SPAZ reviews the new ASIA album, OMEGA!

ASIA

OMEGA

NOW AVAILABLE!

OK, let's be realistic here....anyone waiting for Asia to release another "Heat Of The Moment" or "Only Time Will Tell" will just have to give up and go home. The band have never bothered to stick to any set formula, let alone the formula of two hit singles from 28 years ago.  So, needless to say, Omega does not contain any lazy rewrites of those past glories. If that's what you're looking for, then move along! There's nothing to see here...

For the rest of you, sit down and enjoy the ride because Omega is a joy from start to finish.  Since comparisons are unfortunately part of the review process, let me tell you that while there are no instant Top 40 hits on this silver platter, it is jam packed with great moments that we've come to expect from the band. 

There's definitely an Asia sound that is built around the creative talents of four very different individuals: John Wetton (bass/vocals), Geoffrey Downes (keyboards), Carl Palmer (drums) and Steve Howe (guitars).  That 'sound' can only be created by these four individuals.  When Wetton & Downed record outside the Asia axis, it is fabulous, but doesn't try to pretend to be Asia.  When Downes took the Asia name through the '90s with a whole new line-up, they created some amazing music, but it just wasn't Wetton/Downes/Palmer/Howe.    All four members are extremely talented musicians, but something happens when they come together.

On paper, when Asia first came together, these Prog Rock veterans were expected to create a Prog masterpiece with lengthy songs filled with needless solos and guitar noodling.  Instead, they broke the music down to it's basic elements and wrote melodic Rock songs that sounded great on the radio and sounded even better in an arena. The songs were hook-laden but far from simple.  In Asia's music, there are many layers for the listener to enjoy and discover with each subsequent spin.

When the the original line-up reunited and released Phoenix in 2008, their unique sound was intact and just as vital as ever.  Two years on, Omega finds Asia even more comfortable than before.  It also shows the band able to stretch out a little more and relax. There are moments of warm earthiness on Omega, followed moments later by something grandiose and glorious. Howe's guitar is not always 'in your face' but certainly ever present. Wetton's voice sounds better than ever and that wall of harmony vocals still sounds powerful and intoxicating.  Downes' keyboards are seldom used as a lead instrument yet they lay down the musical foundation for each and every track here. 

Since the quartet are Prog veterans, it'd be difficult for them to avoid those Prog tendencies altogether and Omega does contain a few delicious moments where Howe and Palmer really get to show off their 'skills'.  Generally, though, the tracks veer from Beatle-esque to Asia-esque and everything in between.  Although they aren't as immediate, there's more melodies on Omega than you'll find in most bands' entire catalog. As the listener, you just need to lay back and let the album wash all over you a few times.

With key tracks like "Finger On The Trigger", "End Of The World", "Listen, Children" and "I'm Still The Same", Omega is yet another fine slice of Asia magic that is truly unique. They are band that are truly in a league of their own. 

You're welcome,
Stephen SPAZ Schnee

FURNITURE/The Wrong People (Expanded Edition): CD Review

FURNITURE

THE WRONG PEOPLE (Expanded Edition)

Remember when Jarvis Cocker and Pulp were THE band to love in the '90s?  Oasis and Blur were battling for the top slot in the UK charts yet Pulp were far cooler and much more interesting. The critics loved them and the public adored them.  They were controversial and lovable. For a few years there, Pulp were unstoppable. Until they stopped, of course...

Though Pulp seemed hip and happening in the '90s, a little known band called Furniture did it better.  Thing was, Furniture did it first, too. The band achieved critical acclaim a decade earlier but minor chart success and bad timing made sure that they would be nothing more than a cult band.  When Pulp appeared on the scene years later, their similarity to Furniture was uncanny.  Jarvis and Co. can't be blamed for stealing Furniture's sound, but that doesn't mean most of us shouldn't be a little suspicious!!

So, Furniture's debut album, The Wrong People, was released on Stiff Records in 1986. Unfortunately, things went belly-up for the label shortly afterwards and the album didn't get the exposure that it deserved.  But, over the years, the album's reputation has grown. The band's hit, "Brilliant Mind", has remained a favorite on YouTube and has helped to raise interest in the band some 25 years after this album's release.

So, what were Furniture all about? That is not an easy question to answer.  There's Pop, Jazz, Soul, Rock and other genres plus Morricone-inspired atmosphere and '60s guitar twang, often times mixed together to create a unique sound that can only be called 'Furniture-esque'.  Fronted by Jim Irvin, the band were lumped into the Pop genre, yet belonged to no category.  They were a musical entity that stood out amongst the usual bric-a-brac that scaled the charts way back when.  In fact, their music is still fresh and exciting today: timeless and inspiring.

Their most melodic moments were Pop manna from heaven ("Brilliant Mind", "Love Your Shoes", "Make Believe I'm Him") while their excursions into Jazz and free-form might turn off the average New Wave folks. It was this juxtaposition that ultimately confused the average record buyer. The band's performances and songs were nothing short of wonderful, but if you were expecting an album of "Brilliant Minds", then you were shit out of luck!  Furniture were smarter and better than that.

Some would think that an artist create's an album to shift units, but in Furniture's case, they created an album that says something... that means something.  The Wrong People is an album that may not reach up and slap you in the face on the first listen, but it grabs ahold of  your senses over a few listens and really sinks in.  Then, it becomes part of your life. 

This most excellent Cherry Red reissue adds 9 bonus tracks including b-sides, remixes, previously unreleased demos and more. This is not only worth the price of admission, you might as well buy two and give one out as a gift!

Maybe when Pulp came along a decade later, they avoided Furniture's more introspective and experimental moments, keeping their focus on the commercial Pop side. That's all well and good for them, but I must say that Pulp they never came out with a song as wonderful as "Brilliant Mind".  So there!

You're welcome,
Stephen SPAZ Schnee

CLUB 8/The People's Record: available 5/18/2010

CLUB 8

THE PEOPLE'S RECORD

5.18.10

2010 release from the Swedish band who blend a unique World Music twist into their own brand of Indie and Twee Pop. For People's Record, the band travelled to Brazil for inspiration, bought records made in the '70’s in Western Africa, used a percussion player from Cuba and hooked up with producer Jari Haapalainen (The Concretes, Camera Obscura, Ed Harcourt). The result is unique mix of Swedish pop melodies and African rythmes - undoubtably one of the most unique, captivating and catchiest Pop records of the year!