From New Wave to the 'NOW', experience the thrill of NEW WAVE from it's beginnings in the late '70s to the modern bands so obviously influenced by it! So, if you grew up in the '80s and still enjoy discovering new sounds as well as rediscovering old favorites, then read on!
PUNK! POWER POP! SYNTH POP! NEW WAVE! POST-PUNK!
Showing posts with label Frontiers Records. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frontiers Records. Show all posts
If 2012 was a year to remember for ASIA, with the release of the acclaimed studio album ‘XXX’ marking the band’s thirtieth anniversary, then 2013 is set to be another. John Wetton, Geoff Downes and Carl Palmer are delighted to announce that not only do they have an incredible talent in place to step into Steve Howe’s shoes, but also that their first international show with newcomer Sam Coulson will be a high profile performance at Sweden Rock 2013. Sam is a wonderful player, world-renowned amongst guitar virtuosos. Additionally, a new studio album, to be entitled ‘Valkyrie’, will be recorded for Frontiers Records during 2013 continuing the band’s relationship with the label.
John Wetton said, “ASIA is ready to take its next steps along this remarkable road. We cannot wait to perform again for the fans and also to unveil some of the new material, of which we are very proud”. Geoff Downes said, “We look forward to writing another chapter in Asia's history”. Carl Palmer commented, “We’re all looking forward to the next decade of great ASIA music”.
ASIA formed as a supergroup of stunning pedigrees, bringing together songwriter, lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton [King Crimson, UK], keyboardist Geoff Downes [Yes, The Buggles], drummer extraordinaire Carl Palmer [ELP] and Steve Howe [Yes]. Their self-titled debut album was the biggest selling album in the world in 1982 and monopolized the Number 1 slot in the Billboard charts for 9 weeks. The album is still in the top 3 Geffen sales of all time, with Guns ’n’ Roses and Whitesnake! With tracks like mega-hit ‘Heat Of The Moment’, ASIA helped to create the MTV phenomenon. The band’s work perfected the use of videos that encompassed stories and messages, examples being the work for ‘Wildest Dreams’, ‘Only Time Will Tell’, ‘The Smile Has Left Your Eyes’ and ‘Don’t Cry’. ‘Heat Of The Moment’ is still a radio fixture and has been in top TV and films including ‘40 Year Old Virgin’, ‘South Park’, ‘Cold Case’, ‘The Matador’ and countless others.
In 2006 the original band reunited for a tour of USA, which was followed by four world tours and several continental tours. The reunited band has played over 300 shows and released three new studio albums, three DVDs and a number of live albums. The track ‘An Extraordinary Life’, from 2008’s album ‘Phoenix’ was chosen as the theme music for America’s Got Talent. This is a band with plenty more to say.
With a new guitarist in place, Sweden Rock confirmed and more high profile live dates to come, plus a new album slated for release, the ASIA trajectory continues: onward and upwards!
2012 album from the Rock supergroup, the third studio album since the original quartet reunited in 2006. Consisting of John Wetton, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and Geoff Downes, Asia were one of the commercial success stories of 1982. Their debut album was the best-selling album of the year and remained on top of the Billboard chart for nine weeks. Now, 30 years later, the band release an album that has been called their best full-length album since that debut. The album's original artwork is by famed artist Roger Dean, who was also responsible for the first album's cover.
In one form or another, Yes has been creating music for over four decades. In the late ‘60s, they were an underground band with a unique sound, but it wasn’t until the early ‘70s that the band achieved massive worldwide success. Perhaps more than any other band from that era, Yes wrote the Progressive Rock rulebook and every Prog band that followed in their wake took inspiration from them.
When Punk came along in the late ‘70s and attempted to destroy the popularity of bands like Yes, the headstrong Progsters may have lost the attention and adulation of the always-fickle press, they never lost the dedication of their fanbase. Even when vocalist Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman left the fold, the band bounced back in 1980 with the album Drama featuring vocalist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes (both of Synthpop duo The Buggles) in their place. While the band disintegrated shortly after that, they weren’t gone long before a new line-up emerged with their most successful album yet, the Trevor Horn-produced 90125, which included the massive hit “Owner Of A Lonely Heart”.
Since then, the band have continued to evolve with slightly different line-ups and fresh, new approaches to their sound. In 2008, Jon Anderson experienced respiratory issues and the band’s touring plans were put on ice. After realizing that they may not be able to tour with Anderson, a replacement was sought and vocalist Benoit David, formerly of Yes tribute band Close To The Edge, fit the bill.
