Dmitry Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 Was this originally just a money-making enterprise? These guys were and are significant musicians in their prog bands, but ASIA music just plain sucks. I don't get it. Quote
7/4 Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 Money maker, I think. John Wettons pop group. We were so excited to see this supergroup play, we had tickets to hear them at the start of their first American tour. Then a week before the show, the album came out and I was kinda surprised...they were ok, but not what I expected. Last year I was going through a big Steve Howe binge and I picked up the first two albums on CD, real cheap to check out his playing. This is NOT a progrock band, I don't know when I'll ever try to listen to those CDs again. I had to refresh my memory, they were more light weight than I remember! Quote
Aggie87 Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 (edited) I'm not a big Asia fan either. They were intentionally AOR type music, not prog. Which was disappointing considering the pedigree of the musicians involved. But even the prog groups that were around at that point were also leaning towards pop - Genesis, the other guys in Yes, etc. I think part of it was the "uncool" factor of prog at the time, and the desire to make big selling pop music. Heck, even classic rock bands were playing simpler, money grabbing music - Jefferson Starship for example. And later Aerosmith, Heart, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top and Chicago followed that formula too, IMO. Edited March 16, 2011 by Aggie87 Quote
Dmitry Posted March 16, 2011 Author Report Posted March 16, 2011 (edited) Wetton was already contaminated by the Uriah Heep then. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w5F7gecQt4&feature=fvsr Edited March 16, 2011 by Dmitry Quote
Dmitry Posted March 16, 2011 Author Report Posted March 16, 2011 I'm not a big Asia fan either. They were intentionally AOR type music, not prog. Which was disappointing considering the pedigree of the musicians involved. But even the prog groups that were around at that point were also leaning towards pop - Genesis, the other guys in Yes, etc. I think part of it was the "uncool" factor of prog at the time, and the desire to make big selling pop music. Heck, even classic rock bands were playing simpler, money grabbing music - Jefferson Starship for example. And later Aerosmith, Heart, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top and Chicago followed that formula too, IMO. Yep. Queen also. Quote
Shawn Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 There were almost no bands by that era that were any good. Music post-punk primarily SUCKED until the underground Metal scene kicked into gear. I bought the Asia album when it first came out (I was 11), I really liked it then. I re-listened to it about a year ago and the only really kick ass song is "Time Again". Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 A glass half empty, may also be half full. Quote
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 (edited) there was a great amt of record company involvement in the beginning, so the commerciality side of it was obviously there. trevor rabin, roy wood, and rick wakeman were all considered for the band at early stages. the partnership of wetton-downes though is the foundation for the project. check out the pre asia wetton-downes demos to understand what they were doing at this time. i know they could of gone more prog, but dude it was 1982, and most of the bands they all were in were broken up. the songs were of the time, and if youre gonna be listening to pop music, why not have it be done by absolute masters. thats why asia are so great, despite more pop oriented material. you still have the "sound". eg. take steve howe for instance, when hes ripping the wah wah pedal on sole survivor, it was taking me all the way back to the days of Tommorrow (steves legendary psych band in case you didnt know)-- he never wah wah'd out in all the years in yes!---& secondly i have to give asia a TON of credit on the success of their orig. lineup reunion. its into its FIFTH year already, incl. 2 albums of new material. in 06 i was very pleased when this came to be but i NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVER saw it lasting 5 years w. 2 new albums. i give them a TON of credit Edited March 16, 2011 by chewy Quote
Aggie87 Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 A glass half empty, may also be half full. Either way, the glass is twice as big as it should be. Musically speaking, too. Quote
