Search - Carl Palmer :: Quango: Live in the Hood

Palmer and Wetton, together again in a great live effort

srob1024 | Chicago, IL USA | 10/23/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If anyone was wondering where the sound that defined 80s supergroup Asia has been since 1992, this is the place. Featuring Asia co-founders John Wetton and Carl Palmer, the band also boasts keyboardist John Young (whose resume bears a stint with Asia in the late 1980s) and David Kilminster, who was tapped to join Wetton, Palmer and Geoff Downes in the aborted Asia reunion of 1999. "Live from the Hood" features several Asia efforts, as well as a few ELP classics and a cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower." A new work, "Last One Home," is hauntingly beautiful, and features a jazzy instrumental that demonstrates how well this band's components work together. Kilminster and Young prove themselves worthy successors to the likes of Keith Emerson and Steve Howe, and the chemistry between Palmer and Wetton makes one wonder why they don't work together more often. An intimate but powerful recording that is true to the band member's progressive roots."

QANGO: The Asia reunion that should have been.

circle_nine | Kusatsu-shi, Shiga-ken Japan | 08/30/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In the wake of the aborted Asia reunion of 3/4 of the original line-up, John Wetton and Carl Parlmer have created Qango. Also in the mix are Dave Kilminster, who would have been recruited for the Asia reunion and who plays with Wetton when the latter works solo, and John Young, who also works a lot with Wetton. The current, Downes-Payne version of Asia, meanwhile is pressing on down its own path. (One can't help being reminded of when ABWH was created rivaling the 80s version of Yes as to who is the real thing.) There have been many live albums from Asia and Wetton recently, yet I have not listened to any. Qango fairs very well. This compilation does not feature the entire set that they played at the shows and, save one great new composition and a very good Bob Dylan cover, it mostly highlights Asia and ELP material. (Not that that is a bad thing!) The musicians are all very capable and they've recorded a good show. They recorded live at The Robin Hood & The Brook. As such, the recording retains the intimate-and-interacting feel of a club venue. The only disappointment on the album is Kilminster's solo piece. It makes one wonder how he could have selected to fill in for Steve Howe in the abortive Asia reunion tour. Not that the short acoustic piece is bad; just disappointingly simple. Young, meanwhile, proves to be quite adept on keys/organ/piano in the tradition of Keith Emerson. It will be interesting to see if the '90s Asia's new release proves them worthy to call themselves 'Asia', or will be obvious that the real Asia is the group baring the name of Qango. Likewise, it will interesting to compair Asia's new album against the proposed Qango studio release. As for 'Live in the Hood', I give it a 3 or 4, because live albums are never quite as good as studio albums. However, among live albums this would be an easy five."

2 out of 3 or 4 ain't bad

John Sposato | Syracuse, NY, USA | 10/06/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Qango were a short-lived spinoff of Asia founded when Geoffrey Downes and Steve Howe were too busy with the John Payne lineup and Yes respectively for a reunion (we got it this year!). The usual Asia fare like "Soul Survivor" and "Heat of the Moment", as well as ELP's "Bitches Crystal" and "Fanfare for the Common Man", are featured. "The Last One Home" is a new song, derived from Wetton's 1996 solo album's title track "Arkangel". This was hard to find for a while. There was never a studio album by this group.

John Young plays keyboards on this album, as he was briefly in Asia in the late '80s."