retroblog.net » Asia

Asia Concert Review – Raleigh Memorial Auditorium – Omega 2010 Tour

retroDan — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:15:17 +0000

While my 13 year old son and I were walking around downtown Raleigh this past Tuesday evening, it was interesting to see the huge crowd of people heading for the Raleigh Amphitheater to see Maroon 5. We were headed in the opposite (less crowded) direction to see and hear classic 80′s pop/prog at its finest. That’s right, Asia in concert at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium (Progress Energy Center).

Yes, I admit that it took a bit of convincing to get the 13 year old to agree to come with me and that’s understandable. I mean, these guys aren’t spring chickens by any means and are more likely to appear on the cover of AARP than Rolling Stone magazine. But come on, John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes and Steve Howe are legends of 70′s prog rock! And this was the FIRST time they’ve come to Raleigh so I just had to go to show my support as well as educate the young one on how *real rock musicians* play live.

And fortunately Asia did not disappoint. Yes, the members of Asia all look like your average “grandpa” but they can still ROCK. Wetton’s voice sounds stronger than ever – even singing the majority of the old 80′s tunes in their original key. Howe still amazes on the guitar. Downes has reduced the size of his keyboard rig but can still get those signature synths sounds we all know and love. And as for Palmer – man, he’s still a monster behind that double-bass drum kit. Yes, Palmer still has issues with tempo but when you’re there in the audience being pummeled by the mammoth wall of sound that the four of them create, tempo can blissfully be ignored.

highlights for me included: Palmer’s requisite drum solo – definitely worth the price of admission alone, “Holy War”, the unplugged version of “Don’t Cry”, “Time Again” and “Sole Survivor”.

There were a few noticeable rough patches though. Wetton had a hard time remembering the words to “Days Like These” and had to use a prompter. and Howe fudged the signature riff during “Heat of the Moment”. But man, I still enjoyed the show regardless.

As for my 13 year old – he gave me a thumbs up at the end of the night and I’ll accept that since he basically went along to please his old man. Hopefully concerts like this one will instill in him a reference point for what great musicianship is all about. It’s sad to think about but this level of musicianship may not be around when my son gets to be my age.

other random thoughts about the show:
- I wonder what they’re using to flesh out the harmonies during the big choruses especially since Howe and Palmer don’t sing. I suspect some real-time vocal harmonizer device of some sort.

- it was disappointing to see that the 2200 seat auditorium was a little over half full. I guess the concert promoter overestimated what Asia would draw here in Raleigh. It’s not the band’s fault since they don’t decide on the venues. but hopefully the promoter didn’t take too much of a hit for this gig.

- that being said, I like Memorial auditorium (except for the small bathrooms). The seats are nice, the staff is laidback and the section near the stage has plenty of room to move around.

- Geoff Downes didn’t have his keytar on this tour. I miss it.

- love the deep bass sound Wetton was getting with those Moog Taurus 3 bass pedals. it shook the building whenever it was used. nice!!

- Steve Howe had a Line6 Variax on a stand for the sitar sound. I personally didn’t think it was worth the trouble. the variax didn’t sound all that great. maybe a mix issue?

- and kudos to the band for including a healthy chunk of their new songs in the set list. I’m sure it’s easier just to rely on old favorites but the new stuff held their own. The set included 4 from Omega and 2 from Phoenix.

retroGrade: A

Asia
at Progress Energy Center Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
Raleigh, NC
17 August 2010

The band members: John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Carl Palmer, Steve Howe

set list:
I Believe
Only Time Will Tell
Holy War
Never Again
Through My Veins
Don’t Cry (Wetton and Downes)
Steve Howe solo
The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (Wetton and Downes for Part I, full band for Part II)
Open Your Eyes
-intermission-
Go
Time Again
An Extraordinary Life
End of the World
The Heat Goes On (w/ drum solo)
Sole Survivor
-encore-
Days Like These
Heat Of The Moment

—

The Buggles – Adventures in Modern Recording – review

retroDan — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:09:55 +0000

Even though I’m a long time fan of Trevor Horn’s work, I never took the time to seek out the second album by The Buggles, Adventures in Modern Recording. I guess I assumed that it was simply a throwaway album filled with leftover tracks after keyboardist Geoff Downes left the band in 1981. Well, recently I had the chance to listen to the new re-issue put out by Salvo/ZTT and I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised by the material on the album. It’s actually very good. In fact, I prefer this Buggles album over their more well known debut, Age of Plastic.

