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ASIA - a question for you

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Topic: ASIA - a question for you

Posted By: Cristi
Subject: ASIA - a question for you
Date Posted: March 17 2007 at 13:32

I see there aren't many people (or forum members for that matter) who enjoy Asia. Those who do, stick to the John Wetton era and dislike the John Payne era or find it disappointing; I listen to both periods. i even like the post Aqua (including Aqua) albums more. I don't know how many of you see things like I do but that's unimportant for now.

the question for you is which Payne era album is as satisfying as the Wetton era albums? (Debut album/Alpha/Astra).

Replies:

Posted By: progismylife
Date Posted: March 17 2007 at 13:40

I haven't heard the Payne era. Cry

I'm trying to find some more Asia stuff so I will check on this thrad time to time to see what Asia albums would be good ones to get.

A good album is Window to the Soul from GPS (which is the guys from Asia (Payne, Govan, and Schellen) with Ryo Okumoto on keyboards)

Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: March 17 2007 at 14:29

Aqua is pretty good actually.

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Posted By: earlyprog
Date Posted: March 18 2007 at 08:15

The new Wetton-era Asia with the original lineup will release a new album in early 2008. Looking forward to that.

Can't really say I find any of the Payne-era albums as satisfying as the Wetton-era albums. But Aria comes close.

Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: March 19 2007 at 08:09

Posted By: darksideof
Date Posted: March 23 2007 at 01:23

i Really dislike this bandThe only decent stuff they have is the very first album. Periot.

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Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: March 23 2007 at 05:14

It was perhaps unfortunate that they continued to use the same name, thus inviting comparisons with the supergroup era.

I very much enjoy the Payne era albums. "Aria" is a wonderfully heavy selection with real he-man vocals. "Aura" was much lighter, but it has some strong songs thanks to a collaboration with Graham Gouldman and Andrew Gold.

Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: March 23 2007 at 05:27

I've never heard any Asia album in full.. am I really missing something? I don't like cheesy vocals or too much sentiment, so should I just stay away entirely?

Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: March 23 2007 at 05:56

salmacis wrote:

I'm going to go out on a limb and say I MUCH prefer the Payne era to the Wetton era. I do enjoy the debut album a lot, but little on Alpha or Astra does anything at all for me- it's 'more of the same', imho, if you get my drift. I have all the Wetton era material on a 2cd set- if I didn't have that, I probably wouldn't even want those other two Wetton albums as only a few songs make the grade for me.

I've heard all their albums bar Arena. Aqua is fairly patchy, imho- doesn't cohere all that well to my ears but has its moments.

Aria is a big improvement- Anytime, Sad Situation and Desire are as good as anything from the Wetton era, even if I couldn't exactly call it prog.

Aura I think is the best Asia album of the lot. It has perhaps their longest and most progressive track- Free- and I find the production to be satisfyingly less bombastic (that huge echo-laden wall of sound) than the 80s albums were, it's a lot more low key. Songs like Awake, Ready To Go Home and Kings For A Day are imho the best Asia material ever. This would probably be the one I would rate highest when I review these albums.

Silent Nation upholds the standard, though the sound is more hard rock, really, on excellent tracks like Long Way From Home, What About Love and I Will Be There For You. However, some prog tinges creep their way into Midnight, Blue Moon Monday, Darkness Day and The Prophet. If you liked GPS' album, this is the closest album to that sound, imho.

Onto non-Asia projects with some of the same members, I recently acquired the Wetton/Downes album 'Icon' and thought it was excellent- again, I found the production to suit the songs perfectly, and 'Let Me Go', 'God Walks With Us' (one of the best songs either man has done, imo), 'Hey Josephine' and especially 'In The End', which has a lovely vocal from Annie Haslam, I rate very highly indeed. I need to pick up their follow up album 'Rubicon'.

GPS' 'Window To The Soul' was one of the more enjoyable albums I heard last year, with some great material like 'New Jerusalem', 'Written In The Wind', 'Window To The Soul' and 'The Objector' are all excellent tracks which should appeal to fans of the Payne era Asia.

I completely agree with you regarding Icon. Excellent disc and one of the better ones I bought that year. I did buy Icon II over Christmas and it's a good disc, but not as good as the first.

I like the GPS disc as well. There's one song that has a samba like drum beat that I could live without ("It's Cold Outside" or something like that).

