by Geoff Bailie
When Asia announced their 14th solo album is due to be released, it was the culmination of the journey that began at the John Wetton Tribute concert, which featured Harry Whitley and John Mitchell joining Geoff Downes. Adding Virgil Donati, and several tours, the players have demonstrated they are worthy of taking this next step. Looking forward is also a good time to look back and so I put together a playlist of some great, and perhaps lesser-known, tracks from the discography which charts the history of the band to date.
Cutting It Fine from Asia (1982) – It’s worth remembering that Asia began life as a Wetton/ Howe collaboration brought about by A&R mogul John Kalodner. Bear in mind that the song that launched the band skyward was actually written last, and the debut album has the most Steve Howe co-writes of any Asia album. Cutting It Fine is a great example of a Howe-esque riff, the power of Wetton’s voice and Palmer’s percussion and the colours of Geoff Downes’s key especially in the end “Bolero” section. It’s pop and prog in harmony and it sounds great!
Daylight: Alpha-era B Side / bonus track (1983) – Well I promised deep cuts, but actually this is one of my favourite Asia songs and is now part of the CD! The sophomore album was made under the immense pressure of “the hit” and the straining of band relationships, not helped by recording sessions in a very cold Montreal! When you had the best-selling US album of 1982, there’s really only one place to go. As strong as many of the songs are, the sound does shift with fewer guitar features and more of a wall of sound production, despite having the same producer as the debut. Daylight didn’t make the cut but it’s a classic in my opinion. Palmer’s drums, keys / guitar interplay and a killer lead vocal (if you want to appreciate how well Wetton sings this, check out Greg Lake singing it at the Budokhan show!)
Rock And Roll Dream from Astra (1985) – So first Wetton left, and came back; and Howe left, and didn’t. Mandy Meyer joined on guitar and, perhaps, set the more rock guitar direction the band followed since. I do like Astra, I think because it dates from an era when, if I bought an album, I invested time in it. My cassette got many plays and I didn’t really know much about the band history anyway. This track has various sections and shifts which you might call proggy, and the strings are by Louis Clark who did a lot of the arranging for ELO. It’s not a track I’ve often heard people comment on but the band did return to it live in the 1990s and in the Payne era… and in the Icon Urban Psalm show we get a superb version.
Summer (Can’t Last Too Long) from Then & Now (1990) – A reunion … well sort of and not really. This “Greatest Hits plus some new ones” sparked a new touring era of the band with Pat Thrall on guitar, but apart from the older cuts only one track features all three of Wetton, Downes and Palmer, Howe once again passing – and this is that track. Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy is on guitar, but doesn’t make a notable contribution, but it’s a Wetton / Downes co-write with a decent hook – the lyrics aren’t brilliant but it’s worth a listen.
The Voice of Reason from Aqua (1992) – It’s worth noting that the John Payne era of Asia was active for longer and produced more albums than the original line-up. Was it Asia? Well, that’s the name on the album covers, so go with it! My memory of time was being delighted that a new Asia existed and could produce an album as good as this. Howe and Palmer are both credited, but so are other players of their instruments and one can only assume they helped out rather than were full creative contributors. Voice of Reason boasts a Downes/ Payne co-write and has lots of what is clearly Steve Howe peppered throughout it. It points to the potential for a proggier direction which didn’t arrive until a bit later. This is a track that definitely sounds like Downes, Howe and Palmer with Payne, and it’s a bit of a “what if?” moment for me!
Don’t Cut The Wire (Brother) from Aria (1994) – Dropping the cast of thousands approach of Aqua, Aria’s line up of Michael Sturgis on drums and Al Pitrelli on guitar brought a more cohesive sound to this album. With chops and changes of labels, a great opening track and single, Anytime, didn’t do a lot to raise interest anywhere outside of Europe. It certainly wasn’t going to be the biggest seller of 1994, but it’s a consistently good album, and this track shows what I mean. Al Pitrelli and Michael Sturgis really put their stamp on this one.
