John Payne & Erik Norlander's Dukes Of The Orient ~ Dukes Of The Orient (aka debut) (album review) ... Asia Featuring John Payne ends in glory!

Style: prog rock, hard rock
Label: Frontiers.
Year: 2018
Home: California

Members: John Payne ~ lead vocals/guitars/bass
Erik Norlander ~ keyboards/b. vocals

Additional: Jay Schellen ~ drums
Guthrie Govan, Bruce Bouillet, Jeff Kollman, Moni Scaria ~ guitars
Molly Rogers ~ strings

After the death of original Asia frontman John Wetton, the band Asia Featuring John Payne was retired ... only to be soon reborn as the Dukes Of The Orient with a much anticipated debut album on the home run making label Frontiers Music. I say 'home run', as while there's been albums they've released I've not personally liked, I honestly can't think of anything I've heard that wasn't top notch quality, particularly from older musicians who have been on the scene for decades. Frontiers is great when a musician needs a bit of a re-invention, or shot of inspiration to get back to doing what they do best. Since keyboardist Geoff Downes left Asia to join the re-union of the original line-up, leaving Wetton successor John Payne to carry on as Asia Featuring John Payne, recordings had been numerous by the reunion group but few by the Payne led version. Honestly, I wish it was the opposite. I liked some of what I heard by the re-united original Asia, but there was a lot of filler & a lot of it sounded more like Wetton-Downes than a group effort, while I liked most of what I heard by Asia Feat. John Payne but just wanted more. Payne's writing has always been top-notch & I would propose maybe better than the early overly commercial Asia hits. I also love his deep voice far better than Wetton's. I think he has one of the strongest baritones in the rock world, even more so than Paul Rodgers. While Downes successor in keyboardist Erik Norlander might just be one of the best prog-rock keyboardists on the scene of the last decade. His solo effects I have reviewed here & highly recommend. I also have felt Downes might be a good composer, but he always had a light touch to my ears. Norlander is much more willing to take musical chances & brought a heavier non-commercial feel to the Asia sound. Maybe I'm biased. A decade after first discovering Norlander I can recall many of his keyboard bits, whereas I can't hum a single note I've ever heard Downes play, including from Yes & the Buggles. Thus, every bit of new music from Payne, Norlander & company, even if under a new name & classy retro look, is exciting & much welcomed. Yes, the self-title debut by the Dukes Of The Orient lives up to expectations. There is a fine line between the two entities. Payne & Norlander are now the primary members of the Dukes, but are joined by some past members of Asia Feat John Payne & Asia. While the album includes "Seasons Will Change", which was released years earlier with a video under the name of Asia Feat. John Payne. Its thus hard to persuasively argue that the Dukes is not essentially Asia. Though, I do not know how much else on the album dates from pre-Duke recording sessions. There could be a lot or a little, so that missing info will sway me to if I see this as Dukes or Asia with a new name. For years there was talk of a new Asia Feat. John Payne album tentatively named Americana, so is this those lost recordings? I don't know. For the sake of argument, for a moment let's say there is no difference between the two groups. In that case, thank you god for aligning the stars to have Payne & company release this album. Now, let's say outside some overlap Dukes is a new musical entity. In that case, thank you god for keeping alive the sound of Payne & company that so many of us have enjoyed & supported, even saw in concert (in the famed Manhattan concert of only Payne & Norlander where his keyboard's computer rebooted mid-solo). Asia Feat. John Payne was a powerhouse group making some amazing heavy prog that I didn't hear elsewhere, while Payne's voice hasn't aged a day. When he would sing "Military Man" with earlier line-ups of Asia you felt like he was a proud soldier in the heat of battle, far different than so many of his prog peers who sang with more a cosmic feeling regardless of the lyrical content. When he laments here of "Strange Days" you can feel his heart tearing from his chest. I find myself singing along even. It helps that the album isn't full of cliched cliched songs of love or typical rock odes to one's lustful desires. He has something to sing about & put his heart into. "Brother In Arms", "Time Waits For No One", "A Sorrow's Crown", "A Fourth Of July," "Give Another Reason" are the titles on the Dukes album. Out of 8 songs that's a lot that don't give any hint that this will be a bang bang girl guy cock rock song. As he sings in the rockin' "Brother In Arms": "In this life / do not forsake me / scorch the land of misery ... My brother in arms / I cannot take anymore  ... My brother in arms / why are we fighting this war." Powerful stuff, made even better with a great ascending melody the shows how strong Payne's vocals are. Thus, what was started with Asia continues here without any shortcuts, via great emotional singing & unpredictable musical landscapes. The Dukes craft songs where every instrument contributes to the groove, versus just a bland riff or a beat with some solos. These are well crafted songs that sound inspired. I enjoyed this album when it debuted. Listening again years later to write this review, I come away from the experience with the same feeling as the first listen: I'm left breathless, my heart has been pumping a bit faster, my emotions exhausted after a wonderful musical journey. Its an experience, not just music to listen to in the background. The Dukes website reads: "If you like albums such as Aqua, Aura, or Silent Nation then Dukes Of The Orient is for you!" Honestly, I think this is far better than all three of those album, as Dukes Of The Orient take it up a notch with less filler, a harder edge & more memorable songs. This is the Asia Feat John Payne you've been waiting for, now staking their royal claim.

John Payne's Asia ~ The Collection (hits comp) (album review) ... Don't put a wall around this Asia!

Style: progressive rock
Label: Snapper Music
Year: 2000
Home: n/a

Members: John Payne ~ bass/guitar/vocals
Geoff Downes ~ keyboards/drum programming/b. vocals
Steve Howe ~ lead guitar
Al Pitrelli, Elliott Randall, Aziz Ibrahim ~ lead guitar
Carl Palmer, Mike Sturgis ~ drums

Additional: Simon Phillips, Nigel Glockler ~ drums
Andy Nye ~ keyboards
Scott Gorham ~ guitar

