This marriage of four players with impressive pedigrees proved to be the success story of 1982 when Asia's debut lodged itself at the top of the U.S. album charts for two months. The album spawned a massive number four single in "Heat of the Moment," a follow-up Top 20 hit in the sweeping "Only Time Will Tell," and a handful of other tracks that ...
The second installment of the Lyricist Lounge compilation takes on a decidedly different direction then its predecessor. While the first segment catered towards breaking new, less-familiar talent, names like Prime, Mike Zoot, and Sarah Jones have been phased out and replaced by Erick Sermon and (gasp) JT Money. Yet, the transition is a fairly ...
At first glance, Razor & Tie's Monsters of Rock, Vol. 2 appears to focus primarily on hard rock and pop-metal from the '80s, but upon closer inspection, it also contains a fair share of more mainstream AOR and pop/rock hits, including Yes' "Owner of a Lonely Heart," Cutting Crew's "(I Just) Died in Your Arms," the Outfield's "Your Love," Scandal's ...
Why Asia was the recipient of so much venomous criticism from the so-called hip music press is baffling. Okay, the original supergroup's members, vocalist/bassist John Wetton, guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Geoff Downes, and drummer Carl Palmer, were veterans of reviled progressive rock acts like Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and perhaps the ...
A re-pressing of 2002's excellent Anthologia: 20th Anniversary Geffen Years Collection, this isn't just a loosely assembled collection of Asia's finest moments -- it's everything but the kitchen sink and bandmember arguments caught on tape. For diehards who missed its initial pressing, this second time around is redemption. This, quite simply, ...
At its best, Asia was the majestic, arena-sized tonic to the increasingly goofy end of the new wave movement, a last gasp from the near dormant volcano called prog rock. That said, it's impossible to roll down the car windows and crank "Only Time Will Tell," "Don't Cry," or "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" without attracting the furrowed eyebrows ...
VH1's Big '80s series continues with this volume of Arena Rock, a style that actually peaked in the late '70s, but certainly endured into the MTV era. Some of these artists -- Genesis, Dire Straits, Billy Idol, or Duran Duran, for example -- qualify more as album rock than arena rock, but quibbles over definition aside, this is a pretty good ...
Arena is not your father's Asia. In its beginnings Asia was a band frequently called the first progressive rock supergroup, although that title really belonged to Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The Asia of old actually had an arena rock sort of sound that, while espousing prog elements and textures, was pretty much straightforward rock. At times, the ...
Volume 13 in Madacy's year-by-year overview of the biggest hits of the '70s and '80s is among the few real disappointments in the series -- the number of blockbusters is slim, and one of the inclusions (Missing Persons' "Words") didn't even crack the Top 40. Still, there are a few gems here -- Marshall Crenshaw's power-pop gem "Someday Someway" is ...
Archiva, Vol. 1 really is a very pop-oriented album. Asia was an intriguing band when it began, always based solidly in pop traditions, but also with a good deal of progressive rock leanings. This album shows little of that prog flair, except in brief moments. However, the inclusion of the Steve Howe solo "Ginger" -- a definite gem -- is one good ...
As a band Asia were able to do what few from the prog rock era were able to do: combine streamlined pop hooks into very sophisticated songs that included varying instrumental passages where individual members could stretch a bit. Their chart success -- especially early on -- was formidable. Fantasia: Live in Tokyo is an anniversary concert ...
Asia hadn't released an album of new music since 1985, so changes were to be expected. But changes for the better -- well, that was a pleasant surprise. Aqua found the band infused with new energy, represented by a younger generation of arena rockers in bassist/vocalist John Payne and guitarist Al Pitrelli. Although Payne doesn't invite comparison ...
Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, and Carl Palmer surprised everyone when they re-formed Asia in 1992, with a new singer (John Payne) and a second guitarist (Al Pitrelli). Even more surprising was the fact that Aria -- the album no one had been expecting -- was quite impressive, arguably superior to its three predecessors. What could easily have been an ...
Chronicles packages together (albeit rather flimsily) Asia's first three releases. Their self-titled debut contains two of their greatest hits, "Only Time Will Tell" and "Heat of the Moment," in a one-two sonic punch right off the bat. Unfortunately for casual fans, this isn't exactly indicative of Asia's pedigree, as the remaining two albums, ...
When the art rock supergroup Asia broke up in 1986, it left a hole in FM radio that few artists have dared to fall into. The band's crafty, complex, and often indulgent pop confections won it international acclaim and brought progressive rock into the mainstream. The Best of Asia: The Millennium Collection is a digitally remastered cornucopia of ...
Rasco and Planet Asia, two West Coast MCs who had enjoyed mildly successful and well-respected solo careers, joined forces in 2000 to produce a group much stronger than the sum of its parts. Their individual releases, although technically sound, had been a bit monotonous at times, but as a tag team duo they complement each other perfectly. Rasco ...
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