Asia: "Don't Cry" (1983)

This is where it became painfully apparent that Asia would not be carrying prog’s fallen banner.

Kronomyth 2.01: Owners of a lonely ark.

I thought Alpha a step back from Asia, which was a step back from U.K., which was a step back from King Crimson. At some point, you find yourself standing miles away from prog and wondering, “How did I get here?” (Watching the days go by…) People who bought into the Asia experience, however, didn’t seem daunted by John Wetton’s maudlin muse, and Don’t Cry joined the ranks of Asia hits before and, well, we’ll get to after later. The song did have a cute video to support it, inspired by Raiders of the Lost Ark, but at the end of the day you were still watching an interesting video while listening to a crappy song.

If that all sounds like a I hate Asia, I don’t. Daylight, the nonalbum B side, is at least as good as whatever ELO was churning out at this point. The group clearly had enough talent to make the hairs on your neck stand up, only they seemed to invoke that power rarely on Alpha in favor of weepy ballads. Astra used whatever gas in the tank was left, by which point John Wetton was gone.

Original 7-inch single version

A1. Don’t Cry (John Wetton/Geoff Downes) (3:25)
B1. Daylight (John Wetton/Geoff Downes) (3:50)

Original 7-inch single version (Europe)
A1. Don’t Cry (John Wetton/Geoff Downes)
B1. True Colors (John Wetton/Geoff Downes)

Original 12-inch single version
A1. Don’t Cry
B1. Daylight
B2. True Colors

“Back-to-back hits” 7-inch reissue
A1. Don’t Cry (John Wetton/Geoff Downes) (3:25)
B1. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (John Wetton) (3:13)

The Plastic

Released on 7-inch, 7-inch shaped picture disc and 12-inch in July 1983 in the UK (Geffen, A/WA/TA 3580), the US (Geffen, 29571-7), Australia (Geffen, GEF29571), Canada (Geffen, 92 95717), Germany and the Netherlands (Geffen, A/A12 3580) and Japan (Geffen, 07SP-710) with picture sleeve. Reached #10 on the US charts (charted on July 30, 1983 for 13 weeks) and #33 on the UK charts.