where is the love for WISHBONE ASH?

do i want to see this band play Argus in full?

i know literally nothing about them except the words "Wishbone Ash" and "Argus"

Wait, so you've never actually heard them but you're contemplating seeing them?! Go listen to Argus. I think it's a great album. If it's the kind of music you like (70s hard rock with twin guitars and the occasional folky/proggy touch) and it's not expensive yeah, I would totally go (bearing in mind that only one guitarist remains from the original lineup.)

Have just been reading an ex-ilxor's oral history of NWOBHM and Wishbone Ash are mentioned a number of times as a source of inspiration for Brit metal bands - those twin guitars.

WA cut kind of a narrow swath for themselves, not really blues-based but not psychedelic or "heavy" either.

This was my feeling when I heard Argus for the first time; even by '71 standards their guitars were too clean and trebly to be "metal" (though certainly Iron Maiden was paying attention to the harmonies). At the same time, they have folky and proggy tendencies, but aren't going to be mistaken for Fairport Convention or Genesis; nor are they "willfully eclectic" like Family.
Maybe the best comparison is a UK version of the Grateful Dead or the Allmans, with blues and Americana trappings replaced with English mythology and pastoral imagery.

Aesthetically, I think it also helped that Andy Powell played a Flying V

as venerable threadstarter w/a fairly clear memory still how popular they were w/my schoolchums back in 1975/76 i'm trying to recall if metal was ever then even mentioned as a genre or descriptor for ash: i think no, and maybe also not for purple and rainbow (also very popular in that gang)

it being school the music wasn't really played very loud, and this is also part of how i still hear them

I have never thought of them as metal. Not many of my school friends (same time period) knew or cared about them, or at least as much as Zep or Sabbath. I think contemporaries might be Fleetwood Mac circa Bare Trees, Ten Years After, Humble Pie.

Fleetwood Mac circa Bare Trees

Yes, I definitely hear that in the singing and guitars. Maybe the pole arm and helmet on the cover were another misdirection towards metal.

I wonder if alpine static ever went to the show... because I did! Saw them last night, it's the 50th anniversary of their Live Dates album, so they're playing that in its entirety (actually we got a slightly condensed version, with one long set instead of the two sets they've been doing elsewhere.) They sound great, tight and enthusiastic. If you have any affection/nostalgia for the band at all I recommend it.

Have been listening to tracks from first couple of lps recently prompted by early live sets appearing on Dime. I thought the Live in Mekphis set that came with Argus 20 years ago was pretty amazing so should have picked up on them more.
Think I prefer those first 2 lps to Argus though. So need to get them.
Do love Pilgrim.
Not sure why they weren't a band I'd picked up on before.or if I am really interested in any later stuff

Ditto to myself from last year.
But just picked up Pilgrimage so am listening to that.
Heard the remaster from a few years back overcompressed the sound. So wonder what the best sounding version on CD is.