ASIA FEAT. JOHN PAYNE: RECOLLECTIONS - A TRIBUTE TO BRITISH PROG

This is a nice album. It's a covers-album by the John Payne-led version of Asia (Jay Schellen, Erik Norlander, John Payne himself and a variety of guitarists, on this album Bruce Bouillett and Moni Scaria)

Not the standard songs to cover and some sound really fresh. I especially like that John and Erik pay hommage to forgotten bands like Barclay James Harvest, Camel, Alan Parsons Project and UK, next to well-known bands like Yes, King Crimson and Jethro Tull.

Payne is an excellent vocalist, maybe one of the best of his generation. Erik likes to play a million keyboards at once, wich makes this release very colourful.

Maybe not anyone will like the rasping voice of John, but somehow it just works. For instance: Court of the Crimson King and Higways of the Sun sound more rock than they ever did.

Anyway I don't think that John and Erik were trying to ripp off the greats, but pay an hommage, and in that case it works out just fine.