Desire - Looks To Feed The Thrill...
Jason M. Carzon | bowie, maryland United States | 09/04/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"ARIA is the second album from the 'new' Asia with John Payne on lead vocals. Released during the spring of 1994, Aria expands a bit on the direction they started on the previous album, 1992's AQUA: harder edged guitars, powerful anthemic choruses, symphonic keyboards. But this is a new Asia, one a bit removed from their MTV heyday and one in which not everyone fully accepted at the time. It came out at a time when grunge was killing off anything reeking of melodic hard rock, wrong album for the wrong time. But Asia are what they are, and so a melodic hard rock album it was. And unashamedly so- ARIA is a bit of a throwback in that regards, and would have been a hit back in more rock-friendly times.
This second release from the new John Payne-era Asia suffers from the 'sophomore' syndrome and is an underestimated release. When I first bought it, I was shocked that Geoff Downes had some new band and was calling it Asia. The band photos had them all decked out in leather and heavy metal attire. Even Downes was sporting longer hair and some rock-n-roll duds. One's first reaction may have been 'is this an L.A. hair metal band?'. Some of the music may also lead you to that thought. However, once past these elements, the music actually grows on you and these days I find ARIA a rewarding listen. With ARIA, the emphasis this time is on the new songwriting team of Downes/Payne and the vocals. With his position as lead vocalist/bassist/co-writer secured, John Payne was keen to place his personal stamp on the band rather than be seen as 'that Wetton replacement guy'. Therefore, there is a strong emphasis on the vocals. Again, he sings with a lot of power and soul, and the vocal harmony choruses are of the sing-along at the top of your lungs in the car variety. Almost operatic in delivery. Payne scores points for being himself and not trying to be John Wetton, respecting Asia's past while bringing something new to the table. This is why he's deserved our respect by now and why he's still in the band.
Right off the bat you'll notice a couple things before even diving into the music: One is that the album cover is a Roger Dean fantasy painting, like the covers he's done for Asia and Yes in the past. That's a plus. Then there is the band itself. While AQUA had an expanded roster of both old and new members, plus several outside writing credits, ARIA's Asia is again a four-man outfit, and as for the writing, Geoff Downes has formed a writing partnership with Payne, as he had with John Wetton in the earlier days. In 1992, AQUA at least had some stamp of authenticity in that former members Steve Howe and Carl Palmer were at least guest starring in their own band, and Howe even toured with them as well. But gazing over the credits for ARIA, the stark reality is that keyboardist Geoff Downes is the only original member left. Downes and John Payne are joined again by guitarist Al Pitrelli and drummer Michael Sturgis, both of which appeared on AQUA. 1994's version of Asia however was a well fleshed-out rock band, more in tune with the original Asia's concept of a four-member English rock band.
Getting past the line-up, the album cover and the band's 'legacy' of one of the first supergroups of the 80's, there is still the music to contend with. Despite some hard rock posturing, Asia elements are still in place- the anthemic choruses, the large production sound, the cinematic synthesizers blending with heavy guitars. Geoff Downes is still omnipresent with washes of electronic and orchestral keyboards, expressive piano and a touch of gritty organ. I beleve there was also a loose theme to the album, making it somewhat of a concept album. The concept being that each track represents a stage in one man's life(growing up, falling in love, going to war, etc.) Of course each song could stand on its own, and the 'concept' if there was one is well hidden. At the time I didn't appreciate this record because there was little left of the original Asia. Now I find there was more than I realized. The trax:
ANYTIME - a slow ominous droning intro gives way to a strong anthem with driving guitars and soaring vocals. This remastered edition also features the promo video.
ARE YOU BIG ENOUGH - into some standard rock territory here, not dissimilar from 'Little Rich Boy' or 'Back In Town' from AQUA.
Never an essential track, but not bad.
DESIRE - a song about lust which conveys an atmosphere of sexual desire without using the usual cliches. More about the feeling than the act itself, Payne's vocals erupt emotion, and Downes' symphonic keyboards give it a serious and elegant vibe. One of the best tracks from the 90's Asia.
SUMMER - more Steely Dan that Yes, strong vocal harmonies propel this shimmering ballad. Again, Payne shines.
SAD SITUATION - a live favorite, with slow verses and punchier chorus.
