Classic Rock Album of the Day Album- Asia- Asia (1982) * 1/2
Can you imagine my excitement in 1981, when I was reading about the formation of a band, a supergroup formed from pieces of Yes, King Crimson, and Emerson Lake and Palmer? Well, today I am deviating from the norm, and reviewing what I felt was a very substandard product, considering the talent involved. When this album hit the air waves, I was already sold. "Heat of the Moment" had been almost simuateaneously released, and for good reason. This was an great great song. Maybe the perfectly constructed hooked, power chorded rocker in an '80's era that had been flooded by new wave product.
So I obviously took the bait, and forked over my about $5.99 at the time, got it home, put it in the turntable, and was pissed. What resulted was a inverse sum of the parts of these bands... No heart, no soul, no songwriting prowess (minus Heat) Yeah, commercial glitz and corporate wizardry has wrestled this LP, even to No. 1 on the charts. This group and Damned Yankees has sullied the rock landscape with the term "Super Group". It didn't take long for the record buying public to catch on. This album hit no.1 The second one- No. rthe 3rd- 67, and then six albums that didn't even crack the Top 200. The fact that this band was allowed to make 13 studio albums is a mystery, except for the fact that many super fans are hell bent on having the collection of members of their former bands.
But yes, I was duped, loved the one song, and cursed Geffen and his traveling Snake Oil Business afterwards. I was also very disappointed at some of the legends that I hold in very very very high regard who took part in this debacle. This includes Carl Palmer, Steve Howe, and John Wetton.
Fun Fact: Asia went 23 years and 7 albums (CD's) later in a drought of commercial failures (top 200) 1985-2008. Seen a lot of discography and that is pretty unique in length and volume.
Songs-
-------------
Heat of the Moment- I will have to admit, that this one song is one of the best rock tunes of the early 1980's. Beaurtiiful power chorded, that has more hooks that at a quilting show. Which is part of the problem. Wetton almost sounds like Greg Lake in a vocal effort of a lifetime. Palmer's only inspired (at least for him) clicks and fills on the LP too. Seems they spent their entire studio time, sinking all their creative eggs in one basket. Fantastic song. 1
I wouldn't say the rest of the album is true filler. "Only Time Will Tell " is a decent representative of the band's cumulative talents. Otherwise, pretty much everything Asia made was ill conceived, and an inverse sum of the parts of the talent of the particpants. The era of the supergroups sucked, and did irreparable damage to the AOR genre. 2
Everything else- 3-9
Can you imagine my excitement in 1981, when I was reading about the formation of a band, a supergroup formed from pieces of Yes, King Crimson, and Emerson Lake and Palmer? Well, today I am deviating from the norm, and reviewing what I felt was a very substandard product, considering the talent involved. When this album hit the air waves, I was already sold. "Heat of the Moment" had been almost simuateaneously released, and for good reason. This was an great great song. Maybe the perfectly constructed hooked, power chorded rocker in an '80's era that had been flooded by new wave product.
So I obviously took the bait, and forked over my about $5.99 at the time, got it home, put it in the turntable, and was pissed. What resulted was a inverse sum of the parts of these bands... No heart, no soul, no songwriting prowess (minus Heat) Yeah, commercial glitz and corporate wizardry has wrestled this LP, even to No. 1 on the charts. This group and Damned Yankees has sullied the rock landscape with the term "Super Group". It didn't take long for the record buying public to catch on. This album hit no.1 The second one- No. rthe 3rd- 67, and then six albums that didn't even crack the Top 200. The fact that this band was allowed to make 13 studio albums is a mystery, except for the fact that many super fans are hell bent on having the collection of members of their former bands.
But yes, I was duped, loved the one song, and cursed Geffen and his traveling Snake Oil Business afterwards. I was also very disappointed at some of the legends that I hold in very very very high regard who took part in this debacle. This includes Carl Palmer, Steve Howe, and John Wetton.
Fun Fact: Asia went 23 years and 7 albums (CD's) later in a drought of commercial failures (top 200) 1985-2008. Seen a lot of discography and that is pretty unique in length and volume.
Songs-
-------------
Heat of the Moment- I will have to admit, that this one song is one of the best rock tunes of the early 1980's. Beaurtiiful power chorded, that has more hooks that at a quilting show. Which is part of the problem. Wetton almost sounds like Greg Lake in a vocal effort of a lifetime. Palmer's only inspired (at least for him) clicks and fills on the LP too. Seems they spent their entire studio time, sinking all their creative eggs in one basket. Fantastic song. 1
I wouldn't say the rest of the album is true filler. "Only Time Will Tell " is a decent representative of the band's cumulative talents. Otherwise, pretty much everything Asia made was ill conceived, and an inverse sum of the parts of the talent of the particpants. The era of the supergroups sucked, and did irreparable damage to the AOR genre. 2
Everything else- 3-9
Last edited:
