THEN & NOW

Then & Now is a collection of six old and four new songs. The old songs come from the debut (3), "Alpha" (2) and "Astra" (1). It's quite a representative set, but all albums have better songs included. So better stick with those.

The four new songs are typical Wetton-Asia, which means you'll most probably like them if you enjoyed the three preceding albums. Prayin' 4 A Miracle and Am I In Love are ok ballads, although you should be in the mood for the amount of sugar. Days Like These and Summer (Can't Last Too Long) are simple, but upbeat. The latter is my favourite of the new tracks. The trio Wetton/Downes/Palmer is present on all four tracks, but the guitarists are different every time, reflecting the more project-like approach Downes would take with Asia in the next period.

The four new songs make the album worthy for the Asia-diehards. A starter could better begin with the debut or with later, more complete, collections.