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defend the indefensible: ASIA

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"it was the HEAT OF THE MOMENT"

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 10 June 2004 04:13 (8 years ago) Permalink

still the dumbest album cover i've ever seen in my life

i do kinda like "heat of the moment," though. some cute chicks in high school liked it, you know.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 10 June 2004 04:14 (8 years ago) Permalink

I was going to say...BRILLIANT record covers.

I'm not sure I really know what Asia sound like, though.

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Thursday, 10 June 2004 04:28 (8 years ago) Permalink

I've got a soft spot for their singles: Tuneful corporate po(m)p rock sell-out certainly beats Tales From Topographic Oceans. And you sure can't question their pedigrees. Only thing that bothers me is the pseudo-fanfare synth intro. Reminds me too much of Europe's "The Final Countdown", possibly my most-loathed single of the 1980s.

And hey: I've never seen the Roger Dean cover that I didn't love! Cool shade of purple on that "Astra" cover.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 10 June 2004 05:22 (8 years ago) Permalink

TS: Asia v Europe

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Thursday, 10 June 2004 06:19 (8 years ago) Permalink

And the winner is, AMERICA!

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Thursday, 10 June 2004 06:39 (8 years ago) Permalink

I've given it a good deal of thought, but I must admit that defending Asia is beyond me. Sorry.

― John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Thursday, 10 June 2004 21:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

I enjoy their first album as a sorely guilty pleasure, if only for the singles and "Soul Survivor".

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 10 June 2004 22:00 (8 years ago) Permalink

"The brightest ring around the moon, WILL DARKEN WHEN I DIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 10 June 2004 22:01 (8 years ago) Permalink

I like some shit, but I don't like THIS shit.

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 10 June 2004 22:12 (8 years ago) Permalink

trivia fact: Asia are coming back in 2004 with a new album

look at their ridiculous white suits and naff logo
http://www.insideout.de/indexx.php?arg=AgcECgRLQVJUew

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 10 June 2004 22:19 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Heat of the Moment" sorta sounds like the Buggles!! It's real good!!

― chuck, Thursday, 10 June 2004 22:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

My best friend said I should reevaluate Heat Of The Moment because he thought the drum part was really neat. Man, did that earn a raspberry.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 10 June 2004 22:44 (8 years ago) Permalink

Has this thread of genius already been forgotten?

How Much Money Would It Take For You To Listen To All These Asia Albums?

Elvis T and I are still anxious to pony up the cash so Dave Q can review all them albums.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 10 June 2004 22:51 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Do you remember how we used to dance?"

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Thursday, 10 June 2004 23:04 (8 years ago) Permalink

The cadence of the verses on "Heat of the Moment" is awesome -- really forced in a cool sounding way, and deliciously strident. Great song!

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Thursday, 10 June 2004 23:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

TS: "Do you remember how we used to dance?" vs. "Remember laughter?"

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Thursday, 10 June 2004 23:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

First album was good, but their best album was Alpha, the second one. "Don't Cry" is excellent. "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" and "My Own Time (I'll Do What I Want)" are classic melodrama numbers. "Midnight Sun" is probably their best song period (even if it sounds somewhat reminiscent of Godspell's "Day By Day"), and has a spine-tingling Steve Howe solo.

'Don't give me that same ol' pack of LIIIEES...'

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 11 June 2004 00:19 (8 years ago) Permalink

Time for me to finally say that I did have those first three albums and Joe is actually right that Alpha is the winner.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 11 June 2004 00:22 (8 years ago) Permalink

Oh please.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 June 2004 00:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

I saw them at the Paradise in Boston, MA back in 1993, with Howe as a special guest. Without a doubt one of the most fun 'so bad it's good' concerts I've been to. Opened up with "Go" from Astra, one of the only good songs on that album. Geoff Downes with sweatbands, shorts, and leather jacket to make the chicks swoon, still at that point was doing his solo spot with an obligatory nod to "Video Killed the Radio Star"/vocoder. The lead singer/bassist (John Payne) wore this ridiculous top hat with decorations on it, his 'trademark', I guess. Apparently, nobody had told him about Slash. They played material from the very sucky Aqua album.

Howe was only with them because he was planning his own solo tour and scouting out what were viable venues...he showed up about halfway through, did a solo spot, then joined the rest of the band to have a go at the old warhorses, like "Heat of the Moment", which rocked.

