Asia announced new live CD/DVD releases

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of ASIA's brand new live CD / DVD Spirit Of The Night – Live in Cambridge 2009 on October 15th 2010. A proper US release will follow in early 2011.

This Live CD / DVD captures Asia in their original line-up, featuring John Wetton on vocals, Steve Howe on guitar, Geoffrey Downes on keyboards and Carl Palmer on drums, performing to an enthusiastic crowd. The masters come from the band’s own archive and this is a show they have personally selected to be filmed and released. It’s a raw and honest view of the musicians and the perspiration on their brows, as they play to a receptive audience. It is truly a compelling viewing and a "must have" for all Asia fans.

Spirit of the Night will be released in CD and DVD separate editions and in a limited edition in digipak including both items.

CD tracklisting includes:
Only Time Will Tell
Time Again
An Extraordinary Life
My Own Time
Open Your Eyes
Fanfare For The Common Man (CD exclusive)
Here Comes The Feeling
Never Again
The Heat Goes On
Sole Survivor
Don’t Cry
Heat Of The Moment
Midnight Sun (Bonus Track)


DVD contents includes Live in Cambridge concert:
Only Time Will Tell
Time Again
An Extraordinary Life
My Own Time
Open Your Eyes
Here Comes The Feeling
Never Again
The Heat Goes On
Sole Survivor
Don’t Cry
Heat Of The Moment
Bonus material:
In the Court of the Crimson King (featuring Ian McDonald)

Reviews and more...

I just wanted to post a quick update about a bunch of reviews and stuff that have been posted, or will be posted soon-ish, that may be of some interest to you, Constant Readers.

The following reviews were published on Progscape yesterday:

Matthew Parmenter Horror Express 05/15/2008
Rainwound Shrouded Destiny 05/15/2008
Beardfish Sleeping in Traffic: Part Two 05/15/2008
Rod DeGeorge Cosmic Playground 05/15/2008

The following reviews have just been submitted:

Caamora She (2 CD release)
Caamora She (DVD release)

As soon as they are up, I will be providing links to interviews with the following artists:

Andy Tillison of The Tangent/Parallel or 90 Degrees
Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings/formerly Kaipa, The Tangent, Transatlantic

The following artists have interviews coming up:

Gary Lauzon of The Rebel Wheel
Jason Blake of Aziola Cry

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Here's what I'm listening to recently:

Asia - Phoenix (Frontiers Music)
Alberto Rigoni - Something Different (Lion Music)
Nude Black Glass - Nude Black Glass (private release)
Fernwood - Almeria(private release)
Voluntary Mother Earth - Unacceptable Vegetable (private release)