DON'T CUT THE WIRE(Brother) - a harder edged song about a wayward soul, this one is might be the weakest track here, but still well executed.
FEELS LIKE LOVE - oddly structured ballad with a long synth/vocal intro. The drums don't come in till later. This could have been a more traditional ballad, but the way it was arranged made it less accessable, but still strong.
REMEMBERANCE DAY - no Asia album would be complete without an anti-war song, and ARIA delivers with this hard rocker.
ENOUGH'S ENOUGH - here's where Payne's operatic vocals come back into the fore, and the production has him all echoing around.
MILITARY MAN - this powerful anthem is one of ARIA's highlights and is often still performed by the band today. This reissue also contains an acoustic rendition recorded live at Washington DC's XM Studios in 2003.
ARIA - the title track is a short reprise of the 'Desire' theme, which captures Geoff at his most symphonic.
REALITY - added B-side which sounds more in place on Geoff's 1992 solo album VOX HUMANA, featuring more warm sounding synths.
ARIA deserves a re-evaluation in the ASIA catalogue. You may find, some eleven years later, that the songs were well crafted and emotional and that the album itself is actually one of the most cohesive ones they have. Enjoy."
Aria closes the chapter on the band you remember from their
George Dionne | Cape Cod, MA | 10/14/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"What's the 4-1-1?
After signing Asia earlier this year for the release of Silent Nation, Inside Out Music honors their past with special editions of Aria and Arena (they also covered Aqua). All three albums feature John Payne (who replaced John Wetton) on vocals & bonus material.
Genre
Arena rock / AOR / melodic / progressive / alt-rock
The Good
Aria: Originally released in 1994, this album saw Asia getting comfortable with their new line-up. Geoff Downes focused more on a writing partnership with new vocalist John Payne, following an album that was made up of leftovers from a previous line-up. "Anytime" is an inspirational power ballad full of emotional highs and lows. Downes' driving keyboards and Michael Sturgis' pounding drums set the pace for "Are You Big Enough". The entire group chimes in with some great vocal harmonies. Heartache and abandonment is the focal point of "Sad Situation". Payne's vocals are smooth and soulful, similar to Michael McDonald.
Keyboard and percussive effects add dimension to the ballad "Feels Like Love". The mood starts of somber, but builds to a powerful and over-the-top conclusion. "Military Man" sounds a bit similar to "Heat of the Moment" during its introduction, but switches to a drum/vocal heavy arrangement. Guitarist (at the time) Al Pitrelli lays down some great licks and solos here. As part of the special edition, you get the unreleased track "Reality", which I think could have had a shot at the time, an acoustic version of "Military Man", and the video for "Anytime".
Arena: Originally released 1996, this album had Asia switching from AOR/arena rockers to a more experimental progressive rock/adult contemporary band. This is evident from the Santana-esque opening instrumental "Into the Arena". "Arena" continues the same vibe of its predecessor, with some great drum beats and impressive vocal harmonizing. Cosmic keyboard tones and Payne's warm and passionate vocals take command of "Two Sides of the Moon". The lyrics are imbedded with simile and metaphor, but it's not hard to hear that this is a statement on the effects of war.
Musically, "Falling" solidifies the group's transition into the progressive genre. Lot's off effects and unique tones. Payne delivers some great falsetto from time to time. "Turn It Around" is more a guitar prominent songs, with plenty of vocal melody. As part of the special edition, you get a ballad entitled "That Season", plus and acoustic version of "Two Sides of the Moon".
The Bad
The acoustic version of "Military Man" isn't really acoustic. The song "U Bring Me Down" from Arena has a rap section.
The Verdict
Aria and Arena are the proverbial yin & yang of Asia. Aria closes the chapter on the band you remember from their debut, while Arena gives you a glimpse of where the group was heading in the future. The extra material included on both is a nice touch for fans, but it's nothing super-special."
What is the sound of one band clapping?
Prog Nerd | Southern California | 11/11/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Following Asia's new lease on life after Aqua, 1994's Aria is a huge improvement in songwriting, production, creativity, and most importantly, new vocalist John Payne's vocals, which no longer grate, and are a lot smoother, traditional (in an arena-rock sense) and more operatic.