It’s got Trevor Horn’s signature production touches all over it. The sounds and production techniques that Horn achieved here on this album obviously carried over to his subsequent production work with ABC, Yes (90125) and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. There are also precursors to his work with the Art Of Noise in the song “Vermillion Sands”. Just listen for the samples of a car crashing and the car engine turning over. very AON. Horn also does a “left turn” at the end of “Vermillion Sands” with an upbeat pseudo-big-band like instrumental which would fit right in on an AON album. definitely fun to view all of this in hindsight knowing what he achieved as a producer after his start in the Buggles.

10 bonus tracks are also included here on this release. Notables include “We Can Fly From Here” (which was considered for Yes’ Drama album), the 12″ mix of “I Am a Camera”

Yes, there isn’t another song as catchy as “Video Killed a Radio Star” here but taken as a whole, this album is far more satisfying than their first album. Definitely worth seeking out. Highlights include: Adventures in Modern Recording, Vermillion Sands, I Am A Camera, Lenny.

retroGrade: A

Adventures of Modern Recording by The Buggles
remastered reissue by Salvo/ZTT
released: Feb 2010

tracklist:
1. Adventures In Modern Recording
2. Beatnik
3. Vermillion Sands
4. I Am A Camera
5. On TV
6. Inner City
7. Lenny
8. Rainbow Warrior
9. Adventures in Modern Recording (Reprise)
Bonus Tracks
1. Fade Away
2. Blue Nylon
3. I Am A Camera (12” mix)
4. We Can Fly From Here – part 1
5. Dion
6. Videotheque
7. On TV
8. Walking On Glass (original version of Lenny)
9. Riding A Tide
10. We Can Fly From Here – part 2

—

Asia – Audio Fidelity reissue – remastered – 2010

retroDan — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:13:12 +0000

I’ve been listening to Audio Fidelity’s remastered Asia CD for the past week and I can enthusiastically confirm to all the Asia fans out there that it’s definitely the best sounding version of Asia’s 1982 debut album available. Most fans probably own the Asia Gold 2-disc anthology released by Geffen/Universal since it compiled the first three Asia albums plus all the b-sides into one package. Convenient, yes but the sound left a lot to be desired. Geffen/Universal felt it necessary to remaster the disc to compete with other modern day CDs. in other words, the audio ended up compressed, limited, re-EQ’ed and ultimately, not that pleasant to listen to.

Thankfully the audiophile record label, Audio Fidelity chose to issue their own version of this landmark pop-prog album. I’m not totally sure how they ended up choosing Asia since they’re not a band high on an audiophile’s list but I ain’t complaining.

Mastering engineer Kevin Gray made sure to produce a more faithful representation of the original master tapes with the dynamic range restored. The general public need to finally realize that “louder” isn’t always “better”. And yes, this CD is most definitely not as “loud” as the Geffen/Universal Gold edition. The sound is much more natural and clearer than before. Just listen to the smooth decay of the cymbal crashes as one reference point. Also the mid to high frequencies aren’t as harsh sounding as before. The recording is now easier on the ears and less prone to ear fatigue which tends to happen now with modern masterings.

The only thing missing in my opinion are the B-sides/bonus tracks. But from what I understand Audio Fidelity only focuses on creating the best sounding version of the original album and never adds bonus tracks on their releases.