Guests: Tomoyasu Hotei ~ lead guitar
Luis Jardim ~ percussion


There are countless compilation albums out there by the pop-prog early 80's supergroup Asia, which is rather strange considering they only had two successful studio albums before line-up changes leading to a fast fall from the charts & only a couple certified AOR hits in the mix. But, of course, it's always the bands that are one hit wonders or quasi-one hit wonders that seem to have enough hits for a full on compilation & countless variations of such via reissue after reissue ... & the world of music PR & royalty payments would want it no other way. The big bands are too expensive to reissue, but let's maximize the potential of the smaller bands with lower royalty rates & make them the Kmart discount bin favorite & in the end make the hits seem bigger than they really were ... though Asia really did hit the top of the charts with all its glory, they just didn't stay there long. Plus the fact Asia is a catchy memorable name that doesn't belay too much of what the music sounds like, while featuring famed alumni of Yes, the Buggles, King Crimson & Emerson, Lake & Palmer makes them a special quasi-one hit wonder even more ripe for countless run of the mill skimpy packaging reissues for unsuspecting buyers looking for a surprise. But, having said all that, this European compilation might be the most interesting & unique sounding collection of Asia that, intentionally or not, shows a different side to the band. Not the most representative, just unique. But, first, like many Asia collections the contents are a bit deceptive to the unknowing new fan. This is not the original hit making line-up of Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, John Wetton & Carl Palmer, nor the Mandy Meyer third album line-up, but the fourth album Asia featuring keyboardist Downes with new bassist/vocalist John Payne & a rotating mix of drummers & guitarists including future Megadeth guitarist Al Pitrelli in an under-utilized almost throwaway role. The John Payne era, as its regularly labeled, is often featured on compilations with the collected songs starting from album four, Payne's debut, & being deceptively labeled as hits though the hits were already a decade past & with a different line-up. The deception is expanded upon by the inclusion of the early hits, "Only Time Will Tell", "Heat Of The Moment" & "Don't Cry", though that last one is mysteriously missing from this particular release, but all of these having been re-recorded note perfect by Payne & Downes. For the release of the first major official greatest hits package Anthology lawsuits prevented the original songs from being used, thus remakes were created & its these remakes that get reissued & reissued hoping no one will realize the difference or maybe will think they are alternative versions or something is just wrong with the vocal track. The fact that the re-makes are stunningly accurate makes the deception that much worse for consumers. Except for the vocal tone it's hard to even criticize the remakes, though to be fair it would have been better to re-invent the songs. Dumping the remakes, between the two eras a nice greatest hits package could be created ... but this is not it & it has yet to happen & probably never will now that two bands tour under the Asia name one with Payne & his current line-up & the other with the original line-up. While poor Mandy Meyer doesn't get a chance. Thus, we are left with piecemeal greatest hits packages like Anthology & The Collection. The lack of "Don't Cry" here while odd is unintentionally perfect. It indirectly verifies that this Payne era collection is not a greatest hits collection, but just a collection as the title says. While it's a collection featuring an unusual choice of songs, that is things that usually don't make the reissues. The selections are dominated by a more ballady AOR side of Asia, versus the rocking prog that mark the hits. At times it doesn't even sound like Asia in any era. The songs are dominated & driven by Downes keyboards, as they would be for much of the Payne era, while the more gutsy Payne songs are excluded. The guitar focused tracks are the Payne era tracks that featured former member Steve Howe in a guest role & are light weight instrumentals that were no more than transitional moments on the original studio releases, including the Santana sounding "Into The Arena", the classical tinged "Bella Nova", plus "Ginger" & "Aria". These are culled from the studio albums Arena, the third Payne release, & Aria, the second Payne release, & Archiva 1 an outtakes collection. It's as if the reissue grabbed every later era Howe song they could, though actually there's a few missing that might be better choices. Alongside these are two of the standout tracks from the Payne era in "Military Man" & "Someday". Again, this is not a greatest hits album & doesn't even come close to collecting the hits of either era. What remains are lesser tracks from the first three Payne albums (i.e. "Lay Down Your Arms", "Back In Town", "Don't Cut The Wire (Brother)", "Arena", "U Bring Me Down") & some tracks from the two part Archiva albums that collected outtakes, demos, songs that never made the cut & tracks from early in the Downes/Payne partnership (i.e. "Boys From Diamond City", "Don't Come To Me", "The Smoke That Thunders", "Armenia"), plus "A.L.O." that comes from Paynes brief time in ELO. The Collection ends up feeling like something akin to a B-Sides collection. As time went on Asia with Payne would become much more gutsy with more focus on his vocals, but in the early days there was a deliberate attempt to have a smooth transition from John Wetton's lighter vocal approach & with the heavy amount of Archiva tracks that transition moment is the feeling here. The transition time also predates any guitarist other than Payne to contribute fancy leads so thus the cause of the keyboard dominance as Asia really was just a duo at this time. Sadly, some folks may buy this & be surprised when they go to check out other albums by the band. This is always the case with compilation albums, no matter how carefully put together, but maybe even more so with this release. While it may be even sadder the fact that the gutsy feeling Payne brought the band that clearly separates him from the original line-up is lost here.

Asia ~ Aqua (album review) ... Trying hard not to drown!

Style: British, rock, prog rock
Label: InsideOut Music
Year: 1992
Home: n/a

Members: Geoff Downes ~ keyboards/b. vocals
John Payne ~ bass/guitar/vocals
Al Pitrelli ~ guitar

Additional: Michael Sturgis, Simon Phillips, Nigel Glockler ~ drums
Ant Glynne, Scott Gorham ~ guitar
Mats Johanson ~ guitar solo

Guests: Steve Howe ~ guitar/mandolin
Carl Palmer ~ drums

This quasi-comeback album with a retooled line-up is not a bad step in new direction, it was good enough to initiate a new era, but it has some weaknesses. All of the weaknesses, which get heavily debated in Asia fan circles & has led to a division among fans over which line-up they prefer, largely get cleaned-up on the follow-up Aria. The result is this might be the more experimental album when it comes to its musical palette yet also more in line with the old Asia sound, while the follow-up has a stronger set of songs & is closer to what Asia would become. That being said, both albums are important moments on the Asia timeline & necessary purchases for any fan & will rise or fall largely dependent on what sound one wants to hear. While original member Geoff Downes had recruited singer/bassist John Payne to step into the shoes of John Wetton in the new line-up not all the material for this re-tooled line-up was written from scratch. Some songs were new, but others came from Payne's previous band while other came from an earlier reunion attempt & not written for Payne's voice. Payne enters his new gig shining with a strong vocal presence, but there are times the production feels like the band is trying to lesson the wide gap between his & Wetton's singing styles & vocal tones. Personally I find Payne the stronger & more textured singer & thus this cover-up approach on a couple songs ends up weakening the material as it tries to stand too much in the shadow of the past. Partly in response to this Payne's vocals would be up & center with no imitative moments on Aria. It also ends up making this feel like a transitional album versus a clear strong step in new directions, something also repaired on Aria where a majority of the songs were new. Payne's vocals is one of the most noticeable changes on the new album as traditionally Asia had somewhat of a focus around Steve Howe's guitar playing, but here he's only a guest on a couple tracks primarily in some intro/outro instrumentals & not involved with the songwriting. Unable to even begin to emulate Howe's style the remaining guitar playing on the album is in a completely different mode that takes Asia in a new hard rock direction away from the pop prog, all courtesy of famed session player & former Alice Cooper guitarist Al Pitrelli. Successive guitarists would come to find a fusion between Howe's pop prog & Pitrelli's rock for some hard rock & far more interesting prog. Pitrelli does contribute some strong playing by not over-playing, almost to the point of perfect under-playing for the biggest impact, but it leaves the guitar in an accessory position versus an intricate contributor. Though, while it might be some strong playing this is not an album to turn to for his best playing. His soloing skills are under-utilized for instead textured rhythms a la 80's power chords which is indistinguishable from countless sessions he was doing at the time, including Donny Osmond & Taylor Dayne. The fact he didn't write the songs, like Howe, but was called in later in their development, the same as would be done on Aria, would never really give him a chance to shine with Asia while the band would come to move into a more keyboard dominated direction. This lack of contribution & the thin line between member & guest makes Asia less of a band & basically a Downes/Payne outing with some hired hands. This might be the weakest link of both Aqua & Aria as it limits the potential, though in their defense at the time this was the most workable approach to moving Asia into the future. The drumming also deserves mention as this new line-up was touted as only partially new. Promotional material made it look like the new boys were only Payne & Pitrelli, while Downes & Howe had returned along with drummer Carl Palmer. But, this was far from true. Howe's tracks were recorded before Pitrelli was recruited, while Palmer contributed three tracks early on. The rest of the drum tracks would be done by three session drummers imitating Palmer's lines from previous recordings, one of whom was Michael Sturgis who had already been considered for an earlier reunion of Asia & on Aria would be credited as a regular member. So, those who gravitate to this new Asia hoping for Palmer & Howe are going to be greatly disappointed. But, if you put away that need this is a solid album with some good songs & some others you'll probably gloss over, but in the end not be disappointed as the material remains strong underneath its weaknesses & the guys do turn in a solid album even if it needs some tightening. As I started this blog saying, it's not a bad step in a new direction.

