Aqua

Most people will say that this is the beginning of the end of the band they grew up with. As for me though, this is the true beginning of a good band. Their 80's material, while catchy, lacked what I wanted to here from an 80's rock band (especially a progressive rock band!). Astra was easily the finest offering form that lineup. This album continues with Astra left off but with a new singer. John Payne's vocals are introduced to us on this album. Unfortunately, the music on this album isn't the best. It's definitely like a first album because of this. I also doesn't even really hint at the genius that is to come in the albums that follow this one. Not at all. Downes is always improving his keyboards, and all the session musicians are good. Al Pitrelli (who would join Megadeth in the late 90's / early 2000's plays a mean guitar here, but is much better on the next album, Aria.The music:1. Aqua (Part 1)- Waves crash and we are treated with a nice acoustic guitar passage. It does more than set the scene for the listener. It is a beautiful passage. Very ambient and very majestic! I quite like it for an instrumental.2. Who Will Stop the Rain?- This song is actually one of Asia's best songs. Even with the stuff that came out after it, I still enjoy this one as much as the very first time I heard it! This is the first time we hear the new singer and wow...what a difference! This song is in the typical Asia progressive pop-rock style, but with the stronger vocals, there is a much bigger emphasis on the ROCK for this listener. While there are quite a bit of acoustic/steel guitars through this song, it retains the rock factor more than many of the songs did on Asia's first 2 albums (Astra came across as a more rock album than the first 2). The drumming on this song is pretty good and the keys on this track are really good. The electric guitar solo toward the end of the song is short, but dang is it good! This song is a gem that most fans write off because it lacks Wetton. Very strong track! Nicely done!3. Back in Town- Opening with a bluesy guitar part, it turns into a galloping hard rock song. This one definitely gets the listener moving along and jamming, but I find this one to be a little weaker than a bunch of the other songs on the album. It's not one that I'd skip all the time, but I find myself skipping it enough to note it. I think this one wasn't strong enough to make the final cut, but that's just my opinion.4. Love Under Fire- This song is beautiful. It's made up of mostly keys, pianos, and acoustic guitars. Payne's vocals contain a passion and soul to it that I didn't really hear/feel in Wetton's singing. While I got into Asia before Evergrey (and while Asia is for sure older than Evergrey) Payne's vocals bring Tom Englund of said band to mind, though even with as much praise as I'm throwing to Payne, no vocalist can match Englund, but that's another topic. This song accomplishes something that was missing on the first 2 Asia albums; a focus on making music that really impacts the listener. The vocals in here are good, but the music behind them are what make it a great song! This song, had it been released in the 80's on a big label, could've been huge!!! Good song!5. Someday- This song is a slower, heavier rock song and it has an 80's hard rock/hair metal sound, until the synths come in. The synth sound doesn't sound like something from that style. It's a very nice difference though. It gives the song personality. Payne conveys the lyrics really well and the guitar in this song is nice. The middle of the song goes from having a groove to it to a smooth instrumental passage that really earns the title of progressive rock. The nice extended instrumental passage on this song is well done and actually adds something to the song. The guitar solo on this one is equally impressive and comes out of nowhere. The chorus is big and really has depth. There is a steel guitar part at the end and it really gives a nice contrast to the song. It ends it on a good note! Nice!6. Little Rich Boy- I can see why this wasn't released in the US on the original release. While it is a good grooving song, the lyrics aren't that great. I actually don't mind the music to it, but the lyrics are indeed...different. It's a good groove track though. The keys are cool and the atmosphere fairly dark. The thing that makes this track so week is just that it's too dang long. Sure, 4:37 is nothing, but this specific song is just structured as pretty repetitive and it's killed by the length.7. The Voice of Reason- This song starts off with a steel guitar part that really does give an aquatic atmosphere. It has a kind of Italian sound too. The vocals come in and it's very soulful. Payne's voice is smooth and clear at the beginning of this song as opposed to the raspier style he's been using on the other songs. There are slight accents done by either the keys or electric guitar and they really add to the beauty of the song. It's a really sparse song and it builds up emotionally in the middle. Then the drums come in and the piano adds some more soul to it. Then the chorus becomes bigger with all the added instruments. Payne also does the raspier vocals as the