The smile is back in the eyes of the first Supergroup of the '80's.
Way back when I first started to by Lps and Cassettes one of the first band's I listed to was Asia. My mom had bought the cassette from Columbia House in 1982 and since I was listening to new music I tried it out. Asia quickly became a favorite of mine, the band's pairing of pop hooks and instrumental dexterity proved irresistible. In 1983, the group released a second album and announced a world tour.
Then they cancelled the tour. The tour called Asian Invasion '83 had bitten the dust. News of bassist / lead singer John Wetton getting sacked followed. Greg Lake of ELP replaced Wetton for the important Asia in Asia concert that December. Following that show, Asia would become a revolving door of performers for the next 23 years.
So I was shocked to see the original lineup of Asia - John Wetton, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and Geoff Downes- touring lasts year under the Asia moniker. As great as that simple fact was, they skipped Northern California on the tour meaning I still could not see them play.
Until now. Asia has released a live DVD, Fantasia live in Tokyo (2007), to give fans like me a break. Finally I get to see the amazing supergroup in live action...on video that is. What Fantasia showed was a group of aging musicians who still can get their groove on. The musicians have become pudgy and bloated except for guitarist Steve Howe, who as my wife puts it "Looks like a mad scientist". And while they have each lost a step since their 80's prime, there's no denying Asia still has chemestry and spectacular chops.
The music pulled mostly from their triple platinum self titled album. In fact, the entire album is played live during this show in all of their glory. A handful of tracks from the second album Alpha is featured, particularly in a stripped down sort of "unplugged" section. To top it off, four songs from the group members past in The Buggles, Yes, ELP and King Crimson all receive air time. One of the major highlights of the DVD is the band trading solos on Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" made famous by ELP. "Heat of the Moment", "Only Time Will Tell" and "Sole Survivor" also fared well.
But it comes down to if the musicians still have it. John Wetton has gained considerable weight but is still a rock solid bass player with a heroic voice. Guitarist Steve Howe shows more energy than he has in the past 3 Yes concerts I've seen recently. Keyboardist Geoff Downes still shows off unnecssarily but highlights his fluid playing style with a bank of synthesizers. Lastly, drummer extrodinaire Carl Palmer is still blindingly fast with his sticks.
By the end of the DVD, I had felt like I had watched a concert I've been waiting half my life for. Fantasia shows the group of elderly prog rockers still had the ability to create some excitement. If you're a fan of early 80's power rock, this DVD is well worth getting.
Then they cancelled the tour. The tour called Asian Invasion '83 had bitten the dust. News of bassist / lead singer John Wetton getting sacked followed. Greg Lake of ELP replaced Wetton for the important Asia in Asia concert that December. Following that show, Asia would become a revolving door of performers for the next 23 years.
So I was shocked to see the original lineup of Asia - John Wetton, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and Geoff Downes- touring lasts year under the Asia moniker. As great as that simple fact was, they skipped Northern California on the tour meaning I still could not see them play.
Until now. Asia has released a live DVD, Fantasia live in Tokyo (2007), to give fans like me a break. Finally I get to see the amazing supergroup in live action...on video that is. What Fantasia showed was a group of aging musicians who still can get their groove on. The musicians have become pudgy and bloated except for guitarist Steve Howe, who as my wife puts it "Looks like a mad scientist". And while they have each lost a step since their 80's prime, there's no denying Asia still has chemestry and spectacular chops.
The music pulled mostly from their triple platinum self titled album. In fact, the entire album is played live during this show in all of their glory. A handful of tracks from the second album Alpha is featured, particularly in a stripped down sort of "unplugged" section. To top it off, four songs from the group members past in The Buggles, Yes, ELP and King Crimson all receive air time. One of the major highlights of the DVD is the band trading solos on Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" made famous by ELP. "Heat of the Moment", "Only Time Will Tell" and "Sole Survivor" also fared well.
But it comes down to if the musicians still have it. John Wetton has gained considerable weight but is still a rock solid bass player with a heroic voice. Guitarist Steve Howe shows more energy than he has in the past 3 Yes concerts I've seen recently. Keyboardist Geoff Downes still shows off unnecssarily but highlights his fluid playing style with a bank of synthesizers. Lastly, drummer extrodinaire Carl Palmer is still blindingly fast with his sticks.
By the end of the DVD, I had felt like I had watched a concert I've been waiting half my life for. Fantasia shows the group of elderly prog rockers still had the ability to create some excitement. If you're a fan of early 80's power rock, this DVD is well worth getting.
No comments:
Post a Comment