With the line-up of bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, vocalist Benoit David and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman (son of Rick), the band entered the studio with producer Trevor Horn and began work on their first studio album in 10 years, Fly From Here. Soon after recording began, Wakeman left the band and was replaced by Geoff Downes. While this line-up was practically a recreation of the Drama-era version of the band, many fans were expecting an album that picked up where that album left off. But Fly From Here is certainly no carbon copy of that album. Instead, this project takes elements from all periods of Yes’ career and creates a fresh and exciting new beast altogether. It is most definitely a Yes album and contains all the elements that fans have come to love, but it’s also an album that stands well on its own and has the potential to attract a new generation of listeners. Simply put, Fly From Here is their best album in years.
Stephen SPAZ Schnee was able to catch up with Chris Squire, who was kind enough to discuss the new album and so much more…
SPAZ:Fly From Here is just about ready to drop. How are you feeling about the album and Yes’ musical journey thus far?
CHRIS SQUIRE: Feeling very good. We’re all extremely happy about how the album turned out. All the interviews I’ve done with people who have heard it, they’ve all been very positive. So, everything seems good.
SPAZ:Fly From Here is the first studio album in 10 years. What inspired the band to record the album now, as opposed to getting things together a few years ago?
CHRIS: Yeah, our last studio album was in 2001, the Magnification album, which was with an orchestra. After that was released, we spent the next two or three years pretty much going around, promoting it with various orchestras, in different parts of the world. So, a couple of years go by quite easily like that. Then Jon Anderson started to have problems with his respiratory system and his voice, so we laid low for awhile to see how that would all pan out. We were planning to go back on the road when he felt good in 2008. Just before we started rehearsing for the tour, he had another attack, unfortunately, so we had to make a decision at that point to get Benoit (David, vocalist) into the band. Of course, we spent the next couple of years going on the road making sure that Benoit was the right man for the job, getting him up to speed with the whole touring experience, etc. Then we decided that it was time to do a new album, so we started working on that. By the time we got ‘round to going into the studio, it was nearly 10 years since the last one! It certainly wasn’t intentional.
SPAZ: The album has that classic Yes sound, yet is also very much a modern-sounding album.
CHRIS: When you say ‘modern’, you mean sonically?
SPAZ: Yes, sonically, which is probably due to Trevor’s production, but the album does not sound ‘dated’ at all. It sounds completely new and fresh, musically.
CHRIS: Yeah.
SPAZ: Did you purposely try to fit the best of both worlds into the album, or did this all fall together organically?
CHRIS: I think more organic. Usually, in my experience, the outcome of any album is a combination of all the people involved in making it, starting, obviously with the music and singing. But then it goes beyond that because we were working with Trevor again and he has his own team of people that he’s been working with. He’s very current with modern recording techniques. So we definitely wanted to make the music itself be organic and we definitely wanted to play everything as opposed to having machines building the tracks up, which of course, is common place more than not these days. We wanted to get the element of a real band playing. We added the benefit of modern equipment to that as well. It does come out feeling like a modern sounding record and Trevor’s team did a great job at that.
SPAZ: Geoff Downes was a late addition to the line-up. Did it take much convincing to get him involved with the project?
CHRIS: Not really. It was a late decision. We’d already started making the album. Oliver Wakeman (keyboardist) was involved. It just came to a certain point when Trevor Horn decided that he did want to be involved in the production of the WHOLE album… Originally, we were just going to be working on the one song with him, but that seemed to go so well that we carried on doing more with Trevor. He said “If that’s the case, I think you guys will make a better record with Geoff.” Not that there’s anything wrong with Oliver Wakeman’s playing at all. He just thought the flavor that Geoff brings with his style and his keyboard sounds was going to help us to make a better record. I’ve always enjoyed working with Geoff, so we agreed to go and do it that way.
SPAZ: Your vocal turn on “The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be” is amazing. How did you come about doing that track and why not sing lead on more of the album’s tracks?
CHRIS: That tune is the one song that I actually completely wrote 100%. When I was in London in 2007, I was doing a lot of writing and that was one of the songs that I wrote during that period of time. Then I made this album with Steve Hackett called The Squackett Album, which hasn’t been released yet even though it’s been finished for a year. That was one of the songs that was supposed to go on that album, but we didn’t really need it because we had plenty of other material. So I put it forward as a suggestion for the Yes album. We did do a version with Benoit singing, actually, in a higher key because that suited his voice better. But Trevor decided that it would be better if I sang it, so we went along with that.
SPAZ: That was a great decision by Trevor because, in my opinion, it’s one of the highpoints of the album.
CHRIS: Thank you very much!
SPAZ: While the album may be considered a ‘return to form’ by some fans and critics, does that sometimes frustrate you since Yes has always been a consistent band that evolves and changes over the years?
