Asia simply don’t get enough credit these days. Their April ‘82 self titled debut sold more copies than any other album released that year – and considering this was the same year in which a little known singer named Madonna made her debut and in which Michael Jackson released ‘Thriller’ – the “gravitas” of that achievement cannot be underplayed.
Fast forward to 2014 and the seminal British rock band, themselves the natural successors to bands such as King Crimson and YES, have released an album which captures their classic sound. The beautiful and haunting ‘Russian Dolls’ is a perfect example of how this album captures the lyricists natural ability to tell their story, while ‘I Would Die For You’ is an upbeat Deep Purple inspired folly through natural rhythm.
The album itself possesses something magical for fans of classic Deep Purple, Whitesnake and even Thunder, with ‘The Closer I Get’ showing the full range of John Wetton’s vocal ability. You can certainly shout to be heard but – like Wetton – the slow and meandering ballad is what provides a real talent.
For the symphonic and the experimental it’s impossible to accuse this band of simply standing on ceremony and taking “new money for old rope”, with a piece like ‘Heaven Help Me’ really reminding me of Queen’s later progressive rock work on the ‘Innuendo’ album.
The title track involves the instrumental symphonies of elegance you’d expect to hear on Elton John’s ‘Funeral for a Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)’ or from an equal album of such comparable majesty – and if you’re looking for something like that – you needn’t look much further.
Words: Wayne Madden
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