Asia - Omega
by Dan MacIntosh
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For many, the band Asia is/was all that's bad about super groups. The act formed and released its first album in 1982, out of the ashes of Yes, King Crimson, Roxy Music, and too many other bands to name. And the band was a success right out of the gate with the single "Heat of the Moment". But its four members (Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Carl Palmer, and Steve Howe) had already amassed great success previously -- primarily with progressive rock music. Now they had reigned in some of progressive rock's excesses in order to rake in some album oriented rock dollars this time out. In other words, they were double-dipping in the money pool, while up and coming bands struggled to make their marks.
Today -- all these years latter, with some of the original prejudice diminished somewhat -- we have Omega, which reunites all four original members. And what they've given us is a pristine modern pop album. They're all great players, and they've put together a nice batch of songs. Heck, "Don't Wanna Lose You Now" has the sort of melodic hook one might otherwise associate with George Harrison's best solo work. It's a great ballad! It even has a keyboard part meant to sound like trumpets, which immediately brings The Beatles' heyday to mind. Elsewhere, the dark-seeming "End of the World" is actually more positive than its title suggests. Its lyric speaks of believing in God, and living up to high childhood expectations. There are also a few standout lyrics on this project. "Through My Veins" includes these lines: "You've been taken from my eyes/But you're running through my veins." Not bad for prog rock old guys, eh?
This disc falls short when these players put down their pop chops momentarily and try to rock out. "Finger on the Trigger", for instance, is just too crisp and clean in a world where bands like KORN and Linkin Park have mastered raw rock & roll truth. Asia is far better at perfectionism than letting loose.
The song "I Believe" states how "love is the key to happiness." And how can anyone argue with that? Omega is a sharp piece of pop-rock, which pretty darn good for a quartet of rock veterans. And best of all, they don't come off cynical or jaded in the least.
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