Erik Norlander ~ The Galactic Collective (album review) ... Space Force won't protect you from this galactic assault!

Style: instrumental, prog-rock, hard rock
Label: Think Tank Media
Year: 2010
Home: California

Members: Erik Norlander ~ keyboards/guitars
Mark Matthews ~ bass
Nick LePar ~ drums
Freddy DeMarco ~ guitar

Additional: John Payne ~ guitar/vocals
Mitch Perry, Mark McCrite, Ron Redfield ~ guitars
Lana Lane ~ vocals


I've reviewed the live DVD of this album, but what about the original studio version? Live versions are never an exact replica of their studio counterparts as there's always a difference, whether it be instrumentation or augmented instrumentation, performers, pacing, recording & production quality, mistakes or just the sheer energy of the performer or audience at the gig. Well, take your pick whether you want to enjoy the live concert with narration & a few less guest guitarists or the studio album that inspired the concert ... you're not going to be disappointed with either of these EN releases & you might even want them both ... the DVD comes with a CD too, so you're all set for a long car ride. Both have great production quality, so that's not an issue, plus the same core group of musicians. The other fact is being instrumental music, except for some chorus vocals, with a non-improvised background, keeps the arrangements very similar in both settings. I'm sure there's a difference in the number of keyboards EN uses here versus on stage & there might be some guitar overdubs missing, but I believe only a diehard fan will get particular or anxious over those things ... the rest of us will hear the essence & not the individual tonal changes. So, all that being said, is there is a difference? Yes, this has a more layered feeling so its sounds thicker & fuller at times. Further, while the obvious focus is EN's keyboards, for me the live show with less overdubs gives a bit more prominence to his melody lines, or I should properly say they stand out more, whereas here sometimes they float into the mix & it's just this wave of sound where at times you don't know if you're a hearing a guitar or a keyboard or both. It should be noted the live DVD includes the "Astrology Suite" of "i. Astrology Prelude/ii. Secrets Of Astrology", but here's its only the "Astrology Prelude", while this album includes "Dreamcurrents" but the live concerts features the complete "Into The Sunset Suite" of "i. Sunset Prelude/ii. Into the Sunset/iii. Dreamcurrents/iv. Hymn/v. Into the Sunset Reprise/vi. Sunset Postlude". But, this CD includes "Capture The Sun" which isn't on the live DVD. Now that list might make you want to get the live album over this studio album. For those that like a prog song going into double digits of length, three of the songs here hit the ten minute mark & nothing is less than five minutes ... & never once does a song sound like it drags or needs some scissors, even with the contemplative sounding "Dreamcurrents". The live concert is obviously longer, but I personally like my prog short & to the attack. I'm more likely to listen to something for five minutes that is tight, in your face & leaving you wanting more than ten minutes that leaves me satisfied. So, if what is here or not is an issue for you consider, then do you like your prog to the point & never potentially going on too long or do you like when things are given their full fare & really developed out? As I said, either way will lead to a good buy. I do have to do a special mention of one musician in this line-up. They're all great, though I find it interesting John Payne contributes guitars & not his trademark bass, reminding us he's also quite a proficient guitarist & has played guitar on all the Asia albums. But, I find myself particularly fascinated & engrossed with the driving force & the tonal quality of bassist Mark Matthews who lays down these underlying repeated grooves for EN & the rest of the troop to play off of, but they're unlike anything I've heard. When I think prog bass I think of Chris Squire of Yes, but sadly I've never gotten into his lines as they were cosmic without the groove. This is more akin to Billy Sheehan but without the unnecessary flash. Just a nice deep low-end that keeps the songs grounded. I find myself wanting to pick up my bass to learn what he's playing. For those not familiar with this project, that spurred not just the live DVD/CD but also a DVD/CD of this album being played in the studio with great 'behind-the-scenes' explanations of each song by EN & his different keyboards, no it's not a compilation, even though that's what the word collective brought to my mind until I went through the detailed liner notes ... but, on the other hand, it is a compilation ... just with a different approach. This is a collection of EN's favorite instrumental tracks from his catalog of work including both his solo albums & bands he's been in, including going back to his first solo album Threshold in 1997. But, as is typical, these have not been haphazardly pulled together & given a greatest hits compilation ... but re-imagined & re-recorded. Basically, new versions of songs given anything from new arrangements, to new instrumentation, to a new feeling, to a fusion of the studio original with later live versions ("After The Revolution") & to songs created on the road not recorded in the studio before ("Garden Of The Moon"). All the songs have appeared repeatedly over EN's career usually through different live versions popping up with different band configurations on different albums, though "Neurosaur" & "Fanfair For Absent Friends" have actually been given new studio versions in the past. Though, as I said on review of the live DVD, I've not heard all of the source albums for the included tracks, so I can't say if these are better than the past or, except for a few I have heard, how different they are. I will assume many reading this album might be in the same position, so I'll just say on the whole you won't be disappointed. This is a prog rock album with a bit of an edge. Most prog fans that I've met love EN's work, so if you're new the comeback of the genre or like out of the ordinary rock or instrumental albums, though this is not easy listening, you won't be disappointed with this collection. & it'll be your homework to hunt up the originals & compare. For those not familiar with EN he's in my book one of the best prog-pianists in the scene, right there with Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater. His career is long & winding moving beyond his own solo albums with his band Rocket Scientists & work with his wife Lana Lane whose albums I also highly recommend, plus more famously as the keyboardist in Asia Featuring John Payne & a long catalog of session work. He also works with the Moog organization developing their new keyboards ... & even educates through his career about Moog, an instrument I never thought much of beyond a name until getting into EN. A Moog Ambassador or Ambassador of Moog? Maybe best to forget about titles & just stick with the music ... & the title for that is The Galactic Collective.

Asia ~ Aria (album review) ... This feels like love!

