ASIA

[JSngry]

[JSngry]

[B. Clugston]

I remember that spring day in 1982 oh so well. I spied a new album with a Roger Dean cover in the record shop. Steve Howe! Carl Palmer! John Wetton! Geoff Downes. A supergroup. But for some reason, I held off on buying the record. Which was a good thing, for a few days later I saw the video and couldn’t believe talent like Steve Howe and Carl Palmer was wasted on such AOR dreck.

[JSngry]

Roy Wood would have made a difference, I bet.

[JETman]

I remember that spring day in 1982 oh so well. I spied a new album with a Roger Dean cover in the record shop. Steve Howe! Carl Palmer! John Wetton! Geoff Downes. A supergroup. But for some reason, I held off on buying the record. Which was a good thing, for a few days later I saw the video and couldn’t believe talent like Steve Howe and Carl Palmer was wasted on such AOR dreck.

Obviously you'd never heard of John Wetton? He was easily the equal of both Howe and Palmer in terms of musical talent!

[jlhoots]

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

I wasn't commenting on your musical taste, but on your writing style. I probably should have said James Joyce or e.e. cunmmings.

Sadly all my vinyl is long gone for $$$.

But - I do have all of the Baby Face BN on CD.

Edited March 16, 2011 by jlhoots

[B. Clugston]

I remember that spring day in 1982 oh so well. I spied a new album with a Roger Dean cover in the record shop. Steve Howe! Carl Palmer! John Wetton! Geoff Downes. A supergroup. But for some reason, I held off on buying the record. Which was a good thing, for a few days later I saw the video and couldn’t believe talent like Steve Howe and Carl Palmer was wasted on such AOR dreck.

Obviously you'd never heard of John Wetton? He was easily the equal of both Howe and Palmer in terms of musical talent!

I certainly knew who he was from King Crimson, Roxy Music, etc., but wasn't as big a fan of his as I was of the others.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

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?

I think my mother wears that blouse that the lead singer has on.

And this one is only for hard core anglophiles:

Holy shit! It's Mr. Weasley!

[Aggie87]

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.

I take back one thing I said - I don't dislike Asia, they're actually not bad at the music they make. If I listen to their early albums as AOR rock, it's actually not bad. The disappointment only comes in when you consider (as a prog fan) what they *could* have done.

[A Lark Ascending]

Bottom had dropped out of the market in the UK for this sort of music when this band appeared. I always got the impression Asia was designed to play the US stadiums.

I don't know if it was lack of exposure in the UK or my dwindling interest in rock after '76 but they never caught my attention.

[7/4]

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.

I take back one thing I said - I don't dislike Asia, they're actually not bad at the music they make. If I listen to their early albums as AOR rock, it's actually not bad. The disappointment only comes in when you consider (as a prog fan) what they *could* have done.

Exactly. I do hear quality musicianship, but the tunes are kinda fluffy.

[Steve Reynolds]

I saw the original band when they came out and I don't remember it being good at all.

[Hoppy T. Frog]

Mods: Please move this thread to Mojo Magazine's forums.

Thanks!

[gvopedz]

I remember that spring day in 1982 oh so well. I spied a new album with a Roger Dean cover in the record shop. Steve Howe! Carl Palmer! John Wetton! Geoff Downes. A supergroup. But for some reason, I held off on buying the record. Which was a good thing, for a few days later I saw the video and couldn’t believe talent like Steve Howe and Carl Palmer was wasted on such AOR dreck.

Hearing Carl Palmer in Asia was probably not much of a surprise to those who heard his band PM. PM released its only album “1:PM” in 1980 and, believe me, Asia was an improvement over PM. At the time I thought PM was Palmer’s attempt to jump on the most commercial “new wave” bandwagon. I believe the album appeared as an LP only in Europe and when it appeared much later as a CD it was called Carl Palmer’s PM.

[J.A.W.]

No personal attacks please. I have removed a few offensive posts.

[7/4]

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.

I heard them play at the beginning of that tour at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ.

[JETman]

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.

I heard them play at the beginning of that tour at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ.

A much more intimate experience than I had, I'm sure!

[7/4]

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.

I heard them play at the beginning of that tour at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ.

A much more intimate experience than I had, I'm sure!

A great venue. I heard a lot of great shows there.

[7/4]

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.

I heard them play at the beginning of that tour at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ.

A much more intimate experience than I had, I'm sure!

A great venue. I heard a lot of great shows there.

Those were the days...that wasn't one of them.

[7/4]

Geoff Downes is back in Yes for now and John Wetton is on the road with the UK reunion.

We can all get some sleep tonight.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

:D :D :D OH I KNOW! :lol: :lol: :lol: