Why were Asia rubbish?

Shenanigans!.....Asia.....shinanigans! 

They I understand about Asia was a side project by all senior proggers and played togetjer with a music format different than their original band. It's like Hackett and Howe formed GTR. So, I did not expect them to play prog. That's why I enjoy their first 3 albums - for a change only. But I like their performance video ASIA in ASIA where Greg Lake fetured the vocal and bass replacing Wetton who could not make it for the show. I enjoy the laser disc of this show - I even recorded the sound into CDr for listening pleasure. I like the interlude part at Open Your Eyes.

Well, Wetton had had a mind to make a pop-oriented record for a while. That's pretty much why UK broke up; Jobson and Wetton wanted pop, Bruford and Holdsworth wanted fusion/prog.

But when you combine prog and pop... that's when disasters arise.

And John Wetton, who for a quarter century has focused on writing hits, is probably at a soup kitchen in London as I write this. So your theory is wrong. Do what you love, and the money will follow.

I bet your way off base with this remark. Writing a hit single that was massive worldwide must have set Wetton up financially for life. Just about every rock compilation released either includes 'Heat Of The Moment' or 'Only Time Will Tell'. I also still hear these songs played on the radio on an almost daily basis. Also, didn't the Simpsons use 'Heat Of The Moment' in an episode. I also know it's been used in quite a few film soundtracks. I bet Wetton is living a life of luxury on royalties alone just on the back of 'Heat Of The Moment'.

Moogtron III wrote: The 1st Asia album, I tell the truth: I still love that one. No progressive rock, not real pop, but somewhere in between. I really hate the 2nd one, and Asia without Wetton is maybe even worse. I read in an old interview with John Wetton that Asia was a project of 4 people who really wanted to make good music. The businessmen started to interfere, though. At least, that's how I remember it. Too much dollarsigns in some people's eyes.

Totally agree, The first album only is quite good, even if it's not really progressive music. I just can say that i saw them on stage in October 1982, and it was great !

A last explanation about why I think that some very criticized bands are good:

-Foreigner:the original line-up had two very good keyboard players: Al Greenwood and Ian McDonald (McDonald also played guitar, flute and sax, and also was the co-producer of their 3 first albums). Dennis Elliot, the original drummer, was very good. Mick Jones and Lou Gramm were good composers.Jones is also a very good guitarist. Gramm is a great singer. A recommendation:listen to their "Classic Hits Live" (AKA "Best of  Foreigner Live")  album. It has very good songs recorded live between 1977 and 1985. Particularly Gramm "shines" in this album.

-Journey:all were very good musicians (the line-up of Neal Schon, Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, Steve Smith and Ross Valory). Their "Escape" album is very good. "Frontiers" is also very good. Schon is a very good lead guitarist. Perry was one of those singers with an unique voice. Yes, some of their songs were very commercial. But others were very good. By the way,  producer Mike Stone was one of the producers of their most successful albums ("Escape" and "Frontiers"). Stone was also Asia´s producer between 1982 and 1983. 

The original Asia:Wetton was a very good singer, one of the best. All were very good musicians. I think that Steve Howe recorded some of his best guitar work when he was in Asia. Listen to him particularly in: "Sole Survivor", "Cutting It Fine", "Eye to Eye", "Open Your Eyes", "Midnight Sun", "Heat of the Moment", "Time Again", "The Heat Goes On". Great guitars, IMO.

Gatot wrote:  But I like their performance video ASIA in ASIA where Greg Lake fetured the vocal and bass replacing Wetton who could not make it for the show.

Couldn't make it to the show??? Wetton was FIRED by the record company!!!

Guillermo wrote: About the cancelation of the last tour of Genesis 1997-98: the "Calling all stations" album was successful in Europe, but not in the U.S. In the U.S., they only reached the #54 in the charts. Without Collins, and with a new album which was "dark" from start to finish, without "real" singles ("Congo" and the video for this song were also "dark"), they were finished, at least for the U.S. radio.

This had nothing to do with the album being dark, but rather the fact that Genesis had totally lost their fan base: the scr*wed over their old fans, and their new fans, well they were busy picking up kids from soccer games and couldn't care less.

Yes, in contrast, at least made some proggy efforts like ABWH, Talk, Keys, etc., and even had proggy tracks like "I'm Running" on bad albums like Big Generator.

Genesis in contrast just went pure pop, and they completely lost their 70s audience. And that's what Asia did from minute one. I think they just shocked so many fans, and immediately lost any of their fans from their 70s bands.

I mean, did you know Asia is touring Europe, Latin America and the USA this year? Did you know? Do you care? No, nobody knows because the loyalty isn't there. And they are playing in places like barbeque restaurants. I'm not kidding.

In contrast, I'm flying to FOUR of the Howe/Squire/White concerts because I'm loyal.

If Yes had gone pure pop, and Asia or Genesis loyal to their old fans, it would be the other way around.