XXX | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 20 June 2012 | |||
Recorded | January–March 2012 | |||
Studio | Liscombe Park, Buckinghamshire | |||
Genre | Progressive rock | |||
Length | 49:39 | |||
Label | Frontiers | |||
Producer | Mike Paxman | |||
Asia chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from XXX | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
XXX (pronounced "triple x") 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.
XXX was released on CD, special edition CD/DVD-Video (featuring bonus tracks, new music videos and the making of the album) and LP. To promote the album, "Face on the Bridge" was made available as a digital download single and a music video on 14 May 2012. [2]
The recording sessions took place from January to March 2012 at Liscombe Park Studios, located in Buckinghamshire countryside west of Bedfordshire town Leighton Buzzard, where Asia had worked on their two previous albums. XXX was produced by Mike Paxman and engineered by Steve Rispin. The cover artwork was designed by Roger Dean, who had collaborated with Asia since their first album, released in 1982, and with Yes, which Howe and keyboard player Geoff Downes had previously been members of. Dean updated the symbolic flying dragon and orb to 2012, which is the Year of the Water Dragon in the Chinese calendar. The title of the album features the Roman numeral XXX in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the debut album. [2]
XXX has received favorable reception from music critics and fans, with many hailing it as the group's best release since the 1980s. [3] Matt Collar gave the album a rating of four-and-a-half stars out of five on AllMusic. "Bury Me in Willow", "No Religion" and "Face on the Bridge" were selected as three "Track Picks". [1]
The album debuted at number 69 on the UK charts, peaking at the highest spot since Astra (1985). [4] It reached number 33 in Germany and number 36 in Japan. [5] [6]
All tracks are written by John Wetton and Geoff Downes, except "No Religion" and "Judas" written by Steve Howe, Wetton and Downes.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Tomorrow the World" | 6:47 |
2. | "Bury Me in Willow" | 6:01 |
3. | "No Religion" | 6:36 |
4. | "Faithful" | 5:38 |
5. | "I Know How You Feel" | 4:54 |
6. | "Face on the Bridge" | 6:00 |
7. | "Al Gatto Nero" | 4:37 |
8. | "Judas" | 4:44 |
9. | "Ghost of a Chance" | 4:22 |
Total length: | 49:39 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Tomorrow the World" | 6:47 |
2. | "Bury Me in Willow" | 6:01 |
3. | "No Religion" | 6:36 |
4. | "Faithful" | 5:38 |
5. | "I Know How You Feel" | 4:54 |
6. | "Face on the Bridge" | 6:00 |
7. | "Al Gatto Nero" | 4:37 |
8. | "Judas" | 4:44 |
9. | "Reno (Silver and Gold)" (bonus track) | 5:16 |
10. | "Ghost of a Chance" | 4:22 |
11. | "I Know How You Feel (Midnight Mix)" (bonus track) | 5:24 |
12. | "Faithful (Orchestral Version)" (Japan bonus track) | 4:55 |
Total length: | 65:13 |
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [7] | 134 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [5] | 33 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [8] | 83 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [6] | 36 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [9] | 86 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [10] | 39 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [11] | 43 |
UK Albums (OCC) [4] | 69 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [12] | 8 |
US Billboard 200 [13] | 134 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [14] | 45 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [15] | 21 |
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [16] | 9 |
Region | Date | Label | Format |
---|---|---|---|
Japan | 20 June 2012 | Avalon |
|
Mainland Europe | 29 June 2012 | Frontiers |
|
United Kingdom | 2 July 2012 | ||
North America | 3 July 2012 | Scarecrow | Special edition CD/DVD-V |
Asia are an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1981. The most commercially successful line-up 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 bestselling 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.
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.
"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.
Alpha is the second studio album by British rock supergroup Asia, released on 26 July 1983 in the United States and on 12 August 1983 in the United Kingdom by Geffen Records. 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.
Astra is the third studio album by British rock supergroup Asia, released in 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.
