ASIA

Take prog legends Geoffrey Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton and what have you got? No prog! That's right - not a single, solitary sceric of prog. But instead a radio friendly sound that is as unfriendly to prog ears as you can get. Having said that I do like the music in a commercial sense.

I have no idea why the band members branched out in to this direction but it was not a welcome change in any sense. Some good came of it with Heat of the Moment and Soul Survivor that I have always liked, but the album material is fairly forgettable overall. And this is a tragedy with the likes of ELP, King Crimson and Yes seeping from the edges of Asia. They still play live and released a plethora of albums. Many agree this is their best and if that's the case, count me out. I like my prog served chilled with off kilter rhythms, bizarre lyrics and time signature changes and musical virtuosity of varying lengths.

Don't be fooled by the proggy album cover, this is anti-prog and deserves its status as most disappointing super group effort ever. Not a complete waste but not a pleasant surprise either no matter what your tastes in music. It was the beginning and the end of Asia for me.