There's the Rub

About There's the Rub

There's the Rub is the fifth studio album by rock band Wishbone Ash. It is the first album to feature guitarist/vocalist Laurie Wisefield, who would be a major part of the band's creative direction for the next 11 years. The title is taken from Shakespeare's Hamlet; "To sleep—perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub." The track "F. U. B. B." caused controversy upon the album's release because of the acronym's meaning ("Fucked Up Beyond Belief"). Moreover, the haunting ballad "Persephone" would go on to become one of the band's most popular live songs. The lyrics of "Lady Jay" are based on the Dartmoor folk legend about Kitty Jay. The cover art designed by Hipgnosis shows a cricketer rubbing (in effect, polishing) a cricket ball on his trousers, leaving a mark – a common practice by fast bowlers who do so to make one side of the leather ball shinier than the other. This helps the ball to swing as it travels through the air after being bowled, so making it harder for the batsman to play it. The album peaked at No. 16 in the UK Albums Chart more »