[Review] Asia: Then & Now (1990)
The band brought in new writers to finish the story of Asia and propped it up with footage from the first three albums.
Kronomyth 4.0: Anathema.
Half an album of hits and half an album of (insert anagram for “hits” here). In retrospect, the figure from Astra crouching in what appears to be a toilet stall should have been fair warning. Apparently, in the interim since Astra, Asia recorded one more song with Mandy Meyer (the weepy, wimpy “Am I In Love?”) and then tried out a series of guitarists (Steve Lukather, Ron Komie, Thin Lizzy’s Scott Gorham) before settling on Pat Thrall for the 1990 tour.
The four “new” songs presented as Now are nothing more than faceless, corporate product. “Days Like These” was probably pitched to Starship at some point. “Prayin’ 4 A Miracle” was written by David Cassidy and his wife. Yes, the guy who played Keith Partridge. And his wife.
I wasn’t a big fan of Alpha, but it is a masterpiece compared to what the label cobbled together for Then & Now. If there’s one Asia album you don’t need to own (and, let’s be honest, there’s more than one), this is it. And while we’re on the subject of what a ripoff this album is, hiring another illustrator to re-create the artwork of Roger Dean is lame. I mean, really, a pegasus? That is just a horn away from being a unicorn, people.
Original LP Version
A1. Only Time Will Tell (4:46)
A2. Heat of the Moment (3:52)
A3. Wildest Dreams (5:10)
A4. Don’t Cry (3:40)
A5. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (John Wetton) (3:14)
B1. Days Like These (Steve Jones) (4:05)
B2. Prayin’ 4 A Miracle (John Wetton/Sue Shiftin/David Cassidy) (4:22)
B3. Am I In Love? (4:24)
B4. Summer (Can’t Last Too Long) (4:16)
B5. Voice of America (4:18)
Songs written by John Wetton/Geoff Downes unless noted.
The Players
Geoff Downes (keyboards), Carl Palmer (drums & percussion), John Wetton (lead vocals, background vocals & bass) with Jamie Green (B2), Ron Komie (guitar on B2), Steve Lukather (guitar on B1), Mandy Meyer (guitar on B3), Scott Gorham (guitar on B4), Guy Roche (B1), Michael Sturgis (B4). Produced, engineered and mixed by Mike Stone except B1 produced & engineered by Frank Wolf; B2 produced by John Wetton, Sue Shifrin, David Cassidy and Guy Roche, engineered by Frank Wolf; B4 produced by John Wetton and Geoff Downes, mixed by Mike Stone, additional engineering by Frank Wolf.
The Pictures
Illustration by Jean-Francois (Voila, unicorn!) Podevin. Photography by Caroline Greyshock. Art direction by Gabrielle Raumberger. Design by Janet Wolsborn.
The Plastic
Released on elpee, compact disc and cassette in August 1990 in the US (Geffen, 24298-1/2/4) and Mexico (Warner, LPXB 6998); reached #114 on the US charts (RIAA-certified gold record).
Yeah, a real rip-off. On side 1, I would have subbed “Sole Survivor” for “Wildest Dreams”. At least that was a single.
Random comments on the “Now” songs:
How did “Voice of America” get to be a “Now”? Unless “Now” started in 1986. Which means that “Now” lasted twice as iong as “Then”. All that aside, this is one of the many fine songs on “Astra”. Great big bombastic sound and moving lyrics. Supposedly, this was supposed to be Wetton’s tribute to Brian Wilson. It manages to be that without being an imitation.
Speaking of “Astra”, “Am I in Love?” is indeed a reject from that album. Deservedly. It sounds like the soundtrack to a “love scene” from a really bad 80’s teen drama. Yuck.
“Summer (Can’t Last Too Long)”: This was recorded in 1988 as part of an attempt by Wetton and Downes to revive the band with drummer Michael Sturgis and guitarist Scott Gorham. These sessions also produced “Kari-Anne” and a bunch of demos. Again. Wetton was way too old to write lyrics like this.
“Prayin’ 4 a Miracle”: Sue Shrifin was a singer/songwriter known to Geffen Records. She also supplied “Kari-Anne” to the band and a track to the infamous album “To the Power of Three”, which I hope you haven’t had the displeasure of hearing. David Cassidy was her husband. While Prince had many good songs in which numerals were substitued for words, this doesn’t apply to everyone. Certainly not Asia.
“Days Like These”: A cover of a song by the band The Unforgiven (footage exists of the band doing the song at Disneyland!) They were supposed to be The Next Big Thing, but clearly were not. I sort of like the bridge and chorus, but the verses of full of over the top post-teen egotism. Lines like “Come a fireball./I held it in my hand/You see before you/
a man who’s known greatness” send Asia over its eye-rolling quotient reached with the other songs.
On top of all this, the disc (or at least my copy) has really tinny sound. Any Asia completists should seek out instead “Anthologia”, which contains every single track the band recorded for Geffen, remastered . Personally, I suggest instead grabbing the debut and “Astra” and forget about the rest.