Asia

Ratings Asia: 5 Stars Asia featuring John Payne: 2 Stars

  As of 2008, there are two distinct groups using the Asia name: a recently formed reunion of the band’s original line-up performing as “Asia”, and “Asia Featuring John Payne” as a continuation of the pre-2006 Asia lineup, featuring three of its members. Asia Geoff Downes and the other three original members (Wetton, Palmer, and Howe) convened a group meeting in England in early 2006 in anticipation of formally reforming for work that year. And after a slew of rumours, they announced that this original line-up of Asia were planning a CD, DVD and world tour to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary. The band appeared in October 2006 on U.S. cable channel VH-1 Classic and began a world tour largely focused on the U.S. The band secured ownership of the Asia name and toured under the description of the Four Original Members of Asia. The setlist featured most of the first album as well as a couple of songs from the second, along with one selection each from Yes, ELP, King Crimson and the Buggles to acknowledge the history of each member of the band. In a 2006 interview guitarist Steve Howe states that “This is the real Asia. There have been other incarnations of the band, but this is the one that the public truly embraced”. Asia featuring John Payne Payne, Govan and Schellen continued working together after Downes’ departure for the aforementioned reunion. This included continuing work on what had been planned as the next Asia album, Architect of Time. They began to work under the name GPS with Ryo Okumoto of Spock’s Beard on keys. Their debut release, Window to the Soul (2006), included material developed for Architect of Time. In May 2007, Payne, Govan and Schellen announced the new band name, “Asia Featuring John Payne”, adding Erik Norlander on keys. The name had been contractually agreed between Payne, Downes, Wetton, Howe and Palmer on the 9th of May 2006. The first release under this name at the end of 2007 was a live recording of the late 2005 Asia line-up of Downes, Payne, Govan and Schellen, entitled Extended Versions in the US and Scandinavia in the UK. In June 2008, the band has announced the release of an EP entitled “Military Man” with a royalties being donated to the USO. The band is also planning to release a completed Architect of Time , with all songs written by Payne and Norlander. The band are touring in 2009 under the Asia Featuring John Payne name, and currently playing festivals and small venues, performing songs from the entire history of Asia, including “Heat of the Moment”. Govan left the band in 2009. Meanwhile, Payne, Govan, and Schellen are also continuing work as GPS, while Schellen is also recording with Circa. Source and more information: Wikipedia