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 11 June 2004 00:29 (8 years ago) Permalink

Just checked out their official site. Apparently Chris Slade (ex of Spirit, the Firm and -- briefly -- AC/DC) is now on drums, which is a bit tragic. It also says that Aziz Ibrahim was briefly a guitarist....didn't that guy fill in for the departed John Squire towards the end of the Stone Roses?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 June 2004 00:40 (8 years ago) Permalink

i DID say that i liked "heat of the moment" -- carl palmer's drumming WAS ace.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 11 June 2004 01:13 (8 years ago) Permalink

and alex, i don't think that mr. slade drummed for spirit. that must've been another slaphead drummer.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 11 June 2004 01:16 (8 years ago) Permalink

I dunno, man....who'd he drum for before the Firm? I'm going to Allmusic.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 June 2004 01:21 (8 years ago) Permalink

Ah, you may be right. It says, though, that he drummed for Uriah Heap and Manfred Mann's Earth Band. So, y'know....close enough. Bahahaha.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 June 2004 01:22 (8 years ago) Permalink

he'd be perfect for spirit if they reunited, though!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 11 June 2004 01:24 (8 years ago) Permalink

Agreed.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 June 2004 01:24 (8 years ago) Permalink

I had the first three albums as a kid and Astra was my favorite by far, but Alpha had its moments.

I played Astra until I wore out the tape, though, mostly when jumping ramps in front of my house on a skateboard or bicycle. That guitar riff in the middle of "Go" was perfect for catching air.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 11 June 2004 01:26 (8 years ago) Permalink

Ooh, shit. I just dl'ed "Go" off of slsk. There's no defense for this. Perfect for 11 year olds and no one else!

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 11 June 2004 01:44 (8 years ago) Permalink

just d/l'd "heat of the moment" from slsk, and i'll second mr. eddy's post:

"Heat of the Moment" sorta sounds like the Buggles!! It's real good!!

except that it sorta sounds A LOT like the Buggles!!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 11 June 2004 02:19 (8 years ago) Permalink

I know that Downes was in the band, but "Heat of the Moment" doesn't sound like the Buggles. i'm sorry. It doesn't.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 June 2004 02:24 (8 years ago) Permalink

Alex OTM. The Buggles?! Not even close.

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 11 June 2004 02:39 (8 years ago) Permalink

I mean, one is straight-up AOR, the other is "Miss Robot, I Love You"

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 11 June 2004 02:40 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Heat of the Moment" sorta sounds like the Buggles!!

or not at all. i have a real soft spot for the song, though.

― lauren (laurenp), Friday, 11 June 2004 03:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

i don't think i know a single asia song

― amateur!st (amateurist), Friday, 11 June 2004 03:53 (8 years ago) Permalink

You'd know one if ya heard it. And there'd probably be a lot of grimacing involved.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 June 2004 03:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

interestingly, my ears work the same as mr. eddy's on the "does 'heat of the moment' sound like the buggles" question. or maybe it's just my general ignorance of prog. i can't explain it -- i can just hear the buggles in the song, is all.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Friday, 11 June 2004 03:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

Well, "Heat of the Moment" doesn't really sound like prog. It sounds like pop. The Buggles too sound like pop. However, not all pop sounds like the Buggles. Here endeth the lesson.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 June 2004 04:02 (8 years ago) Permalink

I kind of like their first couple of albums, which were at least hinting at going slightly beyond pure AOR. After all those 70s prog bands reformed, Asia lost so many key members they should have called it a day though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 11 June 2004 10:15 (8 years ago) Permalink

look at their ridiculous white suits and naff logo

Looks like the guitarist of Faith No More on the right?

― Joe (Joe), Friday, 11 June 2004 10:28 (8 years ago) Permalink

You can actually buy your own autographed print of that naff logo if you goto a gallery on Mercer street between Grand and Canal, but it ends today. You can also buy the Yes logo (signed by Roger Dean as well) in a variety of nifty colors. Why do I know this? My wife threatened to get me one for Father's Day.....until I talked her out of it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 11 June 2004 15:39 (8 years ago) Permalink

3 years pass...

ha, i don't know this song (palmer really phoning it in)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQv6YblNEf8

― gershy, Sunday, 1 July 2007 05:06 (5 years ago) Permalink

3 years pass...

