ASTRA

I continue to the third Asia album from 1985 called "Astra" and just as their previous one "Alpha" did I like it. I haven't heard their first, I have to remind me to do it. Now the cover doesn't go in bright happy colours, now it's purple and dark. It's like someone, a girl in outer space with a strange hat on her head. The cover is very artistic and I like that too.

On this one unfortunately Steve Howe had left the band and the Swiss Mandy Meyer replaced him. That guy, on the other side didn't do a bad job so it was not a step in a bad direction. Still John Wetton sings and plays bass, Geoff Downes plays keyboards and Carl Palmer plays drums.

The music is very easy listened and it would be a crime to call it prog. Though have the musicians strong prog connections and the music holds a high quality. I like many ingredients in it. It has a strong flow and many tracks are easy to like such as the closer "After the war" which has great power, emotion and a strong melody. From time to another you could wish that the band had challenged themselves more but I take the music for what it is. "Rock and roll dream" is another pleasant track and "Go" is a powerful starter. I like what I hear on this album, it has as I said a strong flow that invites you and takes you with it through the album. John Wetton's voice is another thing that not goes the listener unattended. It is strong and emotional.

I would absolutely not recommend this as a prog album, that would be an insult to the name of prog, but absolutely for someone wanting a nice collection of songs for a bright summers night. Three stars!