Steve Howe and Carl Palmer were now completely gone after (unecessarily, IMO) guesting on the last album. Downes and Payne solidified the group into a solid unit, retaining Aqua session men Al Pitrelli (Savatage, Megadeth, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) on guitars, and Michael Sturgis (21 Guns, Wishbone Ash) on drums.
Sturgis pounds the drums with unbridled abandon, and Al Pitrelli gives the guitars a very shredding, thrashy feel. Truth be told, these elements are the two things that make Aria feel distinctively like a true 90's album. The rest of the songwriting, playing, and production is very, very 80's sounding. Moreso than Aqua.
This is one of those cases where an album is simply released at the wrong time. If it was ten years earlier, it would've been a massive hit. If it was ten years later, it could've competed with the other classic-sounding metal in recent times, such as The Darkness, Wolfmother, and Jet. The music is almost a cross between Deep Purple-esque classic rock riffing, fist-pumping arena rock, and gorgeous classical progressions and operatic interludes.
Every single track is solid here, which had not been the case since the debut album, IMO. A few songs are ever-so-slightly weaker in a certain sense, but it's more due to perhaps being worn out by Aria's relentless heart-on-sleeve lyrically mentality, which after the first forty minutes or so, can feel a little Velveeta near the end (as on "Feels Like Love".) However, this is all relative, as Asia has been lyrically and (sometimes) musically cheesetastic since the beginning.
For the first time on an Asia record, we have ourselves a loose conceptual story of a man growing up from childhood to middle-age, reflecting on the stages of his growth, the people he meets and how they affect his life, and the struggles of war, work, and regret. The story begins in the ambient dronescape that opens "Anytime" as you hear the sound of children playing, and continues onward through his first love and sexual encounters ("Desire", "Summer") towards old age and bitterness ("Enough's Enough", "Aria".)
"Are You Big Enough?" has a killer outro, punctuated by Geoff's biting keys, before leading into the tribal chants of a southern Asian marketplace on "Desire". "Sad Situation" slowly grew on me more and more over the years, and now remains as my absolute favorite track on Aria. The song builds and builds with Downes' pulsating, trance-like keyboards, and Payne's warm bass and vocals. Sturgis provides fast-paced, shuffling snare fills as the song reaches its climax. "Remembrance Day" is a fast-paced, nearly metal tune that reflects on the ghosts of the American Civil War. There's some beautiful Yes-like keys from Geoff again, and the song ends with a blazing Pitrelli guitar outro. Sadly, it's cut too short, fading out much too early. The album ends with a short title track piece that reprises various lyrical and musical themes as the protagonist looks back, reflecting on everything that occured in his life. As the song nears the end, the theme from "Desire" returns, perhaps a symbol for his earlier love with a woman which leads to a new birth and a continuation of the cycle into a new dawn and a brighter future...
Aria contains the band's best production job ever (even moreso than Mike Stone's wonderful mix of the 1982 debut), with gorgeous clarity between instruments, and everything given weight and heft. The drums snap and reverberate awesomely, the bass is warm and chunky at the appropriate times, and even Downes' keyboards sound warm and punchy, with a beautiful use of classic Hammond sounds (foreshadowing 1996's Arena) and soothing ambient drones. His patches are never overtly electronic here, as they become on all future Asia albums.
The band reaquired the talents of Roger Dean for the cover, which is much more breathtaking in larger formats (look for the full version on the internet) and has a return of the Chinese dragon theme, this time featuring massive draconian bridges and towers, a sparkling softly-lit ocean, and a rocky balcony which overlooks it all.
Overall, Aria is an incredibly strong release, with amazing playing and production, and was clearly Asia's best release since 1983's Alpha. This would continue the upward climb of the band through the 90's as they diversified their sound, took in new influences, and took some experimental, progressive chances. This album took a little while to grow on me (see my other Asia reviews), although I got into it much easier than Aqua or Arena. Aria is recommended not just for fans of the early band, but also hard rock or prog-metal afficionados ala Deep Purple, Dream Theater etc.
Note: Most releases of Aria feature bonus tracks, which include an outtake ("Reality"; which doesn't particularly fit with the other songs, although has a nice techno-ish Buggles sound, and is great) and various live tunes, in addition to a video track to the rare promo video for "Anytime". Liner notes and photos are included in mine, which include a nice essay by Asia fan and journalist Dave Ling."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1