Asia Reunion Marks Renaissance Of ‘80s Best Supergroup

Tour Makes Stop On Sunday At Norwalk Oyster Fest

By John Voket

The idea of putting several independently brilliant musicians together to form what is typically dubbed a “supergroup” certainly did not originate with the ‘80s prog-rock outfit Asia. Decades earlier we had Sinatra’s Rat Pack, and who could forget the 1956 “super session” with Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, which yielded a raw but unforgettable performance.

The ‘60s had its own Super Session with Mike Bloomfield, Al Cooper and Steven Stills. Stills may actually be the official crown prince of supergroups, also having participated with David Crosby, Graham Nash and Neil Young in various configurations, as well as with Young in Buffalo Springfield, even partnering with Chris Hillman of The Flying Burrito Brothers and pedal steel guitarist Al Perkins in the short-lived group Manassas.

Since then we’ve seen quick-hit projects from acts as diverse as Damn Yankees, with the unlikely pairing of wild-eyed rocker Ted Nugent and choirboy tenors Tommy Shaw of Styx and Jack Blades of Night Ranger. There was Temple Of The Dog springing from the Seattle scene of the late-‘80s with members of Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone and fronted by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.

Most recently, we have MTV darlings Angels and Airwaves with Tom DeLonge of blink-182, David Kennedy of Box Car Racer, Atom Willard of Alkaline Trio, American Hi-Fi, Rocket from the Crypt and The Offspring, and Ryan Sinn of The Distillers.

While one could clearly argue the merits of any so-called supergroup, whether it is the individual member’s talents or the sum of its parts, the recent 25th anniversary reunion of Asia marks one of the best sounding and most anticipated reunions of musicians from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Like its current incarnation, the original Asia lineup featured bassist and vocalist John Wetton, drummer Carl Palmer, keyboardist Geoff Downes, and guitarist Steve Howe, the foursome who turned in an extraordinary two-hour show last weekend at The Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort and Casino. (ASIA will also play free for attendees Sunday, September 10, at the Norwalk Oyster Festival.)

Looking back on the history of this band provides a lesson in exactly how far a supergroup can go in diluting its original formula, attracting the talents of a revolving cast of musicians to keep the heart of the organization beating. Over the past quarter-century, Asia has been staffed with numerous short-lived participants including Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Mandy Meyer of Krokus, Pat Thrall who worked with Pat Travers, and bassist and vocalist John Payne, all of whom took their turns in various musical capacities.

Then, like a bolt from the blue, the stars aligned in early 2006. In April, all four original members of Asia confirmed they would be reuniting for a world tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band’s creation and debut album.

“This is the REAL ASIA,” said guitarist Steve Howe in an initial press release. “There have been other versions of the band, but this original line-up is the one that the public truly embraced. Since we only toured for a couple of years, it will be nice, finally, to play for audiences all over the world, many of whom never had a chance to see the group in concert.”

It was March 1982 when Asia’s debut album exploded onto the music scene with several Top 10 singles and sales exceeding seven million copies. As Palmer describes it, the band’s “…English rock with a technical side; sophisticated rock mixed in with melodies and singles” was a logical successor to their collective bands of the 70s – Yes, ELP, King Crimson, UK and The Buggles.

The group came together in the spring of 1981 after John Wetton’s acclaimed progressive rock band UK had collapsed. With the help of manager Brian Lane, he worked to form a new group courting guitarist Steve Howe, best known for his work with Yes.

Drummer Carl Palmer came into the fold next, having just completed a decade of platinum releases and sold out tours with Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Finally came keyboardist Geoff Downes, who replaced Rick Wakeman in Yes for the Drama album.

An interesting side note: as Asia was launching its first American tour in 1982, Downes was making history because of his contribution to the pop duo The Buggles, which stormed the charts a few years earlier with the amusing “Video Killed The Radio Star.”

Just as Asia began its first-ever round of concerts in the States, “Video Killed The Radio Star” coincidentally became the first video ever played on MTV. And while the more sophisticated material from Asia apparently caused Downes to distance himself from his Buggles association, it was nice to finally see him (and the rest of Asia) re-embrace it with a thoroughly enjoyable rendition on the current tour.

The Asia reunion also embraces highpoints of the other member’s bands of origin. Wetton provides an odd but not unpleasant vocal underscore to Yes’ “Roundabout,” focusing on Howe. A regal and elegantly intense “Court of the Crimson King,” is another highpoint and a nod to Wetton’s work with King Crimson, as is the instrumental “Fanfare For the Common Man,” originally recorded by ELP.

While Palmer was clearly the focal center in “Fanfare,” he served more as the pivot point around which each of his bandmates turned in blistering solos, hammering out a steady and powerful rhythm. Palmer fans were then rewarded later in the set as an exceptional drum solo punctuated Asia’s album track, “The Heat Goes On.”

The balance of the show featured a mix of Asia material including “Wildest Dreams,” and “Without You,” featuring Howe switching back and forth from a stand-mounted acoustic to electric guitars with lightning dexterity, never missing a lick. “Cutting It Fine” and “Soul Survivor” were high points for Wetton, who showed no loss of vocal skill as he articulated all the high notes with skill and ease.

“Cutting It Fine” also featured a bombastic closing segment featuring Downes, which elicited hoots and a standing ovation from most of the Fox Theater crowd. From a departure perspective, the highpoint of the show was the lovely “Don’t Cry,” with Howe on a tiny mandolin, Palmer on tambourine, Downes on a single piano rig, and Wetton on acoustic guitar.

Howe then traded for a lap steel guitar, which he handled well for a stripped down version of “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes,” with Wetton on Acoustic six-string The show closed with a rousing “Heat of the Moment,” with house lights going up and Asia interacting uncharacteristically by calling for the audience to stand in front of the stage and sing along.

Asia will appear Friday and Saturday, September 8 and 9, at the Nokia Theater in Times Square, New York, and at the Norwalk Oyster Fest on Sunday, September 10, on the main stage.