As the editor of the Delaware County Historical Society’s Society Quarterly newsletter, most of my job involves the hands-on process of printing, folding, and mailing the newsletter. I usually work solo, so it’s a routine that takes up ten or twelve hours of my weekend. With all that time to myself, I’ve been able to make good use of my AirPods! A couple weeks ago, I listened to the prog-pop band Asia’s entire discography from start to finish. Here are my thoughts.

If you don’t know Asia by name, you probably at least know some of the band’s songs like “Only Time Will Tell,” “Sole Survivor,” “Don’t Cry,” and by far their biggest hit, “Heat of the Moment.” Formed in 1981 by members of Yes; the Buggles; King Crimson; and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Asia crafted a sound that blended bombastic elements of progressive rock with the syrup of radio-friendly pop. Key to the band’s formula was the fusion of Geoff Downes’ intricate keyboard arrangements, John Wetton’s powerful vocals, Steve Howe’s lithe guitar, and Carl Palmer’s driving rhythms. 

Unlike other bands that erroneously received the “corporate rock” label from music critics like Styx and Foreigner, Asia actually deserved it! After a few failed attempts at forming a supergroup, A&R man John Kalodner and Geffen Records brought John Wetton and Steve Howe together to start working on songs for a prospective album. Palmer and Downes were recruited shortly after.

At any rate, Asia’s 1982 debut, Asia, was a smash hit that spent nine weeks at the top of the charts, spawned an impossibly cool logo, and sold more than four million albums in the United States alone. Their second album, 1983’s Alpha, was less successful, and John Wetton left the band soon after its release. Wetton returned and Howe departed before the band released its third album, Astra, with guitarist Mandy Meyer in 1985. Unfortunately, it performed even worse than its predecessor. 

Still without guitarist Howe, Asia reconvened in the studio for 1990’s retrospective Then & Now with Steve Lukather from Toto. That’s where the band’s history gets confusing. Wetton left the group again after a disappointing tour, but Downes carried on with singer John Payne and a rotating cast of musicians that occasionally featured Howe and Palmer.

The original band reunited in 2006 and released three albums –Phoenix, Omega, and XXX– before Howe left again to focus on other projects. Asia released one final album, Gravitas, with guitarist Sam Coulson before Wetton’s death from cancer in 2017. Today, Downes and a new cast of musicians continues to play to clubs and theaters as Asia, much as he did for most of the nineties. 

Aside of the omnipresent “Heat of the Moment” which I’d known all my life, I took my first deep dive into Asia’s discography in high school. I torrented everything the band had recorded in all of its incarnations! That included the Payne-era albums Aqua, Aria, Arena, Rare, Aurora, and Silent Nation, which I didn’t revisit as I worked on the newsletter. As I folded, I worked my way through Asia, Alpha, Astra, Phoenix, Omega, XXX, and Gravitas. By the end, I had a pretty good sense of how they stack up against each other.

1- Asia (1982)

I’d usually start by ranking the albums in descending order, but Asia’s debut, Asia, is hands-down their greatest release. It’s the only essential album from their entire catalog. Right from the start, “Heat of the Moment” grabs you with Howe’s towering guitar, Palmer’s powerhouse drumming, and that unforgettable 10/4 time signature.

The album follows up with two classic rock staples—“Only Time Will Tell” and its epic synth lead, then “Sole Survivor,” with its crashing intro and winding guitar lines. The rest of Asia keeps up the same anthemic energy, from the squirrelly rhythms of “One Step Closer” to the impassioned “Here Comes the Feeling.” Sure, the lyrics are overwrought and the music is overblown to the point of pomposity, but that’s a big part of the fun.

7- Alpha (1983)

The supergroup’s eagerly anticipated follow-up, Alpha, hit shelves a year after Asia. It climbed to number six on the Billboard 200 and eventually went platinum, but it remains the weakest album in their catalog. The singles “Don’t Cry” and “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” hit 10 and 34 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. They’re catchy enough, but there’s not much substance beneath the melodies.

Asia wasn’t exactly heavy on substance either, but Alpha’s murky, overstuffed production really brings the lack of focus into the forefront. Even more frustrating is how little we hear from Steve Howe. For such a distinctive guitarist, it’s a real letdown that his presence only shines through on the epic “My Own Time (I’ll Do What I Want),” “The Heat Goes On,” and the album closer, “Open Your Eyes.” Overall, Alpha gets bogged down in its own mythos and misses a lot of the fun that made Asia so enjoyable. That said, “My Own Time” is my favorite song to come of all of the band’s music.

6- Phoenix (2008)

Phoenix marked the return of Asia’s original lineup after a twenty-five-year hiatus. It peaked at number 73 on the Billboard 200. The opener, “Never Again,” features a soaring Steve Howe riff that echoes “Heat of the Moment,” but Phoenix quickly gets weighed down by sentimental balladry. Fortunately, things pick up again with two three-part prog epics, while tracks like “Alibis” and “Shadow of a Doubt” come pretty close to recapturing the epic sound that defined Asia’s debut.

