Asia - Alpha Review

Songs: Don´t Cry, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, Never in a Million Years, My Own Time (I´ll Do What I Want), The Heat Goes On, Eye to Eye, The Last to Know, True Colors, Midnight Sun, Open Your Eyes.

Type of Music: Industrial Eighties Prog Power Rock

Comments:

This so-called Super Group (It did have Steve Howe & Carl Palmer mind you) was formed in 1981 and had a huge success in 1982 with the debut album that sold over nine million copies, went to # 1 in the Billboard Album Top 100 and contained the well known Hit Singles Heat of the Moment and Only Time will Tell.

This is the follow up that was released less than a year later. A Rush Job it seems in order to continue the success. It was not to be. The sales lacked behind and Don´t Cry and The Smile Has Left Your Eyes were only minor single hits. All songs on the album were written by Downes and Wetton, probably the reason why Steve Howe left the band about a year later.

Did I tell you about the music already? I didn´t. That´s because I don´t like this stuff at all. Alpha is a mix of Prog Power Rockers and Prog Power Ballads performed by a second hand Styx.

Did I tell you about the production already? I didn´t. That´s because I don´t like the production at all. Too much attention for keyboards and vocals and too little for guitar and drums. Typical Eighties crap.

Did I tell you about the songs already? I didn´t. That´s because I don´t like the songs at all. Way too Generic. Not one song caught my special attention.

Did I tell you that you should not buy this CD? I didn´t but I´m doing it now!!!!!!!! 

Rating: **** (4 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better (Should be better in this case!)