Reviewed By: Nicholas R. Andreas
Artist: Asia
Album: Phoenix
Genre: Pop-Rock
Year of Release: 2008
On Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Asia/dp/B00154GEFU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1207967479&sr=8-1Geoffrey Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer, and John Wetton had not made an album together in 25 years until this release. These four original members made the widely popular self titled album together, and then the Alpha album before the band went through a myriad of line-up changes. In 2007 the original line-up reunited for a tour, and now they have produced a pretty good new album.
The album starts with the upbeat “Never Again” that showcases the positive aspects of the album. The song has an upbeat poppy edge to it coupled with a catch chorus, two aspects that dominated much of Asia’s career. By the end of the song you know that the four men behind the music did not intend to rely simply on their name in order to sell an album. The next song, “Nothing’s Forever” seems to lose some of the magic of the opening cut. Most of the song is dominated by a rather boring drum beat and vocals never seem to die out for any kind of musical wizardry. “Heroine” is a little more creative; however still nothing to write home about. The song is a bit of a ballad and for those who enjoy lyrics I think this song will be a bit of a treat. The next song is three parts, the first and third of which are instrumental. The instrumental sections are very laid back, however I enjoy the subtle beauty of them a lot and they really bring the album back on track. “Now Way Back”, the lyrical section of the song is the caliber of the opener and through this three part monster the album really starts to show promise. “Alibis” is the only track on the album to feature writing credits by Howe and Palmer, and it shows as the song is in my opinion clearly the outstanding track of the album. The verse comes in quickly and features great keyboard lead, and the song quickly gets to the chorus where a very nice odd drum beat carries under a thick vocal melody. One the second verse kicks back in. Solo section is a series of short solo trade-offs between Downes and Howe that are all simple yet very pleasing. The song’s long outro is a very folksy sounding bit that varies a lot from the rest of the song and closes it perfectly.
“I Will Remember You” is another ballad that lacks Steve Howe completely. However the keyboard work is well done and the song does not drag. Better than the previous ballad. “Shadow of a Doubt” is another average track. The verses leave something to be desired however the song brings you back into it every time a chorus kicks in. The next song is another three part beast. This time it is the first section, “Parallel Worlds” that features the lyrics. The entire song is very atmospheric and spacey, or at least as far in that direction as Asia gets, and as common for the album the instrumental sections are highlights in their subtle beauty. “Wish I’d Known All Along” has a groovy eclectic feel throughout led by the guitar work of the song’s writer, Steve Howe. One of the albums best tracks, and perhaps the most interesting on the album. “Orchard of Mines” manages to be epic in its simplicity. Rich keyboards and a mystic drum beat throughout make the song sound big while Wetton provides thick vocals. The song is the only cover on the album, however I have not a clue on who originally wrote it. “Over and Over” is another interesting song from Steve Howe; however the song fails to live up to the overall quality produced by the other two tracks which he helped write. The song is still an enjoyable listen though. The final track on the album, “An Extraordinary Life” is an uplifting piece written by John Wetton after a trip to Croatia and focuses on the theme of Carpe Diem. For a pretty straight forward poppy edged soft rock song it manages to be quite good.
In the end my biggest complaint is that this album needed more contributions by Steve Howe. Howe’s absence was felt both in the music and the writing. The keyboard leads and background work was very good, however the album needed to be balanced with more guitar work. My second biggest complaint is half a joke, but I feel it must be said. Looking at the cover of the album, Asia’s idea of a Phoenix, one of the most majestic and powerful birds in all of mythology, is a glorified pheasant. There is on outstanding track and much of the album, and many more quite good tracks scattered throughout. However with the four guys on the album there was certainly potential for more. Biggest player on the album was definitely Geoff Downes, whose keyboards were always a presence. The album’s sound is quite good, as opposed to much of what I listen to a big budget was obviously there on this disc.
Nick’s Rating: 7.5/10
Topic: [Music] Asia - Phoenix (Read 3095 times)