Teasing the Korean Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 there was a great amt of record company involvement in the beginning, so the commerciality side of it was obviously there. trevor rabin, roy wood, and rick wakeman were all considered for the band at early stages. the partnership of wetton-downes though is the foundation for the project. check out the pre asia wetton-downes demos to understand what they were doing at this time. i know they could of gone more prog, but dude it was 1982, and most of the bands they all were in were broken up. the songs were of the time, and if youre gonna be listening to pop music, why not have it be done by absolute masters. thats why asia are so great, despite more pop oriented material. you still have the "sound". eg. take steve howe for instance, when hes ripping the wah wah pedal on sole survivor, it was taking me all the way back to the days of Tommorrow (steves legendary psych band in case you didnt know)-- he never wah wah'd out in all the years in yes! I am hearing chewy's post read in the voice of Christian Bale... Quote
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 hey jlhoots: do you have first pressing monos of all four of babyface willettes blue note albums (2sideman/2leader)? didnt think so- moving on, i know jlhoots just makin fun of me for diggin on asia. dont get me wrong i dont like every note theve ever done. i can say that. but let me break it all down for you: steve howe is -killin'- at these recent shows- dude he had more energy during the 2009 asia show i saw, than ive **EVER** seen him w/ yes, he was jumpin' n stuff, just in like the 70s. let me just tell you: i am your friend chewy and my love for asia is not charlie sheenesque, its more like: dude after yes broke up where do you go? it was steve howes big solo project, not to mention a crack band w/ him. sucks he left before the 3rd album. would of really benifited, although i can still listen to it. ok ok, lets play a game:...........for one of cheyws babyface lps.........who is the guitarist who replaced steve howe in asia?oh i also wanna say i think you guys would like em better if the orginal cds sounded better, i admit they are as great as they could be. never heard a decent cd issue, old or new. the limitations on vinyl also really hurt it when you listen to the lp, however i am interested in how the sealed alpha i got sound (they made lps a little better by then in 82, sometimes...) better than the late 70s, no? here, here is the answer http://www.guitars101.com/forums/f145/asia-1982-05-02-palladium-new-york-ny-102750.html check out how it was in person, then tell me you dont dig asia, the show was intense, and for me, the focal point of the band Quote
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 (edited) I have Brian Lane's email address, ill email him and get *his* crazy take on it all....... wait but ive never used it before, and i have a bunch of yes questions, and comments. too--- ---i am aboustely going to yell at him for getting rid of Tony, that was the dumbest move in yes history, and i will have to tell him how he messed w/ the whole time-space continum with what he did, tony should of been on all the albums!! Edited March 16, 2011 by chewy Quote
JSngry Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 trevor rabin, roy wood, and rick wakeman were all considered for the band at early stages. Roy wood? For real? That would have been the coolest thing possible of all time as far as it went. Roy Wood is cooler than Asia & any other continent-named band (or incontinent-named band as well) in the history of the world of that type thing. I mean, really, Roy Wood!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSBqDUy5J_Q&feature=related Quote
JSngry Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxf_J-0HI20&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxL9uVwkLGY&feature=related Quote
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 u know it, roy wood is out of control!! Quote
JETman Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 After seeing Wetton in King Crimson with that MONSTER bass playing and tons of Marshall stacks, I was very disappointed to hear his playing virtually mixed out of the Asia experience. I saw Asia on their first tour (at the NJ Meadowlands --- blech) and they SUCKED big time. Quote
Dmitry Posted March 16, 2011 Author Report Posted March 16, 2011 BTW, what's the worst, most pretentious hard rock band of all time? My vote goes to Uriah Heep, by a significant margin. It doesn't get cheesier than that. Were they the prototype for the Spinal Tap? Quote
David Ayers Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 And this one is only for hard core anglophiles: Quote
Shawn Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 I can always count on the music snobs to come out in full force for a thread like this. Don't you guys feel superior? BTW: the first 4 Uriah Heep albums are quite excellent. The most pretentious band ever is The Eagles. Quote
Dmitry Posted March 16, 2011 Author Report Posted March 16, 2011 That's the one I was looking for - cheesy cheese, like my 8 y.o. says. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iikY_nJrmNo Quote
B. Clugston Posted March 16, 2011 Report Posted March 16, 2011 Wetton was already contaminated by the Uriah Heep then. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w5F7gecQt4&feature=fvsr John Lawton has a great voice, but his talent was wasted in that group. Quote
Dmitry Posted March 16, 2011 Author Report Posted March 16, 2011 I must say I've never heard of this guy.. Quote
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