LIVE IN KOLN

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In 1997, Asia released a series of official live bootleg recordings. There were a total of three in the series (I think), recorded in Köln, Osaka, and Philadelphia. This one is the recording of a concert that took place in Köln, Germany on October 5, 1994. It includes selections from the Wetton era of Asia all the way through the Aria album of 1994. It includes the hits of Asia, plus a slight focus on recent stuff. Obviously in order to get people to show up, they definitely would have to play numbers like Heat of the Moment, Only Time Will Tell, and Sole Survivor.

Unfortunately I found the performance really lacking. I understand this is of bootleg quality in production, but the energy seems low, sometimes the performance sounds awkward (such as timing issues), and many times some of the instruments are drowned out by others. I can't imagine I would have enjoyed being there in person at all and would have left the concert disappointed.

Of course the main issue with this release is that it is an official bootleg, thus the quality is substandard. To put it frankly, I've heard better unofficial bootlegs than this one. I'm not sure if the performances in Osaka or Philadelphia were better as I haven't listened to them (nor do I wish to even buy them), but if you're a die-hard Asia fan, you probably will be disappointed with this one.

I considered giving this two stars because it was an official bootleg, thus collectors and fans might appreciate it. The quality is just too substandard for me, so I have to regretfully give this one star. Only for completionists.

The problem with this live album is that it's a bootleg. It's official, but it's still a bootleg. And 99 out of a 100 bootlegs sound like crap. Of course I'm making that statistic up, but my experience seems to be that the majority of them do sound like crap. Yes, I know. I should have realized this when it says "official bootleg" on the front of the packaging. But we're all entitled to a brain fart every now and then, and I've made enough in my life that I can smell them before I have them.

So, we have a bunch of AOR numbers, supposedly the best by Asia, but really leaning more heavily on the Payne era, which really means NOT the best of Asia. So there you have it. Crappy production of a bunch of crappy songs.

I still have this album. I don't know why. Perhaps I have hoarding instincts?