Wishbone Ash can trace its origins back to Torquay, Devon, England, a seaside resort in the southwest of the country. It was there that Martin Turner and Steve Upton first performed together; Turner on bass, Upton on drums, before moving to London in 1969 to seek fame and fortune. In the capital the decision was made to place an advertisement for a keyboard player and a lead guitarist. The resulting audition threw up two guitar leads, but nobody could decide who to choose and the trademark twin-lead sound of Wishbone Ash was born.
Ted (David) Turner and Andy Powell soon went through the poverty and growing pains of a new band, but were fortunate that Miles Copeland was championing their cause and a fairly rapid progression was achieved. The first Album, Wishbone Ash, was released in December 1970 and their second, Pilgrimage, surfaced just six months later to reach #6 in the NME charts. Great things were just 11 months away with the release of Argus (1972) -- possibly the band's best album; certainly their most commercially successful -- which reached #2 in the UK charts and went gold. Argus is considered to be one of the great rock classics of all time. The next album, Wishbone Four, only 12 months later, went silver.
After these early highs, Ted Turner decided that he had had enough, and left the band to be replaced by Laurie Wisefield. Although Laurie’s style was not to everyone’s taste, he was generally well liked by the fans and brought a slightly harder edge to the folk-tinged progressive rock that was the Wishbone Ash formula. Wisefield was a dynamic player and became an excellent partner to Andy -- they were to play together for a very successful 11 years and the MKII version of the band is very well thought of for most of its output. About this time the band became more influenced by America and would eventually move there.
The next album, There's The Rub (1974), was recorded in Florida and produced by Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk. Once again it was to do well, achieving silver disc status. There's the Rub included the instrumental piece F.U.B.B. Steve Upton was arrested in New Zealand for announcing at a concert it's full title. In New Zealand, swearing in public is a criminal offense, and when Upton announced the title at an outdoor concert, a woman sunbathing in her garden nearby complained to the mayor. Upton spent the night in jail, and the album reached #3 in New Zealand due to the publicity.
It was inevitable that a turkey was due and to fans Locked In (1976) fit this bill. This record was not released -- it escaped! Fortunately things were much better with the quality of the following albums and although the high chart positions were gone, the fans were enjoying some competent, well-crafted output.
After 11 years in the band, Martin Turner decided to leave. This move began a period of frequent changes of bass player with the likes of John Wetton and Trevor Bolder being two of the better known; however, Wishbone Ash always has attracted musicians of the highest order. A much more controversial move was the introduction of Clair Hamill to fill in some of the vocal talent Martin had taken away with him. Clair was not popular with the fans which was perhaps a little unfair. She had contributed backing vocals on Just Testing (Turner's last album (1980), which he had also produced) and had co-written the excellent Living Proof, which is still a crowd favourite today. Her stay was short-lived with Andy Powell taking on more vocal duties. Wisefield left in late 1985 and the band continued to tour with various replacements, but were very much in limbo until 1987 when a miracle occurred. Miles Copland persuaded the original lineup to reform for a project for a music charity that he was helping, and a Hammersmith Odeon concert which the BBC recorded resulted. The project produced an instrumental album Nouveau Calls (1987), which was very well received. Even better received was the fact that three years of the original lineup were to follow.
Just when things were going so well, Steve Upton decided to quit the business entirely in 1990, to be replaced by Ray Weston. Martin Turner carried on for another year before leaving to pursue a solo career, and Ted left two years later. The next five years saw lots of personnel changes, but eventually resulted in a good period of stability with Ray Weston returning and Bob Skeet joining on bass in 1998.
The new millennium has also seen stability in respect of Andy's guitar partner, with the last 6 years being filled by Ben Granfelt and subsequently Muddy Manninen, both of whom come from Finland. 2005 saw Wishbone Ash celebrate their 35th year. 2006 heralded the new album Clan Destiny (the first featuring Muddy as guitarist). 2007 saw the exit of long-term drummer Ray Weston, due to the increasingly hectic pace of band life. Joe Crabtree (formerly of The David Cross band) stepped up to fill his place. With regard to new releases, 2007 saw First Light, which features original recordings of the songs featured on their debut album, as well as some outtakes. Also released that year was the new album The Power of Eternity (partly featuring Joe Crabtree on drums), which coincided with the Autumn tour.
Wishbone Ash are still performing 150 gigs a year in the U.S. and Europe. They get very supportive crowds with good numbers turning out all over Europe -- the U.S. tends to attract smaller audiences, but very committed fans. If you want to hear classic Wishbone Ash, get ahold of Argus. Visit their web site www.wishboneash.com, where tour dates and albums, etc. can be obtained.
Master Of Disguise
Wishbone Ash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mystery in your eyes,
Travelling the backroads of your country.
Well, you think you?ve got my number
And then again, you wonder
Will you ever get to find the real me.
Things are not always
It?s like living in a dream.
So you?d like me to reveal
All that I know and feel
At the risk of causing panic and destruction.
Well, there?s a method to this madness.
I don?t mean to cause you sadness
My course is strictly governed by instruction.
Things are not always
As they first may seem
It?s like living in a dream.
I?m a master of disguise
Not about to compromise
My position in this scheme of worldly values.
Ah, they?re calling out my name.
