|
"Missing link between the Pop of the Beatles and the tortured pieces of Yes, Asia offers us with its first eponymous album a true masterpiece."
|
5/5
|
|
|
1981, the punk movement has devastated everything in its path, progressive rock is running out of steam and the dinosaurs are dying. The Englishman John Wetton, whose glorious achievements are legion in bands like King Crimson, UK or Roxy Music, finds himself without a band. The guitarist Steve Howe, who left Yes is free and has itching fingers. ELP having no more musical existence, Carl Palmer is available. As for Geoff Downes, his experience with Yes (and his producer friend Trevor Horn, from the Buggles) was short-lived. This is how Asia was born and immediately entered the studio with producer Mike Stone, sound engineer for six Queen albums.
Asia weaves a link between Pop and Progressive Rock throughout the nine songs of this first album proposing a music that respects the almost immutable rules of the "Couplet-Refrain" with a small instrumental in its middle. But, and this is the strong point of Asia, we are dealing here with musicians who have made all their career more complex music containing convoluted structures.
'Heat of the Moment' opens the album in the best way with a catchy and heady chorus. It's all John Wetton in this song, the sobriety, the unstoppable melody, the warm voice and the vocal harmonies, Asia's trademark. Only Time Will Tell' and 'Sole Survivor' will enchant the fans of keyboards, two compositions of the duo Wetton-Downes particularly successful with orchestrations and instrumental interventions worthy of the greats. Finally, let's mention 'Time Again', a track that is a bit off the beaten track with its little bridges made of dialogues between the drums and the other instruments.
No need to describe all the tracks of this album, they all deserve to be listened to. "Asia" is to date the biggest commercial success that John Wetton, the true craftsman of the band's first release, has had (there will be many others, most without him). Asia is plainly the missing link between the Pop of the Beatles and the tortured songs of Yes. - Official website
|
|
|
TRACK LISTING:
01. Heat Of The Moment - 03:54 02. Only Time Will Tell - 04:49 03. Sole Survivor - 04:52 04. One Step Closer - 04:19 05. Time Again - 04:49 06. Wildest Dreams - 05:13 07. Without You - 05:08 08. Cutting It Fine - 05:40 09. Here Comes The Feeling - 05:45
LINEUP:
Carl Palmer: Batterie Geoff Downes: Claviers John Wetton: Chant / Basse Steve Howe: Guitares
|
|
|
|
(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
|
|
|
|
|
Top of the page
|
|
|
(1) COMMENT(S)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
READERS
4.6/5 (7 view(s))
|
STAFF:
4.3/5 (12 view(s))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OTHER REVIEWS
|
|
|
|
|
OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT ASIA
|
|