Here we have the latest in the British Live Performance Series, a 1990 concert recorded in Nottingham, England featuring the prog/pop supergroup Asia. With 3/4 of the classic line-up intact, John Wetton, Carl Palmer, and Geoff Downes are joined by ex-Pat Travers Band guitarist Pat Thrall, as founding member Steve Howe was busy with Anderson Wakeman Bruford Howe and eventual Yes commitments at the time.
The show is a virtual greatest hits set from start to finish, save for a few newer songs at the time, the bulk of the set coming from the bands stellar 1982 self-titled debut but also a few tracks from Alpha, Astra, and Then & Now. Wetton is in fine vocal form throughout (the guy was on a level all his own back then), with the acrobatic drum work of Palmer and Downes' symphonic keyboards adding the right amount of flair to these very accessible songs. The real draw to this performance however is the metallic and quite virtuoso guitar skills of Thrall, whose time in the band was fairly brief, making this recording all the more worthwhile. Fans of his work with Pat Travers, Hughes Thrall, and Meat Loaf will love his searing lead lines and muscular riffs on such staples as "Sole Survivor", "The Heat Goes On", "Go", "Wildest Dreams", and "Time Again". Mega hits like "Heat of the Moment", "Don't Cry", "Open Your Eyes" seamlessly segue into chart topping ballads such as "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" and "Only Time Will Tell", the band firing on all cylinders here despite the absence of Howe.
The sound quality here is quite good, and with the 'can't miss' set list, it all makes for a worthwhile purchase for any Asia aficionado out there. Though there have been plenty of live Asia releases over the years, here's a snapshot of a brief line-up of the band in transition but definitely worth checking out.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1) "Wildest Dreams"
2) "Sole Survivor"
3) "Don't Cry"
4) "Voice Of America"
5) "Time Again"
6) "Praying For A Miracle"
7) "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes"
8) "Only Time Will Tell"
9) "Days Like These"
10) "The Heat Goes On"
11) "Go"
12) "Heat Of The Moment"
13) "Open Your Eyes"
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