Now if only we can get a better sounding Alpha album. but from what I understand, a better mastering job can only do so much. With such a dense sounding mix, I believe Alpha requires a full remix to get things cleared up!

retroGrade : A

Asia (self-titled)
label: Audio Fidelity
reissued: June 2010
features: John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Carl Palmer, Steve Howe
Produced by: Mike Stone
remastered by: Kevin Gray

TrackList:
1 Heat of the Moment
2 Only Time Will Tell
3 Sole Survivor
4 One Step Closer
5 Time Again
6 Wildest Dreams
7 Without You
8 Cutting It Fine
9 Here Comes the Feeling

—

3 – Live in Boston 1988 – Keith Emerson – Robert Berry – Carl Palmer

retroDan — Wed, 19 May 2010 17:13:17 +0000

Thanks to some dedicated Asia/ELP fans, there are still some live recordings of the short lived 80′s offshoot band 3 (Three) being circulated around. You may remember this little variation in the ELP timeline – it was when Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer teamed up with singer/guitarist Robert Berry to record the album “To the Power of Three” back in 1988. As you may have guessed, the album flopped and the supporting tour got cut short. I’m not totally certain how many live gigs the group actually ended up doing but I recently received copies of two of their shows (Boston and NYC), both of which were simulcast live on the radio at the time.

I haven’t had a chance to listen to the NYC gig but after listening to the Boston show, it’s pretty obvious to me why the band didn’t last (..well, besides the lack of album sales). In a live setting, the band just didn’t gel. It sounded more like a showcase for Keith Emerson and a backing band. I can’t say if it was his ego or talent or a bit of both but Emerson pretty much overshadowed the rest of the group. And there’s no question about his ability on keys. Just listen to his jawdropping solo piece “Creole Dance”. amazing stuff. But it just seemed that Palmer and Berry weren’t up to the task of pulling their own weight in this setting. Berry’s bass work was simply buried by Emerson’s synthesizers and his vocal range had a lot to be desired. And don’t get me started on Palmer’s drumming. Granted, he’s a world famous rock drummer and does amazing drum solos but when playing with the rest of the band, he simply can’t stay “in the pocket”. his tempo is all over the place. I’m not sure if he was preoccuppied with his electronic drum setup but his playing was pretty subpar in my opinion.

The problem was compounded with lackluster material that just didn’t translate well onto the stage. Come on singing lyrics like: “Sangre de toro, drinking the wine, beneath la montana, the shadows of time” is just embarrassing. Oh, they also included a backing vocalist (Jennifer Steele) and a guitarist (Paul Keller) for these live gigs. I’m almost certain that they brought in Steele for “eye-candy” because from hearing her off key harmonies, she obviously can’t sing.

If you’re interested in the group, I say stick with the studio album. Even though it has the typical 80′s production sheen, it’d a whole lot better than hearing them live.

retroGrade: C (performance), B+ (sound quality, FM source)

3 (three)
Live in Boston
Recorded April 15, 1988 at the Paradise Theater
Radio Simulcast (WBCN)

TrackList:
Fanfare For The Common Man
Desde La Vida
Lover To Lover
Hoedown
You Do Or You Don’t
Talkin’ Bout
Creole Dance
On My Way Home
Runaway
Standing In The Shadows Of Love
America
Blue Rondo
Tocatta
Drum Solo
Flight Of The Bumblebee
Eight Miles High

the live band:
Keith Emerson – keyboards
Robert Berry – bass, vocals
Carl Palmer – drums
Paul Keller – guitar
Jennifer Steele – backing vocals

—

John Payne – lead singer of Asia – appearance on Family Guy

retroDan — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:40:51 +0000

During last night’s episode of Family Guy, both Asia and REO Speedwagon got a mention. The interesting thing (and a bit confusing) is that they referenced John Payne as “lead singer from Asia” and then played a snippet of the original version of “Only Time Will Tell” that features John Wetton on vocals. hhhmmmmm…

I think they should of made reference to the two separate factions of the band by saying “the OTHER lead singer of Asia“.

But I have to say that the artists did a great job in creating a cartoon version of John Payne. heh.

For those wanting to see John Payne in the flesh, here are his current tour dates:
19 June 2010 – Deerfoot Casino, Calgary
08 July 2010 – Thunder Mountain Rockfest, Rock Dakota Ranch, Sawyer, ND
11July 2010 – Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
30 July 2010 – Erie County Fairgrounds, Sandusky, OH (Co-headline with Survivor)
31 July 2010 – Harbourfest Big Tent, Kenora, ON

—
and for Original Asia summer tour dates – click here.

