Alpha (Asia album)

Last updated

Alpha
Asia - Alpha (1983) front cover.jpg
Studio album by
Asia
Released12 August 1983
RecordedFebruary–May 1983
Studio
Genre
Length42:16
Label Geffen
Producer Mike Stone
Asia chronology
Asia
(1982)		Alpha
(1983)		 Astra
(1985)
Singles from Alpha
  1. "Don't Cry"
    Released: July 1983
  2. "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes"
    Released: October 1983
  3. "The Heat Goes On"
    Released: January 1984 (Japan)

Alpha is the second studio album by British rock supergroup Asia, released on 12 August 1983 by Geffen Records. [1] It was recorded at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Quebec, and Manta Sound in Toronto from February to May 1983. Alpha adopted a notably more polished sound with radio-friendly elements and less emphasis on progressive rock sections. Like its multi-platinum predecessor, the album was produced by Mike Stone. It was also the last album to feature the band's original line-up for twenty-five years until Phoenix, which was released in 2008.

Contents

The cover artwork was designed by Roger Dean, known for his work with Yes, of which Howe and keyboard player Geoff Downes had previously been members.

Production

After Asia wrapped up their world tour for the debut album, they opted to move to Le Studio to record the followup. Intra-band conflict ensued, particularly between John Wetton and Steve Howe over who was more responsible for the band's initial success. [2] Howe recalled in All My Yesterdays, his 2021 autobiography, that in hindsight the sessions were too rushed; Geffen was eager to capitalise on the group's success and wanted to get a second album out as soon as it could. The band and the music would have, in Howe's opinion, benefited from taking a more deliberate approach. The band's mood was also complicated by the cabin fever that resulted in being in an isolated area of Quebec over the winter. [3]

Record label executives requested Wetton and Downes write all the songs, since the hit singles from the band's first album had been their compositions. Howe thus had very little to do in terms of writing. His only song credit, "Lying to Yourself", was released as a B-side. [2] It had originally been "Barren Land", a song about the mistreatment of Native Americans, but John Kalodner persuaded Howe to change it out of fears it would be "too controversial". [3]

The song "Don't Cry" was written and added at the last minute, as the band felt the album lacked a strong opener. [2] Howe recalls that as it became complete and the band listened to it, they were disappointed by how commercial it sounded. [3] Due to the tensions within the group, producer Mike Stone was put in charge of mixing the album, where technical glitches delayed its release by several months. The band was unhappy with his final mix, with Howe describing it as a "wall of sound". [2] They demanded a remix, which was done but did not alleviate their concerns much. There was no time for further remixes as the album's release date had been set for early August 1983 and concert dates had been scheduled. [3]

A music video was shot for "Don't Cry", reportedly costing over $100,000 to film due to the elaborate set designs involved in it.

Commercial performance

The album reached number 6 on the Billboard 200 chart [4] and has been certified platinum for over 1 million copies sold in the United States. [5] In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number 5 [6] and has been awarded a silver certification for over 60,000 copies sold. [7] Despite this, it failed to meet the expectations of the record company executives, who wanted it to match the sales of the debut album.

Alpha spawned two singles. The lead-off single, "Don't Cry", reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 [8] and climbed to the top of the Mainstream Rock chart. [9] It was the sole Top 40 entry for Asia in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 33. [10] The B-side of the single, "Daylight", was featured as a bonus track on album original cassette editions, and also appeared on the Mainstream Rock charts, at number 24. The second single, "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes", reached number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 25 on the Mainstream Rock charts and was the group's last major hit. [8] [9] Along with the singles, "The Heat Goes On" and "True Colors" were quite popular on mainstream rock radio stations.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]

The album has received lukewarm reviews from music critics. J. D. Considine in his review for Rolling Stone described Alpha as "a sort of sonic confection, a concoction of tasty melodies, sweet harmonies and goopy lyrics intended more for greedy consumption than for artistic appreciation". [12] Chas de Whalley of Kerrang! was less than restrained and openly said that "this album is complete and utter rubbish from beginning to end and a waste of the good vinyl it's pressed on". [13] Tom Demalon has given the album a retrospective rating of three stars out of five on AllMusic. "Don't Cry", "My Own Time (I'll Do What I Want)" and "Open Your Eyes" have been selected as three "Track Picks". He has compared the album with Asia and has summarized that "nothing on Alpha packs the sheer sonic force of the band's debut". [11]