CHRIS: I don’t think it’s a question of going back. I mean, I know that I have a press quote out there about the album where I say I think the album represents some of Yes’ best qualities from the ‘70s and the ‘80s but, as you obviously agree, with a modern twist to it. I couldn’t really ask for anything more. To me, it does feel like a progression. It’s a very clean sounding record. This Swedish journalist said to me that it’s like the lightest record and, at the same time, the darkest record we’ve made. And think I kind of understand what he means by that. I think we’ve definitely achieved another notch in the Yes success belt.
SPAZ: The playing on the album is exceptional, but more importantly, it’s a beautiful piece of work from start to finish. Are you usually conscious of the atmosphere and beauty in your music while recording, or does it all seem to hit you afterwards?
CHRIS: I think it develops as it goes on. There’s no doubt that everyone was in a good frame of mind and enthusiastic. There wasn’t too much bickering… I mean, there’s always discussions… but generally, everyone had an attitude with a smile while we were making the record and it definitely seems to shine through in the end product.
SPAZ: You’ve been doing this a long time. Are there still moments when you listen to a playback and get chills?
CHRIS: Yes, there have been. With Trevor’s main engineer, Tim Weidner, who we’ve worked with before on the Magnification album… One day, when he’d been working on the balancing and the sounds on “The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be”, I walked into the studio and I thought, ‘Fuck that sounds really good!” (laughs).
SPAZ: Was it a conscious effort for Yes to pick up from where Drama left off in expanding upon and recording “We Can Fly From Here", given the return of Geoff & Trevor?
CHRIS: Obviously there’s gonna be an element of that because the return of Geoff. He does have a distinctive keyboard style. When he and Steve play with Yes, it seems to open up the possibilities more than their work with Asia.
SPAZ: Many fans are likely to find Fly From Here to be the most consistent Yes album in years. Are we likely to see this line-up return to the studio in the near future to try to capture a bit more lightning in the bottle?
CHRIS: Oh yeah, I sincerely hope so. The bigger mark the album leaves in a successful way, there’s a lot more chance where that could happen. So, it seems on track for that possibility.
SPAZ: After all of these years, you are still considered one of Rock’s greatest bass players. Is it humbling to know that so many people have been touched by the work you’ve done over the years?
CHRIS: Yeah, it’s definitely a great feeling. I do hear quite a lot from other musicians and I read articles where I’m cited as an influence and I’m very proud about that. Who wouldn’t be, really?
SPAZ: What’s next for Chris Squire and Yes?
CHRIS: We’re going to go out on the road for at least a few years to promote this album. I’ve also go plans for the Squackett album to come out, hopefully in the fall. It’s been already finished for a year, but we haven’t quite nailed down the schedule for releasing that yet. All I know is that between those things, I’m setting myself up to be quite busy.
SPAZ: What is currently spinning on your CD player?
CHRIS: A lot of bands I consider to be new aren’t really new anymore, like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, No Doubt and bands like that that I really like. The Foo Fighters have just put out a great new album and I’m a big fan of them. Sometimes, I’ll just put on the current Top 20 urban hits. You gotta like some of Rihanna’s stuff. I don’t have any prejudices: I’ll listen to classical music, straightforward Pop…. Probably like many people my age, I’m more drawn to putting the comedy channel on over the music channels. (laughs) I will put American Idol on, things like that. I just keep an open mind.
Thanks to Chris Squire
Special thanks to Jacki Feldstein, Shawn Potter, Chris Anderson and Gayland Morris
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.
FRONTIERS RECORDS SIGNS THE LEGENDARY BAND FOR NEW ALBUM WORLD-WIDE
NAPOLI, ITALY (February 19, 2010) - Frontiers Records is very proud to announce the signing of legendary rock band WHITESNAKE.
David Coverdale and band are gearing up for their latest endeavour. WHITESNAKE has already started composing new material that promises to deliver one of the finest chapters in WHITESNAKE'S career. “We are off to a very good start, with the new songs taking positive shape. It feels good, fresh & exciting,” explains Coverdale.
The next release already feels like a solid, natural progression to their last opus, the successful, critically acclaimed ‘Good To Be Bad’ album, awarded by the influential Classic Rock magazine as “Best Album of the Year” in 2008. “As always, we want to take it to the next level,” states’ Coverdale. “I feel that with the last album we achieved a strong WHITESNAKE ‘cocktail’ that comfortably embraced & mixed all the previous musical aspects & styles of the band’s history, while taking our identity a little further... all on one album..."
