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Rating: So: regarding Asia, I believe there's always been a bit of confusion, especially about the genre that the band proposed. There are those, like me, who leaned more towards the term "80s prog," those who coined the term (which I myself have not at all hesitated to use) "pomp rock," those who chose arena rock, and those who more "simply" discussed FM rock, or AOR rock, whatever you want to call it, in short, the mainstream rock of the early eighties. The way I see it, being that there was a temporary directional change at the beginning of the '80s (lasting, except for Genesis, only the few years at the start of the decade) in the style of the surviving prog bands, which would wink (and I believe with good qualitative results) at more American and fresh sounds, or at artists and tastes more catchy (Yes and Buggles as father and son), I believe that even Asia—supercombo born "in the eighties and for the eighties," between three prog-men and one who played "Video Killed The Radio Star" and did "owa owa" all the time—in their project of reaching and broadcasting on all rock radios globally, did not deviate much 'philosophically' from those bands protagonists of the seventies, who in the eighties desired not to be overwhelmed by the 'new wave', indeed, if possible, to ride it.
In their first but also in their second album, Asia managed to go even further: instead of good pop rock songs, even danceable ones, they devoted themselves to epic rock, a bit kitsch, but we were in the 1980s, and who would notice? So they let themselves be guided by the young Downes, the true soul-mind of the project, and took a corridor leading to certain space pop-rock typical of the time. Thus, aware of their technical possibilities and stimulated, at the same time, by what was being heard around the radios, they decided to engage with the new daring talents, and on their own field, convinced that greater substance, charisma, experience, habit and attitude to quality writing, confidence with the term 'masterpiece', and executive technique translated into handfuls and handfuls of points in their favor. Success, bolstered by these enormous potentials (I forgot that there is also the need to evaluate the worldwide fame of the four formers), came inevitably, as a closed box... Yet there was something with which, it really seems, the members of this band never confronted: themselves. Was there ever a time when they truly questioned the quality of what they were writing, playing, recording, selling? Did they ever have the impression that people like them could have done infinitely better than "Asia" and "Alpha"?
In 1985, Steve Howe had already left the band, disappointed by the failure of "Alpha." In his place, they recruited a certain Mandy Mayer, a long-haired half-Canadian half-Swiss, guitarist of Krokus, a central-European band of 'normal' metal and AOR rock, precisely one of those bands that roamed the radios that Asia, from 1982 onwards, tried to storm. The guy, probably aware that the phenomenon of AOR and 80s metal wouldn't survive long, abandoned everything, Krokus and Krauts to go play with the giants. Worst-case scenario, at least he would increase his chances of becoming an exceptional session man. And then, playing with Carl Palmer... Enters "Astra," unquestionably the album with the ugliest cover in the entire history of the band. And, as evidenced by the choice of the new guitarist, pomp rock was by then on its last legs. Only the initial and final tracks remain. The first, "Go," a single with modest outcomes, starts like a church anthem and continues like a templar charge... It becomes immediately apparent that Mayer is reliable and solid. The closing track, "After The War", instead, is the version of 10,884 AD BB XIV (see review of "Alpha") of "Cavalleria Rusticana" (it's specified that Sicily, in 10,734 AD BB XIV, became Asian territory as it passed into the hands of Bangladesh, which allowed that nation to exploit Sicilian labor "at an even lower cost"). Pomp is also the horrible ballad "Love Now Til Eternity".
In the middle, "Voice Of America", with a chorus that seems to come out of a Rocky soundtrack (Asia would 'limit' themselves to giving a track to the famous movie "Over The Top" by Stallone, the one, to be clear, about arm wrestling), whose Special medieval-sounding part surprised no one by the 1980s. The shot doesn't get elevated in "Too Late", in Toto style, also with a hackneyed Special this time between pseudo-music boxes, nor in "Rock And Roll Dream", unlistenable, with no head or tail, until the liberating accelerated ending, where Downes can finally stretch his phalanges and phalanx. Unworthy, "Suspicion".
More interesting is "Hard On Me", rock for radio with a greater dose of keys. It's a pity that some of them, rather than having Geoff Downes' flair, seem to be played by maestro Olmi of "Non È La RAI", due to their sloppiness and banality. Note, when the piece "stops", a certain resemblance to the famous "Jump" by Van Halen. Asia is less catchy than David Lee Roth and his associates in the 'year of (dis)-grace 1984' version, they would also have obligations as a supercombo, but it's the chart they want. And they want it with such vigor that "Wishing" has verses that resemble the rock version of "Last Christmas" by Wham! "Countdown To Zero" is decent, dark and apocalyptic, based on Wetton's interpretative wisdom and his valid bass lines.
"Astra" would remain well away from the charts, marking yet another step back in terms of success and quality. After losing Steve Howe's touch and songwriting, Geoff Downes would find himself without a vocalist, a bassist, and with the most consistent songwriter alongside him in composing tracks: John Wetton would surrender to the 'evidence' and take other paths (except to return aboard the spaceship half a decade later). One is left to wonder: what evidence did Wetton surrender to? The "monetary" evidence (the lack of success) or the qualitative one? In short, the same question I asked myself after Howe's departure... But here it's even worse. Did Wetton realize that the (terrible) tracks that didn't bring him the desired money are almost all signed by him for three albums out of three?