Style: pop rock, prog-rock
Label: Mayhem Recordings
Year: 1994
Home: England/America

Members: John Payne ~ vocals/guitar/bass
Geoff Downes ~ keyboards
Al Pitrelli ~ guitar
Michael Sturgis ~ drums

If you like any of the singles (i.e. "Anytime," "Feels Like Love," "Military Man" & "Desire") that you've heard from Aria you probably will like the whole album, as it doesn't meander too far from the ballady hard rock template these songs demonstrate. Though, really, one's opinion of Aria is essentially down to whether one prefers the early John Wetton led Asia or this the later John Payne led Asia. As bassists/singers & songwriters the two men are quite different in substance & style. It's like comparing Yngwie Malmsteen with Joe Satriani. Yeah, they both play fast with a classical tinge, but really they're very different six string beasts & to lump them too close does at least one of them an injustice. Which John is yours? It's a loaded question, as it might be the same name & for awhile include the same keyboardist in Geoff Downes, but they are really very different bands. While the current incarnations, including Asia Featuring John Payne & Asia the original line-up, have moved even further from their 80's roots, & even the sound of this 1994 Asia. While the previous release Aqua was the official beginning of the Payne era for Asia, its really here that things congeal musically for the rebooted band. Those who decried at the time, & there were plenty for either valid or questionable reasons, that this new Asia led by Payne & Downes - sadly with a rotation of guitarists & drummers, ironically including two guitarists from Billy Sheehan's Talas - was going in a hard rock direction were not far from the truth. Aqua hinted at the musical changeover from the band's pop roots, but here there is no doubt. Though, one might more accurately call this really an Asia for the 90’s, a time where the early pop of "Don't Cry" doesn't really work in the same way that it did a decade earlier. The lyrics take on a more serious feeling while Payne does his best operatic influenced singing. There was a deliberate choice to make the vocals a focus of this album, compared to Aqua, so Payne is front & center pouring his heart out, trying to not make the album more than just some throwaway screaming hard rock but actually a collection of passionately sung songs. On one hand, for those that enjoy his voice, its good, but on the other hand it also keeps the musical aspect of Asia in an odd transitional abyss. Asia was a supergroup of 70's prog luminaries that is often said to have turned into a pop band with those luminaries under-playing, or at least in comparison to their previous bands. The under-playing continues here. Gone are the weaving guitar lines of Yes's Steve Howe, to replaced by a more rock rhythm approach of power chords by future Savatage/Megadeth Al Pitrelli. Sadly, the songs are primarily driven melodically by the keyboards & thus Al is left as a big name under-utilized rhythm guitarist. Having little compositional input is a factor here in his contributions. There's a few solos thrown out, but they tend to be a bit uncanny sounding for him ... if they're even all him & not a bit of Payne. So, the result sounds like a Downes/Payne project with some guests, also including drummer Michael Sturgis formerly of A-Ha & a disbanded line-up of Asia. Ironically, this is what they were trying to get away from. Essentially, though, the problem is that this is the first album of material exclusively written for this line-up & Payne is still finding his footing & this Asia their sound. They're also trying to get new fans & keep the old, a hot debate that continues to the present. Ironically, when Downes left to join a reunion of the original line-up, Payne took the abandoned trio & reformed as GPS, which is a guitar heavy prog affair showing just how much influence Downes probably had in the composing & shaping the pop aspects of the sound. I hate to say Downes is not a good composer as that's not true. The songs move, groove & are great & incredibly memorable & this is a highlight of his songwriter, but the album feels held back instrumentally at time. Though, maybe they're just looking to stay within the Asia mold of old while aiming for a commercial MTV single? I'd be willing to bet my money on this hypothesis, particularly when looking at Downes later work once the commercial influence faded. But, if anything, the restrained music means that at times it doesn't give the same power that Payne is giving the project vocally. He's over-singing & the boys are under-playing or something like that at some various moment. Really, it needs more guitar, it needs less pop & more raw rock & some prog energy ... though that would come later as the band would grow, its just too early here. Though, one needs to give Al some overdue credit. He might be under-utilized, but he has a tremendous amount of restraint in not flooding the music, which a lot of guitarists lack. The album may need more guitar, but in places where the keyboards dominate. But, when Al is strumming out a chorus he nails what the song needs to be driven forward but not cluttered. I've always had this idea of Asia, the early Asia, as sounding cluttered. Though, that just might be my memory of the recording quality. For a band that was replacing Howe it's almost better than they didn't go with another big flashy guitarist. Today, one hears Payne do "Military Man," lyrics penned by Downes for a change according to an interview with Payne, & its a surprise to find out Payne didn't write it. He's so come to wrap these early hits around him & his voice that they've now become his in a way he couldn't do fresh out the door. He's grown into the songs or maybe they've grown into him. Either way, they still hold up all these years later as some of the best by Asia & this album is a highlight of the Payne era. Two interesting albums to check out are Archiva 1 & 2 that feature tracks that never made the final cut for Aqua, Aria & Arena, plus some stuff from Payne's earlier bands ELO Part II & The Passion, & stuff Downes wrote for another potential singer. It's an alternative history of Aqua & it's almost a shame that these missing tracks weren't released, such as "Reality" & the rocker intended for Aqua "Heart Of Gold" that has Al ripping more than ever. Certainly, these lost tracks prove Downes & Payne were willing to experiment musically & that they were probably looking for a cohesive blanket sound for the final product.

Erik Norlander ~ The Galactic Collective: Live In Gettysburg (DVD review) ... Let the battle begin!

Style: instrumental, prog-rock, hard rock
Label: Think Tank Media
Year: 2012
Home: California

Concert location: Rites Of Spring Festival, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Year Recorded: 2011
Length: 2 hours
Bonus Features: two CDs of the concert, bonus track from 2010 concert

Members: Erik Norlander ~ keyboards/narration
Mark Matthews ~ bass
Nick LePar ~ drums
Freddy DeMarco ~ guitar
Lana Lane, Debriss McKinney ~ vocals

