The song that heated up more than a few car windows in the 80s. (It’s late, I’m tired.)
Kronomyth 1.1: And now you find yourself in ’82.
Okay, so what kind of troll could possibly hate this song? Me, that’s who. When I first heard Heat of the Moment, I thought it was a joke. A cruel, sick, cosmic joke. Surely the sum of Steve Howe, Carl Palmer, John Wetton and Geoff Downes had to equal something bigger than this. But you know sum thing? This songs rocks a lot harder than I gave it credit for. I can still hate the video by Godley and Creme though, right?
The flip side in most of the world was the nonalbum track, Ride Easy. Co-written by Steve Howe, this is a lot closer to what I expected from Asia. In fact, I enjoy this more than most of what made the cut on Asia. The proggy guitar and keyboards are a joy to hear; this may be as close as Downes has come to sounding like Rick Wakeman. Wetton even cited “Ride Easy” as one his favorites, and Asia kept it in their live show for years.
Original 7-inch single version
A1. Heat of the Moment (John Wetton/Geoff Downes) (3:50)
B1. Ride Easy (John Wetton/Steve Howe) (4:35)
Original 7-inch single (UK version)
A1. Heat of the Moment (John Wetton/Geoff Downes)
B1. Time Again (Geoff Downes/Steve Howe/Carl Palmer/John Wetton)
The Plastic
Released on 7-inch single in April 1982 in the US and Australia (Geffen, GEF 50040) and Canada (Geffen, KGEF50040), on June 18, 1982 in the UK (Geffen, GEF A 2494), and in 1982 in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain (Geffen, A2207) and Japan (Geffen, 07SP-617) with picture sleeve; reached #46 on the UK charts and #4 on the US charts (charted April 17, 1982 for 18 weeks). Also released as promotional 7-inch in 1982 in the US (Geffen, PRO 50040) feat. A only.
When I was out for a drink with a friend, he heard this song over the loudspeakers and asked me if I knew who it was. I told him Asia. He asked me, “Who’s that?” I answered, “It’s members of Yes, King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer trying to sound like Bruce Springsteen.”
Aha! I knew there was a reason I never liked Bruce Springsteen’s music (I mean, other than not liking the people who do like his music).
You’re not the first music nut I know who dislikes The Boss. I knew a guy from Detroit who once wrote, “Admittedly, I don’t hate The Boss [that much]. It’s more his ego, image and Rolling Stone’s fetish for his music. I’m not saying he’s arrogant or untalented, but I’m sick and tired of hearing how he’s one of the best ever artists (Rolling Stone’s Immortals spread) and how every single one of his albums is a masterpiece. People, listen to me! Springsteen is an average, ordinary, everyday singer-songwriter and shitty guitar player whose backup band, the E Street Band, is infinitely more talented and entertaining than he is. Songs like ‘Born to Run’, ‘Thunder Road’, ‘Pink Cadillac’ and ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ are all cute, entertaining songs, but they really have no artistic value. Born to Run is not one of the greatest albums of all time (nor is it even the 18th greatest album of all time like Rolling Stone says it is), and neither are Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River or Born in the U.S.A. Now, please, stop giving this subpar artist more credit than he deserves!”
Gee, I don’t feel so bad now. I have honestly never listened to a Bruce Springsteen album, so I couldn’t weigh in one way or the other. I like a few of his songs (Born to run, blinded by the light, fire, tenth avenue freezeout), but I always thought of him as the motorcycle version of Jackson Browne.