The First Supergroup of the '80's

My all time favorite artist is Roger Dean for his fanciful artwork such as the album cover above. I mean, what kind of genius says "I'm going to paint a female robot with a mushroom head and have her crouch like a cat batting a ball. And everything will be purple!" Pure genius.

This is the true story...of four Prog rock all stars picked to form a band...work together and have their music taped...to find out what happens when people stop being polite...and start getting real...The Real World Asia!

Asia was labelled the first supergroup of the 80's because the members of the group had come from successful 70's band. Bassist/vocalist/main songwriter John Wetton (Roxy Music, King Crimson), Guitarist Steve Howe (Yes), Keyboardist Geoff Downes (Buggles, Yes) and Drummer Carl Palmer (ELP) formed an AOR band that debuted on the fledgling Geffen label in 1982. Their self titled debut album was a smash hit thanks to the "Heat of the Moment". Their mix of poppy songs with mini prog rock excursions made them extremely successful. They had exceeded even their own expectations of how big they could be and found themselves in the same ranks as Journey or Loverboy.

It was at this point my Mom joined the Columbia House records and tape club and got Asia's first tape. I played that thing to death. The songs were catchy and the musicians could play extremely well, plus Steve Howe's guitars facinated me because he went into weird little patterns that were unique compared to other guitarists.

Although they were a new band, the giant sized Prog rock egos gained from a decade of playing ten minute solos surfaced. The band tried to prepare themselves against...themselves...by signing a contract when the band formed to stay together for two years. But that couldn't stop them. For the second album Alpha, Wetton froze Howe out of the songwriting process and with it much of the guitars. Without the excessive instrumental breaks and Howe's guitars buried deep into the mix, Asia sounded less distinct. Although Alpha was a second platinum album, it sold less than their debut and forced the band to cancel their tour (which sucked because I was hoping to see them on their Asian Invasion tour).

But there was still hope because the band had signed up for a huge MTV concert to be played in Japan but aired internationally called Asia in Asia. It was near my birthday so I felt like I had received a great gift! And then the roof fell in-on Asia, that is.

It seems Howe and Wetton had enough of each other as Wetton was suddenly ejected from the band. Carl Palmer called in old friend Greg Lake (ELP) to cover the Asia in Asia concert. Though Lake's voice is deeper than John Wetton they were able to pull off the show (which I recorded to cassette off the radio, back before the internet when you had to do things like that to save certain broadcasts). In 1984, MTV reported this version of Asia was going to hit the studio.

So I was a little shocked when in 1985 Asia resurfaced sans Steve Howe but with John Wetton. In Howe's place was Mandy Meyer from the Metal band Krokus. I found out later in a Steve Howe interview that the Greg Lake version didn't work because John Wetton had written all the songs. Wetton was asked back, hat in hand, and shortly after tensions rose and Howe quit. Meanwhile, Palmer was asked back into ELP but declined and was replaced by Cozy Powell in that band.

When I bought Asia's third album Astra (originally titled Arcadia until the Duran Duran off shoot claimed it as a band name) the one stand out cut was "Go". The rest of the album was a bit silly with Nuclear War gloom and doom as a theme (in College I had a roommate who also was an Asia fan. We would frequently reference the ridiculous ending to "Countdown to Zero" with it's speech at the end, "No / Don't do it / Don't press the button / Don't start the Countdown to Zero" spoken in an ominous voice). "Go" was the last great blast of Asia, though my friends kept thinking it was Barry Manilow singing.

Astra was a flop, in fact Billboard magazine named it one of the Top 10 flops of the year (upo there with Billy Squier's Enough is Enough album). Since Astra, everyone but Geoff Downes quit. Downes claimed the band name under the last man standing rule and continued with a rotation of other players. Sometimes, Wetton, Palmer and Howe would occassionally return but never Wetton and Howe together. Over time, the band started to receive new attention as a nostalgiac piece of dork rock particularly in the movie The 40 Year Old Virgin (with that classic bit "I mean, seriously, Asia? You framed an Asia poster? How hard did the people at the frame store laugh when you brought this in?").

A few years back, either they had mellowed with age or just needed money, but the Original Asia band re-formed and has resumed touring. I will finally get to see them live this year which is a dream come true for me. As an added bonus, in April the band will be releasing their first new album with the original line up called Phoenix! I've replaced Van Halen news on the sidebar with Asia to get ready (and Van Halen's tour is cancelled/rescheduled/cancelled/rescheduled anyway). Until then, I will have to satisfy my Asia craving with some classic stuff. Here's the new Flashback "Go"!

Asia - "Go"