Guest: Michelle Moog-Koussa ~ introduction

I've reviewed keyboardist-composer-pianist EN's vocalist wife Lana Lane, I've reviewed his band Asia Featuring John Payne, I've dropped his name as a favorite litmus test for contemporary prog-rock keyboardists & composers, let alone regularly encouraged the discovery of his growing catalog ... so, it's about time I finally reviewed his own work. The fact that he has two new simultaneously released DVDs, both including two CDs & detailed packaging, not just works for my schedule but is also very exciting. They're based on his earlier CD The Galactic Collective that featured reworked versions of favorite songs from his career. But, now, we get to discover the project a new way via videos of the original studio sessions, extensive interviews, alternative audio versions & a second DVD of the album & a bit more on stage. It's a grand concept of doing everything sans turning the album into a picture book or redoing it with other musicians in a self-tribute format or rearranging it for a Romanian gypsy band! Though, if EN wants to pursue any of the above ... The problem is, both as a fan & a reviewer, I don't know what to say in response either to the project as a whole, or this particular live DVD The Galactic Collective: Live At Gettysburg. What more can be said about EN that hasn't already been said by reviewers? "Keith Emerson was so impressed with EN's Threshold, that he wrote the liner notes" ... let alone handed off his keyboard tech ... "evocative synthesizer technique is reminiscent of the legendary Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson & Jon Lord, while still very unique & forward-moving in its own right" ... "all his recordings are recommended" ... "well thought out & packaged with the fan in mind" ... "EN's star is certainly in the ascendant at the moment" ... "In these days where mediocrity is celebrated & true ability often ignored it is wonderful to see a musical craftsman of EN's stature receiving praise for his many talents." I recently posted in my other blog a brief interview with Erik about the releases, where he discussed their background & his current activities, so I don't wish to repeat that here, but instead let you investigate his own words. So, I'm left with only some general off-the-cuff responses to watching him & his troupe, including wife Lane, in concert during 2011's Rites Of Spring Festival, indeed at the looming battleground. First, though I enjoy his playing I'm not obsessively familiar with it. I don't know what song reinterpreted here appeared on what album or when, nor even how it originally sounds, nor who performed it previously. I have a handful of his albums, some I've listened to & some I haven't found time for yet. For some bands who reinterpret their own catalog, knowledge of the past is part of the experience. You need the comparison to fully comprehend the new creative process & outcome. I'm reminded of the final INXS album where they brought in guests to sing all their old hits, that were reworked in every way but the familiar. Or, for example, it helps knowing Metallica before you can really enjoy Van Canto. To enjoy or not enjoy these new album you really needed to know the roots. While, for an example closer to home, John Payne of Asia re-recording older Asia songs, before his time in the band, might be decried by some long term fans but the jump isn't so big where you really don't need one to appreciate the other. So, on some level for EN's new work I might be missing out, but I don't feel the loss is that big & I don't think anyone should worry coming to the project. EN has not recrafted the songs to reflect changing bandmates, as The Galactic Collective is a new band assembled for this project with their future unknown, nor to mark a career moment or revival, nor to discover a new style of music. EN is not making a leap from prog pianist to gypsy prog king & needing to demonstrate how the old songs hold in up a new folk context. He's recrafted the songs for his own enjoyment - the end. Though, if you know of a gypsty band he might be interested ... The Galactic Collective also focuses on the instrumentals, which have sometimes gotten lost in between his vocal output. With this new band, based on his narration in the concert as he introduces each song with a little background giving the whole show an intimate feeling, he's given his works a more edgy rock feel than may have been delved into before. Certainly, the show stomps forward & is the more rock end of prog then hypnotic trance-like or drug-like, depending on the decade. It might even stomp a bit too much as, having not heard the original release or seen the companion DVD yet, I was expecting a roller-coaster of emotional contexts. Songs full of soft moments next to cacophonic prog. Extreme variation that was more akin to a greatest hits ride. There's no solo piano moments here, no Wakeman-esque flourished showcase with a spotlight only on EN, & everything is kept within a rock mood creating a sense of cohesiveness & flow. The songs meander like traditional prog, but they also stay linked into a groove that keeps things focused, courtesy of a masterful powerhouse finger aching bassist & a laidback 60's drummer who never seems to break a breath. Focus & groove is something not often distinguished in the prog vocabulary & show's the modern feel of EN's music. EN rotates his solos with guitar solos keeping things squarely in the format of rhythm section with lead melody lines versus an intertwined rock symphony. He has but two keyboards & a Moog, connected to what he calls a the Wall Of Doom a 6 console control system looming behind him, so there's not even a Rick Emerson look at me moment ... who once had 28 keyboards on stage earning him a Guinness World Record. It's rather modest. While the prog side of me was expecting a bit more variation, at the same time keeping things largely within the same mood means this will be equally enjoyed by the non-prog enthusiast who doesn't want the instrumental spirals & cacophony that the genre is gluttonously famous for. This is not a show that's going to get maudlin. Uplifting is the key word. Vibrant alongside it. Thus, unintentionally, the subtle nature of EN's playing, though still prominent with his trademark heavy use of vibrato, tends to be more a bridge between big moments than a focus. Since most of the songs are instrumentals the focus is undoubtedly on EN who plugs out the melody line. EN fans tend to be divided over if they prefer better his instrumental or vocal works. This is certainly his show, even if some of the songs were written with others in mind. Certainly, with a vocalist he's forced to step back more often than not, while the instrumentals force a lead instrument to come forward. There's a few vocals here with Lana Lane taking the center spotlight & a backing vocalist who often sings sounds over words, something that has a great effect. In the end, its nice seeing both aspects of EN's music in the live venue. As it is, most of us aren't used to a solely instrumental show. As for guitarist Freddy DeMarco, he doesn't overplay, though he does turn in a lot of semi-shredder solos that feel a bit more showy than the music might really need. It would be interesting hearing EN expand his band a bit to including an additional non-rock guitarist, such as a flamenco or classical player, allowing both the rock & non-rock style to sit side by side. Though, for DeMarco's credit he does show a lot of courage by playing the guitar with a violin bow, as made famous by Jimmy Page & barely repeated since, & doesn't show-off or so much solo but actually uses it as a strange new sound. For those wondering, no, this does not sound like Rocket Scientists or Asia Featuring John Payne or a Lana Lane concert. EN's troupe has its own particular feeling. Perhaps, a bit more rock than EN's other efforts. Also to be noted, Michelle Moog-Koussa, the daughter of of the famed inventor introduces the show ... with a bit of an academic style versus lets get rocked. It keeps sets a tone immediately of an intimate show, which really this feels. The only bonus tracks on this DVD is a clip of Lana Lane's "Garden Of The Moon" live in Cleveland, 2010, though sans Lane. A great little song but some odd camera views, going from static balcony to oddly angled onstage shots & a wobbly back of the audience shot that ties to show the full experience of the theater but fails. It's obviously something that wasn't intended as anything but a rough record of the experience, probably never meant for public consumption. It merits inclusion as its the stage debut of this line-up. The real bonus is in the linear notes which includes lots of photos, an extensive essay of the equipment by his keyboard tech who previously worked for Emerson, lyrics to the few non-instrumentals - though there's a bit too much reliance on rhyming Jon Anderson-esque cosmic sounding lyrics that luckily sound far less cliched when Lane sings them - & an essay on the background of the project by EN himself. The two bonus CDs reproduce the entire concert sans the introductions, making it feel like a slightly different experience. Some live concerts require the visual, while others just aren't that interesting visually. Being stuck immobile behind a keyboard may not be the most exciting thing, but watching EN casually work his magic in front of his Wall Of Doom has its treats ... while listening to it with only one's thoughts has its own set of treats.

John Payne's GPS ~ Window To The Soul (album review) ... Music for the mind!

