Asia Classic Asia

As a man not familiar with the classic rock act Asia, I must say that this live concert (originally recorded back in 2012 at the Regency Ballroom) comes as a breath of fresh air and served as a bit of a break from all of the extreme heavy metal that I pound my eardrums with on a daily basis. First and foremost, the listener is getting a concert performance of ridiculously high clarity, which is always a major factor for me in live albums.

This is not your father's Asia. In its beginnings Asia was a band frequently called the first progressive rock supergroup, although that title really belonged to Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The Asia of old actually had an arena rock sort of sound that, while espousing prog elements and textures, was pretty much straightforward rock. At times the band was definitely a bit formulaic. As Asia has continued on, with members coming and going, the tone of the group has changed. The bandmembers seem to struggle a bit with direction, not going completely prog, but certainly not eschewing that direction altogether. This disc reveals one element that could definitely be seen as an improvement over the old days, though: the music has lost much of its slick and almost contrived texture. Sometimes the cuts here come off a bit like they are adrift, but they really seem more real and less contrived than a lot of the classic Asia catalog.

This is a set for the dedicated – the fans who will indeed be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Asia's formation by seeking out the double-disc set, Anthologia: 20th Anniversary Geffen Years Collection 1982-90. This collection is no mere anthology; it is a complete recorded works, containing everything the band recorded for Geffen in the '80s, from full albums (Asia, Alpha, Astra), to B-sides and a handful of rarities…

BMG will issue The Reunion Albums next month, a five-CD box set featuring material from the 2006 reformed classic line-up of Asia, which featured lead vocalist / bassist John Wetton of King Crimson, guitarist Steve Howe of Yes, keyboardist Geoff Downes of Yes, and drummer Carl Palmer from Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The clamshell box set features Fantasia: Live in Tokyo, a live show from their 2007 World Tour (a two-CD set), and the three subsequent studio albums: Phoenix (2008), Omega (2010) and XXX (2012).

Recorded at Central Studios, in Nottingham in 23 June 1990, during their second concert of their "Then and Now" tour. This reunion tour was planned after a partial and more or less unofficial reunion of a line-up with Carl Palmer and John Wetton with other two musicians as "Asia" happened with a few tour dates during 1989…

Celebrating 30 years since the release of their 1982 debut album, Asia's 2012 full-length XXX is also the third release to feature the original line-up since they reunited for 2008's Phoenix and 2010's Omega. Once again showcasing the talents of lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton, keyboardist Geoff Downes, guitarist Steve Howe, and drummer Carl Palmer, XXX is a rock tour de force that disproves the notion that rock bands get worse as they get older. In fact, as with Phoenix and Omega, XXX is a strong follow-up to both of Asia's first two albums and, while never sounding dated, smartly sticks to the band's '80s prog-pop sound. In keeping with this aesthetic, the album even features Roger Dean cover art reminiscent of his 1982 serpent on the band's self-titled debut…