You'll probably be getting links to reviews over the coming week or so.

~~~~~~~~~~

NEARfest is about one month away now, and I suppose it goes without saying that I will be there. I'll be covering the event for a variety of outlets, and you will more than likely be getting all kinds of links to photo galleries, reviews, interviews and so on. I'll look into Blogger's voice post capabilities to see if there's any way I can push voice posts here as a stop gap over the course of the two days, but in the event that I cannot, I do have a personal blog that does allow for voice posting. I may simply post a link to that blog before the festival and ask that people hit that page over the course of the weekend if they were at all interested in a 'blogging as the festival goes' kind of thing.

In my listening pile...

This is what I am listening to this weekend:

Matthew Parmenter - Horror Express. I've 'known' Matthew since the last 1990's, when I randomly picked discipline as a band I wanted to check out. Since then., we've corresponded back and forth some, I've started running his Yahoogroup discussion group, and introduced him when he played his solo spotlight set at NEARfest 2005. Horror Express is his new solo album, and as of right now, on first listen...this will make my year-end top 10 list.

And I'm thanked in the credits, too :-)

Asia - Phoenix. Pulled from my review pile. No thoughts yet. Haven't listened once yet.

Rod DeGeorge - Cosmic Playground. Also from my to be reviewed pile. Looking it over, looks like a guitar based instrumental album. Song titles do seem to evoke the possibility of stylistic diversity. And he plays Mozart's "Rondo Alla Turca" (possibly the Brubeck arrangement?) so that might be interesting.

No Machine - A Terrible Thing. A last selection from the review pile. The cover looks...interesting. Songs are shorter. No idea what it sounds like or what I am getting into. Explorative listening with no preconceived thoughts...

Update/news about Asia's new album (Wetton/Downes/Howe/Palmer)

(from Original Asia)

Frontiers Records, the Italian-based record label, announced today acclaimed British progressive rock group Asia, will release Phoenix, its first studio album since 1983. The new album, recorded by all four original members following singer/bassist John Wetton's emergency heart surgery last August, marks a return to the classic Asia sound, with some surprising contemporary twists.

“Everything that was there 25 years ago is still there, and quite simply if you liked it then, you'll love it now,” says Wetton. “It does exactly what it says on the tin.” “The recording has gone very well, especially since John is writing, singing and playing great,” adds guitarist Steve Howe. “I believe we've all found the team work creatively rewarding and we look forward to playing some new songs, on stage.”

Phoenix is a collection of songs that speak to the millions of core Asia fans who, like the group, have come a long way since the dawn of the MTV age in 1982. “We're older now, and our audience has grown up with us,” says drummer Carl Palmer. “I think the lyrical themes on this record are some of the best John has ever developed. One track in particular, 'Extraordinary Life,' is among the best tracks we've ever recorded, and I believe could go on to be another Asia classic.”

Phoenix has a very poignant underlying theme placed at the intersection of love, discovery and reflection, no doubt due, at least partly, to Wetton's unexpected serious health issues (which included open heart surgery), and forced the cancellation of Asia's 2007 West Coast North American tour and a sold-out tour of the United Kingdom. “It kind of knocked me sideways on another level,” said Wetton of his recent surgery and physical rehabilitation, in an interview with journalist Jeb Wright. “You tend to become very aware of your mortality and your vulnerability.”

“John is a survivor,” adds Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes. “He has proved that a few times, now. There was never any doubt in our minds that he would recover and be better than ever. We all look forward to hitting the road once again.” Adds Carl Palmer: “The last few years since we reunited have been a very natural process. The recording started and ended on a big high with the sense that Asia now was truly reborn and ready to move forward once again - onto the global stage where we all feel it justly belongs."

Coinciding with the release of Phoenix, Asia, will return to the stage for an extensive World Tour that kick off on March 1, 2008, in Falmouth, UK. It will be the first show by the band since Wetton was sidelined last August.

The four original members reunited in 2006, twenty-three years after all four had last played together. The much publicised reunion resulted in two highly successful world tours in 2006 and 2007; an acclaimed double live LP and DVD, (entitled FantAsia: Live In Tokyo); and an overwhelming response from fans and the media, which continues today. This will be the third world tour for the four accomplished musicians, whose debut album, Asia, was released 26 years ago in 1982, and remains one of only 4 albums in history to stay at the Billboard album chart position of #1 for a staggering nine weeks! Formed at the dawn of the MTV era, Asia was the first super group of the 1980s, featuring members from Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, King Crimson and The Buggles. Videos made for the band's first two albums, Asia and Alpha, were a staple part of the historic music channel's initial programming.

“1982 feels only like yesterday,” comments keyboardist Geoff Downes about the first time the original members of Asia made their landmark debut album. “Four guys in the studio, making music together - John, Steve, Carl and me. Fast forward to 2008. Once again, here we are. The same four guys doing the same things. Maybe we're all a bit older now, but nothing's really changed that much over the years - that's the beauty of Asia."

Continuing his thought, Downes is reflective on the creative success of the early albums: Fortunately for his fans, Wetton has recovered fully and his bandmates say he is singing and playing better than ever. “What we set out to achieve way back then- Timeless music that only sounds like the four who created it-, is what we attempted to bring to Phoenix. Still, it remains contemporary and refreshing to us all. Nothing more, nothing less. This is the Asia story, and it remains the same today - so listen on, and enjoy.”

2008 Asia World Tour - United Kingdom

March 1 - Falmouth Pavilion
March 2 - Bournemouth BIC Pavilion
March 4 - Liverpool Academy
March 7 - Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre (Wales)
March 8 - Frome Cheese & Grain
March 9 - Wolverhampton Civic
March 11 - Nottingham Rock City
March 12 - Oxford Zodiac Club (Academy)
March 13 - Manchester Academy
March 16 - London Shepherds Bush
March 18 - Newcastle Academy
March 19 - Glasgow Academy (Scotland)
March 20 - Perth Concert Halls (Scotland)

North America
April 4 Wilkes Barre, PA - Kirby PAC
April 5 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino Wolf Den
April 7 Harrisburg, PA - Sunoco Performance Theater
April 8 Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
April 10 Collingswood, NJ - Scottish Rite Auditorium
April 12 Westbury, NY - North Fork Theatre
April 13 Peekskill, NY - Paramount Center For The Arts
April 15 Verona, NY - Turning Stone Resort & Casino
April 16 Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
April 17 Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Center
April 19 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
April 20 Chicago, IL - House of Blues
April 21 Indianapolis, IN - Music Mill
April 23 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
April 26 Marksville, LA - Paragon Casino
April 27 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
April 29 Espanola NM - Big Rock Casino
April 30 Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre
May 2 Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club
May 3 Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
May 4 San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House
May 5 San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom @ The Regency Center

Japan
May 8 Fukuoka, Japan - Shimin Kaikan
May 9 Osaka, Japan - Koseinenkin Kaikan
May 11 Nagoya, Japan - Shimin Kaikan
May 12 Tokyo, Japan - International Forum

Europe
May 17 - Santana 27 - Bilbao, Spain
May 18 - Hall de Martigues - Martigues, France
May 19 - Luz de Gas - Barcelona, Spain
May 21 - Lisbon Coliseu - Lisbon, Portugal
May 22 - Joy Eslava - Madrid, Spain
May 24 - Tenerife Auditorium - Tenerife, Canary Islands
May 26 - Zenith- Lille, France
May 27 - O-13 - Tilburg, The Netherlands
May 29 - Prumyslovy Palac – Vystaviste - Prague, Czech Republic
May 30 - Petofi Hall - Budapest, Hungary
May 31 - Divadlo Arena - Bratislava, Slovakia

More Dates To Be Announced. For all things Asia please visit: www.originalasia.com.