Asia | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 8 March 1982 [1] | |||
Recorded | June–November 1981 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 44:22 | |||
Label | Geffen | |||
Producer | Mike Stone | |||
Asia chronology | ||||
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Singles from Asia | ||||
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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. [3] It contains their biggest hit "Heat of the Moment", which reached #4 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [4]
Asia included keyboardist Geoffrey Downes and guitarist Steve Howe from Yes; King Crimson singer-bassist John Wetton, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer drummer Carl Palmer. [5]
"The production was a bit Journey-esque," Howe noted. "That was down to Mike Stone, who’d co-produced Escape, which was a huge album for Journey. But ‘Heat of the Moment’ was the last song we recorded for the Asia album. By then we’d already done stuff like ‘Time Again’ and ‘Wildest Dreams,’ which were very progressive. There was also this sweetness in ‘[Only] Time Will Tell.’ But as soon as I stacked up the guitar and John started singing, we knew we had something special in ‘Heat of the Moment’.” [6]
"People said, 'No, that's not going to work. It's all keyboards now. It's all synthesizers.' I think A Flock of Seagulls was No. 1," Wetton commented. "Actually, what we did was make a sound that blew synthesizers out of the water. Everyone said, 'Oh, no, no, no. A prog-guitar band ain't gonna work.' But it did." [7]
Asia's logo and cover artwork were created by Roger Dean, known for his work with Yes (of which guitarist Steve Howe and keyboard player Geoff Downes were previous members) and Uriah Heep (of which bassist/vocalist John Wetton had previously been a member). The debut album's art depicts a sea serpent gazing into a crystal orb.
There was a concern that having Dean do the cover would produce something that looked too much like his famed artwork for Yes, but Howe and Downes pushed for his involvement. Geffen's John Kalodner did not initially like Dean's logo for the band. [8]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
Christgau's Record Guide | C− [10] |
Robert Christgau blasted the album, and particularly its lyrics. He stated that it had been a rare occasion that "a big new group is bad enough to sink your teeth into any more" and called the album "pompous – schlock in the grand manner". [10] Melody Maker's Adam Sweeting similarly lambasted the band: "Designed by computer, hand-built by robots...Completely calculated, thoroughly contemptible, Asia is every bit as hollow, shallow and nasty as anyone had a right to expect." [11] On the other side, in a Billboard review, it was favourably noted that "the caliber of the [band's] playing is superb and the music sounds fresh and perfect fare for AOR". [12]
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Tom Demalon awarded Asia four-and-a-half out of five, saying that "there's no denying the epic grandeur of the music, which provided some much-needed muscle to radio at the time, and did so with style". [9]
Upon its release in March 1982, Asia reached #1 in the US and spent nine weeks at the top of the Billboard album chart. [4] Asia was certified 4x-platinum in the US by the RIAA on 10 February 1995. [13] It was the best-selling album of 1982 in the US.
In the band's native UK, Asia did not perform as well as in the US, peaking only at #11 and spent a total of 38 weeks in the UK Albums Chart. [14] The record received a gold status in Britain on 18 October 1982. [15] "Heat of the Moment" climbed to No. 46. [14]
Asia's total worldwide sales are estimated at over ten million copies. [16]
“It was really most unlikely that musicians who derived from ’70s bands would come out and be the pinup boys on MTV and People magazine and all that kind of stuff .... There was a difference between the Yes and Asia audiences to some degree, because Asia was such a big thing across America to all age groups.” Downes said. “Yes’ following is really quite eclectic — it’s a big following of course, but with Asia, teenage girls would be into it and stuff like that. It’s an interesting combination for me, because having been with both bands and still at it, it’s nice to get that whole cross section of people following the music.” [5]
In 2010, Audio Fidelity released a 24 Karat Gold CD (AFZ 068) remaster of the album, mastered by Kevin Gray. [16]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Heat of the Moment" | John Wetton, Geoff Downes | 3:48 |
2. | "Only Time Will Tell" | Wetton, Downes | 4:44 |
3. | "Sole Survivor" | Wetton, Downes | 4:48 |
4. | "One Step Closer" | Wetton, Steve Howe | 4:16 |
5. | "Time Again" | Downes, Howe, Carl Palmer, Wetton | 4:45 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
6. | "Wildest Dreams" | Wetton, Downes | 5:10 |
7. | "Without You" | Wetton, Howe | 5:04 |
8. | "Cutting It Fine" | Wetton, Downes, Howe | 5:35 |
9. | "Here Comes the Feeling" | Wetton, Howe | 5:42 |
Total length: | 44:22 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
10. | "Ride Easy" | Wetton, Howe | 4:35 |
Total length: | 48:57 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
All-time chart
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [36] | Gold | 20,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [37] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
France (SNEP) [38] | Gold | 100,000* |
Japan (RIAJ) [36] | Platinum | 200,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [39] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [40] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [41] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
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.
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