Asia [1994] Aria

[01] Anytime
[02] Are You Big Enough
[03] Desire
[04] Summer
[05] Sad Situation
[06] Don't Cut The Wire (Brother)
[07] Feels Like Love
[08] Remembrance Day
[09] Enough's Enough
[10] Military Man
[11] Aria
Bonus Track
[12] Reality



amg: 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 Aqua — the album no one had been expecting — was quite impressive, arguably superior to its three predecessors. What could easily have been an isolated one-shot experience turned into a continuing success story when Downes returned to the studios two years later, but without Howe and Palmer. The latter was replaced by drummer Michael Sturgis. Howe, of course, could not be "replaced" (that would have been an insult to his talent) — so Pitrelli thus became the sole guitarist of the band. Asia, now a quartet, nonetheless managed to release yet another amazing album. This is in most part due to Payne's vocals and Downes' creative mind. The album does start off with a few weaknesses, but as the music flows and you move deeper into the tracks, melodies become richer and more intricate, and the lyrics more interesting. The fourth track, "Summer," is a great song; "Sad Situation" is a marvel; and "Don't Cut the Wire" a work of art. The second half of the record is near-perfect, from the romantic "Feels Like Love" to the symphonic "Aria," which makes for a great finale. The weakest part is the chorus of "Enough's Enough." A great investment, if you like this type of music.
(amg 6/10)

Asia [1992] Aqua

[01] Aqua
[02] Who Will Stop The Rain
[03] Lay Down Your Arms
[04] Heaven On Earth
[05] Someday
[06] Crime Of The Heart
[07] A Far Cry
[08] Back In Town
[09] Don't Call Me
[10] Love Under Fire
[11] The Voice Of Reason
[12] Aqua II



amg: 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 to John Wetton or Greg Lake (his voice tends to get rougher as it gets louder), he gets the job done and turns out to be a pretty good songwriter in the bargain. Pitrelli, who had recently worked with Alice Cooper, knows his rock guitar; he's no replacement for Steve Howe, but he doesn't have to be — Howe makes guest appearances throughout the disc. Aqua is an amalgam of arena rock and hair metal that avoids sounding sappy or self-pitying, two adjectives that would describe Alpha or Astra. Geoff Downes (who continues to write much of the material) keeps the music punchy and professional; gone are the dated synthesizers of the '80s, replaced by cutting-edge keyboards and savvy production. The opening and closing instrumentals, "Aqua I" and "Aqua II," show just how far Downes had come since Astra. The rest of the songs are pretty much of a piece; written with outside collaborators in many cases, they tend to be either moody ballads or hard-driving numbers about love and war (some things never change). "Who Will Stop the Rain?" was chosen as the single; it didn't chart (neither did Aqua), but it's as good a track as you'll find here. "Heaven and Earth" (apparently tested as the second single) is another standout track, shifting from a ballad to an all-out rocker that sounds like Yes' music from the '90s. "Someday" and "The Voice of Reason" are other tracks that represent the album well, and have since been added to their concert repertoire. After ten years and two label changes, Asia finally produced a suitable follow-up to their first album. Few fans remained in the seats to hear it, but those interested in a delayed encore from the band should skip to Aqua.
(amg 6/10)

Asia [1990] Then And Now

[01] Only Time Will Tell
[02] Heat Of The Moment
[03] Wildest Dreams
[04] Don't Cry
[05] The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
[06] Days Like These
[07] Prayin' 4 A Miracle
[08] Am I In Love
[09] Summer (Can't Last Too Long)
[10] Voice Of America



amg: Despite its sometimes bombastic nature, the debut record by '80s supergroup Asia was a strong collection of melodic, sweeping, muscular arena rock. The band's inability to duplicate that success is documented on Then & Now, a 1990 set designed to reintroduce the band to the pop market after a five-year absence. It collects several of the group's bigger singles ("Go" being absent) with new material (with "Voice of America" from 1985's Astra inexplicably grouped with the new). The quality declines noticeably from "Heat of the Moment" and "Only Time Will Tell," with the newer material being flaccid musically and insipid lyrically. The exception being the anthemic "Days Like These," which nearly matches the band's strong debut material. In 2000, Interscope released The Very Best of Asia: Heat of the Moment 1982-1990, which is a far better compilation of the band's best work, including all of their singles and three rare B-sides.
(amg 3/10)

Asia [1990] Live In Moscow

[01] Time Again
[02] Sole Survivor
[03] Don't Cry
[04] (Keyboard Solo)
[05] Only Time Will Tell
[06] Rock And Roll Dream
[07] Starless
[08] Book Of Saturday
[09] The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
[10] The Heat Goes On
[11] Go
[12] Heat Of The Moment
[13] Open Your Eyes
[14] Kari - Anne



amg: Well played, fresh sounding, and highly energetic, Asia's Live in Moscow proved to be their best on-stage album, captured during their 1990 European tour. Featuring John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes, and newcomer Pat Thrall (most notably from the Pat Travers Band) replacing Steve Howe on guitar, the band sounds enthusiastically sharp where it matters most. Howe's absence is indeed apparent, but the band comes through on the biggies like "Heat of the Moment" and "Only Time Will Tell," while giving secondary hits like "Don't Cry," "Go," and "Time Again" new life. Geoff Downes teases the audience throughout his keyboard solo, playing an acoustical version of "Video Killed the Radio Star" from his days with the Buggles. Renditions of King Crimson's "Starless" and "Book of Saturdays" pass the test, and "Kari-Anne," a new track, is par for the course. Live in Moscow became the last solid effort from Asia, since it was followed by disasters like Aqua in 1992 and Aria in 1994, as the band's lineup was repeatedly inconsistent.
(amg 6/10)

Asia [1985] Astra

[01] Go
[02] Voice Of America
[03] Hard On Me
[04] Wishing
[05] Countdown To Zero
[06] Love Now Til Eternity
[07] Too Late
[08] Suspicion
[09] Rock And Roll Dream
[10] After The War



amg: Asia was always a bland, derivative excuse for a dinosaur rock band, but when their debut album came out in 1982 and sold three million copies, they seemed like a repudiation of the new wave movement, the pop music equivalent of the Reagan revolution in politics. Like Ronnie, however, Asia ran out of gas around mid-decade. True, they were still constructing keyboard-dominated, heroic-voiced arena pop, but suddenly nobody cared anymore, or at least not enough customers to vault them into the Top Ten, and for this kind of band, it's platinum or don't bother. So, first, guitarist Steve Howe took his marbles and went home to Yes, and then the rest of the band packed it in, too. They'd be back, of course, when the money was right.
(amg 4/10)

Asia [1983] Alpha

[01] Don't Cry
[02] The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
[03] Never In A Million Years
[04] My Own Time (I'll Do What I Want)
[05] The Heat Goes On
[06] Eye To Eye
[07] The Last To Know
[08] True Colors
[09] Midnight Sun
[10] Open Your Eyes



amg: The eagerly awaited follow-up to the supergroup's debut, Alpha landed with a resounding thud a year later. The album still managed to be a platinum-selling Top Ten hit, as did the leadoff single "Don't Cry," but where Asia managed to make old sounds fresh, Alpha fails miserably. Nothing on Alpha packs the sheer sonic force of the band's debut. Instead, much of the record is lightweight both lyrically and musically, leaning heavier on keyboard-laden ballads like "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes," which managed to scrape into the Top 40, and "My Own Time (I'll Do What I Want)." The only real meat on the record comes during the last cut, "Open Your Eyes" (and only at the end of the song). Rumored creative differences, the album's lukewarm reception, and flagging ticket sales for the ensuing tour led to lead singer John Wetton leaving the band before the year was out. Alpha is sorely disappointing, especially coming on the heels of a promising debut.
(amg 5/10)

Asia [1982] Asia

[01] Heat Of The Moment
[02] Only Time Will Tell
[03] Sole Survivor
[04] One Step Closer
[05] Time Again
[06] Wildest Dreams
[07] Without You
[08] Cutting It Fine
[09] Here Comes the Feeling



amg: 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 received heavy radio play despite going against the grain of the new wave styling of the day. Produced by Mike Stone, Asia's strengths were the powerful vocals of John Wetton, the nimble, classically tinged guitar work of Steve Howe, Geoffrey Downes' majestic keyboard playing, and anchoring the band, Carl Palmer's propulsive drumming. The lyrics are overwrought at moments, but there's no denying the epic grandeur of the music, which provided some much-needed muscle to radio at the time, and did so with style.
(amg 9/10)