"Bad" Music? Really??

Can't comment on Journey or Styx. Asia: Wetton is no INCREDIBLE vocalist and I reckon many of the more reviled glam/pop metal singers from the 80s would be better than him, though his big tone does suit Asia's music.  Asia's debut is not really absolutely bad music but I also wonder if I would have even bothered to listen to the album if not for the lineup.  Even if there is worse corporate rock than Asia, it doesn't change much: why do I have to like ANY of that music if there are more interesting artists yet to be heard?  Leaving aside King Crimson or Rush, many bands/artists like Blue Oyster Cult, Kate Bush, Donald Fagen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Supertramp, APP, Alan Holdsworth, Michael Hedges to mention a few released good to great albums in the 80s, so I don't have to particularly make an effort to like albums like the Asia s/t. If I did review it, I would probably give a 2.5, even to call it GOOD is pushing it a bit for me.

TODDLER wrote: Maybe people are sometimes a bit too harsh about these particular bands. It's not like Neal Schon was an idiot on guitar? but, maybe they are just remembering the down fall of prog in the late 70's and how bands such as these had more sugar poured on top of the compositions. I know what you mean......these bands compared to what was welcomed throughout the 90's. There is no justice. It is evident that they were finer musicians than the average power chord noise makers. I think they offended a generation of proggers back in the hey day though. It's a tough call. Neal Schon played some beautiful melodic and fast picking guitar leads in the commercial Journey hits and it's something you probably won't ever hear again. From that perspective I find it very sad. I miss hearing that level of musicianship in mainstream music.

Recently, I was browsing reviews of quality albums from
bands such as Journey, Styx, and Asia that are included here ...
and some reviewers completely trash these works for being
too commercial and for being "Corporate" Arena Rock, etc. 

Granted, maybe the stuff isn't PROG in the truest sense, but
Geez-- Has anybody listened to most of the Rock music that's
been pumped out by the major labels since the late 90's?

At least these original Arena Rock bands displayed high levels
of virtuousity, had incredible vocalists, and could write catchy
melodic Rock songs that remain recognizable 35 years later.

I just think some of the visceral bashing of the older
"Corporate" Rock acts around here is downright unwarranted.

Just because it's not Prog, doesn't mean it's at all equal to the
hapless level of  (name your generic auto-tuned rock act from 2009 here) .




Edited by altaeria - November 02 2010 at 11:29