ASIA

The 1980s...... You can immediate recognice the 1980s sound. The horrible sound of plastic fantastic. I am not a follower of fashion. But the fashion from that time makes even me cringe and feel physically unwell.

It is in this context we have to consider this album, almost thirty years after it's release. It was 1982 and Asia was a cutting edge band at that time. Football terraces chants and choruses, which there is far too much of on this album, was socially acceptable and cutting edge. In short; this album was really the cutting edge and high-fashion back then. It became a multi million seller. Listening to it now, some parts of it makes me cringe.

This album can best be labelled as intelligent AOR. A genre I am anything but a fan of. I normally cannot stand AOR. But this album has it's qualities though. A track like Time Again is heavy influenced by Yes, Steve Howe being the main engine on that song. Wildest Dreams is also a good track. So is the hit single Heat Of The Moment. Other songs makes me cringe and remember the thousands of kids who was conceived by pairs listening to this album. Not pretty thoughts, but I guess most of these kids has grown up and has become useful citizens. But I blankly refuses to think about Asia's fashion clothes and hairstyles which adornes the promo pictures for this album.

The musicians here does a very good job on this pretty intelligent AOR album and it is my understanding that this is the best ever Asia album. Not a pretty thought, here I am sitting with half a dozen Asia albums I have to listen to. But this is a a good album with it's flaws, but also with some good songs too. A weak three stars is awarded.

3 stars