—

Asia presale tickets for Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

retroDan — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:50:17 +0000

OK, all you NC area Asia fans, head on over to ticketmaster right now to take advantage of exclusive presale tickets for the August 17th gig at Progress Energy’s Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. I checked this morning and there are plenty of great seats left for the show.

Asia presale tickets are available from now until 11:59pm Saturday, May 1st.

the presale password is : Omega

Tickets for the general public will go on sale this sunday, May 2nd at 10am.

So if you’re interested in going to the Raleigh show, be sure to purchase tickets ahead of the general public by taking advantage of this presale opportunity! I sure did! I’ll see you there.

—

—
and don’t forget, the new album, Omega will be released in the U.S. on May 4th. I’ll be posting a review of the new album very soon.

Asia Omega – U.S. Summer Tour Dates – August 2010

retroDan — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:08:44 +0000

Huzzah! I can’t believe that I won’t have to travel a long distance to see an Asia concert this summer. They’ve actually announced a tour date in my town. awesome!! I’m totally there. hopefully in the front row!! I can’t wait.

Here are the latest dates for the U.S. leg of their 2010 tour:

03 Aug 10 – Birchmere, Alexandria VA
05 Aug 10 – Penn’s Peak, Jim Thorpe PA
06 Aug 10 – North Fork Theatre, Westbury NY
07 Aug 10 – Showboat, Atlantic City NJ
08 Aug 10 – Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield CT
10 Aug 10 – Bergen PAC, Englewood NJ
12 Aug 10 – Market Block Party, Syracuse NY
13 Aug 10 – House of Blues, Cleveland OH
14 Aug 10 – Armory, Rochester NY
15 Aug 10 – Carnegie Hall of Homestead, Pittsburgh, PA
17 Aug 10 – Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh NC
18 Aug 10 – Variety Playhouse, Atlanta GA
20 Aug 10 – House of Blues, Dallas
21 Aug 10 – House of Blues, Houston
23 Aug 10 – Club 101, El Paso
25 Aug 10 – Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix AZ
26 Aug 10 – Viejas Casino, Alpine CA
27 Aug 10 – Club Nokia, Los Angeles
28 Aug 10 – The Grove, Anaheim

Also don’t forget to pick up their brand new studio album Omega. It should be out in stores on April 23rd in Europe and May 4th in the U.S. via Frontiers Records.

For the latest updates on all things ASIA, be sure to head on over to their official website.

—
***update: 29Apr10***

new dates added to the US tour:
02 Aug 2010 – Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, New Bedford, MA
22 Aug 2010 – Paramount Theatre, Austin, TX
29 Aug 2010 – The Uptown, Napa, CA
01 Sep 2010 – Laxon Auditorium, Chico, CA
02 Sep 2010 – Fox Theatre, Bakersfield, CA
03 Sep 2010 – Ovation at Green Valley Resort & Spa, Henderson, NV
04 Sep 2010 – Peppermill Casino, Wendover, NV
05 Sep 2010 – Nugget Casino, Sparks, NV
07 Sep 2010 – Aladdin Theatre, Portland, OR
08 Sep 2010 – Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA

Frontiers Records reveals tracklist for new Asia album Omega

retroDan — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:43:48 +0000

Frontiers Records recently revealed some new details concerning Asia’s upcoming release, Omega. With the success of 2008′s Pheonix and supporting tour, fans the world over are itching for more from this legendary foursome. I’m particularly interested in the new material especially since learning that producer Mike Paxman is involved with this project. Legacy artists like these obviously know their way around a recording studio but from what I’ve seen, it’s always beneficial to have an outside producer to provide a fresh perspective on their material. Geoff Downes is quoted in the new press release saying “We were looking to create something different with Omega… Of course, the sound of the 4 band members of Asia will always have a certain hallmark when we play together. That’s a given. But we approached the song writing with a mind to getting a degree of variety into these compositions. Hence, you will hear areas of textures where arguably we have never gone before.”