Home: prog-rock
Label: InsideOut Music
Year: 2006
Home: California

Members: John Payne ~ vocals/bass
Guthrie Govan ~ guitar
Jay Schellen ~ keyboards
Ryo Okumoto ~ drums

 

There once was a supergroup formed by the world-weary lads of numerous 70's legendary prog bands that went under the unassuming name of Asia. After many line-up changes & brief spurts of touring & recording too numerous to matter they landed with the line-up of guitarist Guthrie Govan, drummer Jay Schellen & frontman bassist John Payne plus founding member Geoff Downes behind the keys. Writing was started on a new album to be named Architect Of Time when Downes decided to leave to join a reunion of the band's original line-up. Eventually, Payne was granted permission to continue as Asia Featuring John Payne, while the original line-up found a second life as Asia. But, before that step the abandoned trio decided to continue on their own under the new banner of GPS ... named after their initials not the mapping technology, though its ironic that they'd be at a figurative crossroads perhaps wondering what direction to go as a band, let alone personally. GPS, with addition of keyboardist Ryo Okumoto of Spock's Beard, released this one album & toured briefly. Further plans for the band were done under the Asia Featuring John Payne name with keyboardist Erik Norlander taking the reigns from Downes & Okumoto. Theoretically, this could be considered a Payne era Asia album. At least half the songs find their roots in the Architects sessions, though writing credit is given only to Payne, Govan, Schellen. GPS didn't necessarily try to radically change their sound or break from the past, but this feels quite different from Asia. The key factor is that Asia always relied on the keyboards & composing of Downes. Thus, without him this is a far more guitar album oriented album than ever before, with in your face hard rock solos galore that would sound out of place on a traditional Asia album. Downes also always kept a safe pop sensibility in the music, cliched tenor chorus vocals included, that has now been done away with. Thus, GPS becomes nothing less than Payne's first steps on his own, finding his own sound but within the Asia format. Though, he's always been a prog rocker. Asia didn't make him one. The original line-up - Carl Palmer, Steve Howe, John Wetton, Geoff Downes - was essentially a commercial pop-rock band with a lot of focus on the who in the band & their respective playing much iconized styles, thankfully, often eclipsing the overly sapping material. Songs were primarily Wetton/Downes compositions & this was the beginning of Wetton's change as a songwriter to more personalized songs. Payne came in replacing Wetton as bassist-vocalist & songwriting partner. Not facing the same scrutiny, as he didn't have a large reputation looming over him as did the original Asia guys, he brought a more serious type of music, much more powerful along with socially oriented lyrics - witness here Payne's "New Jerusalem" or the earlier "Military Man" versus Wetton's "Don't Cry" or "Heat Of The Moment" - plus his deeper & rougher voice had a harder edge that matched the themes. Some critics call his lyrics a bit over the top, but if they're over the top its because they require listening that's more than casual ... Wetton/Downes songs only need a casual listen to be enjoyed. But, if he's a serious songwriter it reflects his focus. Most musicians probably would have given up on having anything to do with Asia & trying to keep the brand going seemingly well beyond its shelf live & certainly hit making potential, let alone decried by many day one fans. Payne has stuck with it & braved a territory that puts up a good fight against the reunited original line-up. Personally, I think a far more interesting & humble a fight. Whenever I listen to Asia, I'll confess, I always turn to the Payne output without a second thought. But, I really should mention here that I'm not biased. Quite the opposite. I once tried to get an interview with Payne for the biography I'm writing about his once bandmate Al Pitrelli that includes a couple chapters dedicated to the early days of the Payne era. Never before has his story of this time been put down as I envision, even in the official band biography. Yes, I feel like I'm doing him a favor writing about his band, but also I feel the book isn't complete with talking to him. His manager forget to schedule it a month earlier when he & I scheduled it. Not just did he forget to schedule it, but he forgot about it completely. I waited all day, winter jacket at hand, waiting for a call telling me Payne was at the club ready to talk. I had to get an e-mail fast to L.A. to find out why I was hearing nothing & the meeting time coming & going. I showed up at the club anyways. I remember folks at another table saying loudly afterwards why Payne didn't play any good songs ... that is "Don't Cry", "Heat Of The Moment" or anything that he didn't write from the original line-up. The fact that, even gritting in my teeth at the situation of the day, I preferred his work more only made me feel sad for him, plus, the club wasn't full. Afterwards, I politely turned down Payne's offer to talk to him at the bar as it was too rushed for what I wanted & not the way I would want to follow a gig if I was him, however nice the offer was. While repeated e-mails over the following two months got nowhere, even though he gave me his e-mail that weekend, except for a thanks from his manager for a review, no mention of even recognizing my name. An e-mail arrived from Payne nine months later, which I deleted without reading after keeping it in my inbox for weeks in distaste with both him & his manager. Who takes eight months to reply to an e-mail? Let alone I've only had less than a handful of bands ever complain about something on this blog and guess who one of them is? I feel completely at a loss. To say I had a poor opinion of Asia is an understatement, combined with some music business talk I've heard about him and more talk in fan circles ... sometimes it feels like the world is against Payne, but then I wonder if he hasn't put up a brick wall becoming too protective and his own enemy? I try to write a good review of an album, that according to some I'm being too generous reviewing, and I'm publicly twitterized by the Asia troupe. Not good. Yet, for some strange reason, I'm a fan & looking forward to his new Asia recordings & have favorably reviewed many of his albums & meant it, while declaring his keyboardist Erik Norlander one of my favorites. I guess, the music soothes the savage beast. So, now you know my bias, you can judge my opinion of his music. Speaking of guitarist Pitrelli, the Payne era Asia took on a more hard rock sound due to Pitrelli & the guitarists that followed him in a rotating door that continues to the present day. Yet, at the same time it also became more of the prog band that fans had originally expected but disappointingly not heard. Perhaps it was the shadow of replacing founding member Howe, but subsequent guitarists have not rested on their laurels, both adding their own personality but also trying to do honors to playing his licks. In comparison, Howe in turn sounds like his contributions are weak. But, essentially, Asia is & was a keyboard driven band, even with the masterful Howe. But, for the first time, the keyboardist wasn't involved in the writing sessions. There is really where this album changes course from Asia before & after - the keyboard is not a dominate instrument. If the songs were once written around Downes' riffs they no longer feel it. One can only wonder how these songs would have sounded if events had gone differently, as Downes' touch is far different than Okumoto's. On first listen I could feel the hard rock of the songs & felt Okumoto lacking, not up to the challenge, then I realized the above logic of the situation. He added to the songs, not creating them, he molds to them not them to him. Certainly, it can be said that the original Asia played it more safe than not. Without the MTV hits & major label backing pressuring him Payne has been allowed to go in whatever direction he wants. With GPS he takes it to the hilt, maybe even a bit to excess at times. Solos might go on a bit long, the album a bit long, a bit too serious, his vocals a bit forced. But, its no worse than anything put out by Howe & boys in their earlier groups in the 70's. How many Yes or King Crimson or ELP albums suffer from the same? Yet, somehow Payne gets criticized where he exceeds, while the faults of the past are forgotten. In hindsight it's good that he took his first independent steps out under a new name, thus allowing him to go back & regroup privately what it means to be Asia, or more properly Asia Featuring John Payne. If this was an Asia album it would have been judged far differently. Actually, it tends to get very good reviews, but comparing it to the Asia catalog ... well, really, its too big of a step away from the early days of Asia to be properly compared to the big picture & though it has some similarities to the previous Silent Nation the loss of Downes makes too big of an impact. It's like Genesis with Phil Collins versus Peter Gabriel or Ray Wilson. You really can't compare even if its the same band. They all have their ups & downs, their hits & misses. In 2012 a follow-up GPS was surprisingly finally released with Two Seasons/Live In Japan. A monstrous follow-up it includes two DVDs & two CD featuring two full concerts, one with the full band & an acoustic show with Payne & Govan, plus bonus interviews & promotional performances. A fitting tribute for this brief moment in the history of Asia that deserves to be given a listen. The fact that at one point I didn't like the guy on a personal level & still feel basically pity for him, the fact that I still enjoy his music says a lot about my recommendation to check out his music. As for my opinion of him, hopefully we'll have a second meeting & he can clear the air.