music builds up. Very versatile voice, very good use of it. The music that supports him is genius, while it's not even technical, but this is mostly John's song to own the vocals!8. Lay Down Your Arms- This is another one that could've been a hit had it been released in the 80's on a bigger label. I could picture this one being heard on a classic rock radio station. It's got a nice beat, a rather big chorus, and it's pretty up beat. It brings Asia's earlier works to mind, but this is pulled off with more style and emotion than anything I've heard the past Asia (maybe except for After the War off of Astra. THAT is Wetton's Asia's best song!). There is a key solo in this song. It's done rather well. I rather enjoy this song. Good tune!9. Crime of the Heart- This starts off with a sad sounding violin and then Downes plays a piano-synth part that sounds like a Jonathan Cain composition for Journey. Payne comes in and it sounds like one of those cheesy 80's Hair Metal Bands' ballads. Musically, it is. Lyrically, while it is about that subject, it is beautifully written. As for the music, while it is in that cheesy style, it isn't cheesy. It's pulled off rather beautifully as well. I really do like the song as it is, but I would love to hear Steve Perry of Journey sing this song just because of how the opening piano part reminded me of that band. Now though, the song is really good. Payne puts a huge amount of soul into it and the music behind him only matches his emotion. The solo is really good and in a few ways, it even reminds me of Neal Schon's style (guitarist for Journey). Asia must've had Journey in mind when they wrote this song because all that's missing is Steve Perry's vocals lol. All the Journey references aside though, this is a great song! I think it could've been a huge hit as well. Great job!10. A Far Cry- This one starts off with an epic sounding synth and an emotional guitar solo with it. Then the drums come in and the song takes off. I used to like this song a lot, but this one kinda lost its touch. It's a good song, but to me it's lost that special something that made it fun to hear. It still gets me nodding my head along with the beat, but it's not as good as it used to be. The steel guitar part is good, like all the other songs though.11. Don't Call Me- I haven't ever really liked this song. When the music comes in after the sounds that open the beginning, it sounds cool and gets my attention, but the chorus is a little uninspired to my ear and I don't enjoy the song for that reason. To each his own, but I don't like this song.12. Heaven on Earth- This song starts off with some spacey-sounding synths and John's voice softly comes in over the synths. After a while, the full band comes in and it turns into a really heavy-heart-felt rocker. My head nods along to this song and John's vocals soar in this song! I like this song, though it's not as good as the 2013 Boston song of the same title (Not many things do compare to Boston). This song does have a good middle instrumental section. It's brooding and features an eerie feeling. There is a guitar solo that comes in and really picks up the song! With a solo like this, it's not hard to see how Al Pitrelli ended up in Megadeth. His playing is technical and skilled, but with gusto and emotion. Very good solo and good song!13. Aqua (Part 2)- This is nowhere near as good as the opening Aqua. It's a synth-driven instrumental and it has a drum-machine sounding rhythm part with a few guitar cameos through it, but because of how it came out, I believe this track to be filler. I would've preferred either no Aqua 2 or to have one that's actually a sequel to the opening track with Steve Howe. i.e more steel guitar work.Bonus Tracks:14. Obsession- This song is pretty much the best on this album. Think that the strength of this album could've been raised had they removed a few of the not-so-great songs and put this and another song by the name of Heart of Gold on the album. Payne's vocals really shine on this song and the music in it is really good as well. This song is such an upbeat song that I don't know why they didn't put it on the actual album. It would've fit in so well!!! I really love the chorus in the song! The guitar solo in this song is too short though. My only complaint about the actual song. There is a small solo that happens as a counter melody to the final chorus and it really adds to the emotion. Then the solo continues after the chorus is finished. Great song! Should've made the album!!!15- Little Rich Boy (Live)16- Love Under Fire (Live)- Both live tracks are good cuts, but I don't really listen to live tracks. Good quality recordings for those that enjoy hearing live bonus tracks.Verdict- If you like Asia, you should definitely pick up this album. If you haven't gotten into John Payne's Asia, you should go in chronological order because this one starts off in familiar territory musically and then the others go off into very different sounds, but you can hear some of what would come on the next album in here, but for the most part, it's hard rock mixed with Asia's typical sound. Good mix with this vocalist. Good album overall!Happy New Year and Happy Shopping!