Look for Omega in stores and online on April 23rd in Europe and May 4th in the U.S.

Here’s the TrackList:
Finger on the Trigger
Through My Veins
Holy War
Ever Yours
Listen Children
End of the World
Light The Way
Emily (bonus track)
Still The Same
There Was a Time
I Believe
Don’t Wanna Lose You Now

Produced by Mike Paxman
record label: Frontiers Records
the band: John Wetton, Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Carl Palmer
—

It’s interesting to see the Wetton/Downes Icon track “Finger On the Trigger” on the tracklist. I guess the band was a bit short on material and had to resort to re-recording a previously released track (which can be found on Icon II: Rubicon). hhmmmm….

Oh, and the album cover by Roger Dean is a bit underwhelming to be honest. I expected a whole lot more from the highly acclaimed artist. Actually Dean’s artwork that’s slated for the inner sleeve is a bit more interesting than the current cover. oh, well…

Summer tour dates for the U.S. haven’t been officially announced yet but here are the latest dates for Europe and Japan:

Apr 21 – Helsinki, Finland – House of Culture
Apr 22 – Moscow, Russia – B1 Club
Apr 24 – Rome, Italy – Auditorium
Apr 26 – Prague, Czech Republic – Lidovy dum Kbely
Apr 27 – Winterthur, Switzerland – Salzhaus
Apr 28 – Graz, Austria – Orpheum
Apr 30 – Paris, France – Casino De Paris
May 1 – Uden, Netherlands – de Pul
May 2 – Asschaffenburg, Germany
May 3 – Nuremburg, Germany – Hirsch
May 4 – Pratteln, Switzerland – Z7
May 6 – Reichenbach, Germany – Die Halle
May 7 – Bochum, Germany – Zeche Prinz-Regent-Strasse 50-60
May 8 – Osnabruck, Germany – Rosenhof Rosenplatz 23
May 9 – Bonn, Germany – Bruckenforum
May 13 – Tokyo, Japan – Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall
May 14 – Tokyo, Japan – Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall
May 15 – Yokohama, Japan – Kanagawa Kenmin Hall
May 17 – Osaka, Japan – Grancube
May 18 – Nagoya, Japan – Nagoya Shi Kokaido

For more information, be sure to check out the official Asia website.

—
**UPDATE: 03 March 2010**
Frontiers Records is offering a free MP3 download of the new song “Finger on the Trigger” (full version) on their website. Not sure how long they’ll have it up so be sure to check it out as soon as you can.

Asia to release new album Omega in April

retroDan — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:33:15 +0000

man, these veteran musicians work mighty fast! 80′s supergroup Asia just announced that their brand new studio album titled “Omega” will be released in April. Not only that but also they’ll touring Europe and Japan in April/May to support the new record. No word yet on any U.S. dates. but stay tuned…

Here are the 2010 tour dates that have been confirmed so far:
Apr 24 Rome, Italy
Apr 27 Winterthur, Switzerland
Apr 28 Graz, Austria
Apr 30 Paris, France
May 1 Uden, Netherlands
May 3 Nuremburg, Germany
May 4 Pratteln, Switzerland
May 6 Reichenbach, Germany
May 7 Bochum, Germany
May 8 Osnabruck, Germany
May 9 Bonn, Germany
May 13 Tokyo, Japan
May 14 Tokyo, Japan
May 15 Yokohama, Japan
May 17 Osaka, Japan
May 18 Nagoya, Japan

Asia back in the studio for new album 2010

retroDan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:53:47 +0000

Good news for fans of 80′s prog-rock band Asia. Management recently announced that the four original members of the band are currently in the studio working on the follow up to their highly successful 2008 album, Phoenix. This time around they’re working with an outside producer, Mike Paxman who will hopefully draw out stronger material from John Wetton and Geoff Downes. They don’t seem to have much time allotted for this project with Steve Howe still actively involved with Yes at the moment. In any case, I’m looking forward to new material from these legendary musicians.

—