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andrewskirooh 
Forum Newbie
Joined: April 13 2011
Location: Florida
Status: Offline
Points: 5
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 Posted: December 01 2011 at 15:03 |
I agree that it's interesting to see that although the members by themselves are so talented and with the previous groups that they contributed to, the "chemistry" within the "super-group" just isn't quite there....fell quite short of the expectations of many..I'm sure. I remember being quite disappointed when Asia's 1st album came out because I was so convinced that their sound or direction was going to be reminiscent of UK. I mean, look at the line-up and the past work of these guys...how could it not? My main opinion on hearing 'Heat Of The Moment' ? was....they sold out...I can't believe it!
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lazland
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 28 2008
Location: Wales
Status: Offline
Points: 13722
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Posted: December 01 2011 at 15:14 |
 andrewskirooh wrote:
I agree that it's interesting to see that although the members by themselves are so talented and with the previous groups that they contributed to, the "chemistry" within the "super-group" just isn't quite there....fell quite short of the expectations of many..I'm sure.
I remember being quite disappointed when Asia's 1st album came out because I was so convinced that their sound or direction was going to be reminiscent of UK. I mean, look at the line-up and the past work of these guys...how could it not? My main opinion on hearing 'Heat Of The Moment' ? was....they sold out...I can't believe it!
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An equally valid alternative view, of course, and one that I hold to, is that they merely sold a lot of records, which is not the same thing as selling out 
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Evolver
Special Collaborator
Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams
Joined: October 22 2005
Location: The Idiocracy
Status: Offline
Points: 5482
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Posted: December 01 2011 at 17:18 |
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A band that was far less than the sum of it's parts.
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Trust me. I know what I'm doing.
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630
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Posted: December 01 2011 at 19:05 |
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Asia, rubble from the rising of prog rock.
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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richardh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 28498
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Posted: December 02 2011 at 14:44 |
Dellinger wrote:
I did find Asia to be rather a dissapointment, and really would have liked them to do something else. The music doesn't really bother me, and they have a few songs I really like a lot, but indeed I would have liked to listen to a true prog masterpiece from them. However, the one song that came close enough to prog for me is "Parallel Worlds / Deja / Vortex"... or something like that, from Phoenix... I might say I'm glad Asia existed only because of that song (well, it's actually a good pop song followed by a great instrumental passage, but that was good enough for me, I really love that song). |
Its an unusual track as it has two instrumental passages. The first one has Carl Palmer doing some trademark fastfootwork on the twin bass drums and then Howe takes over for the last bit (slightly reminiscent of the instrumental section of Layla in mood). This is the kind of thing Asia do best I think. They never wanted to be a full blown prog band and made that clear from the beginning. This was something that came mainly from Wetton and lead to some friction between him and Howe if I understand correctly. Asia could be seen as a waste of prog talent but individually they had already done it with their previous groups and probably reasoned it would have been pointless and self defeating to try and repeat all that again.
My favourite Asia track is probably Cutting It Fine from the debut. Thats for me a great ensemble peice and I simply don't care whether its ''prog'' or not.
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Ytse_Jam
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 08 2011
Location: Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 502
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Posted: December 08 2011 at 19:24 |
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Always loved them, also more that Wetton's previus group UK..
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spknoevl
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 14 2011
Location: Dallas, TX
Status: Offline
Points: 296
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Posted: January 09 2012 at 10:30 |
Never really cared for Asia, especially after their debut release. They sounded like a pop band masquerading as a prog band. As much as I liked Wetton, I preferred his work in KC and UK far more.
I think Asia was designed by Wetton to be an attempt to become a more commercially acceptable version of what UK had tried to be. The need to include Howe and Palmer probaby had more to do with their name recognition than any other factor and both sounded badly dated on the recordings.
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http://martinwebb.bandcamp.com
The notes are just an interesting way to get from one silence to the next - Mick Gooderick
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lucas
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: February 06 2004
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 8138
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Posted: January 09 2012 at 12:52 |
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I still don't understand why they are in PA.
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"Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood)
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richardh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 28498
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Posted: January 09 2012 at 14:49 |
spknoevl wrote:
Never really cared for Asia, especially after their debut release. They sounded like a pop band masquerading as a prog band. As much as I liked Wetton, I preferred his work in KC and UK far more.
I think Asia was designed by Wetton to be an attempt to become a more commercially acceptable version of what UK had tried to be. The need to include Howe and Palmer probaby had more to do with their name recognition than any other factor and both sounded badly dated on the recordings. |
Wetton was pretty honest about his intentions. He said that he would write a 3 minute song and Eddie Jobson would turn it into an epic (which not what he wanted). Asia was never intended to be a prog band and Carl Palmer also was very keen to put progessive rock behind him.