I only have Silent Nation and it's good. If anything, I could do without Chris Slade's uninspired drumming. Never a huge fan of his. That aside, I like SN and it could get me to buy up other Payne era discs. I won't go out of my way, though.

Alpha is way too special to me to ever prefer any Payne disc to it. Sure, it may be arena rock, but I was into bands like Journey, Foreigner, and REO back when I was a kid. I bought this after seeing the "Don't Cry" video and just loved the entire album.

E

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Posted By: Melomaniac
Date Posted: March 23 2007 at 12:18

I've only heard their debut album, and I found it horrible enough to never try and listen to their other albums.

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Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: March 23 2007 at 15:01

The first album by Asia I heard as:

1. some form of progression from the music of the UK trio line-up

2. an attempt to move away from the prog norm of the 70's; here established musician and new musicians coming together to try something new and not slipping into neo-prog cliches. In hindsight it was an experiment that only work for most people for a short while and a few for longer. At least Asia initally sounded better and had more catchy hooks than GTR (who seem to be forgotten in this sort of discussion) or I might add the excessively diluted pseudoprog of Europe. Further some of those Asia tunes sound much better nowadays in different arrangements - i.e. most of us feel Asia didn't produce timeless music.

3. What is wrong with prog musicians finding success with a big, less discerning audience? Nobody asked you to stay with them for the distance and if you have found a better band in meanwhile, you are quite free to drop your allegence.

4. What is wrong with musicians making money to have a pension in later life?

At least back then I felt strongly enough at the time to replace my Asia LP with the CD version when it was first issue. Since, (what in 30 years), the datedness of the music, perhaps too over-exposure to the obvious tunes on FM radio, means I don't listen any more. I've moved on with better and more immediate music available (from now and the past) to entertain me.

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Posted By: Nanook
Date Posted: August 04 2007 at 18:47

I am one of the members here who does enjoy Asia's music. Actually, I can enjoy both 'eras'.

The Aura disc is spectacular, it probably isn't prog, but it's an excellent disc. Payne's voice is in fine form here. They do a great cover of Ready to go Home by 10CC.

Pretty much the whole disc is very well done. It's actually a better disc than the rest of Asia's work, at least to my ears. As usual, your mileage may vary.

But, it can't really be called progressive.

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Posted By: Tales
Date Posted: August 04 2007 at 20:22

Big Asia fan here but prefer the 'Wetton' era. If I had to pick an album from the 'Payne' era that stands up well against anything previous, then it's 'Aqua'. I saw them live on this tour and still have my fully autographed programme, which also included Steve Howe. The opening intrumental 'Aqua' is brill and'Who Will Stop The Rain' has one of the catchiest choruses that I have ever heard. I also liked the 'Archives 2' CD, which had so many unreleased gems on it, some stronger than tracks that actually made the albums!

Posted By: Nightfly
Date Posted: August 05 2007 at 14:07

The only Asia albums I own are the first two which I find a bit dull and i've never listened to a John Payne era album.

I have seen both line ups live though and must admit to hearing more to enjoy with the Payne version but obviously not enough to tempt me to go out and buy anything.

Posted By: limeyrob
Date Posted: August 05 2007 at 15:36

Well I like Asia - any era.

Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: August 06 2007 at 08:28

While listening to the GPS disc, I've come to the conclusion that Payne thinks he's a better singer than he actually is. If you listen to the beginning of the first track where you've got the muted vocals, he seems to be trying too hard and comes off as a bad R&B singer. I think the guys got a good voice, but some parts really make me cringe.

E

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Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: August 06 2007 at 15:38

I like all of Asia's albums. Some more than others. I really liked Silent Nation when it came out. I also enjoyed the GPS album. I have also heard the first ICON album and found it to be very good. I have not heard the second ICON album. I am looking forward to hearing the new album with the original line-up. They played a free concert here in Detroit a couple of weeks ago, but I already had tickets for the Detroit Tiger game that night, so I missed it. A friend of mine went and said that it was a good show.

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Posted By: Nanook
Date Posted: August 12 2007 at 12:14

I have the second Icon disc, Rubicon. I like it, Wetton does a couple of songs with the singer from The Gathering, Anneke van Giersbergen, which are very nice.

It's a good disc, to my taste. Anneke's voice is beautiful. I need to pick up some of The Gathering's work.

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Posted By: Hyperborea
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 20:15

My problem with Payne is...i hate his vocals...Wetton was a million times better.

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