Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Asia
Label: Universal Music Group
Release: 2001
Length: 79:58
Rating: 5/5
As the new millennium dawned, Asia, led by the up-and-coming duo of Geoff Downes (keyboards) and John Payne (vocals, bass and guitar), pulled off something most of their fans wouldn’t have dared to imagine even in their wildest dreams: they made one of the high points of their studio career, an album that matches the legendary self-titled debut from 1982 in quality and, in some respects, even surpasses it. “Aura” was probably the last Asia album to keep up the habit of naming every new release with a title starting with the letter A. It was without a doubt the peak of years of honing by the cult duo, who with every new release in the nineties managed to keep alive the band’s wonderfully melodic rock tradition, fueled by noble prog rock roots, the same tradition that had them conquering stadiums like it was nothing in their golden years. At the same time, they kept enriching their whole sound with the sly and often very subtle addition of a few innovative ideas that could easily be called progressive.
On “Aura,” Downes and Payne very clearly decided to water the band’s prog rock roots once more, because the album is full of layered rhythms and interesting, often unpredictable transitions between the sections within the songs, and it also features a title instrumental that is one of the prog rock highlights in the band’s history. As so many times before, Downes and Payne had to find some completely new instrumental collaborators before recording started, since apart from longtime drummer Michael Sturgis they were the only musicians left from the crew that made the excellent predecessor “Arena” (1995), best remembered for its intriguing experiments with world music elements.
This time the recruiting of outside musicians paid off more than handsomely. Plenty of flattering names answered their call, including some of the most respected session players in the world. Standing out among them were no fewer than three guest guitarists with completely different playing styles, which made a huge difference, since each of them stamped something recognizable from their rich bag of guitar tricks onto individual tracks on the album. Alongside founding member Steve “the Owl” Howe (Yes), for whom this was the first reunion with the band since the release of “Aqua” (1992), Downes and Payne landed guitar favors from Pat Thrall, another former Asia guitarist, and Ian Crichton, guitarist of the legendary Canadian prog rock band Saga. The young Guthrie Govan also deserves a mention. He proved to be a great discovery and later became a permanent member of the band for a few years.
As if that weren’t enough for a success story, they also secured a burst of complex rhythm lines, the fruit of a fruitful collaboration with bass guitar grandmaster Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), not to mention a whole galaxy of top-notch guest drummers. Mike Sturgis was joined behind the drum kit by names such as Vinnie Colaiuta (ex-Frank Zappa, ex-Sting and a whole heap of various guest appearances), Simon Phillips (ex-Toto and a whole host of guest appearances) and Chris Slade (best known as a former member of Manfred Mann’s Eartband, Uriah Heep and AC/DC). The latter also joined the band as a permanent member for a few years.
The production, handled by the band and Simon Hanhart, who by then had a wealth of experience working with all kinds of famous artists from melodic and progressive rock as well as pop (among others he worked with David Bowie, Bryan Adams, Marillion, Arena and Saxon), is fantastic and gives the band an incredibly lively and rich sound that plenty of connoisseurs will be licking their lips over.
Every single track on the album is a chapter of its own and deserves a pile of superlatives, which is a truly majestic feat. The opening treat “Awake” is brimming with mighty energy and an ethereal mood that runs through this whole splendid album. Downes’ refined synth lines make a superb sonic backdrop for Payne’s vocals, which peak with an awakening chorus. The elegant introduction of backing vocals and the rich rhythmic embellishments only add to the magic of this fantastic song, which, with its very message, could have become a huge hit in some other time, in some other culture. The power ballad “Wherever You Are” plays the role of the traditional Asia hybrid of peculiar melancholy, epic romance and energetic uplift, hypnotizing the listener damn fast with the chorus and especially with the sudden shift into a building closing section, where the central verse is repeated several times in epic fashion.
