New Asia album out now!
 

Just got it guys: will be reviewing in a few days, once I've taken it all in! :):thumb:
http://megaboon.com/images/release/4...14419791551368

I doubt they'll be too much to take in, it'll probably just be a cut and paste job from the glory days of the 1980s. Nice album cover though.

Why do you say that? Did you not enjoy "Phoenix" and "Omega"? I wasn't too taken with "Silent nation", to be sure, but I thought both the albums that followed were strong and a real return to form.

i'm not too taken in at all by any of their albums

the singles were great, though

On first listen I'm a little underwhelmed. Seems quite generic, nothing stands out and there's no big epic number like "Sleeping giant" from "Phoenix". Still, it's only the first listen, so maybe it'll grow on me by the time I review it.

Yeah, even I'm a bit surprised at how pedestrian XXX really is. On top of that, they even lifted the hook from 'Don't Fear The Reaper' for the track 'No Religion', lol! :D

Also, I'm probably in the minority here, but I really miss the John Payne era. :(

It's not only that: I see hooks from other songs --- some theirs, some not --- used in many of the tracks. The piano, for instance, in I think "Faithful"? (Not totally sure, will check) sounds very like the basic melody of "The last time" from Aura. And I also prefer Payne; he had more heart in his voice, if that's not a mixed metaphor...

For an album celebrating thirty years of a band's achievement (which I assume the title refers to) I find it, at the moment, something of a let-down and a bit of a damp squib. "Judas" in particular disappointed me: talk about generic!

Maybe I'll warm to it. Maybe not. But you shouldn't have to even do that with an Asia album, and I haven't, up to now.

Time to call it a day?

Oh man yeah! I only recognised it now that you say it! How completely unoriginal!

God, the more I listen to this album the more I hate it for not only playing safe, but being boring, boring, boring. What a wimp-out! Expect a pretty savage review in the next day or so...

I have to agree with those who say that Asia is more POP than "prog". Don't get me wrong, they have good songs but they were CLEARLY aiming towards radio with their music, specifically within the American market. The majority of prog rock bands of the 70's couldn't care less about radio, and understandably so. :)

I posted a lengthy reply to this thread, but it turned into a rant on the origins of Asia and in defence of Love Beach, so I decided against.

Someone defending Love Beach? Is that possible?

:bonkhead: Wow, are you ever wrong about this. In fact the extent of your wrongness is beyond any scope of measurement ever produced.

Don't Look Back is pretty good.

Funny thing is, I actually came to the conclusion that XXX is definitely one of the worst Asia albums ever recorded.

Anyone heard "Gravitas" yet?

I liked the songs on Thirty, but they lacked instrumental oomph. Gravitas is more of the same.

I already made my opinion of "XXX" clear (let's just say, apt title!) and have heard a few songs from "Gravitas" on my playlists. Sounds ok but no "Aura" or even "Omega"...

Are these two posts in the wrong thread? That's Boston, not Asia. Thousands of miles apart, and one's a city while one's a continent... ;)

I don't know what US is saying "Third Stage" is as good as, but if it's the debut I would disagree, though only slightly --- second best of all Boston albums.

Now please go to the Boston thread with this, me included...
:whythis::offtopic:

Asia and GTR are both equally bad IMO. Bunch of classic prog-rock artists playing lots of 4/4 poppy synth rock and trying to jump on the MTV bandwagon.

Ugh.

Third Stage is a meticulous piece of work even by Boston standards and a classic album in every aspect.

It’s not as good I agree on an initial listen, but Thrid Stage resonates so well as an album over time and is a showpiece AOR release from the peak AOR years of the early to mid 1980s. Much better than anything put out by Asdia from this period, even though I really dig the Asia debut as a great album in its own right.;)