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
02 Voice of America (04:28)
I heard you on the radio
Some other time
From some forgotten studio
Way down the line
So long, so long I've waited now
To hear you again
That song, that song will still remain
Become an old friend
And now, the tears are in my eyes
The sound you can't disguise
The truth comes back from lies
And all I want to hear
Voice of America, ooh, America
Voice of America, ooh, America
And then you came in stereo
Calling to me
And so I watch the videos
Across the T.V.
That sound, still ringing in my ears
From a decade ago
Around, around my head, the sound from my radio
I thought, that after all these years
The tears, the growing fears
That I would never hear
Never again
Voice of America, ooh, America
Voice of America, ooh, America
03 Hard on Me (03:36)
A secret smile
Comes to my eyes like a bolt from the blue
It's not your style
But it leads me to dream about what we could do
Could it be the same
(Could it be the same)
Ever be the same
(When I call your name)
Could it be the same again
Ever the same again?
It's hard on me
And I know, nothing comes easy
But it's hard on you
Believe me, baby it's hard on me
A trick of light
Your face in the shadows alone in the night
You're in my sights
All I've been thinking I know that it's right
See you standing there
(See you standing there)
Magic in the air
(Magic in the air)
Now the smoke has cleared
Time has disappeared
It's hard on me
But you know, nothing comes easy
But it's hard on you
I need you, always believe me
Could it be the same?
(Could it be the same)
Ever be the same
(When I call your name)
Could it be the same
Ever the same again?
It's hard on me
But I know, nothing comes easy
But it's hard on you
I need you, always believe me
It's hard on me
But you know, nothing comes easy
But it's hard on you
I've hurt you before
Now please don't make it hard on me
04 Wishing (04:17)
Wishing, hoping
How can I keep coping
'Til I know your wish is to be with me
You go, I know
You were the one who told me so
I'm wishing you lying in my arms
Sad, so sad
It's written across my face
My tears leave no trace
They fall and disappear
Mad, so mad
Leaving you on your own
Your right to disown me
Will always be so clear
Wishing, so long
How can I keep holding on
When this song is wishing you home again
Sad, so sad
It's written across my face
My tears leave no trace
They fall and disappear
Mad, so mad
Leaving you on your own
Your right to disown me
Will always be so clear
Wishing
Wishing
Wishing
Wishing, so long
How can I keep holding on
When this song is wishing you home again
Wishing
Wishing
Wishing
06 Countdown to Zero (04:17)
The night is cold, the sun is down
I see faces through the wire
No chance for them
No shoulder left to cry on
It's 4 am out on the street
Through the smoke I see the fire
It's a funeral pyre
For them to die on
{chorus}
Countdown to zero
Just begun
Coundown to zero
It's time to start the run
The city lights are fading now
As I climb into the plane
To shield me from
The stinging acid rain
And this is it, it's over now
As we taxi down Runway One
Tell me please
You'll wake me when it's over
{chorus}
Do you realize what's happening in Western Europe?
Norway, Finland, Scotland, England
We will be the first to go
Don't do it
{chorus}
Don't do it
Don't do it
Don't start the countdown to zero
We want to live
We want to live
We will live
You've got your finger on the trigger
Take it off
Let it go
Let it pass
Let it go
08 Too Late (04:14)
I say, no way
You've gone and stepped across that fine line
I cried, you lied
I tried, maybe a thousand times before
I can't take no more
{chorus}
Too late
You let the sun go down
Too late
You changed direction
Too late
For you to turn around
We tried everything
Move on, so long
Two side to every story
You told, good nights
bad days, time to go out separate ways
I can't say no more
{chorus x2}
09 Suspicion (03:46)
Where were you yesterday?
I called you up
No one answered
The phone rings now
All the time
I pick it up
No one answers
I know it seems like I just can't go ahead
Sometimes it's like holding a gun to my head
I get the green light but I'm still seeing red
Something I can't stand
Suspicion
Suspicion
In the park, yesterday
I saw a face that spelled danger
A friendly smile, a worried look
I mistook for a stranger
I keep on fighting and I know I can't win
Something's biting me I'll never give in
Coming back to me again and again
The message in my hand
Suspicion
Suspicion
Eating away at me, it won't let go
Suspicion is following, everywhere I go
He walks before me, he's someone that I don't know
Suspicion
Suspicion
Where were you yesterday?
Where will you be tomorrow?
10 After the War (05:08)
For those that are able To go underground Missiles disenable They hit faster then sound They're coming and you have no choice The helpless with one human voice You will categorically say This underdog will have his day One more dead is one more Then it ought to be A travesty oh oh One more missed will be kissed To eternity Or purgatory oh oh After the war After the war Red button he's pressing But he knows not why He's programming orders War lights up the sky He's on the hotline tonight His mind is high as a kite His fingers decide wrong or right This man has it all in his sights Used as tools to believe In autonomy Minorities are no more Men are fools One last cry to humanity No sanity anymore After the war After the war After the war On my arm a tattoo for my sons to be That numbers you and me There's a scar on my face That is photographed for all to see oh oh After the war..
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