Return to Fantasy is the eighth studio album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released on 13 June 1975 in the United Kingdom by Bronze Records. It was the first of the two albums to feature John Wetton as the new bass player, who replaced Gary Thain in early 1975.
Aqua is the fourth studio album by British rock supergroup Asia, released in 1992. It was the first album with longtime vocalist and bassist John Payne.
GTR is the only album from the short-lived supergroup GTR, released in 1986. The album peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the single "When the Heart Rules the Mind" reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Another single, "The Hunter", peaked at No. 85. An instrumental piece recorded by GTR guitarist Steve Howe years before, "Sketches in the Sun", was included on the album due to a shortage of content. It resurfaced on his solo album Motif Volume 1 and again on his Anthology album. Steve Hackett's "Hackett to Bits" was a simplified version of the title track from his Please Don't Touch album. Asia recorded their own version of the Geoff Downes-penned "The Hunter" for their 1997 compilation album Anthology.
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.
Phoenix is the tenth studio album by British rock band Asia, released in 2008. It was the first studio recording with the original line-up after the reunion in 2006.
Omega is the eleventh studio album by British rock band Asia, released on 21 April 2010 in Japan by Melodious Frontier and on 23 April 2010 in Europe by Frontiers Records. It was the fourth studio recording with the original line-up and second after the reunion in 2006.
Fantasia: Live in Tokyo is a double live album by British rock band Asia, released on 21 June 2007 in Japan by WHD Entertainment and on 26 June 2007 internationally by Eagle Records.
Mike Paxman is an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known for his work with Judie Tzuke, Nick Kamen, Uriah Heep and Status Quo and Asia.
"Don't Cry" is the first hit single from progressive rock band Asia's second album Alpha. "Don't Cry" reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 in Cash Box magazine. It was the band's second Top 10 Pop hit, and returned them to #1 on Billboard's Top Album Rock Tracks chart.
Fly from Here is the twentieth studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 22 June 2011 by Frontiers Records, and is their only album featuring lead vocalist Benoît David and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman. Yes reformed in 2008 after a four-year hiatus with a line-up of David, Wakeman, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Steve Howe, and drummer Alan White. The band prepared material to record for Fly from Here during breaks in touring in 2010 and 2011, during which they enlisted former Yes frontman Trevor Horn as producer. After songs contributed by Wakeman were scrapped in favour of expanding the song "We Can Fly" into a 24-minute six-part "Fly from Here" suite, the band replaced him with former Yes keyboardist Geoff Downes as he co-wrote much of the new material.
Gravitas is the thirteenth studio album by British rock group Asia, released in 2014. It is the group's final studio album with vocalist/bassist John Wetton before his death in 2017 and the only one to feature guitarist Sam Coulson.
Heaven & Earth is the twenty-first studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 16 July 2014 on Frontiers Records and is the first album with lead vocalist Jon Davison and the final album to feature founding bassist Chris Squire before his death in 2015. The group started preparing new material for an album during the 2013 leg of their Album Series Tour. Davison took an active approach with the songwriting, travelling to the homes of the other band members to collaborate on songs. Yes enlisted producer Roy Thomas Baker and future Yes bassist Billy Sherwood to complete the mixing.
Outsider is the 23rd studio album by Uriah Heep, released in Europe in June 2014 by Frontiers Records. It was produced by Mike Paxman and it is the first album with bassist Dave Rimmer. Cover art was created by Igor Morski.
Yes 50 Live is a double live album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 2 August 2019 by Rhino Records.
The Quest is the twenty-second studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 1 October 2021 by InsideOut Music and Sony Music. It is their first studio album featuring Billy Sherwood since The Ladder (1999), replacing bassist Chris Squire following his death in 2015, and their first album without any original members. It is also their first album since Talk (1994) to be produced by only one member, namely guitarist Steve Howe, and their last studio album to be released before the death of drummer Alan White in 2022.