Disco de Asia: “Archives, Vol. 1”

Archiva, Vol. 1, released in 1996, is a disc from Asia that contains 12 previously unreleased compositions. I find all of the material on this album to be good. All in all, this release sports skillful musicianship, worthy songwriting, and tight sound quality. The tracks are in a pop rock musical direction. One ballad ("I Can't Wait a Lifetime") and two instrumentals ("The Mariner's Dream," "Ginger") are included. Geoff Downes, my favorite keyboardist, does a talented job throughout. John Payne handles the vocal and bass guitar duties on all of the material--he also plays guitar on six cuts. Payne does well with his vocal delivery. Various musicians perform on this disc, too. "Fight Against the Tide," "The Mariner's Dream," "Boys from Diamond City," "I Can't Wait a Lifetime," and "Ginger" are examples of pieces that I like. One of the facets of "Fight Against the Tide" that I enjoy is Downes' fleet-fingered keyboard playing. "The Mariner's Dream," a short and nice instrumental featuring Payne on guitar, displays delicate, velvety guitar work. The tune "Boys from Diamond City" exhibits an attractive, melodic keyboard intro along with smooth, serene harmony vocals. "I Can't Wait a Lifetime" is a pleasant ballad that features a string section. Steve Howe takes care of the guitar responsibilities on the appealing and pretty instrumental "Ginger," the disc's closing track. The CD booklet includes the song lyrics along with informative comments concerning each track. Two black-and-white photos--one with Downes, Payne, and Howe and another one solely of Howe--are also included. Behind the CD tray, an Asia logo is featured with a blue and purple background. The back of the CD jewel case has information from Payne on how Archiva, Vol. 1, came to be. The CD cover illustration of the spider and its surroundings is creative and interesting. The disc is just over 49 minutes. Anyone who likes Asia and doesn't have Archiva, Vol. 1, should get it--it's solid and enjoyable.

This collection of unused tracks from the John Payne era shows just how strong the material being recorded during that period was. In fact, its hard to figure out how some of these tracks got left off the album as they rival the material on the three studio albums of this time. All the songs display the versatility, confidence and excellence of the "new" Asia. And the running order on both volumes of Archiva is well-selected so that it flows like an actual studio album. A stunningly great example of music that demonstrates why this version of Asia may be one of the best bands of the 90's.

This album is okay, but Archiva Vol. 2 is a little better. But any album with Geoff Downes on it is worth a listen.