Asia

Asia (1982)

1. Heat of the Moment - 3:54

2. Only Time Will Tell - 4:48

3. Sole Survivor - 4:52
4. One Step Closer - 4:18
5. Time Again - 4:47
6. Wildest Dreams - 5:11
7. Without You - 5:07
8. Cutting It Fine - 5:40
9. Here Comes the Feeling - 5:43

After acquainting myself with Phoenix, I figured I needed to check out the original Asia album.  I had heard it once before a long time ago, and at the time I decided I would buy it if I saw it in a bargain bin, but it wasn't essential. I might be wrong... Sure, the songs are pretty straightforward, with lyrics mostly about love and relationships, but they are played with excitement, and there are creative twists that remind us of these players' impressive talents.

Probably the high point of the album is the song written by all four band members. "Time Again" starts with a menacing minor key stomp, accelerates into a Gothic arpeggio with haunting vocals, then launches into a galloping rock song in 12/8 with fun guitar/bass unison riffs and climbing harmonies. Other highlights include the Beethoven-esque drama of "Wildest Dreams," the sunny "One Step Closer" and the adventurous "Here Comes the Feeling".  Throughout the album, John Wetton's bass is lean and muscular (that's the bass player we know and love), Steve Howe's guitar work is impeccable, Geoff Downes's synthesizers are surprisingly tasteful, and Carl Palmer's drumming is dutifully propulsive. Very fun stuff.

Surprisingly, there are no power ballads here.  "Only Time Will Tell" and "Without You" come the closest, but the first includes an aggressive Baroque intro/bridge (think "Final Countdown," only better), and the second has way too much epic guitar riffing from Mr. Howe to be considered a ballad.  The pop is never simple pop.  Even the catchy verses on the big hit "Heat of the Moment" are a little subversive - you can't tell they are in 5/4 time unless you count. 

Overall, this is a very creative rock album with solid songs from top to bottom. This might be attributable to the new band's first rush of creativity, or it might be that the stars aligned.  Either way, when the band got back together in 2007, their concerts included every song from this album. The band must enjoy these songs as much as the fans!

Arbitrary rating: 4 out of 5 lean, muscular bass riffs

Phoenix - Asia

Phoenix (Asia, 2008)

1. Never Again - 4:54

2. Nothing's Forever - 5:46

3. Heroine - 4:54

4. Sleeping Giant / No Way Back / Reprise - 8:10

5. Alibis - 5:40

6. I Will Remember You - 5:12
7. Shadow of a Doubt - 4:18
8. Parallel Worlds / Vortex / Déyà - 8:12
9. Wish I'd Known All Along - 4:06
10. Orchard of Mines - 5:12
11. Over and Over - 3:33
12. An Extraordinary Life - 4:59

In a swirl of excitement over the new Yes album coming out, I got curious about Asia.  I've known of them for awhile, but I never thought they would be worth my time. They sound good on paper: Steve Howe (guitarist from Yes), John Wetton (bassist from King Crimson & UK), and Carl Palmer (drummer from Emerson, Lake, and Palmer) join forces with Buggles (and one-time Yes) keyboardist Geoff Downes for the 80s hit "Heat of the Moment" and short-lived arena rock fame.  All four musicians are outstanding, but the boilerplate says they sold out their standards for success. However, when I heard they got back together in 2008, I was very curious.  Surely these older, wiser musicians wouldn't release a new album without having something truly inspired to offer, and not just one last desperate attempt at radio success.

What I heard was quite interesting - yes, there are some inspired musical passages, and some of the lyrics are pretty decent as well, but the overall sound is very 80s, very arena rock, and very poppy.  The fact that nothing on this is going to come within sniping distance of radio gives the songs a sort of artistic relevance - big rock music for the sake of big rock music, even if no one is listening.

My favorite part of this album is Steve Howe's guitar work.  The man is a true original, bringing inventive solos, emotive slide work, tasteful licks, and an overall exuberance that elevates every song, even rescuing the duds.  John Wetton's bass guitar is much less exciting, unfortunately - I think he sees himself more as a lead singer now.  Geoff Downes' keyboards are as 80s as it gets, though he pulls in more eclectic sounds with Hammond organ, faux orchestra, even harpsichord on the outro to "Alibis." Carl Palmer is solid as ever - he gets a tuned percussion feature in "Vortex", but other than that, he doesn't stand out.

In the midst of dangerously saccharine ballands and feel-good arena rock, the band sneaks in some geniunely creative music.  "Sleeping Giant / No Way Out / Reprise" sandwiches a standard Asia song inside a moody, mysterious instrumental, where the keyboards and guitar play a swelling 6/8 underpinned by Wetton's fretless bass and multi-layered vocals in some other time signature (haven't figured out what yet). The aforementioned "Alibis" is a sprightly rock number with a neo-classical instrumental at the end featuring Downes' ever-building keyboard orchestra. The Howe-penned "Wish I'd Known All Along" boasts a chorus in 7/8, though the groove is natural enough you don't notice it. It also has a refreshing classical bridge, along with some great guitar work.  Finally, "Parallel Worlds / Vortex / Déyà" is a great extended piece, mostly instrumental, with dramatic harmonized lead instruments in the "Vortex" section transitioning into the stately grandeur of "Déyà", a tune reminiscent of Genesis in their heyday, particularly "After the Ordeal".

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this reunion album. Surprised enough to check out their debut...

Arbitrary rating: 4 out of 5 sleeping giants