Re-releases

Alpha has been re-issued numerous times, particularly in Japan. Platinum SHM-CD with a DSD flat transfer from original master tapes was released by Universal Music in 2014 and included "Daylight" and "Lying to Yourself" as bonus tracks. In 2017, the album was released on Audio Fidelity hybrid SACD remastered by Kevin Gray. [14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by John Wetton and Geoff Downes, except "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" written by Wetton and "Lying to Yourself" written by Wetton and Steve Howe. All tracks arranged by Asia

Side one: Alpha
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Cry"3:33
2."The Smile Has Left Your Eyes"3:13
3."Never in a Million Years"3:47
4."My Own Time (I'll Do What I Want)"4:50
5."The Heat Goes On"4:57
Side two: Beta
No.TitleLength
6."Eye to Eye"3:13
7."The Last to Know"4:39
8."True Colors"3:51
9."Midnight Sun"3:48
10."Open Your Eyes"6:25
Total length:42:16
Cassette and UK CD bonus track
No.TitleLength
11."Daylight"3:32
Total length:46:02
2014 Universal Music Platinum SHM-CD limited edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Daylight"3:34
12."Lying to Yourself"4:13
Total length:50:12

Personnel

Asia

Technical personnel

Charts

Chart (1983)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [15] 46
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [16] 10
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [17] 9
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) [18] 14
French Albums (SNEP) [19] 19
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [20] 11
Italian Albums ( Musica e dischi ) [21] 13
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [22] 4
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [23] 8
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [24] 9
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [25] 18
UK Albums (OCC) [6] 5
US Billboard 200 [4] 6

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [26] Platinum100,000^
Japan (RIAJ) [27] 2× Platinum400,000 [27]
United Kingdom (BPI) [7] Silver60,000^
United States (RIAA) [5] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asia (band)</span> English rock band

Asia are an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1981. The most commercially successful lineup was its original, which consisted of four members of different progressive rock bands who had enjoyed great success in the 1970s: lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton, guitarist Steve Howe (Yes), keyboardist Geoff Downes and drummer Carl Palmer. Their debut album, Asia, released in 1982, remains their best-selling album and went to number one in several countries. Billboard listed it as the top album in the U.S. in 1982. The lead single from the album, "Heat of the Moment", remains their top charting and best-known song, reaching the top 40 in over a dozen markets. It peaked at #4 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

<i>Smash</i> (The Offspring album) 1994 studio album by the Offspring

Smash is the third studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on April 8, 1994, through Epitaph Records. After touring in support of their previous album Ignition (1992), the band recorded their next album for nearly two months at Track Record in North Hollywood, California. Smash was the band's final studio album to be produced by Thom Wilson, who had worked with them since their 1989 debut album The Offspring. Smash was put together on the spot in the studio and there was no systematic work behind the recording of the album.

<i>Asia</i> (Asia album) 1982 studio album by Asia

Asia is the debut studio album by English rock supergroup Asia, released in 1982. According to both Billboard and Cashbox, it was the #1 album in the United States for the year 1982. It contains their biggest hit "Heat of the Moment", which reached #4 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

<i>Core</i> (Stone Temple Pilots album) 1992 studio album by Stone Temple Pilots

Core is the debut studio album by the American rock band Stone Temple Pilots, released by Atlantic Records on September 29, 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Wetton</span> English musician (1949–2017)

John Kenneth Wetton was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Although he was left handed, he was known as a dexterous right handed bass player and had a booming baritone voice. He joined the band Family in 1971 for a short time before joining King Crimson in 1972. After the breakup of King Crimson at the end of 1974, Wetton was in progressive rock and hard rock bands including Roxy Music (1974–1975), Uriah Heep (1975–1976), U.K. (1977–1980), and Wishbone Ash (1980–1981).

<i>Collective Soul</i> (1995 album) 1995 studio album by Collective Soul

Collective Soul is the second studio album by Collective Soul. It became the band's highest selling album to date, going Triple-Platinum, and spent 76 weeks on the Billboard 200 charts. The singles "December," "The World I Know" and "Where the River Flows" all reached No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, while the first two singles also became major pop hits.

