ASIA

Since this is probably another must-do review, I had my first listen to Asia in 25 years.

Oh dear, it must be ages since I have laughed so much when listening to a record. This is so bad that it becomes irresistible. For starters, each song challenges all the others at bearing the cheesiest possible verses in rock history. But still, when they fire off into the chorus it gets even worse then it already was. I can't help it, it's too much, I simply double up at every refrain here. It's so blatantly commercial and tasteless that it's jaw-dropping.

I remember I used to like a few tunes from this album though. Time Again was one of them and it still kind of works. Also Wildest Dreams and Cutting it Fine aren't entirely without merit. Overstated as this whole affair may be, you can't blame them for not sounding enthusiastic. Of course, it is a rather disturbing thought how such musicians could be excited about this stuff ... Makes you wonder if these guys had any self-scrutiny at all.

So, I had a good laugh and I've more or less enjoyed 3 tracks. That would normally be 2 stars. But really, that would put my other 2-stars to shame.

In a twisted sort of way I would dare to call this essential. Not because it is any good but because it should be a mandatory listen for each prog-head to remind us how things got so terribly wrong.