Genre: Hard Rock Year of disc release: 1983/2007 Publisher (label): Rockadrome Catalog number: ROCK007-V-2 Country: USA Audio codec: Mp3 @320 kbps

Tracklist: 01. The Warning 04:05 02. Take Your Love Away 03:49 03. Twilight 01:47 04. Vengeance 04:04 05. Madman 05:45 06. Hard Fight 04:19 07. No Mourning 02:45 08. Mystery Man 05:31 09. Endless Skies 07:35

Personnel: Randy Davis - lead and harmony vocals, guitars, bass, synthesizer and percussion Rob Davis - lead and harmony vocals, guitars, synthesizer Johnny Ray - drums Jerry Vandielen - grand piano (on Endless Skies)

The band's history began in January 1977, when brothers Rob and Randy Davis formed the guitar duo Davis Brothers in Oklahoma. Some time later, after they were joined by guitarist Lee Smith, bassist Noal Morris and drummer Dave Carpenter, the name changed to Ashbury South, and the quintet began intensively rehearsing and performing in local clubs and bars, performing mainly the so-called popular song in those parts. . “southern rock”. In 1980 The group moved to Tucson, Arizona, where they received a permanent engagement at the Night Train club, performing five nights a week and playing mainly cover versions of songs by their idols - Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Blue Oyster Cult, ELP, etc. In June 1980 The band's name was shortened to Ashbury. After winning the local competition for young performers Battle Of The Bands, they went on a long tour for two whole years, touring the entire southwestern United States with concerts. By that time, Ashbury had already acquired quite powerful equipment that could easily sound and illuminate, for example, a 150,000-seat stadium. They had their own team of lighting and sound engineers, but most of the repertoire was still cover versions of famous bands, which when performed were very popular with the public. However, there was a more serious problem - despite all their achievements, Ashbury continued to remain without a contract, independently engaged in their own advertising and management. However, even this did not stop Randy Davis at the end of 1982. begin preparing musical material for their debut album. Thus, in January 1983 The Davis brothers and drummer Johnny Ray recorded their first disc, Endless Skies, at Westwood Studios in Tucson. Chorus. Ashbury's debut album presented epic and somewhat pompous hard rock/heavy metal, with minor influences from southern rock and signs of the emerging AOR style. The band's unusually melodic music was based mainly on the guitar parts of Randy Davis, who extremely skillfully alternated hard and powerful guitar riffs with lyrical acoustic moments. Their music was given a special charm by the high and very beautiful, somewhat distant and romantic vocals of Rob Davis, reminiscent of Justin Hayward from the Moody Blues. Among the best songs of the disc, first of all, it is worth mentioning the epic title track Endless Skies, the powerful Warning, as well as the songs Madman and Mystery Man. Although objectively, there were simply no frankly weak things on the album. Looking ahead, it is worth saying that in 1983-84. this disc was consistently recognized as the “Best Hard Rock Album” in the state of Arizona. Of course, in the wake of its success, the members of Ashbury were counting on a contract with some reputable recording company, but the demo tapes they sent to all major companies in Los Angeles returned either with a refusal or with an offer to record completely new, more commercial musical material , focused primarily on the radio format. The Ashbury musicians, who were at the peak of their success, were completely unprepared for this turn of events. For some time, by inertia, they continued to perform, performing mainly their own musical material, but the public still expected cover versions of other performers from them at concerts, but the musicians themselves no longer wanted to return to covering other people’s hits. It was probably this reluctance to adapt to other people's rules and tastes that led them to the decision to disband the group. Although, if at that time the Davis brothers had shown more persistence in achieving their own goal, perhaps their future fate would have been more prosperous. But history, as we know, does not tolerate the subjunctive mood... After the collapse of Ashbury, drummer Johnny Ray joined Hillbilly Prophet, and the Davis brothers, leaving the professional stage, moved away from music for many 20 years, preferring to play music for their own pleasure. Only in 2003 They recorded another disc, Something Funny Going On, which, according to them, they were prompted to work on by the unabated popularity of the first album, the cost of which in collectors' circles had reached $300 by that time! The new album, like its predecessor, turned out to be made in the traditional Ashbury style of guitar prog-rock, with the same intonations of southern rock and the same melancholic-romantic, crystalline sound. However, in this work, the Davis brothers practically moved away from the power and hard guitar riffs inherent in heavy metal, replacing them with the softer sound of acoustic guitars. The former epicism gave way to less complex compositions, the main advantages of which were still the brightest melodicism, beautiful vocals and excellent guitar arrangements (it is worth saying that soon after the release of this disc, in the official rating of the Rockadrome company, Randy Davis was recognized as the best in the Favorite Guitarist category, overtaking many famous local guitarists, including Billy Lee Janey, Jordan Macarus, etc.). However, the release of this album was once again plagued by traditional Ashbury problems, resulting in the official release of Something Funny Going On being delayed for six years, during which time the Davis brothers independently distributed it via the Internet! And only in May 2010. this album was officially released on CD, and a year later a collection of their previously unrealized recordings appeared, Unreleased, Outtakes & Rarities (2011)