Asia reunion first ... a new album later (maybe)
Next to the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series, it seemed the most unlikely miracle: The four original members of Asia have reunited and are starting the next leg of a world tour right here in Florida.
Asia plays Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall on Thursday, June 14, so I get to fulfill the fantasy of seeing the complete band play live in concert. (To ensure that I survive the remaining 7 days until the concert, I'm not leaving the house, eating red meat, watching presidential news conferences or sitting too close to the TV.)
This week's Stuck in the 80s podcast celebrates the Asia reunion and ... AND ... features an interview with drummer Carl Palmer. I spoke to Carl for about a half hour on the phone from London, where the band was ready to begin rehearsals again.
Here are some highlights:
On the success of their debut album: "The music business is about timing, and if it's the first place and the right time for your product, something's going to happen. ... If we were to re-release that album again or album as good, I doubt it would have the impression that it created then."
His thought on the second album, Alpha: "It wasn't very deep. There wasn't anything musically complicated about it. ... You know what they say, 'It takes you 20 years to write that first album, and you’ve got to write the second one in 20 minutes.' "
On fans' reaction to the reunion tour: "I've been incredibly surprised. I didn't think the band would be accepted as well as it has been after such a long layoff. It is nostalgia -- we're fully aware of that."
On the bands' next plans: "We've decided we might record some retro material. There's a DVD ["Fantasia: Live in Tokyo"] that we just finished. ... And we'll look at new material. ... We're in no rush to do it. The world is not waiting for an Asia album -- we all know that."
Click here to listen to the full podcast and interview. Or click here to subscribe to the entire series for free via iTunes.
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I did hear an interview when the band started the tour last year and someone did asked them about "Heat of the Moment" and Asia being a punchline in "40 Yr Old Virgin". I think their take was that they hadn't seen it and the usual "any publicity is good" route. I think the Cartman version is funny. If you search You Tube there are a few other knockoffs...
Posted by: Hamptune | June 07, 2007 at 05:07 PM
Another great interview and Podcast!
Am I the only person that was a little disturbed that Carl Palmer kept referring to his music as "product"?
Since we got Chuck Panozzo's (Styx) opinion on the South Park rendition of "Come Sail Away", I think Steve missed an opportunity to ask Carl what he thought of Eric Cartman's version of "Heat of the Moment".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h04aPITofvI
Anyway, keep up the good work!
Posted by: razor9edge | June 07, 2007 at 02:19 PM
I love Steve Howe, but he is not the most attractive of men. He looks like a skeleton, but man can he play guitar!
Posted by: bassnote | June 07, 2007 at 11:20 AM
Great Podcast. I love the question about the different styles of Drumming between ELP and Asia.
What I cannot ever seem to understand is nobody has ever come clean about the John Wetton out for Asia in Asia concert and Greg lake in. Who's idea was that? Why Greg Lake? Even CP danced around it.
Posted by: Hamptune | June 07, 2007 at 10:21 AM
I'm looking at the picture and .... Hey, I didn't know Andy Worhol and Johng Goodman were in Asia!
Posted by: chase | June 07, 2007 at 09:35 AM