March 18 – No Tension Between This Asia & America

The 1970s were Prog Rock’s glory days but that genre had fallen on hard times in the early-goings of the ’80s. The new wave had washed bands like Duran Duran, Soft Cell and the Human League to the top of the charts, Genesis had gone quite pop-py without Peter Gabriel and several of the form’s most beloved acts had called it quits. So it was that the time was right for Asia. Their self-titled debut came out on this day in 1982.

Asia was a super-group formed the year before with drummer Carl Palmer, keyboardist Geoffrey Downes, guitarist Steve Howe and bassist John Wetton. On top of that another keyboardist, Rick Wakeman was enlisted, but dropped out before they ever got to the London studios to begin work. Palmer was of course one-third of Emerson, Lake & Palmer who’d gone on hiatus in 1979. Wetton had been in King Crimson until they broke up in ’74 (as it happened they re-formed around the same time he joined Asia, the band he decided to choose) and had done some work with Roxy Music along the way. Howe and Downes had both been in Yes, which had broken up in ’81 (but would soon reunite.)

One might imagine with a lineup like that, the result would be pompous, over-the-top 15 minute, elaborate suites as part of a high concept album complete with long drum solos and a few avante garde spoken word bits, especially since the album cover (a giant sea snake jumping out of the water reaching for a globe) was painted by Roger Dean who’d done several Yes album covers. But you’d actually be off the mark. Either the members tastes had changed over the past decade or their desire to have a hit album that connected with the masses had increased. Either way, Geffen Records got them to work with producer Mike Stone for the debut. Stone had worked in the studio with Queen throughout the ’70s and more recently had produced hits for Journey and April Wine. He clearly helped them put together a record that would fit right in on FM rock stations with those bands as well as the likes of Van Halen and Foreigner.

And that it did. Wetton and Downes wrote most of the 11 song album which, as Best Classic Bands noted was able to “appeal to longtime prog rock acolytes but also conform to the tastes of the emerging MTV generation.” Indeed, while the sound was big and bombastic, and exquisitely played, as you’d guess, it consisted of comparatively short, pop-based songs complete with catchy choruses. While “Heat of the Moment” and “Only Time Will Tell” were released as singles, a trio of other songs – “Sole Survivor”, “Time Again” and “Wildest Dreams” – joined them on the radio getting decent airplay.

Little wonder then that the album hit #1 in the U.S. and Canada. The States loved it especially, with it reaching #1 for nine weeks and ending up as the year’s biggest-seller. “Heat of the Moment” topped rock charts and was a #4 single. Back home though, enthusiasm was dampened, with it stalling at #11 and only selling to gold levels compared to the 4X platinum in the U.S.

Critics saw that in varied light. While Robert Christgau cringed about the “pompous schlock in the grand manner,” Billboard figured it “sounds fresh and perfect fare for “ FM rock. Years later, allmusic gave it 4.5-stars, best in their catalog (believe it or not they’ve put out 13 studio albums in total, with several different lineups). They considered it “the success story of 1982”, a success “despite going against the grain of the new wave stylings of the day”.

So even though their next album sold only about a quarter as many copies, it seems that when it comes to musical continents of the ’80s, “Asia” beat both “Europe” and “America” rather handily.

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