A new beginning
John Sposato | Syracuse, NY, USA | 02/06/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Originally released March 1992; on Jimco Records in Japan. I had the French import on Musidisc, which I got disc only for a song. However, it doesn't have the bonus tracks. I may wanna get them someday, and sell the other, which is scuffed up, so I settle on the original U.S. edition on JRS/Pyramid/BMG. This is the first with John Payne on vocals and bass. Steve Howe and Carl Palmer from the original lineup appear on a few tracks. However, in two decades, Asia have had more lineup changes than En Vogue and Destiny's Child! (even though they're another music field. You get the joke.) A promo photo for this shown them as power-ballad-hair-band-[stereotypes], which isn't really a good idea in 1992 if you don't know who you're up against! This has more power ballads than the old Asia, yet you won't be disappointed. At first, I didn't wanna bother with the 'new' Asia, being used to the old, but for a lark and a few pennies, I got this and got my money's worth."