Re-assessing Asia

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   Dr. Prog wrote: 
  I like Drama a lot, but its not nearly in the same class as GFTO of course. However, a track like GFTO surely was a preview of what Howe would be doing on Drama. In your face, almost punkish guitar playing.

I see Howe’s guitar more Neo Prog oriented in Going for the One, much more aggressive and harder, but still much more than a couple of chords played over and over. I see no or very little Punk connection, just listen most Marillion and similar bands albums and you will listen that same aggressive guitar.

And again, the song Nothing to Lose by UK, a Wetton composition, is almost IDENTICAL to the songs on the first Asia album, and would have fit very well on that Asia album. I don't care what category you and other people on PA label those groups----I trust my ears.
The song Nothing to Loose is only one among many others that UK released, I won’t judge a band by one song being other great ones and totally different, why can’t we create the parallel with others like:

Danger Money 
Rendesvouz 6:02 
Caesar's Palace Blues 
The Only Thing She Needs 
Carrying no Cross (12.20 minutes short epic) 
Alaska 
Time To Kill 
Presto Vivace
All credited to Wetton BTW. Nothing to loose is only simpler song in a list of 14, being 13 much more complex.
Do better how? That first album is full of great melodic power prog/pop songs very well played. There is not a bad tune on the album. So it does not matter what you label it, it was good. It doesn't matter what you thought they could do, they did what they thought was best at the time.
We have a different perspective, as in GTR or other supergroups, I believe the members of ASIA gave the people what they believed was commercial,  

Of course better is subjective, but I refer to a more elaborate, complex and trascendental album.

like I said, there was your mistake. If you had followed the logical progression of GFTO, UK, Wetton solo, Asia was the logical result in the context of the times. Elaborate was OUT in 1982-3.
I don’t see a progression between GFTO and UK, I believe that in the early 80's there were great Prog, Punk or AOR bands making gopod music, I made a short list (that could be increased with many more albums and bands) that were doing great  Prog.

As far as I can tell, you get too hung up on labeling and black and white comparisons, instead of simply enjoying what is good well played music, regardless of the label. That's the crucial difference between me and you.
There’s another possibility, I know what I like and I search for it, not just accept whatever the bands that I love gave me. There’s a lot of great music outside the pioneers of Prog, 

I don’t enjoy the music of Asia, why should I stay with it, there are many more musicians  I can search for with a bit of effort that will make my musical listening a more pleasure experience. I like Prog, Pop, AOR, Jazz, etc, but ASIA is one of those bands I didn't liked.

I loved Genesis, but I stoped listening when I found I didn’t liked the music they were doing. The same happened with Yes during the Rabin years or with ELP during Works II and Love Beach, if they don’t play the music I like, I simply search for the music I like, in other pastures.

If I had stayed with this bands, listening whatever they released even if I didn’t liked it, during the 80’s and 90’s, I wouldn’t had discovered Marillion, Pendragon, IQ, Anglagard,. Par Lindh Project, etc, which I like so much.

Again I leave this dialogue before it turns into a discussion.

Iván

Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - May 06 2008 at 00:07