<i>Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe is the only studio album by English progressive rock band Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, released in June 1989 on Arista Records.

<i>Getting Away with Murder</i> (album) 2004 studio album by Papa Roach

Getting Away with Murder is the fourth and third major-label studio album by the American rock band Papa Roach. The album was a departure from the band's previous works, showcasing an alternative rock and hard rock sound instead of a nu metal and rap metal sound. Unlike their previous albums, the album features no rapping and instead only features Jacoby Shaddix singing. It was released on August 31, 2004, via Geffen Records and has been certified Gold in Canada, Silver in the United Kingdom and Platinum in the United States. Getting Away with Murder peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200.

Post-grunge is an offshoot of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s rock bands such as Bush, Candlebox, Collective Soul, Live, Foo Fighters, and Silverchair, that emulated the original sound of grunge.

<i>Big Ones</i> 1994 greatest hits album by Aerosmith

Big Ones is a compilation album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on November 1, 1994 by Geffen Records. Big Ones features 12 hits from the band's three consecutive multi-platinum albums, Permanent Vacation (1987), Pump (1989), and Get a Grip (1993), as well as the hit "Deuces Are Wild" from the compilation The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience (1993), and two new songs, "Blind Man" and "Walk on Water", which were recorded during a break in the band's Get a Grip Tour. These songs were also included on the band's 2001 compilation album, Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology. Big Ones is the band's second best-selling compilation album, reaching #6 on the Billboard charts, and selling four million copies in the United States alone. The album quickly became a worldwide hit reaching the Top 10 in nine countries before the end of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heat of the Moment (Asia song)</span> 1982 single by Asia

"Heat of the Moment" is the first single released by English progressive rock supergroup Asia from their 1982 eponymous debut album. It was written by singer and bass guitarist John Wetton and keyboardist Geoff Downes. It was named by Lee Zimmerman of Paste as Asia's signature song.

<i>Astra</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Asia

Astra is the third studio album by British rock supergroup Asia, released on 25 November 1985 by Geffen Records. It was their last full-length studio album with co-founding vocalist and bassist John Wetton until Phoenix (2008), released after the original line-up reunited in 2006. Astra is the first of two albums from Asia—the other being Then & Now—with Swiss guitarist Mandy Meyer, who replaced Steve Howe.

<i>Infest</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Papa Roach

Infest is the second studio album and major-label debut by the American rock band Papa Roach. It was released on April 25, 2000, through DreamWorks Records, and became the 20th highest-selling album of 2000 in the United States. The sound of the album is nu metal and rap metal. Many of the album songs contains rapping and hip hop influences. It was certified 3× Platinum in the U.S. on July 18, 2001, and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. This album earned the band a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. It is their best-selling album to date. To commemorate the album's 20th anniversary, Papa Roach got together and performed the album live in its entirety in studio to stream worldwide on June 20, 2020. The whole performance was released on YouTube on September 15, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">System of a Down discography</span>

System of a Down is an American heavy metal band formed by vocalist Serj Tankian, guitarist Daron Malakian, bassist Shavo Odadjian, and drummer John Dolmayan in the mid-1990s. They have released five studio albums, nineteen singles, and thirteen music videos. By the end of 1997, the group had signed to American Recordings, then distributed as Columbia Records. The following year, they released their eponymous debut album, which peaked at number 124 on the United States' Billboard 200 and number 103 on the United Kingdom's UK Albums Chart; it was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and gold by Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). Their eponymous debut album produced a single for the song "Sugar", which reached the top 30 on the Billboard mainstream rock songs and alternative songs charts. Their follow-up album, Toxicity (2001), topped the US and Canadian charts, and also reached the top 10 in Australia, Finland, and New Zealand. The album was certified triple platinum in its home country, and triple platinum in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), as well as double platinum by Music Canada. Toxicity produced singles for the title track, "Chop Suey!", and "Aerials". The last of these peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs and Alternative Songs charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerosmith discography</span>

American rock band Aerosmith has released 15 studio albums, six live albums, 16 compilation albums, two extended plays, and 72 singles. Aerosmith was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970 by vocalist Steven Tyler, guitarists Joe Perry and Ray Tabano, bassist Tom Hamilton, and drummer Joey Kramer. Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford in 1971. Other than a period from 1979 to 1984, this lineup has remained the same.