TS: ASIA (band) vs. EUROPE (band) vs. AMERICA (band) vs. AFRICA (song by Toto) vs. AUSTRALIA (song by Manic Street Preachers) vs. SOUTH AMERICA (continent)

― /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\||||||( *__* )||||||/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ (res), Friday, 7 January 2011 05:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

I think ANTARCTICA (song by Men Without Hats) would have something to say about that.

― Stockhausen's Ekranoplan Quartet (Elvis Telecom), Friday, 7 January 2011 05:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

AFRICA (song by Toto)

Number of times we heard that in actual Africa was inexcusable, oh my god.

― "Smurfette's Smurfy Adventsmurf" (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 7 January 2011 06:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

'You are from the west!! Listen to this song again and again and again and again'

― "Smurfette's Smurfy Adventsmurf" (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 7 January 2011 06:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

Anyway, that.

― "Smurfette's Smurfy Adventsmurf" (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 7 January 2011 06:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm not understanding what you're saying. Are you saying you heard it a lot or not enough?

― /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\||||||( *__* )||||||/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ (res), Friday, 7 January 2011 06:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

All the fucking time, I mean it's not like they're devoid of western culture what with KFC and the English language and DStv and everything.

― "Smurfette's Smurfy Adventsmurf" (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 7 January 2011 06:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

"Walk Like An Egyptian" was apparently a huge hit in Egypt.

― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Saturday, 8 January 2011 00:11 (2 years ago) Permalink

Re. the Buggles/Asia similarity discussed upthread: I never realized how hard-hitting some of the drums are on the first Buggles record. Big-sounding, too.

― timellison, Saturday, 8 January 2011 03:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

Watching crazy Asia concert in Tokyo -- the crowd is seriously comatose, but the band sounds good! Lake's voice is in great shape for an old dude. Love Howe's periodic bug eyes.

― ergonomically chromium plated fish slice (La Lechera), Sunday, 9 January 2011 21:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

(note: i am not in tokyo, the concert that is on tv was in tokyo)

― ergonomically chromium plated fish slice (La Lechera), Sunday, 9 January 2011 21:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

lake is back in asia?!?

― fat sheets of rage (buzza), Sunday, 9 January 2011 21:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

oops
sorry -- it's from 2007 tour
i guess it is john wetton
when prog dudes are of a certain age it is hard to tell them apart apparently

― ergonomically chromium plated fish slice (La Lechera), Sunday, 9 January 2011 21:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

Which is which?

― Satantango! (Matt #2), Monday, 10 January 2011 00:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

Best guess, top is Wetton, bottom must be Lake? I mean, really -- dour doughy old guy 1 and 2 afaic.

They eventually played roundabout, in the court of the crimson king, and video killed the radio star AND an acoustic version of only time will tell, which the crowd finally showed some interest in

not really sure why i watched it for so long, but they sounded pretty good and i wasn't really doing anything important anyway (avoiding the laundromat)

― ergonomically chromium plated fish slice (La Lechera), Monday, 10 January 2011 00:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

l-r: john sessions, douglas adams

xp

― Suppositori Spelling (Autumn Almanac), Monday, 10 January 2011 00:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

The Wikipedia page is an endless amount of unusual details:

The group released Aria in May 1994, which featured lead guitarist Al Pitrelli once again, who would leave Asia during the short Aria tour. This illustrates how the keyboard-driven band often faced trouble keeping a regular guitarist.

The album featured Asia's longest track ever in "The Day Before the War". The album was released on Resurgence Records but there was no tour because of lack of interest.

Aura took a more progressive rock form, but still did not recapture the commercial success of the first album. Former members Howe, Thrall, Sturgis and Elliott Randall also made guest appearances. The single "Ready To Go Home" was barely distributed.

In the summer of 2003, Downes and Payne did the "Asia Across America Tour" which got some national media attention. Performing "unplugged", the duo would reportedly play anywhere in the US that fans requested, provided there was a venue and the fans put up $3,000 to cover costs.

Released on Asia's newly signed label SPV/Inside Out Records, 2004's Silent Nation (name influenced by the Howard Stern vs. FCC incident) picked up some unexpected exposure on the Internet.

