Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Asia
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2012
Length: 108:48
Rating: 4/5
English melodic prog rock heroes Asia found themselves in Basel, Switzerland on May 4, 2010, in the middle of a tour supporting »Omega« (2010), their second studio effort since the reunion of the classic lineup of John Wetton (vocals and bass), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Carl Palmer (drums) and Steve Howe (guitar). That night they played most of their best-loved eighties classics and plenty of tracks from the solid, then-current »Omega«, plus two cuts from its less inspired predecessor »Phoenix« (2008). Before the show they decided to record the whole thing and release it two years later as a double live album called »Resonance«. Fans of classic Asia will find plenty to enjoy on »Resonance«, because the old cats were in great form that night and dug out lots of beloved gems from the eighties.
Most fans would of course expect Asia to open the show with some long-running evergreen, but nope: after a short pre-recorded, pompous orchestral overture, they go straight into the epic »I Believe«, immediately making clear just how thrilled they were with the then-current »Omega«. They were obviously more than proud of it, even though the album, solid as it is, was nothing special as a whole. After years of battling the bottle, Wetton has clearly won the war and, after it once looked like he might lose his voice one fine day, reclaimed his status as one of the finest prog rock and AOR singers around, singing every number almost as well as he did two decades earlier. The guitar professor, ‘Mr. Owl’ Howe, is as splendid as ever in his virtuosic, improvisational guitar manner, constantly complementing Downes’ melodic synthesizer textures beautifully.
It’s worth mentioning that Howe and Downes (who is, by the way, the only Asia musician to have been a member of every single incarnation of this legendary band) are also members of the unforgettable prog rock champions Yes. Palmer, the youngest of the ‘four musketeers’, has over the years become an even greater drum master than ever before. His bombastic fills and vehement cymbal work impress at every turn. The old comrades reward their loyal fans at the first opportunity with the timeless »Asia« (1982) hit »Only Time Will Tell«, then cleverly steer back to »Omega« with the melodramatic »Holy War«, where Downes and Howe join Wetton on vocal harmonies. The punchy »Never Again« and the rousing »An Extraordinary Life«, both from the ‘reunion’ album »Phoenix«, which is below par by usual Asia standards, also come off surprisingly well live. Of everything taken from »Omega«, though, the dynamic »Finger On the Trigger« works best live. It’s already a great track in its studio version, with a mighty, inspiring chorus.
Of course, what will interest and draw in the most traditional Asia listeners on »Resonance« is how their eighties classics fared that night. Besides the excellent version of »Only Time Will Tell« mentioned above, the old cats shine again with a piano-arranged but still successful take on the power ballad »Don’t Cry« from the unforgettable »Alpha« (1983), where Wetton and Downes, best friends and always the most faithful Asia ‘believers’, find themselves alone on stage for a short while. The trip down memory lane to »Alpha« continues successfully with fine versions of the evergreens »The Smile Has Left Your Eyes« and »Open Your Eyes«, while it’s only in the closing stretch of the show that they remember their legendary debut again, delighting with such timeless pearls as »Time Again«, »The Heat Goes On« and »Sole Survivor«.
Towards the end of the show, Asia even dig out the cult AOR hit »Go« from the far too often overlooked third album »Astra« (1985). It’s a lovely but also surprising move, since Howe didn’t play on that record; the Swiss guitarist Mandy Meyer did. Brilliant guitarist or not, Howe is perpetually ‘difficult’ and a problematic personality. To keep the peace on »Resonance«, he got two guitar solo spots, »All’s a Chord« and »The Valley of Rocks«, though he’s otherwise known for avoiding, as much as he can, playing material he didn’t leave his songwriting stamp on.
Thanks to a hefty guitar riff, »Go« also has a somewhat punchier, hard rock flavor, yet Howe surprisingly gritted his teeth and made one of the few ‘compromises’ of his career, just as with the Yes standard »Owner Of a Lonely Heart«, which he can’t stand because of its ‘metal’ guitar riff. I won’t be exaggerating if I say that this version of »Go«, mostly thanks to Wetton’s excellent singing, even comes off as the best moment on »Resonance«, never mind that Howe weaves in a few rather unnecessary short improvisations. An Asia concert wouldn’t be complete, of course, without the cherry on top at the very end: their biggest hit, »Heat Of the Moment«, delivered with confidence and totally faithful to the studio original.
»Resonance« is a quality double live recording that shows the classic Asia lineup in the best possible light, with long-running hits and newer material nicely spread out, so that every album from the original and most beloved lineup is properly represented. It’s quite likely also the last official live recording of the classic Asia lineup, at least in its ‘older version’ (old recordings from the eighties, from the days of youth and ‘old glory’, will probably keep coming out in the future), since Howe quit the band again in early 2013 after seven years, which surprised almost no one who knows even a little about his character and the situation in this legendary group.
Lineup
John Wetton – vocals and bass guitar
Geoff Downes – keyboards
Steve Howe – electric, acoustic and steel guitar
Carl Palmer – drums and percussion
Production
Asia
Track list
CD1
1. I Believe (6:44)
2. Only Time Will Tell (4:59)
3. Holy War (6:00)
4. Never Again (4:53)
5. Through My Veins (5:32)
6. Don’t Cry (4:24)
7. All’s A Chord [instrumental] (2:26)
8. The Valley Of Rocks [instrumental] (3:44)
9. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (5:57)
10. Open Your Eyes (6:57)
CD 2
1. Finger On The Trigger (4:28)
2. Time Again (5:16)
3. An Extraordinary Life (5:15)
4. End Of The World (5:43)
5. The Heat Goes On (10:58)
6. Sole Survivor (7:26)
8. Go (4:27)
8. Heat Of The Moment (8:39)