<i>Then & Now</i> (Asia album) 1990 compilation album

Then & Now is a compilation album by British rock supergroup Asia, released on 14 August 1990 by Geffen Records. It consists of two parts titled as Then and Now. Then comprises songs from the band's first two albums, Asia and Alpha, which featured the band's original line-up of Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer, and John Wetton. Now comprises songs recorded by the band after Howe's departure.

<i>Dark Horse</i> (Nickelback album) 2008 studio album by Nickelback

Dark Horse is the sixth studio album by the Canadian rock band Nickelback, released on November 17, 2008 in Europe and the next day elsewhere. It is the follow-up to their multi-platinum selling All the Right Reasons (2005). It was co-produced by the band and producer and songwriter Robert John "Mutt" Lange, known for working with such acts as Foreigner, AC/DC, Bryan Adams, Def Leppard and Shania Twain. Dark Horse sold 326,000 in its first week and debuted at number 2 in the US. More than a year after its release, the album did not leave the Top 100 on the Billboard 200. In its 91st week, the album peaked at number 46 for the week of August 28, 2010. The album spent 125 consecutive weeks inside the Billboard 200. On the week of November 29, 2014, Dark Horse re-entered the Billboard 200 at number 195, more than six years after the album's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Cry (Asia song)</span> 1983 single by Asia

"Don't Cry" is the first hit single from progressive rock band Asia's second album Alpha. "Don't Cry" reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 9 in Cash Box magazine. It was the band's second top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and returned them to number 1 on Billboard's Top Album Rock Tracks chart.

<i>XXX</i> (Asia album) 2012 studio album by Asia

XXX is the twelfth studio album by British rock band Asia, released in 2012. It is the fifth and final studio album with the original line-up due to guitarist Steve Howe's departure the following year and vocalist/bassist John Wetton's death in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Days Like These (Asia song)</span> 1990 single by Asia

"Days Like These" is a song by British rock band Asia, issued as a 7" single on 17 August 1990 in Europe by Geffen Records. It had previously appeared on their compilation album Then & Now, released three days before, while its B-side, "Voice of America", was derived from the third studio album, Astra (1985). In the United States, two promotion only CD singles were also available. This unusually optimistic and upbeat Asia song was a major hit on rock radio, reaching #2 on the Billboard "Mainstream Rock" chart.

References

  1. ↑ "BPI certifications".
  2. 1 2 3 4 Gallant, David (1999). Asia, the heat goes on : a complete and authorised biography. Bordon: Northdown. ISBN   1-900711-11-7. OCLC   41257220.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Howe, Steve (2021). All My Yesterdays. Omnibus Press. pp. 156–63. ISBN   9781785581793.
  4. 1 2 "Asia Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "American album certifications – Asia – Alpha". Recording Industry Association of America.
  6. 1 2 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  7. 1 2 "British album certifications – Asia – Alpha". British Phonographic Industry.
  8. 1 2 "Asia Chart History (Billboard Hot 100)". Billboard . Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Asia Chart History (Billboard Mainstream Rock)". Billboard . Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "Asia". Official Charts . Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  11. 1 2 Demalon, Tom. Asia: Alpha > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  12. ↑ Considine, J. D. (15 September 1983). "Asia: Alpha : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  13. ↑ de Whalley, Chas (21 September 1983). "Asia – 'Alpha' (Geffen GEF 25508)". Kerrang! . No. 50. London: Spotlight Publications. p. 12.
  14. ↑ "Asia :: Alpha". Audio Fidelity. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  15. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 19. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  16. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4327a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Asia – Alpha" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  18. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  19. ↑ "Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste – A". Infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2012.Select Asia from the menu, then press OK.
  20. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Asia – Alpha" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2024. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "Alpha".
  22. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  23. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Asia – Alpha". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Asia – Alpha". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Asia – Alpha". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Asia – Alpha". Music Canada.
  27. 1 2 "Asia - Platinum LP Award / Alpha - Premio Ufficiale - 1983/1983" . Retrieved 20 December 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.