Unfortunately, they fall a little short. Wetton’s vocals feel tired, the arrangements plod along, and Palmer’s drumming seems uninspired. It leaves little of the energy you’d expect from a band supposedly reinvigorated and unburdened by its past! To make matters worse, just like on Alpha, Howe’s guitar feels like an afterthought on most of the tracks, with the exception of “Never Again” and a fantastic solo he whips up on the lachrymose closer, “An Extraordinary Life.”

5- Gravitas (2014)

Gravitas is the final Asia album. It’s also the only to feature guitar wunderkind Sam Coulson, who sat in for Steve Howe after he left to prioritize Yes and his power trio. Coulson, who preferred Charvel superstrats to Howe’s Gibson ES-175, brought a heavier edge to Asia’s sound through his chugging rhythm guitar and rapid-fire flourishes. Standout tracks like the poignant opener “Valkyrie,” the upbeat “Nyctophobia,” and “I Would Die For You” -which echoes “The Heat Goes On” from Alpha– are clear highlights.

Gravitas also features two suites: the classically inspired title track and the proggy “Heaven Help Me Now.” Unfortunately, the momentum fades by the album’s end with the saccharine “Joe DiMaggio’s Glove” and the Celtic-inspired “Till We Meet Again,” both of which miss the mark for me. Still, Gravitas is a solid album steeped in reflection. It just feels like an untimely conclusion to Asia’s recorded legacy.

4- Astra (1985)

Just like Gravitas, 1985’s Astra was recorded after Steve Howe departed Asia. In his place was Swiss shredder Mandy Meyer, who, like Sam Coulson, brought a metal influence to the band. Asia’s hardened sound was most obvious in Astra‘s lead single, “Go,” which reached number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. Unfortunately, mismanagement and poor promotion caused the album to stall at number 67, which is a real crime: Astra is far superior to its predecessor, Alpha. Still, muddy recording and busy production prevent it from reaching the heights of Asia’s debut.

Despite its underrated status, Astra has some high points that make it a must-listen for fans. The opener “Go” is a powerhouse. With its regal intro, galloping guitars, and wall of synthesizers, the song is a real anthem. “Rock and Roll Dream,” featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is pure ’80s indulgence in the cheesiest way, as is the soaring “Voice of America.” On the other hand, protest songs like “Countdown to Zero” and “After the War” are unintentionally hilarious. They’re hard to take seriously today.

3- Omega (2010)

Released in 2010 on the heels of Phoenix, Omega sees Asia truly invigorated from the get-go. Album opener “Finger on the Trigger” starts with a heavy Steve Howe riff -finally- and continues with decadent synthesizers, powerful drums, and a sense of urgency that was lacking in its predecessor. The plodding “Through My Veins” features some tasty guitar work and inflection, but the pace picks back up with the adventurous “Holy War.”

As Omega continues, standout tracks like “End of the World,” “Light the Way,” and “I Believe” sound like they could have been lifted straight from Asia’s iconic 1982 debut- they’re that good! Each brings back the punchy melodies, huge hooks, and lush production that defined the band’s classic sound. However, not every experiment lands. The ELO-y “Still the Same” feels out of place. “Emily,” an oddly-toned lament about unrequited love, is another unexpected misstep.

2- XXX (2012)

Celebrating thirty years since Asia’s debut, XXX was the reunited Asia’s third album. It’s a fitting showcase of some of their strongest performances since 1982, matched with the best production in Asia’s catalog. The drums punch through with dynamic energy, the bass adds a gritty edge, an arsenal of synthesizers seamlessly blends modern and classic styles, and Steve Howe’s unmistakable guitar work takes center stage. On top of it all, Wetton’s vocals are stronger than on any other latter-day Asia release.

XXX feels like an album Wetton, Downes, Howe, and Palmer genuinely wanted to make. It’s poppier than Omega, rocks harder than Phoenix, and showcases stronger songs than Gravitas. The opener “Tomorrow the World” packs a punch, but it’s “Bury Me in Willow” that truly stands out as the best track this older, wiser Asia ever recorded. Other highlights include the powerful “No Religion,” the churning lead single “Face on the Bridge,” and the rambunctious “Al Gatto Nero.” If Asia released XXX instead of Alpha, it might have cemented their staying power well past 1982.

Admitting that Asia is one of my favorite bands might get me kicked out of most prog, rock, and metal circles, but I’m okay with that. I know what I like, and Asia delivers exactly that- it’s like nacho cheese cooked up by a team of Michelin Star chefs. Asia’s music is rarely subtle, but that’s exactly what makes it such a guilty pleasure. Now that I’ve gone through the whole catalog, though, I’m at a loss for what to listen to when I work on the next newsletter. Perhaps it’s the perfect excuse to dive into the Downes-Payne albums from 1992 to 2004. If I remember correctly, Aqua was pretty solid!

Promotional images of the band Asia and cover art of Asia, Alpha, Astra, Phoenix, Omega, XXX, and Gravitas are copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The image of the cover is used solely to identify the albums in the context of critical commentary. This should constitute a “fair use” referenced and provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.