Asia's fourth full studio album entailed a substantial leap forward from the group's output starting with Astra and continuing through Live In Moscow '90. With John Wetton and Geffen guru John Kalodner out of the equation, Geoff Downes explored more light and space in directions consistent with the hard-rock and prog leanings of Asia's celebrated debut album. Downes could have moved farther from the vocalist-dominated, metal-pop-ballad approach that the two aforementioned Johns likely planned and certainly favored, but Aqua was at least a transition in a welcome direction. John Payne on vocals and bass was more conducive to a collaborative rock-band approach than was Wetton at the time.The songs on Aqua are fair to very good in quality, patchy taken as a whole, probably owing to their mixed pedigree and sometime reliance on hair-metal formula. Material was taken or reworked from earlier projects by Geoff Downes (Rain with Scott Gorham and others, Ride the Tiger with Greg Lake) and by John Payne with Andy Nye. The presence of Al Pitrelli's guitars adds heavy-metal flourishes that sometimes work well, sometimes don't. All told it's a worthwhile hodgepodge with occasional wince-inducing bits to endure. Most notable for occasional ramp-ups of musical quality is the presence on several songs of Steve Howe playing acoustic guitar. Some listeners have viewed Howe's involvement as a transparent bid for a credibility boost given the absence of Wetton, even though Howe was reportedly happy to participate and did some touring with the new Asia line-up.A more intriguing mystery, and a more compelling candidate for the case of possible "name-dropping" where Asia is concerned, is the question of how much drumming Carl Palmer provided on Aqua. Several sources indicate that Palmer was unable to fully participate in the Aqua sessions due to an impending ELP reunion. What's puzzling to the amateur drum detective is that Palmer appears in the credits as the "primary" drummer, with Simon Phillips and Nigel Glockler listed as "additional" drummers and Michael Sturgis given a musical thank-you among many others.The following round of Spot The Drummer is meant to be fun. It capitalizes on a fairly unique situation: how often does one get the chance to assess an album on which the credits are vague, perhaps by design, so that it's not always easy to know which of four high-end rock drummers is playing on a given song? No doubt a seasoned drummer could handily spot the players per song, and said person might grumble, "If you can't tell the difference, why does it matter?" But for the rest of us amateurs and general music fans, the opportunity for observational practice exists aplenty on Aqua.First, a couple tracks are no-brainers: "Obsession" appeared on InsideOutMusic's 2004 reissue of Aqua as well as Asia's earlier Archiva release--presumably it was an outtake from the original Aqua sessions. On Archiva, the drums on "Obsession" are credited to Nigel Glockler. Again on Archiva, Carl Palmer is credited for "The Smoke That Thunders," which sounds like an alternate take of the drums on "The Voice of Reason" set to a different synth background; in any event, the drums on this track are strongly characteristic of Palmer's playing. According to a Simon Phillips website, he was the drummer on "Love Under Fire" (which is especially consistent with his style) as well as "Back In Town" and "Little Rich Boy." Michael Sturgis was the primary drummer during the Rain sessions, and it's likely that his drum tracks were used on some Rain songs that appear on Aqua. It's also worth noting that Nigel Glockler is credited in Archiva as the drummer on at least one Rain song ("Tears"), and he was in the mix of session players around the time of the Rain recordings. Most important, Phillips, Glockler, and Sturgis are all highly capable drummers who can change their drumming approach to suit whatever song they're serving per session. All of which increases the challenge for the drum detective.Best guesses follow as to who drummed on the songs not named above..."Someday" As with the Rain sessions, Sturgis is credited as the drummer on an alternate version of this song recorded on a solo album by Max Bacon of GTR fame. Interestingly, the Bacon version sounds like the same drum track as that on Aqua but with different production. Unfortunately, the writing credits on Bacon's album are spotty as they deviate from those established on earlier recordings, casting some doubt on the information's reliability. Given the history and playing style, it's possible that Nigel Glockler played drums here. This is one of several tracks on which Steve Howe played; below is some commentary about Howe/drummer pairings on Aqua. Best Guess: Michael Sturgis."Who Will Stop the Rain?" Again, the song stemmed from the Rain sessions with Sturgis on drums. And again, Max Bacon recorded a solo version for which it seems the same drum track was used with different production. Many reviewers rightly point to this song as the best on the album, and the rhythmic groove is a substantial component of the song's success. In an information vacuum Simon Phillips would have been a good guess, but his website and the existing credits point elsewhere. Again, Nigel Glockler would be a fair guess, although this track feels less like his playing style than "Someday." Best Guess: Michael Sturgis."A Far Cry" The drums here bear a strong resemblance to those on "Obsession." The cymbal work and fills sound a lot like Nigel Glockler's style. It's worth noting that Glockler is quite versatile, having drummed with Toyah Willcox (as did Simon Phillips) in a punk vein and with GTR in a more prog-leaning style, aside from his best-known work with Saxon. Also, he played drums on Steve Howe's Turbulence album. Howe played on this track, during an acoustic interlude in which cymbal ambience is heard from the drummer. Best Guess: Nigel Glockler."Lay Down Your Arms" Again, the cymbal work and overall groove resemble what's heard on "Obsession" and are consistent with Glockler's style. Best Guess: Nigel Glockler."Heaven On Earth" There's a heaviness in the drum sound here, and a fairly un-syncopated approach that sounds a lot like what Palmer often provided in the mid- to late 80s. On the other hand, the cymbals and some fills hint at Glockler, even if they're within scope for Palmer. It could be that Palmer wouldn't have held back as much coming out of the spacey part in the middle, or maybe he was pressed for time. This is one of the most challenging Aqua songs to analyze with regard to percussion style. Best Guess: Carl Palmer."Crime of the Heart" Again, the heaviness of the drum sound points to Palmer. This Downes/Warman composition might have been part of the Rain sessions, but the drumming doesn't sound like that of Sturgis. It's possible that Glockler was the drummer here, but Palmer is more likely. Best Guess: Carl Palmer."Don't Call Me" The drum sounds are rather thin and minimal here, suggesting that this song employed programmed synth percussion, as "Aqua Pt. 2" most likely did. Nigel Glockler has publicly noted his ability to record along sequenced rhythms or click tracks, so he might be the most likely candidate if this song employed a human drummer in any capacity. Some percussive variation and interesting fills appear toward song's end, but there's a sameness to the drum and cymbal strikes that suggests programming or triggering, the latter of which Glockler has stated is not his preference. Another possibility is that Michael Sturgis--who was involved with the aforementioned Rain sessions from which this song might have originated--played some percussion on earlier tracks that were used here. The waters are muddy, and this is another very challenging song on which to analyze percussion. Best Guess: programmed percussion.So, if the above observations are correct...excluding the "Aqua Pts. 1 & 2" synth pieces that bookend the album there are a dozen songs that break down as follows by drummer: three tracks by Simon Phillips, at least three by Nigel Glockler, no more than three by Carl Palmer, at least two by Sturgis, and one that might be programmed. Steve Howe plays on two tracks with Sturgis and one apiece with Phillips, Palmer, and Glockler. Except for the Sturgis tracks, the Howe parts are dropped in to spots without drumming, so there's no real opportunity to hear Howe's sound against the other drummers using full kits. It's especially noteworthy that the only track on which Downes, Howe, and Palmer play is "The Voice of Reason," where Howe's mandolin during the first half is an acoustic counterpoint to the power-rock sound of Palmer's percussion in the second half, so that they're not playing at the same time. No doubt it was good business practice to promote Carl Palmer as the drummer on Aqua, but it would have been more straightforward to acknowledge the efforts of multiple percussionists given their roughly equal contributions.Most listeners will no doubt (rightly) focus on whether or not the music makes for good listening. The hope is that those who choose to look a bit more deeply into things will find helpful information here. It would be great to have any information or insight of a corrective nature in comments on this review.

