This album is fine. It's sound quality is o.k. for a live set, and I don't have a huge problem with John Payne covering whatever songs he wants to from the Asia back-catalog, regardless of his involvement in writing or recording them originally.
I'm not so much interested in reviewing this album though, as I am in answering the review by "Foxworth" in which he says "John Payne is Asia"?!
I'm sorry sir, but you are in grave error...Geoffrey Downes IS Asia! His is the vision that has persisted through all of the egos and turbulence in the music industry for nearly three decades.
When Steve Howe left prior to "Astra", Geoffrey remained. When John Wetton quit before "Aqua", Geoffrey Downes was still there.
Finally, when none of the other original members wanted anything to do with Asia, Geoffrey stayed the course and continued to make the high quality rock music that Asia's fan base is ever drawn to. Never waivering!
All of that having been said, I am certainly a fan of John Payne. He became the vocal voice of the band for almost 20 years, and it is too bad there was not room for him when the original four members reunited.
Nevertheless, one has to wonder where John Payne would be today if it weren't for Geoffrey Downes and Asia? Many may never have heard of him?
So all in all, it was a dream come true when the original Asia got back together and I will always support them, and for that matter any project that has Geoffrey Downes' name attached to it, 100%!
As for Mr. Payne, I will also support his endeavors and very much look forward to his new "Asia (featuring John Payne)" album called "Americana", coming later this year (2011).
I think it's great that we essentially get to enjoy two incarnations of Asia, one with each vocalist. The "real" Asia will always however, be whichever one has Geoffrey Downes on the keyboard!
This album features Geoff Downes before he left to reform the Classic Asia.t is a tight, superb performance and features fantastic performances of the classic hits and the then newer songs from the Silent Nation album. A great swan song performance of this line up before Geoff Downes and Guthrie Govan departed it.
ASIA is simply John Payne. The old ASIA doesn't even exist for me. I would have felt more kindly towards the old ASIA group if they hadn't kicked John Payne out. Why they couldn't have worked with him is beyond me. At least ASIA FEATURING JOHN PAYNE survives, and I absolutely cannot wait for their release of ARCHITECT OF TIME. If you need more John Payne, try GPS or his recent solo album which is loaded with Payne-era ASIA.
