Asia/IL, USA 1982

ASIA’s debut work was an astronomical success in 1982, and they suddenly became the darlings of the era. The new master piece is now available. This work includes “June 17, 1982 Hoffman Estates Performance”. It is the super best audience recording. Their history reached its peak when they debuted, but the final blow came in their first year. First of all, let’s look back at the progress and confirm the position of the show. [“Eijikan: Romance of Time” released on March 18th]・April 22nd – May 30th: North America #1 (32 performances)・June 11th – July 10th: North America #2 ( 22 performances) ←★Coco★・October 5th-28th: ​​Europe (15 performances) This was ASIA’s peak in 1982. We toured North America and Europe with a simple schedule of about 70 performances over six months. Speaking of live performances during this period, the Pittsburgh performances and Buffalo performances have been officially announced, but these are the “#1” records in North America. On the other hand, the Hoffman Estates performance of this work was the 5th concert of “North America #2” after taking a breather. This show is also known for its famous recordings, but this work is a new master that was discovered only recently. Moreover, the person who made the announcement was not a free person. This is the latest work from “HOT OFF THE HEADS PRODUCTION”, which has dominated the headlines in recent weeks and is attracting keen attention from collectors around the world. The sound is truly shocking. Anyway, the core is strong and the fine details are clearly clear. There is no sense of distance. The uniqueness of the ultra-direct “HOT OFF THE HEADS PRODUCTION” could be tasted in the previous masterpieces, but this work is not only that. The virtuosity scattered at the key points of the big hit song gets a great applause, but it is strangely far away and the balance is like a sound board connected directly to the table. The reason for this is probably the venue. After all, the “POPLAR CREEK MUSIC THEATER” that became the venue is a wide open amphitheater. Although there is a roof over the stage, there are no surrounding walls to reflect sound, and the audience seats for approximately 7,000 people are surrounded by large lawn seats that can accommodate 18,000 people. According to the recording, the sweet spot of this venue seems to be in the lawn seats, picking up the output sound emitted by the PA with zero echo, and keeping the excitement far away. What is depicted with such a miraculous sound is a full show of the current super band. As mentioned earlier, speaking of 1982, there is also the official excavation board “LIVE IN BUFFALO”, so let’s organize the set while comparing it here. Eijikikan: Romance of Time (9 songs)・Time Again/Wildest Dreams/Without You/Only Time Will Tell/One Step Closer/Cutting It Fine/Here Comes the Feeling/Sole Survivor/Heat of the Moment Others (2) Song + α) ・Alpha: Midnight Sun / The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (★) ・Howe’s solo time: Mood For A Day (★) / Clap *Note: “★” mark can be heard on the official version “LIVE IN BUFFALO” No songs. …and it looks like this. Roughly speaking, all songs from “Roman to Time” + two new songs from “Alpha”. Of course, “Mood For A Day” and “Clap” are Howe’s solo performances. You will be surprised by the sound where you can hear the virtuosity of the acoustic guitar in the delicate and detailed picking nuances, as well as the early “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” that cannot be heard on “LIVE IN BUFFALO” and “One Step Closer” that is unique to this period. “Midnight Sun” is also delicious. And even more than that is the ensemble itself, which is a collection of masterpieces. Having performed more than 30 shows on the US tour, the band has become more sophisticated and has begun to show a polite yet mature quality. “Without You” also has dynamics and is colorful even after the middle instrumental section, and “Midnight Sun” has reached its final form with a bitter depth added to the sound. In particular, Howe’s guitar has a long and glossy sound, making the masterpieces even more expressive. There was also a delay applied to the synth sounds at the beginning of “Only Time Will Tell,” the vocals of “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes,” and a boost added to the synths of “Cutting It Fine.” Unique nuances can be seen everywhere. Another highlight is “Here Comes The Feeling”. Howe’s guitar and Wetton’s vocals enhance each other, while Downs’ synths pour in a flood of epic notes. Even in the short-lived original member era, you can enjoy one of the best performances. Even with “HOT OFF THE HEADS PRODUCTION”, which is dominating the headlines in 2020, you can enjoy a full show of a super band that has reached its peak with improved proficiency, with a special sound. This is truly a miraculous live album. Originally, a permanent preservation press 2CD would be appropriate, but I would like to share this shock with everyone as soon as possible. With this in mind, we have created an extremely high-quality product that has become the fastest report. Live at Poplar Creek Music Theater, Hoffman Estates, IL, USA 17th June 1982 ULTIMATE SOUND Disc 1(50:06) 1. Intro 2. Time Again 3. Wildest Dreams 4. Without You 5. Mood For A Day 6. Clap 7 . Midnight Sun 8. Only Time Will Tell 9. Steve MC 10. One Step Closer 11. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes Disc 2(38:53) 1. John MC 2. Cutting It Fine 3. Keyboard Solo 4. John MC 5. Here Comes the Feeling 6. Drum Solo 7. Here Comes the Feeling(reprise) 8. Sole Survivor 9. Heat of the Moment John Wetton – Bass, Guitar & Vocal Steve Howe – Guitar Geoffrey Downes – Keyboards Carl Palmer – Drums