Andy Powell - Wishbone Ash

Andy Powell  | 9th Special Tribute

Welcome, Andy to our ‘Room’, it’s an honor for us and we are glad to have you here. But let’s start our chat..

1. Andy, you have written history with Wishbone Ash but also as a guitar duo with Ted Turner. What do you remember from that time and what was the magic potion, do you believe, to succeed?

Being broke and starving as musicians at the time actually, was a great impetus to succeed ;-) Kinda puts things in perspective when you are putting everything on the line to make it in the music business. Then there was the sheer positive energy, commitment and self-belief. Having a very motivated manager in Miles Copeland, who was driving us forward, was hugely important. All these things went into the mix. In fact, we used to use a visual image, an old medieval wood cut, of witches concocting a ‘witches brew’    which we used in our adverts for shows at the time and that image sort of sums it up for me.

2. The ''Argus'' Album is the most classic and well known from your masterpieces, one of the best prog rock albums of all the time. Which of your albums, you believe, fell apart from the others and move you?

I like the album New England because, like Argus, it came together very naturally in our band studio in the Connecticut countryside and was a kind of antidote to the very tense time we had in New York on the previous album Locked In.

3. As we can see, you get involved with the production of many Wishbone Ash albums. What did you have in mind, while you were producing those albums? What would you change, if you do the production today with our available technology?

I wouldn't change much of anything from the early recordings. In fact, in many ways, the old technique of recording was more honest. You had to make do with what you had - 8 tracks or 16 tracks at the time. It’s easy to get self indulgent and get side-tracked by all the technology and editing capabilities available these days. A lot of younger bands are trying to get back to that simple honest approach to recording, in fact.

4. Many people have associated their puberty with romantic “Persephone”. A masterpiece song from your fifth album “There’s a Rub”, which was the first work with Laurie Wisefield. We guess, it was easy for Laurie to get used to Wishbone Ash mentality. How did this happen? Persephone was a part of a Greek myth, was the daughter of Zeus and Dimitra. She was also the wife of Ades. Does the song Persephone refer to this? What is the story of this lovely song?

In fact, it took a lot of effort to integrate with such a different guitarist. Laurie was quite different from Ted Turner. But we were successful and I adapted my style to his and he did the same with mine, achieving good synergy on his debut album with us, There’s The Rub. We were aware of the Greek myth in terms of the tragicc element to the story but if fact, that’s where the similarity ends. Martin Turner, who wrote the lyric, would tell you the name was used a the name of a mythical actress who’s career was changing or fading. Actually, I’ve heard him tell the story that the departing Ted Turner was the inspiration for the song’s lyric and this makes sense with reference to ‘your offstage ways;' and ‘ there's no longer magic in your eyes’ and so on. The song resonates with audiences all over the world and has actually gown in stature since we first started to play it on stage.

                                   

5. Andy, Traffic Magazine, back in 1989, included you and Ted Turner as ‘Two of the Ten most important Guitarists in Rock History’. Please, name us two of your Top, no matter if they concern the old days or nowadays. Also , you start play guitar in ‘London-based band’ style, if you had to choose one now , that you are so full of hearing and experienced which one would it be? Is there a guitar style or method that you are ‘’jealous’’ of and want to definitely use in the future?

Two of my top guitar players might be Roy Buchanan and Hank B. Marvin. But then I love Chuck Berry, Peter Green, Pete Townsend and Albert King - the list is endless….

There are no guitarists or guitar styles that I’m jealous of. That’s for sure. However, I admire plenty of players but I’m very comfortable in my own skin as a player. I feel I’ve given vent to the sounds and musical ideas I’ve had in my heart and mind through the decades - I really do. I’m actually currently a big fan of more laid back players like John Herrington, Bill Frisell, Ry Cooder and Buddy Miller. I like this ‘complete’ rootsy style of playing. These are all American players. I’m a kind of transatlantic musician these days but if I were starting our with a London - based band style’ these days, it would have to be a band with a certain rock attitude, a little impatient or rebellious -not too precious about itself. That’s why I was always a fan of bands like the Who or the Kinks from the 1960s so perhaps it might be a pub rock band with musicality, great songs and progressive elements. Some acoustic instruments would have to be there like fiddle and accordion -plus electric and acoustic guitar. Quite a concoction! I guess I’m describing Irish Rebel music or something ;-))

6. Its well known that you are the pioneer of double guitar solos. This technique was later adopted from other Bands, especially Metal bands. Iron Maiden was one of them being the band that established this technique (They have mentioned you as their main influence). But really, what was your influence to play that way and what was your purpose through this kind of play?

The main influence on me and where I really learned to hone my ear training was in working with horn sections in my early teenage bands. They were mostly soul influenced outfits, often with trumpet, tenor sax and baritone sax all playing as a section. This is where I got my early ideas from. It’s quite a leap from there to Wishbone Ash but not so much if you listen to a song of ours like Blind Eye say where the guitars are used like a harmonized horn riff, and from there you can move to Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden who acknowledge our influence on their musical style, as you say.

7. You have recorded numerous sessions for other important artists, including George Harrison, Renaissance etc. Which one have you enjoyed the most, and also was the most difficult to join in? Do you believe that keeping a close trusty and worthy music partner circle, is the best choice for an Artist to create the music he desires, or maybe try many different high level partnerships, so as to discover more about his music, and furthermore his self?

I think it’s good to take risks and work outside your comfort level. Wishbone Ash has been a changing line-up over the years and I believe I’ve had something like 7 different guitar partners and they’ve all brought different styles and influences to the band. This has kept me on my toes as a player. I think it is useful for a musician or writer to keep in with a musical circle outside his or her main band.

