Phoenix (Asia-Album)

Occupation

• John Wetton - bass guitar, vocals
• Carl Palmer - drums, percussion
• Steve Howe - guitar, vocals
• Geoffrey Downes - keyboards, vocals

Phoenix is the ninth studio album by the British AOR band Asia, from the year 2008. It reached # 58 in the German and number 75 in the Swiss charts.

Background

In 2005, the Asia and former Yes keyboardist Geoffrey Downes should go with the band White of Yes - drummer Alan White, the former Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe and the band The Syn of Yes bassist Chris Squire on tour. Although this tour was never materialized, but it was due to the renewed contacts Downes ' to Howe and former Asia singer John Wetton, recently played with the Dowens under the name Icon, the end of 2005 the chance to reform the original line Asias.

After some preliminary telephone, the four founding members of the Asia- Downes, Howe, Wetton and drummer Carl Palmer met with Wetton manager Martin Darvill on 5 January 2006 in a suite at the London Paddington Hilton Hotels to an interview, during which decided the reunion of the band been.

The team led by the four musicians supplemented subsequently Darvill as a manager, the experienced Phil Carson, Bruce Pilato (who had already worked with Emerson, Lake & Palmer with Palmer ) as a PR Manager and Barbara Skydel by the William Morris Management Agency, the Asia had already represented in the successful 80s. Carson was there one of the most important people in the team: He had some time previously organized the comebacks of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Yes and Foreigner and was predestined to Asia to establish there a second time by his good contacts in the U.S..

The reunion of the original cast meant for John Payne, Guthrie Govan and Jay clamps of the hitherto current Asia- cast the corner. The currently being drafted Asia Project Architect of Time was put on hold and the three musicians formed the band GPS.

Recordings

After a successful comeback world tour, the original cast Asias (August 19, 2006 - Spring 2007 ) began in May 2007 work on a new studio album, but had to be interrupted shortly thereafter: One of the long-term consequences of Wetton alcoholism had discovered to just happen, performed by atherosclerosis induced coronary heart disease after much back and forth in August of the same year a heart operation had rendered necessary. The triple bypass went well, yet had announced appearances Asias and the Wetton / Downes Icon project in North America and Europe were canceled until further notice for the fall.

The Italian record label Frontiers Records took Asia under contract and until the fall of 2007 developed Wetton and Downes new song material. In October, the first recording sessions for the 12 songs, including An Extraordinary Life began, a song in which Wetton recorded his experiences of the last years. Early 2008, the last work was completed on the new album. The new album was given the title of Phoenix, in reference to the phoenix bird from Greek mythology, which burns to rise again from its ashes again ( cf. believed the phrase "Like a phoenix from the ashes" for something that is already lost was, but appears) in new splendor. The album, which has even produced after the death of their ancestral producer Mike Stone 2002 the band, was released in Europe on 11 April 2008, in North America on April 15th (via EMI) and in Japan ( with a different bonus track ) on the April 23 ( via Kings Records). From March to May 2008, the band presented the new album in other concert halls in England, the USA, Japan and Europe. Phoenix reached number 58 in the German and number 75 in the Swiss charts in England managed 10th place, but only in the local indie charts. It started at number 73 in the Billboard Top 200 and building number 10 on the Billboard Top Internet Charts.

Track list

The album contains an Electronic Press Kit each one bonus track:

• An Extraordinary Life ( Europe Limited Edition)
• I Will Remember You (Japanese Edition)

Notes:

• The song alibis, dates back to 1982, but had been never played or recorded by Asia
• Orchard of Mines is a cover version of the song was by Jeffrey Fayman and Daniel Pursey from the band globe and is in its original version on the album Epicon (2006) hearing at which Anneke van Giersbergen collaborated, the singer of the Dutch band The Gathering, with John Wetton had worked
• In An Extraordinary Life John Wetton processed his experiences with alcoholism and his overcoming of the disease

Cover

For the cover design were hired again the fantasy artist Roger Dean, who had already designed in the 80s and 90s some cover for Asia. The image represents the phoenix of Greek mythology and the classic Asia logo dar.

Occupation

• John Wetton - bass, vocals
• Carl Palmer - drums, percussion
• Steve Howe - guitar, vocals
• Geoffrey Downes - keyboards, vocals

Style

With the reunification of the original cast in 2006 by a stylistic break over the publications of the hitherto existing Downes / Payne lineups had been expected. Has been suggested a return to the classic sound of the Asia 's first three albums, Asia, Alpha and Astra. However, this is not going to happen. The songs on Phoenix let the pathetic as well as the melancholic melodies of classical Asian pieces missing. The reunion album contains instead of bombastic rock and power ballads rather quiet midtempo songs without excessive pathos.

Also the production of Phoenix is ​​not to be compared with the early Asian albums. After the death of Mike Stones, the band has produced in Phoenix itself. Wall -of- sound production Stones was not taken up again. Thus, the massively amplified vocal lines are missing as well as the strong sound of the keyboard and drum sounds. The sound of Phoenix is ​​so much clearer, but also significantly thinner than that of the 80s albums and closer to the albums of the Downes / Payne era, but it sounds even drier than this.

Thus, Phoenix is barely recognizable as Asia album.

Reactions of critics

The criticism of the song material was mainly related to the many mid-tempo pieces that are atypical for the band. Were highlighted mostly positive "Never Again" and "Shadow of a Doubt ", the hit potential of many pieces of early Asia but had none of the songs. At the production was mainly criticized the flat and feeble (and thus for Asia atypical ) sound, which can be mainly traced clearly the sound of the vocals and the guitar.

However, the opinions are divided: Phoenix was far better received in the U.S. and in Japan than in European countries.

External links and sources

• Official website of the band
• Reviews of Phoenix on Baby Blue Pages

• Album ( rock )
• 2008 album