Search - John Wetton :: Welcome to Heaven

Wetton Delivers--Again

L. Crow | United States | 01/12/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The follow-up to his darkly confessional "Arkangel" finds Wetton striking a nice balance between that disc's heaviness and the mature pop hooks of his classic "Battle Lines/Voice Mail." With heartfelt ballads like "No Ordinary Miracle" and "Right Before Your Eyes" mixed with assured rockers like "Say It Ain't So" and the ASIA-meets-Survivor knockout "Heart of Darkness," Welcome to Heaven offers something for all devotees of mainstream rock. Unexpected touches really lift the album: the haunting, Neil Young-ish acoustic "Real World" and the King Crimson near-reunion on instrumental E-SCAPE. Guest stars like Jim Vallance, Ringo Starr and Steve Hackett help make this a tasty way to begin the new year."

Somewhat Disappointing

Ken Warren | Rochester, NY | 05/22/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Wetton is one of the premier voices of rock, and I was hooked with the first Asia album. When he left the band and released his solo "Battle Lines" (also known as "Voice Mail" in some countries), I was extremely pleased with the results."Archangel" followed a couple years after, and though very different from "Battle Lines" in tone it was brilliant. So, with Asia releasing their newest "Aura" and Wetton releasing "Welcome to Heaven / Sinister" all in about the same time, I was very excited. However, "Heaven" is a mediocre release at best. I think both the songs and production are sub par for Wetton. The emotion from his previous 2 releases is missing from this album, and try after try (I've listed to it MANY times, wanting to like it) I'm still dissappointed. I bought the "Heaven" version for the 2 bonus tracks, but I should have saved my money. "Love is" is ok, and the new version of "Space and Time" is pathetic - and I love the original version.Sorry, Mr. Wetton. As one of your biggest fans, I still much prefer the new Asia "Aura" release."