U Bring Me Down from Arena (1996) – Apparently after (another) decline from Steve Howe to rejoin the band (he was just about to go back to Yes!), Michael Sturgis remained, with guitars, on this track and the some of the album, coming from Aziz Abraham. From a band that was as British as they came when formed, this album brings many new influences. You can’t help but feel that Steely Dan were an inspiration for the “right player for the song” approach, and Elliott Randall (who played guitar on Dan’s Reelin’ In The Years) being present could be a big hint! Latin and Middle Eastern influences abound and this track feels like a new, but still interesting, Asia. Ibrahim and Sturgis add something special here which makes it worthy of this list.
Free from Aura (2001) – A five year break, some archive releases and a soundtrack later, Payne and Downes picked up the Arena modus operandi for a new album. A much broader range of players contributed and this track features a returning Steven Howe, plus Saga’s Ian Crithton and Pat Thrall on guitars (all 3 get solos on this track) along with Simon Phillips on drums. Despite the varied line-ups, it’s a consistent sounding album with many good performances. My feeling is that if you played this to someone who had only heard the classic Asia material they’d be surprised how accomplished and, well, proggy this is!
Gone Too Far from Silent Nation (2004) – As has been seen several times, the pendulum of the Payne Asia era swung back to an album made by a 4-person band, with Chris Slade (drums) and Guthrie Govan (guitar) remaining from a period of touring the previous album. This is probably the most Payne-led album of that era, and was produced, engineered and mixed by him – so it’s really the furthest point in the catalogue from the 1982 debut. That said, it’s not without great musical moments. I picked this one to highlight Govan’s guitar solo, which is quite brilliant.
Sleeping Giant/ No Way Back / Reprise from Phoenix (2008) – By 2007, hell had frozen over, and the original Asia line-up had reformed and toured to great success. Wetton/ Downes’s Icon albums had proved to be a foundation for reigniting that partnership, and Palmer and Howe both agreed to give it a go. A nostalgic tour was one thing – a reunion album was another… but the band did not disappoint. On a few tracks on Phoenix, the original band get to stretch out on some long tracks, which was something the MO of the original band initially was to avoid. A keyboard and vocal intro with great Howe guitar touches morphs into a fantastic Asia song – the feel of Soul Survivor is present – but this feels fresh, with Howe in particular giving free rein to his entire guitar palette.
Through My Veins from Omega (2010) – I mentioned before the early Asia Howe/ Wetton writing combination and this Omega track is the first such since the debut album. The band really get to stretch out across the final almost 2 minutes of instrumental – not by playing crazy solos or showboating, but my just continuing the mood and adding interesting variations. They also played this song live and the live versions were even better!
Face On The Bridge from XXX (2012) – XXX was the third original band reunion era and it maintained the high standard. This upbeat track has all the key Asia elements as we say farewell to the Original line up (not that they knew that). Palmer’s drums keep the pace and mood lively, while Howe and Downes hold back and let Wetton’s vocal steer the track. With an almost false ending at 4:00 or so, the song kicks off again with a variation on the refrain, a switch in rhythm from Palmer and some Howe soloing which Downes keys keep the song pumping.
‘Till We Meet Again from Gravitas (2014) – When Steve Howe decided he couldn’t manage Yes, a solo career and Asia, the others wanted to carry on, and added guitarist Sam Coulson to the ranks (though he was quite under-used on the album… but this track ends with a great solo). As it turns out, Gravitas became the final Wetton/ Downes/ Palmer album and this song is the final track on the final John Wetton Asia album. With a Celtic feel, it’s not a typical Asia song but, for me, it pays tribute to the friendships John has had over the years. “I’ll be with you in spirit, and you will know, we’ll stand shoulder to shoulder where ‘ere you go”. There’s no doubt that John will always remain with Asia in spirit.
The Traveller (Into The Light) from Indigo (2026) – With a suitable pause, Geoff Downes has brought together a brand new Asia line-up, which had its origins in the John Wetton Tribute concert. John Mitchell (guitar) and Virgil Donati (drums) already have well-established credentials, which, when added to the remarkable vocals and bass of Harry Whitley (a singer who Geoff discovered via YouTube) you have an amazing line-up. This first track from Indigo has everything that is distinctive about Asia – high energy, proggy touches and a chorus with big vocals! It captures the past and the future of the band in less than five minutes. This new line-up has much to offer and we look forward to the new album… and I know John Wetton will be with them in spirit (listen to the chorus and you’ll know what I mean!)
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