It's hard to beat the first album - that is chock full of great pop rock tunes - but they have had some other good ones over the years.
I was a big fan of Voice of America from the Then and Now CD in the early 90s.
Holy War is a newer one that I remember standing out as really good.
Voice of America is track 2 on Astra, another fantastic album.
But back to the question. I guess the definitive Asia live albums for me are Asia In Asia (with Greg Lake in 1983), Live In Moscow (1990) and Asia Fantasia Live In Tokyo (2007). Spirit Of The Night ( Phoenix Tour) and Resonance (Omega Tour) are really good too but the energy level isn't quite as good as those others, but they do feature some post reunion material and that's why I enjoy them. Live In Nottingham (1990) is good too, but not quite as good a performance as Live In Moscow.
i think there are a more few recent live albums but I don't have those yet. I just recently found an official bootleg from a recent tour in the used bin, but a friend borrowed it so I've only listened to it once. It's good too, but until I get it back I can't determine just how good.
I also have Quadra which is a gray market release (four discs, three shows, one from 82, 83, and 1990) Sounds like crap for a quasi-official release, but the passion and energy are there in spades.
Some of you may have been to the Centrum Worcester show in the summer of 1983 which takes up two of those discs.
As for the John Payne era? There are plenty of live albums from that period, but I have no interest in any of that so I can't say how those are. I just have Aura from that period and that's only because I like the guests that played on it.
I also have Icon Live (Wetton and Downes before reuniting) performing a mostly original Asia set with John Mitchell playing guitar and Steve Christey on drums. I think this one is really good too.
Oh.....and don't pay the ferryman