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Asia — Live in Nottingham
(Blueprint BP-253-CD, 1997, CD)

by Paul Hightower, Published 1998-07-01

Live in Nottingham Cover art

This live performance is from way back in June of 1990 and was part of Central TV's (UK) batch of live video-tapings which has also given us sets from Steve Hackett, Caravan, and Rick Wakeman, among others. Like many of us, I'll always have a soft spot for these prog-rock superstar let-downs. To me, they will always represent memories of my late adolescence and the early days of MTV. On the up side, a listen to this disc is a bit of a trip down memory lane since 9 of the 13 tracks here are taken from the first two Asia albums which featured Steve Howe on guitar, Geoff Downes on keys, John Wetton on bass and vocals, and Carl Palmer on drums. On the down side, however, Howe couldn't make the reunion and what we get instead is the flaccid and uninspired work of metal-poser Pat Thrall who can't hold Howe's jock. The rest of the band must have agreed since they didn't even feel Thrall worthy to have his photo included with theirs on the booklet! In its defense, though, especially compared to the current wretched incarnation of Asia with Downes and John Payne, what we have here is generally decent enough pop-rock, though truly safe only for serious Asia fans.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 15, 1997 releases

Related artist(s): Asia, John Wetton, Geoff Downes

 

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