A studio album, originally called Architect of Time (the name ultimately used for a Payne side project instead) and now Americana [16] is underway and expected for release in early 2011. A live album Extended Versions or Scandinavia by Asia Featuring John Payne, was released in fall 2007

Certain musicians have joined and left after a short time without recording any studio material with the group. The most notable collaboration of this kind was the participation of Greg Lake in the "Asia in Asia" concert on bass guitar and lead vocals. Yet more musicians have played as session musicians or have guested with the band without formally joining. Some of these artists include: Robert Fleischman, Vinnie Colaiuta, Francis Dunnery, Ant Glynne, Scott Gorham, Tomoyasu Hotei, Luis Jardim, Ron Komie, Tony Levin, Steve Lukather, Kim Nielsen-Parsons, Simon Phillips, and Alex Thomas.

In the film The 40-Year-Old Virgin, main character Andy Stitzer is mocked for having a framed Asia poster in his apartment. Also, Heat of the Moment is played during the scene in which Andy chases Trish's car after she leaves his home.

The song "Lay Down Your Arms" was used by the animated film Freddie the Frog (1992) starring Ben Kingsley, Jenny Agutter and Brian Blessed. On May 21, 2007, AOL.com claimed that this film is the lowest grossing animated movie of all time. ($1.19 million).

Also, I hadn't realized there were two official Asias now. The mind reels.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 10 January 2011 02:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

― fat sheets of rage (buzza), Monday, 10 January 2011 02:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

Live DVD from their reunion tour is pretty fun. They still sound great (yeah, I love those first two albums).

― A happenstance discovery of asynchronous lesbians (Capitaine Jay Vee), Monday, 10 January 2011 02:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

The piano-sounding keyboard part that comes in in the second verse of "Heat of the Moment" - that's really Bugglesian.

― timellison, Friday, 14 January 2011 04:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Really like "Finger on the Trigger," the leadoff track on their last album, Omega.

― timellison, Wednesday, 2 March 2011 03:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

― buzza, Saturday, 19 May 2012 20:42 (1 year ago) Permalink

New studio album XXX (pronounced “Triple X”) will be released via Frontiers Records on June 29 in Europe and July 3 in North America. Produced by Mike Paxman (Uriah Heep, Status Quo), the album will be released as a CD, collector’s edition CD/DVD featuring new music videos and behind the scenes footage, and on a limited edition Europe-only vinyl pressing.

― buzza, Saturday, 19 May 2012 20:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

*LIKE*

― timellison, Saturday, 19 May 2012 21:45 (1 year ago) Permalink

Bump. This song rules!

― timellison, Monday, 21 May 2012 05:34 (11 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Another new song, "Al Gatto Nero" here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01jt98q/Ken_Bruce_19_06_2012/

Comes in at the 38 minute mark.

― timellison, Thursday, 21 June 2012 03:34 (10 months ago) Permalink

Has anyone ever noticed that Wetton (a great singer, btw) lisps through the chorus of "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes"?

― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 22 June 2012 01:42 (10 months ago) Permalink

He lisped a lot in King Crimson too! But I never listened to Crimson for the singing anyways.

― Race Against Rockism (Myonga Vön Bontee), Friday, 22 June 2012 02:36 (10 months ago) Permalink

He did? On what? Book of Thaturday? Eathee Money? The Great Detheever? I've actually never noticed.

― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 22 June 2012 11:34 (10 months ago) Permalink

thigarettes, ithe cream, figurineth

― undermikey: bidness (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 22 June 2012 12:51 (10 months ago) Permalink

I always used to say that Wetton sounded like his teeth were too big for his mouth

― akm, Friday, 22 June 2012 13:58 (10 months ago) Permalink

7 months pass...

Sad news - youngest daughter of Geoff Downes passed away:

http://originalasia.com/message-from-geoffrey-downes/

― timellison, Tuesday, 19 February 2013 04:08 (3 months ago) Permalink

In defense, I saw the original lineup in a gorgeous little theater in Portland a few years ago. Great time.

― Nate Carson, Tuesday, 19 February 2013 04:12 (3 months ago) Permalink

A little bummed that Howe has left again, but I still haven't listened to the two albums they made prior to the latest one (which I like a lot), so I'll look forward to that.

― timellison, Wednesday, 20 February 2013 02:11 (3 months ago) Permalink

I actually like "Face on the Bridge"! Maybe I should give this band more of a chance.

― EveningStar (Sund4r), Wednesday, 20 February 2013 03:07 (3 months ago) Permalink


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