The most ambitious session I ever did was for the BBC’s John Peel show. It was live in the studio playing with the jazz / funk band, Upp. They had made an album where Jeff beck was the featured soloist. He also produced it I believe. Jeff couldn’t make the session so I stood in for him. That was nerve-wracking because I was not that familiar with the music and the changes but I managed it and I believe it turned out quite well. Jimmy Copley was the drummer, if I’m correct.

8. How have you achieved to make your own characteristic sound, having also the restriction of how can you do it?

My sound comes from my head or heart should I say. It’s the way I hear guitar - it’s what I’m seeking and my fingers then just do the work. In my book, Eyes Wide Open, I describe it rather like whistling a tune. You don’t know how your whistle will turn out but you hear a tune in your head and just go for it. It’s quite a magical process. My guitar solos are my little songs or tunes. Of course, this is a simplistic description because some knowledge of chord progressions and scales is required but that’s the essence of it, particularly when defining string bending or vibrato or something like that. That comes from the soul. Those are the emotional components

9. You learned playing guitar with a Les Paul style guitar made by yourself. Creativity was strengthened due to lack of money. Do you believe that money sometimes work negatively, ‘cause everything is easy with them? Dreams are interwoven with difficulties? What do you advise young people that focus on expensive instruments and not to music?

I like that phrase; ‘dreams are interwoven with difficulties.’ One could say that a degree of musical struggle is important - at least it was that way for me. But maybe that’s just my approach. I like things to be tough or challenging. Certainly, young musicians today have easy access to great instruments but then you’ll catch a video on YouTube of a couple of African kids in a township somewhere, with home made drums and guitars and the music coming out of them is incredible, with both passion and rawness. It was in some way like this for me in the beginning, I have to say. I had no clue what I was doing. It was all a magnificent mystery and I was simply worshipping at the shrine of music in my own ignorant way. I explain something of this process in my autobiography.

10. Great guitar players are recognizable from a few notes that you hear. (Santana, Hendrix, Gilmour, Blackmore, Page etc). You belong to this category for sure. Is this a matter of talent or strong practicing?

Well, thank you. I’m humbled to hear that but I understand it because of all the reasons above. Hendrix definitely approached music in this way. It was mystical for him, I believe. It was a trip. When I’m at my best during a guitar solo - it’s a kind of ecstasy - an ecstatic moment. Orgasmic even. It produces a physiological reaction in me and depletes me - I’m spent. This is intimate information but audiences can definitely relate to this, when a player is transcending the moment.

11. When we go out for a roadtrip with friends, we used to bring with us some stuff, but we always bring with us music to have for the travelling. So which 10 albums would you choose to be with you in a long roadtrip?

That’s difficult but currently in my car, I have some Ry Cooder and some Doyle Bramhall albums. I also have a Gary Clarke recording - Live at Coachella and then there’s Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. I have Joni Mitchell’s Hissing of Summer Lawns and the last McCartney album. I have Randy Newmans’ Land of Dreams, Steven Stills Manassass and I have some gypsy jazz courtesy of Django Rheinhart and Stephane Grappelli. Oh and I’ll have some classical music - usually English pastoral. Something like Elgar.

12. Sweet melodies are your trademark and it was something that was missing from Rock music. A musician, at first, expresses his soul .What do you think or imagine when you write a song? Is your life a part of a melody and which is that? Have we heard the overall depth of your inspiration? What shall we expect?

Your description is accurate and it’s romantic to think of musician’s lives as being part of a melody - their particular melody. Certainly, there is a very large body of work to look back on in this band…I don’t think you’ve heard the full depth of my inspiration yet. I’m waiting to find the next project which will act as a vehicle for that.

13. Nowadays, the internet has made our life easier. We can watch thousands young artists on You tube covering old songs and also promoting their work. Do you spend time on that? Do you believe that internet is a problem, a trap or a chance?

Like anyone, I spend a little time on that but I’m not so interested in young artists covering ideas from a previous era. Some of these artists are incredibly talented but really, they need to find their own voices their own ‘melody’ and be brave enough to follow the muse. Certainly, the internet has made it possible for artists to promote themselves and to be more in charge of their careers and we use it in this way.

14. We have noticed that there are a plenty of virtuosos guitar players with great abilities in the world playing very fast, therefore, our opinion is that something is missing, and that is emotional rock creativeness, something that will thrill us. Why is that? Should we must be afraid that rock music is ended and everything new is a repetition of an old one?

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There is a phase that we are going through where this is the case. Musicians exploring what is possible through the internet but you are right, emotional creativeness is what is really the name of the game and so many musicians get hung up or sidetracked by the mechanics of making music - the technical side and sometimes they can use this to shield them from having to bare their souls.

15. Andy , you are a high level musician, and therefore a high level critical mind that do not hesitate to express his opinion so we’d like to ask you, in these times of Global Crisis, (here in Greece as you may know Crisis rules in all levels actually), is it right for recognized Artists - such as yourself- to step forward and influence with their dynamic options for solutions to a great number of people that follows them, or maybe step back and be quiet , being afraid of missing some of their arguing followers on some significant matters?

I think it’s a duty of artists to be involved politically, socially and so on. Like politicians we travel the world and are keen observers of life. If we close off from this, then we are wasting our journeys. In our music, I’ve tried to put across my philosophies, opinions and feelings. It’s tricky because inevitably some will disagree with your opinions.

Thank you for your time and for giving us this interview.

My pleasure.

Best Wishes, Andy

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