Asia Featuring John Payne ~ Military Man (EP) (album review) ... An amazing tribute to the soldiers!

Style: prog-rock
Label: self-released
Year: 2009
Home: California

Members: John Payne ~ vocals/bass
Eirk Norlander ~ keyboards
Guthrie Govan ~ guitars
Jay Schellen ~ drums

Most would probably consider this three track & two radio edits release a single with the obligatory B-sides, which I don't review on this blog, but given the history of AFJP & the lack of ensuing recordings Military Man has come to be an EP in disguise ... being both the introduction & only studio recording of more than just new music but also a new era to the band, if not on some level a new band. In the early 80's supergroup Asia hit the scene with prog-rock stalwarts Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Steve Howe & Carl Palmer. They hit MTV hard with a somewhat prog-ish but heavy commercialized sound, but by their third album had lost the media buzz & even some members. Keyboardist Downes kept the music alive into the next decade with a new line-up, including ex-A-Ha drummer Michael Sturgis & ex-Alice Cooper guitarist Al Pitrelli, who'd go on to Megadeth & Trans-Siberian Orchestra, & brief guest appearances by Howe & Palmer. But, the most important change to this mix was bassist/singer & new frontman John Payne, who also picked up the writing partnership gap left by the departure of Wetton. In an ironic repeat of history the band would find some modest success & some criticism, while everyone would end up leaving, with Payne being the last man standing this time around. The original Asia line-up would regroup, having now produced three albums, but for his efforts Payne would be granted the right to continue now billed as AFJP. Sadly, both group would call themselves the true Asia with fans equally divided. Though, really, they're two completely different bands ... actually three as the reunion is far different now thirty years later. After Downes departure Payne would come to find perhaps the strongest musical foil/partner in his career in keyboardist Erik Norlander. In modern prog-piano circles Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess is often seen as the king of the keys, but due to constant experimentalism & creativity, large output & understanding of when to throw out flourishes & when to hold back Norlander is surely next in line for the thrown if not the real heir, for me anyways, ... but Rudess has the commercial break-through that has eluded Norlander. To inaugurate the permission to continue as Asia, Payne with Norlander, guitarist Guthrie Govan & drummer Jay Schellen, released Military Man with two re-recorded Asia songs while Norlander contributed a re-recorded track from his solo output. Two radio edits were included of the Asia songs, but are completely unnecessary except to fill in space. Two lives tracks would have been a better inclusion, though honestly new music from the quartet would be most welcome. Being that "Military Man" is one of the later era, or the Payne era as it is often referred, Asia songs that was one of their few later day hits this little release comes off as feeling like a single for it. But, the fact that AFJP has yet to release any further studio recordings, live albums are many, though they've been steadily writing, touring & recording, retrospect turns this into an EP. Plus, given the changes to the band its also hard to want to dismiss this as just an EP, but see it as an important point in their timeline. "Military Man" was first heard on the second Payne era Asia album Aria with Pitrelli, Sturgis & Downes, an album that might really live up to its reputation as the best of the Payne era. The changes in the re-recording are subtle yet influential. Pitrelli, taking over from Howe, brought to the band a more hard rock sound that has been retained, while the light touch of Downes has been replaced by the heavier & more varied playing of Norlander. Downes had a sound that sometimes wants to slip into the background, while Norlander carves up an array of layers & nuances missing from the original & steps right into his new spotlight without hesitance. Payne's voice has also slightly changed over the years & has actually become more nuanced, or at least he now sings in a far less restrained manner using his voice to mold the words not just sing them. The ballad "Long Way From Home" appeared on the album Silent Nation that was Downes' swan song & also included Guthrie on guitar & AC/DC drummer Chris Slade. The re-recording of this piece finds a similar outcome with more nuances & inflection than the original, more highs & lows, both in vocals & instrumentation. It's almost as if playing the songs for so long Payne has finally taken them as his own, even if they were both co-written by Downes. The instrumental "Neurosaur" gives all the focus to Norlander & might be the best way of introducing the new guy to the audiences. A re-recording of a track from his debut solo album the new "Neurosaur" is much lighter in feeling. Though technically not an Asia song it fits well into the mix. Asia's comeback Aqua featured some Howe instrumental songs so this is no strange inclusion on that level. "Military Man" might be one of the best songs Payne ever wrote & remains a fan favorite with its patriotic theme & thus its no surprise to be chosen for a new release. Payne & Norlander even reworked acoustically it in 2010 for an online video. So often when a band re-records old songs the result is questionable, if not weaker, & land unceremoniously & immediately on the critic's chopping block. Payne has been no stranger to this after being forced to re-record the early Asia MTV hits for the Anthology release. But, here the result might just be far stronger & less maudlin sounding & without the commercial sheen that the 90's gave to the original release. Further, prog has made a firm comeback so one doesn't have to hide the legacy that Asia stems from & Payne can let his inspiration wander. Many folks will be happy to have the original of these tracks via Aria & Silent Nation, but if for no other reason its worth it to check out this EP just to discover Norlander's genius & hear how much stronger a singer Payne has become. & it's the best that's going to come until AFJP releases its next studio album.

John Payne's Asia ~ Axioms (hits comp) (album review) ... Who will stop the rain in Asia?

Style: prog-rock, greatest hits
Label: Snapper Music
Year: 1999
Home: California

Members: John Payne ~ vocals/bass/guitar
Geoff Downes ~ keyboards
Steve Howe, Al Pitrelli, Aziz Ibrahim, Elliott Randall ~ guitar
Carl Palmer, Michael Sturgis ~ drums