As for Howe I think he sort of got caught up in and perhaps needed a band with Yes not an option at the time. He was the first of the original line up to jump ship after falling out with Wetton over the bands direction.Downes was never really a 'progger' as such despite a brief dalliance with Yes.
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630
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Posted: January 09 2012 at 15:42 |
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I think the nickname of Nausia is entirely fitting. If you got into them at the time and still like them there is a high naustalgia factor going on. Same with GTR, etc. It was the heat of the vomit...
Edited by Slartibartfast - January 09 2012 at 15:53
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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prog4evr
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 22 2005
Location: Wuhan, China
Status: Offline
Points: 1455
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Posted: January 09 2012 at 23:09 |
The Miracle wrote:
Asia *are* the rubble of prog rock...
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Well said. A real waste of talent by Steve Howe, Carl Palmer, and John Wetton (and, then, even Greg Lake when he replaced Wetton)...
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Ytse_Jam
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 08 2011
Location: Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 502
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Posted: January 10 2012 at 09:44 |
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Their AOR however, even if not prog, isn't so bad..
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verslibre
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 01 2004
Location: CA
Status: Offline
Points: 17606
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Posted: January 10 2012 at 13:14 |
Slartibartfast wrote:
Asia, rubble from the rising of prog rock. |
richardh wrote:
My favourite Asia track is probably Cutting It Fine from the debut. Thats for me a great ensemble peice and I simply don't care whether its ''prog'' or not. |
I agree, best song on the album.
Slartibartfast wrote:
I think the nickname of Nausia is entirely fitting. If you got into them at the time and still like them there is a high naustalgia factor going on. Same with GTR, etc. It was the heat of the vomit... |
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richardh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 28498
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Posted: January 10 2012 at 15:28 |
To be honest I preferred Asia over what Yes and Genesis were doing at the time and just couldn't get into the new King Crimson style at all.
Carl Palmer was still a big presence on the debut album and Howe wasn't bad . It was when they got to Alpha that they depressed me and Astra was dreadfull.
Greg Lake only replaced Wetton for one live show.
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630
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Posted: January 10 2012 at 18:13 |
richardh wrote:
To be honest I preferred Asia over what Yes and Genesis were doing at the time and just couldn't get into the new King Crimson style at all.
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King Crimson were Gods compared to what Yes and Genesis (and Asia) were doing when they went commercial. I of course base this opinion on KC not achieving commercial success.
Edited by Slartibartfast - January 10 2012 at 18:15
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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rogerthat
Prog Reviewer
Joined: September 03 2006
Location: .
Status: Offline
Points: 9869
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Posted: January 11 2012 at 06:31 |
Slartibartfast wrote:
richardh wrote:
To be honest I preferred Asia over what Yes and Genesis were doing at the time and just couldn't get into the new King Crimson style at all.
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King Crimson were Gods compared to what Yes and Genesis (and Asia) were doing when they went commercial.
I of course base this opinion on KC not achieving commercial success.
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Would be quite happy to take 90125 over the Asia s/t. And for That's All and Job to Do, would take the Genesis s/t too though that's much closer.
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AmbianceMan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 30 2009
Location: Dayton, OH
Status: Offline
Points: 113
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Posted: January 14 2012 at 12:45 |
I am familiar with Asia, and from what I know I never considered them to be related to prog rock. They are the epitome of everything I hate about popular guitar rock. I put them in the class of late 80's early 90's hair metal ballads. When I heard who was in the band, I admit I had to do a double take and say WTF? I'm not bashing those who are fans, but on the surface I would use their CD as a beer coaster.
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brainstormer
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 20 2008
Location: Seattle, WA
Status: Offline
Points: 887
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Posted: January 14 2012 at 15:42 |
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The phrase "rubble of prog rock" goes along rather eerily with the demise
of intelligent culture in the foreground of popular media. It's almost like
more intelligent people are more of a threat to those that own big interests
in manufacturing and so on. I think dumbing down a culture is a spiritual
evil, so I don't look at it in any socialist way, as I am a capitalist (not a predatory
capitalist, but the Andrew Carnegie/George Eastman kind).
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--
Robert Pearson
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prog4evr
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 22 2005
Location: Wuhan, China
Status: Offline
Points: 1455
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Posted: January 21 2012 at 22:55 |
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geneyesontle
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 14 2012
Location: Quebec
Status: Offline
Points: 1266
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Posted: January 25 2012 at 17:10 |
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I think that the songs of this band are not so good but all the musicians of this band are awesome (except maybe Geoff Downes).
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Asia....rising from the rubble of prog rock??
