums. Powell also involves his wife (and later, when they grow up, even his children) in the management of the quartet. He fights hard at the legal level to keep former companion Martin Turner away from the rights to use and disseminate the Wishbone Ash moniker. He is content with concerts in theaters and small venues without losing an ounce of enthusiasm. He does everything necessary to keep the band's story going and releases more songs every few years to add to the already extensive repertoire. He is helped in this by new technologies that allow guitars, bass, and keyboards to be recorded at home, the drums in the studio around the corner, vocals from the other side of the world, leaving only the mixing to a professional, expensive studio equipped with good speakers and excellent ears from the manager. Powell is still doing all this today, at 71 years old: maximum respect.

Every so often Andy, whether forced or not is unknown, changes members in the group. This time, it's the turn of the other guitarist Ben Granfelt to exit, replaced by another Finnish musician who was actually his music teacher: Jyrki (Giorgio) Manninen, nicknamed "Muddy" because he loves the blues and thus one of his greatest heroes is Muddy Waters. He is remarkable on the Gibson Les Paul, with nothing Scandinavian in his approach and passion. He maintains a warm and balanced sound, full of creativity and musicality: a precious addition for Wishbone Ash, which, with him, gains new life both in composition and performance.

This will manifest especially on the following albums (Muddy will remain in the lineup for about a dozen years and four albums until 2017), but already this Clan Destiny proves to be excellent work, compact and with a maximum variety ranging from boogie tracks (the opener "Eyes Wide Open" with its well-crafted riff or the more sophisticated in chords and more pop "Slime Time"), triumphant semi-acoustic ballads ("Dreams Outta Dust"), Southern rock blues ("Healing Ground", Manninen's first excellent contribution), galloping pop-rock ("Steam Town", with the two lead guitars Allman Brothers-style atop Bob Skeat's irresistible bass train), Celtic-tinged folk rock in Wishbone Ash's style ("Loose Change", too bad Andy's voice isn't up to par), old-time instrumentals ("Surfing a Slow Wave", which would surely please... Beppe Maniglia), three-quarters twisted back in Allman scent ("Capture the Moment", full of guitar duels), more rock blues this time filled with growling slide guitar ("Your Dog", Manninen is a master at sliding the steel thimble across the strings), pensive thoughts on minor chords ("The Raven"), up to the mild closing cover ("Motherless Child"... Powell again dignified but nothing more in the singing).

Thus, Wishbone Ash becomes more "American" and more infused with blues than usual, starting with this album and for the next three. And all thanks to the presence of a guy from Helsinki on one of the guitars (the one on the left, in the stereo panorama)! Four full stars this time, and with Manninen in the ranks, it will never go under (in my taste, that is), if anything above! We'll see.