“Ready to Go Home” is another superb AOR ballad, marked by outstanding arrangements and a terrific vocal performance from Payne. “The Last Time” is filled with an uplifting, triumphant chorus, while in the background you can hear Howe’s trademark “Appalachian” guitar finesse, which, together with Downes’ keyboard artistry, lends the song a touch of mystical secrecy. Besides its mighty romantic pathos, which once again peaks in an epic chorus, “Forgive Me” stands out for its abundance of varied rhythms rooted in world music. It’s worth pointing out that the lyrics are top-notch and in places even carry some deep messages, which means there isn’t a shred of the sappiness or needless pathos that so often weighs down many similar AOR bands.
“Kings of the Day” and “On the Coldest Day in Hell” are triumphant examples of the artful blending of melodic rock and art rock in the best tradition of Payne-era Asia, except that both compositions are further enriched by plenty of guitar and rhythmic embellishments from the prestigious guests, leading into some very interesting instrumental sections. Thanks to its length, complexity and lyrical message, the dramatic epic “Free” is without a doubt the centerpiece of the album. Juicy arrangements, a pompous mood, sprawling instrumental sections and unexpected time changes shape it into a genuine art rock masterpiece. “You Are the Stranger” is yet another potent AOR firestarter, where the fine synth textures that create an elegant symphonic wash and the colorful ethnic rhythms are especially delightful. As usual, Payne’s vocal range, and especially the way he expresses emotion, is worthy of all admiration. “The Longest Night” brings out remarkable drama and dynamics between the individual arrangements, which come together in a mighty chorus. As usual, Downes delivers hypnotic romance with his subtle sense for understated symphonic music.
The album’s peak, though, is the title instrumental, where all the best arrangement and rhythm elements from the permanent members and the guest greats flow into a sensuous prog rock union. True to its name, this masterpiece is steeped in an authentic oriental aura, drawn in through the artful combination of pentatonic rhythmic scales and elegant piano arrangements. Levin’s lively bass lines and the varied ethnic percussion launch into a wonderful dance, while the guitar lines supply heart-wrenching melancholy. The electric piano textures in between are placed in exactly the right spots to pleasantly tie together the energetic rhythmic carnival, which is the main reason for excitement for every prog rock gourmand. Maybe this was the moment in their career when Asia bowed most obviously and deeply to their prog rock roots.
“Aura” is a fantastic album in every respect and the peak of the John Payne era, arriving at a time when most longtime fans, mainly because of the constant lineup changes, had practically written them off, even though with every new release in the nineties they kept proving that they were slowly climbing back toward their old form as relevant purveyors of melodic rock romance and prog rock adventure. Who knows, maybe the return of Roger Dean as the cover artist helped a bit too. On “Aura,” the old cats found just the right formula to satisfy longtime fans and newer converts alike, while successfully reviving Asia and getting them ready for the challenges of the 21st century. Perhaps the most convincing reason “Aura” is an album that belongs on the shelf of every music lover with a wide musical taste is that it’s the only record of theirs that can justifiably go toe to toe with the legendary debut, and it’s the band’s best work from the Payne era.
Lineup
John Payne – vocals, bass and guitar
Geoff Downes – keyboards
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Steve Howe – guitar (on 4,8)
Elliott Randall – guitar (on 9,11)
Pat Thrall – guitar (on 8)
Ian Crichton – guitar (on 4,8,12,13,14)
Guthrie Govan – guitar (on 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,10)
Tony Levin – bass (on 3)
Vinnie Colaiuta – drums (on 3,4,10)
Simon Phillips – drums (on 6,8)
Chris Slade – drums (on 2,12,13,14)
Michael Sturgis – drums (on 1,5,7,9,11)
Production
Simon Hanhart and Asia
Track list
1. Awake
2. Wherever You Are
3. Ready to Go Home
4. The Last Time
5. Forgive Me
6. Kings of the Day
7. On the Coldest Day in Hell
8. Free
9. You’re the Stranger
10. The Longest Night
11. Aura
Bonus tracks on the special edition:
12. Under the Gun
13. Come Make My Day
14. Hands of Time