Additional: Anthony Glynne ~ guitar
Simon Phillips, Nigel Clockler ~ drums

Guests: Hotei Tomayasu ~ lead guitar
Luis Jardim ~ percussion

In the early 80's a joining of prog-rock icon/guitarist Steve Howe of Yes, keyboardist Geoff Downes of Yes/Buggles, drummer Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer & bassist/singer John Wetton of King Crimson/Roxy Music created a band that honed in some of the indulgent wanderings of prog-rock for a more radio friendly sound that was better suited to changing national music scenes. They had a few MTV hits with "Heat Of The Moment", "Don't Go" & "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" before falling apart while touring the second album with Wetton. Downes & Wetton kept the band going as a side touring project before Downes created a new line-up in 1992. This new line-up featured Downes with new bassist-singer & songwriter John Payne, Alice Cooper guitarist Al Pitrelli & A-Ha drummer Michael Sturgis. Howe & Palmer would guest on the first of the two releases of this new Asia, often called the beginning of the Payne era. Aqua & Aria would rekindle the Asia flame while bringing a new sound to the band that was both prog-ish but with a harder edge thanks to guitarist Pitrelli. But, Wetton & Payne are two different songwriters & quite different singers & the fanbase was divided. Pitrelli would soon leave replaced by a series of guitarists, while Downes would take his due, replaced by the amazing keyboardist Erik Norlander, leaving handing the torch officially to Payne. Eventually the original line-up of Howe, Downes, Palmer & Wetton would reunite to record & tour spurring two groups to officially hold the Asia name known as Asia, with the original 80's line-up, & Asia Featuring John Payne. Asia FJP continues to be plagued with fans that want to hear the early 80's hits, seeing this as the direct descendent, while the reunited Asia focuses only on its own compositions. Ironically neither groups sounds like the Asia of the 80's, so theoretically one might even say there's three bands: the original, the John Payne led version & the reunited band. This makes for an interesting history but also poses a problem as there's been no Asia greatest hits compilation that's been able to bridge all three groups. Payne has tried to bridge the gap. The Anthology compilation included both the 80's hits & Payne era favorites, the reunited line-up not yet in existence, but contractual problems required Payne & his then bandmates to re-record the early hits. For those accustomed to Wetton's tenor on "Don't Cry" Payne's baritone is a bit of a shock, while nobody can truly replicate Howe's weaving guitar though the effort is commendable & far from disappointing. There will probably never be a good Asia compilation released & a box set seems unlikely. This is a shame as the Payne era might not be the selling point for the casual Asia listener but it's got a far more friendly sound with more interesting & personalized lyrics & deserves due attention which it may not get without being lumped with the early familiar hits. For those who have the first couple Asia albums but want an introduction to the bigger picture Axioms is one's best bet as it focuses entirely on Payne era. The only thing missing is the current Norlander line-up to make this complete. Axioms might be a bit lengthy with 2 CDs for the casual listener, while longtime fans will already have all the tracks, but it includes both fan favorites (i.e. "Who Will Stop The Rain," "Military Man," "Desire," "Sad Situation," "Feels Like Love") & lesser known tunes plus highlighting some of the line-ups of the Payne era including the cuts with Steve Howe & Carl Palmer including a few instrumentals. The majority of fan & critical favorites come from Aqua & Aria with the Pitrelli/Sturgis/Downes/Payne line-up but Axioms offers more the later Arena & even Payne's take on the Downes song "The Hunter" from the pre-Asia Downes produced GTR, that featured Howe, guitarist Steve Hackett of Genesis & drummer Jonathan Mover who would ironically go on to join Alice Cooper with Pitrelli. For those that like the pop-prog & commercial sheen of early Asia but want some more personal lyrics & more experimental musical forays Asia FJP via Axioms shouldn't be ignored. In terms of greatest hits collections the songs are pulled solely from Arena, Aqua, Aria & the earlier compilation Anthology which isn't necessarily enough albums or certified hits to form a traditional hits collection & on two CDs a majority of the albums, particularly Arena, are duplicated. There's also nothing new on the collection for older fans. But, it's definitely cheaper to buy one album than all four while this is no cheap product but care was put into choosing the best of Asia WJP. An interesting experiment of how musicians change when in the company of different musicians is to compare the songwriting on Axioms, all Downes/Payne songs, with the songwriting on the Wetton Downes Icon releases. Downes shines through as always with his classically tinged keyboard playing but the difference between Wetton & Payne becomes quite obvious. Further, it shows why many fans once upon a time encouraged Payne to step away from the Asia franchise to do his own thing as Asia FJP truly is, in everything but name, his own thing that deserves much more attention with the 80's hits sometimes a heavy & sometimes a light albatross around his neck. Since the publishing of this review Asia FJP has disbanded & refashioned itself as Dukes Of The Orient.

John Payne ~ Different Worlds (hits comp) (album review) ... One of the great voices of rock!

Style: hard rock, prog rock
Label: Devgel Records
Year: 2007
Home: California

Members: John Payne ~ vocals/bass/keyboards/guitar
Andrea Datwyler ~ lead vocals
Steve Howe, Al Pitrelli, Sandro D'Incau, Ian Crichton, Guthrie Govan, Torstein Flakne, Elliott Randall, Joel Bogen ~ guitar
Geoff Downes, Alex Seiberl, Ryo Okumoto ~ keyboards
Tony Levin, Emilio Barrantes ~ bass
Chris Slade, Michael Sturgis, Vinnie Colaiuta, Chuck Sabo, Ronnie Wolf, Jay Schellen, Steiner Krokstad ~ drums
Luis Jardem ~ percussion
Steve Overland ~ b. vocals

For me, one of the most distinctive features of British vocalist/bassist & songwriter John Payne is not his bass playing nor his songwriting, but a distinctive baritone that's unique in the rock world of tenors & screamers. It's made his output over the decades immediately recognizable that includes solo work & the bands Lunatica, CCCP, ELO, GPS & most prominently Asia. His songwriting, which I happen to like, comes in second place only because its changed over the years & with different groups.
But, his distinctive baritone means that the songs on this quasi-career retrospective tend to sound more alike than not. Compilations tend to either have a disjointed approach where you hear a musician go through distinct musical styles, if not also technology changes, but the high quality of the songs keeps it all together or compilations tend to sound more like a complete studio album in itself as if everything was recorded at the same time. Different Worlds could easily be mistaken as an original studio album as the collection flows easily from song to song & style to style, though its far from that. It's also potentially one of the best compilations Payne has produced of his music that's neither a gluttonous affair nor focused just on hits, nor featuring any controversial re-recordings, plus gives one a complete picture of his career versus just of Asia, which might be his step-child but isn't all he's done. Also, pulling, the compilation full shows his diverse compositional skills & creativity. If a listener didn't know Different Worlds was a compilation one might be thinking that this John Payne is a very talented guy whose got his thumb firmly on the modern AOR prog-rock sound a la GTR & Genesis. The problem is, I feel, he's not given the credit he deserves, as the shadow of pre-Payne Asia is an albatross around his neck. The early Asia might have the hits, but I've always enjoyed his singing & his songwriting far more. The thing with Payne, though, which I've already hinted at at the beginning of this review, is that he's never an anonymous backing musician but fully involved from songwriting to production, thus all the songs tend to fall into the same slow rock ballad approach which has become almost a trademark style for him & is really best for his vocal approach that is more comfortable trying to yank the guts out of words than rush through them. Payne has often worked with keyboardists, a regular feature of the prog-rock scene, so his music tends to be more harmonic & keyboard heavy with guitars providing texture instead of just typical riffing. This isn't technically a greatest hits collection as many certified hits are missing but more a general look at Payne's sometimes under-appreciated career that he's hand-picked. For those who only know him via Asia it's a good introduction to the rest of his work & with nine tracks given to Asia it's even a good introduction to his most popular musical child. The one problem with the release is it doesn't tell which tracks belong to what bands as outside of identifying writing credits, such as Payne/Downes is Asia, one would have to do any research to know what song belongs where. Though, its probably already-made fans that will pick up this album so that may not be a problem but compilation albums really should be made for strangers not fans.