One of Asia's more overlooked offerings, 'Aqua' represents John Payne's debut on bass and vocals after John Wetton's departure.Payne's vocals are a lot more bleeding hearted than Wetton's but the transition of frontmen is fairly seamless. In fact, Payne tear-arses through this record with awesome vocal range and fluid playing.Geoff Downes is his usual flawless self on keyboards, new boy Al Pitrelli gives it some welly on guitar and Steve Howe's cameos are sublime. The production is also very slick. The only gripe here is the amount of drummers on this album, one wishes that either Carl Palmer or Michael Sturgis had played throughout.Standout tracks are 'Who Will Stop The Rain' (should have been a hit!), 'Love Under Fire', 'Someday', 'Voice Of Reason' and 'Heaven On Earth'. I would have given this record full marks if it hadn't been for the tedium of the instrumental pieces that bookend the album, the corniness of 'Little Rich Boy' and the cringe-worthy lyrics of 'Crime Of The Heart'...YUCK!Anyone who felt there would be no life without Wetton needs to give this a go. Classic AOR.

This is a great album from the New style Asia in fact out of the 8 albums I own by this super group this is definetely one of my favourites.The remastering by SBV Germany is excellent in fact any artist you see on this label rest assured you will be getting fantastic sound quality well done to this label.The album is full of strong songs and the whole band have made a really good solid album here,compared to other Asia albums like Aura.Aria,Silent Nation etc this album is of a more up tempo nature in sound both in acoustic,electric guitaring and keyboards all in all a great solid album from Asia.If you want to start listening to the new Asia I would start here with this album then next Archiva 1&2 then Aria then just get them all there all great.Dont be put off cos John Wetton is not in this line up trust me Asia sound great and the quality of there music stands up as is.Hope review is of some help to you.

Love Asia and can sing along to this one. Reminds me of holidays long ago. Love the beginning of this cd sounds like I'm back in Greece.

A+++++

The cd was in very good condition and functioned as it should.... Very pleased with my purchase :)