I?ve promised to remain
Ever faithful to the memory of what is true.
Things are not always
As they first may seem
It?s like living in a dream.
Oh, I?m living in a dream,
I?m high, I?m high.
In the cold, cold night, I?m high.
The lyrics of "Master of Disguise" by Wishbone Ash are about the singer being an enigmatic and elusive figure who is constantly on the move, never staying in one place for too long. The singer is a master of disguise and it appears that he is leading a double life, with the people around him unsure of who he really is. Throughout the song, he explores the idea that things are not always as they seem and that he is living in a dream-like state.
The chorus of the song, which repeatedly states "things are not always as they first may seem, it's like living in a dream", highlights the singer's state of mind. He is not fully present in reality, instead, he is a mysterious figure who is only partially revealed to those around him. The singer seems to be driven by a sense of purpose, as he mentions that his course is strictly governed by instruction, but it is unclear what that purpose is.
The final verse suggests that the singer is at peace with his position in life and that he is committed to remaining true to himself. He acknowledges that he is living in a dream world, but he seems to be enjoying the high that it brings. Overall, "Master of Disguise" is a thought-provoking song that explores the concept of identity and the nature of reality.
Line by Line Meaning
I’m a master of disguise,
I am an expert in pretending to be someone or something else
Mystery in your eyes,
I see uncertainty in your gaze as you try to figure me out
Travelling the backroads of your country.
I am exploring the less-traveled areas of your land
Well, you think you’ve got my number
You believe that you understand me completely
And then again, you wonder
But at the same time, you have doubts and questions about me
Will you ever get to find the real me.
You are not sure if you will ever discover my true identity
Things are not always
Reality is not always as it appears
As they first may seem
At first glance, things might be misleading
It’s like living in a dream.
Living in this world can be surreal and unpredictable
So you’d like me to reveal
You want me to disclose
All that I know and feel
Everything I am aware of and experience
At the risk of causing panic and destruction.
Even though it could lead to chaos and devastation
Well, there’s a method to this madness.
I have a rational process behind my seemingly irrational behavior
I don’t mean to cause you sadness
I don't intend to make you upset
My course is strictly governed by instruction.
I am following precise guidelines for my actions
I’m not about to compromise
I am unwilling to give up or yield
My position in this scheme of worldly values.
My place in the larger context of societal priorities
Ah, they’re calling out my name.
People are calling me out or criticizing me
I’ve promised to remain
I have made a commitment to stay
Ever faithful to the memory of what is true.
I am always loyal to what is genuinely real and genuine
Oh, I’m living in a dream,
I am living in a surreal, unpredictable world
I’m high, I’m high.
I am feeling ecstatic, exhilarated
In the cold, cold night, I’m high.
Even in difficult circumstances, I remain exalted
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDY POWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Doe
I'm a master of disguise,
Mystery in your eyes,
Travelling the backroads of your country.
Well, you think you've got my number
And then again, you wonder
Will you ever get to find the real me.
Things are not always
As they first may seem
It's like living in a dream.
So you'd like me to reveal
All that I know and feel
At the risk of causing panic and destruction.
Well, there's a method to this madness.
I don't mean to cause you sadness
My course is strictly governed by instruction.
Things are not always
As they first may seem
It's like living in a dream.
I'm a master of disguise
Not about to compromise
My position in this scheme of worldly values.
Ah, they're calling out my name.
I've promised to remain
Ever faithful to the memory of what is true.
Things are not always
As they first may seem
It's like living in a dream.
Oh, I'm living in a dream,
I'm high, I'm high.
In the cold, cold night, I'm high.
Bernie Brio'con
The tone of guitars is so emotional so interactive warm, outspoken, and pure, like living in a dream aloud!
James Keffer
One of my favorite wishbone ash albums man what a great band
TheYoungAmpTech
That bass line is wicked
Mats Frånlund
Yes, and it's mixed just so it is bold; a weeny bit higher and it would be too high! Martin's got a wonderful bass sound from his Thunderbird.
Douglas Alexandre
Que linha de baixo maravilhosa! Sonzera!
Dejan
Things are not always
As they first may seem
It's like living in a dream.... and then the guitar solo as the intro into the dream.. I do love this dreamy Powell masterpiece...
Miro Vegar
Awesome BAND and ALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!!Love this song...............twin guitars are magic............ :)
Martin K.
love it a lot !! great song!
John Doe
I'm a master of disguise,
Mystery in your eyes,
Travelling the backroads of your country.
Well, you think you've got my number
And then again, you wonder
Will you ever get to find the real me.
Things are not always
As they first may seem
It's like living in a dream.
So you'd like me to reveal
All that I know and feel
At the risk of causing panic and destruction.
Well, there's a method to this madness.
I don't mean to cause you sadness
My course is strictly governed by instruction.
Things are not always
As they first may seem
It's like living in a dream.
I'm a master of disguise
Not about to compromise
My position in this scheme of worldly values.
Ah, they're calling out my name.
I've promised to remain
Ever faithful to the memory of what is true.
Things are not always
As they first may seem
It's like living in a dream.
Oh, I'm living in a dream,
I'm high, I'm high.
In the cold, cold night, I'm high.
Zane parkin
the true wishbone ash sound !