Asia/UK 2014

Asia just came to Japan last week with their new album “GRAVITAS”, but I’m sure many people are still excited to see the latest Asia with Sam Coulson replacing Howe. This week, we have a title that completely recorded the 1st Show held in Malvern, England on June 11th, the first day of the 2014 GRAVITAS tour, with a high-quality original recording that has never been available among traders or on the Internet! This recorder has been making a number of excellent recordings with a unique textured sound image, such as Suzanne Vega’s 2014 high-quality masterpiece recording “TALES FROM BARBICAN”, Dream Theater’s latest 2014 tour standout “ALONG FOR THE RIDE IN WOLVERHAMPTON”, which has received a great response since its release and is still a long-selling album, and Camel’s 2014 definitive edition “THE SNOW GOOSE IN CAMBRIDGE”, which also recorded a complete reproduction of Snow Goose with its excellent sound image. It is a completely original recording recorded by a local taper living in the UK who continues to make a number of excellent recordings with a unique textured sound image. If you have listened to any of the above titles, you may have been captivated by the unique texture of the recording sound, but this time, Asia is recorded in its own wet recording sound, and the memorable first day performance of the GRAVITAS tour is recorded in its entirety, so it’s irresistible! The bass is output loudly in the first half of the show (Disc-1), probably due to the PA on the day, which is a delightful sound image for Wetton fans. The acoustic part becomes a sound image with outstanding transparency, and the second half (Disc-2) after the break records the first day’s performance with a more balanced and textured and fascinating sound, so it can be said that it is a title that is strongly attracted not only to the performance but also to the change in the texture of the sound. Also, on this first day, “My Own Time (I’ll Do What I Want)”, which was not performed at the Tokyo performance last week, is also performed, so you can enjoy the set and atmosphere unique to the first day of the tour! After the SE of “1812 Overture”, which is familiar with Cozy Powell’s solo, “Sole Survivor” jumps out. You will be amazed by the sharp, edgy performance that emerges from the sound image with a bold and powerful bass range! From the beginning, the approach that is clearly different from the Howe era stands out, and the hard performance similar to that of Pat Thrall’s time runs through your ears, such as the guitar being choked just before the lyrics. It is also unique that they do something unexpected that is unique to the first day, such as putting a break before the chorus and encouraging the audience to suddenly join the chorus by clapping. It is also nice that the poor tempo and lack of sharpness that were found in the XXX tour in 2012 have been greatly improved, and the song has returned to its original driving feeling. It is also interesting to hear the detailed approach, such as the addition of some picking harmonics in the latter half of the guitar solo in the middle part. “Face On The Bridge” has also regained its original tempo, and the sound has become tougher due to the youthful guitar expression. At the same time, the comfortable groove is also increasing, and here too, the phrase is played fast at the end of the guitar solo, and Sam’s “new interpretation” is revamped and catches the ear everywhere, such as adding a choking in the coda. In “Time Again,” the bass movement is interesting, and scenes where Wetton, inspired by Sam, also takes an aggressive approach are seen here and there. The accents and sharpness of the song are also outstanding, and the clear and massive sound image also seems to support this. The lead track from the new album, “Valkyrie,” is naturally played in front of the audience for the first time. This has the strength that is unique to the original performance, but at the same time, the fresh expression that has not yet been digested is also a big attraction. This atmosphere will only be available for a while, so this is a very valuable scene. “My Own Time (I’ll Do What I Want)” was a song that was removed from the set at the Tokyo performance last week. Interestingly, it has been changed to an acoustic version from this tour, which has a great effect. From this point onwards, the balance of the recorded sound (the bass range was a bit loud) also began to improve, and the clear performance sound was reproduced freshly with a wet texture, so please pay attention to the change in the sound image. “Voice Of America” ​​is also alive and well as an acoustic version, but here it is impressive that Carl is hitting the drums with his bare hands. Please experience the comfort of the “touch” that disappears while stroking the hearing with the transparent and rich sound of this “simple hitting sound that can only be expressed by hand” and the quiet interweaving of the mellow melody of the young guitarist, and the main melody of the piano and vocal melody. Disc-2 is the second half of the show, and is a complete recording from Carl’s greeting before the start of the second part to the end of the show. The recorded sound is even better than the first half, and above all, the balance of the overall sound has improved dramatically. The opening song, “An Extraordinary Life,” has a guitar expression in the middle section that is similar to Howe’s, but not the same, and the guitar solo is not blurred like Howe’s, and is full of energy, which is a major highlight of the album. The title track of the latest album, “Gravitas,” strikes the heart with its straightforward expression that seems to hide its determination. It is also unique in that the sound is not yet organized at times, and in the guitar solo that is slightly embedded in the song, Sam fully demonstrates his original sound, so you can fully feel the fascinating sound of the new Asia. In addition, “Days Like These” firmly inherits the sound image of the Pat era, and you will be amazed at how the guitar solo is almost perfectly copied. It feels like the sound that we experienced at Amagasaki and Nakano Sun Plaza in the early fall of 1990 is jumping out as it is, and the Asia sound as a light and hard pop that Wetton aimed for at that time (and will probably aim for in the future) has beautifully bloomed. “Go” also shows that Sam has skillfully inherited the goodness of Mandy Meyer in 1985, but in the guitar solo in the middle, he plays his own original phrases that bring out his own characteristics. I think that this is probably because the band or Wetton himself said, “You can do whatever you want with this solo,” but compared to the perfect copy of the previous song “Days Like These,” this is a very contrasting and interesting scene. And in the energetic revival of “Don’t Cry,” the song’s original straight pop rock feel is magnificently revived, which is also a great highlight. Although there is a misalignment in the ensemble in two places, it is a wonderful scene where you can definitely feel a new sound in the clash of new and old sounds, including that. In “Open Your Eyes,” the guitar tone that comes out like an interjection behind the singing parts and in between the song progression is unique, and it is unique that the song progresses with a sound image that has never been heard before, different from the Pat era. Wetton’s passionate singing is also a big topic here, and the way his singing grows along with the rhythm that gradually becomes more dynamic is recorded with a well-balanced and fresh sound. I think you will be surprised at how well the encore “Heat Of The Moment” sounds. The guitar sound making is also a perfect match for the song, and it is a performance that strongly conveys the fact that the first day is concluded with an excellent performance. However, even in such a situation, a playful side that is typical of the first day is peeking out, and at around 3 minutes 57 to 58 seconds, Carl challenges a strange approach and the tempo becomes strange for a moment. Maybe he hustled too much on the first day, but I can see Carl smiling wryly here. For any band, the first day is a day when some kind of trouble occurs, the performance is awkward, and they play songs that are immediately removed from the set after seeing the reaction of the audience, and there is an atmosphere and approach that is different from the subsequent performances. The same can be said for this album, and if you listen to this, you will be reminded that the performance you saw that night was already different from the first day. This work, which records their starting point in 2014, will be a decisive measure for measuring the musical changes and show structure changes on the tour that will continue in the future, and it will surely enrich your understanding and experience of the performance you saw last week. Asia’s first new title in a long time, please look forward to it! Live at Forum Theatre, Malvern, Worcestershire, UK 11th June 2014 TRULY AMAZING/PERFECT SOUND(from Original Masters) Disc 1(51:08) 1. 1812 Overture 2. Sole Survivor 3. Wildest Dreams 4. Face On The Bridge 5. Time Again 6. Valkyrie 7. I Know How You Feel 8. My Own Time 9. Voice Of America 10. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes Disc 2(58:27) 1. Carl Palmer Introduction 2. An Extraordinary Life 3. Gravitas 4. Guitar Solo 5. Days Like These 6. Go 7. Don’t Cry 8. Drum Solo 9. Only Time Will Tell 10. Open Your Eyes 11. Heat Of The Moment Bonus DVD(8:37) Carl Palmer Drum Solo Color NTSC Approx. 8min. John Wetton – Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Guitar Geoff Downes – Keyboards, Backing Vocal Carl Palmer – Drums Sam Coulson – Guitar