PHOENIX

Yep, the original lineup of Asia is back together after more than 20 years. Yep, Wetton can still sing as good as he did all those years ago. Yep, Steve Howe is as exceptional a guitarist as he ever was. Yep, Carl Palmer still bangs on his drums like he did when he was a youngster. Yep, Geoff Downes is still a keyboard extraordinaire. But most importantly, yep, this still sounds like the Asia of the early 1980s. And herein lies the crux of the problem with this group: it has and pretty much always has been an AOR band (and likely always will be).

So if you're expecting something different, in the deepest hopes that these four talented musicians will relive their prog credentials under the Asia name, you're likely to be disappointed. How many more albums does Asia need to release to prove this point?

AOR is the name of the game here, and it always has been, and probably always will be. If you're a fan of Asia, you'll enjoy this. Trust me, I'm a fan of the group and I really liked this return to form. But prog? Related only in name. For fans only.