Born in 1977, WHITESNAKE have been among the most influential representatives of the their genre, having produced numerous rock music classics such as ‘Here I Go Again’, ‘Is This Love’, ‘Still Of The Night’, ‘Fool For Your Loving’, ‘Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City’ or ‘Walking In The Shadows Of The Blues’.
Coverdale said the production team for the new album will most likely be the infamous Brutal Brothers, or Los Bros Brutalos, who handled the recording of "Good To Be Bad”. “The new songs are in the very familiar and recognizable WHITESNAKE territory of soulful, bluesy, melodic power rock, with a couple of ballads thrown in for good measure... It can’t be a WHITESNAKE album without ballads, mate!”
WHITESNAKE have conquered the love and respect of the audiences all over the world with their driving shows and music. The new album promises to follow in the steps of a great heritage of solid and timeless songs.
Who woulda thunk it? Me, the Power Pop, New Wave, Punk and Synth Pop fanatic, falling head over heals for the recent wave of AOR and Melodic Rock releases!!
I have know idea why I've fallen into this style of music that I purposely stayed away from during it's heyday some 25 years ago, but I love the new music that is being made. I'm a sucker for a good melody, whether it's The Jam, Neil Diamond, Badfinger, Glen Campbell, Buzzcocks, Michael Jackson, Journey or whoever strikes my fancy at the moment. But lately, I've been exposed to a lot of cool stuff on the Frontiers label and beyond and I'm totally digging it!
So, here's a quick look (and listen) at some of my recommended faves:
OK, so Lou Gramm is out and Kelly Hanson has taken over as lead vocalist, but I'll be damned if this isn't one of the band's finest albums! Great from start to finish and plenty of top-notch material to add to their already impressive catalog!
Let's face it, gang. AOR, Classic Rock, Glam Rock, Hair Metal and melodic Hard Rock used to sell like crazy. No matter what you thought of them then, these genres ruled the world and were certainly embraced by red-blooded American teens and young adults looking for a way to escape from their boring lives. Countries like Japan slobbered this stuff. Every major label had a few hit bands on their roster that fit nicely into one (or more) of these categories.
But then big bad Grunge came along in the early '90s and blew their houses down....
Thankfully, the scene didn't die: it just went underground. Now, two decades on, the scene is thriving again and while it hasn't had a breakout act scale the charts yet, it's coming! There's even the Steel Panther, who parodied the music so well, it has brought attention back to what people thought was a dying breed.
Labels like Frontiers Records (based in Italy) has kept the fire burning for years and there are more labels springing up all over the world, serving healthy helpings of fist-in-the-air Rock anthems to a new generation of kids looking for a release. This ongoing movement is bringing the old fans back as well.
Norwegian rockers Wig Wam haven't forgotten what that scene was all about and, on Non Stop Rock 'n' Roll, they bring the fun back into music! While they are certainly a 'modern' Hard Rock band, the lift liberally from the Glam Rock blueprint, combining pre-Top 40 Poison with the klassic sound Of Kiss, adding a bit of Queen into the mix.
Some may automatically compare them to Steel Panther, and while that may be true on a certain musical level, Wig Wam are having fun with the genre, not making fun of it! As much as I like the Steel Panther album, I think Non Stop Rock 'n' Roll is a better bet: it's solid all the way through.
From the opening blast of "Do You Wanna Taste It", you know you're in for a heck of a ride. That tune is worth the price of the album alone, but it doesn't stop there. "Wild One" has a great rock riff and a soaring chorus that you can't help but sing along with! "Rocket Through My Heart" is another anthemic rocker that will bring the house down with it's catchy chorus. "Chasing Rainbows" is another great sing-along that utilizes a children's choir to great effect. "From Here" and "Man In The Moon" are the acoustic ballads on the album, but are a bit beefier than the bic-raisers of old.
From beginning to end, Non Stop Rock 'n' Roll is just what the title says... and it's one hell of a fun ride!
Available from your local independent record store!
January 2010 – Hailing from Brazil, Auras is one of the most exciting new acts to hit the AOR-rock scene in the past few years and with the release of their debut album New Generation they are ready to prove the world that acts such as Journey, The Storm, Toto and Survivor have found a credible heir from South America!
Auras was formed in the beginning of 2007 by singer Gui Oliver and guitarist Ferpa Lacerda. Tired of playing in cover bands and feeling they were musically mature enough, both musicians decided to write some new music.
The first song coming out of this collaboration Hungry Hearts was sent out to several producers and musicians around the world, gathering some very warm response. Gui and Ferpa therefore kept on writing more material until their songs landed on Frontiers Records desk who some immediately some concrete interest, making Auras the first band from South America to sign with the label.
New Generation is the result of years of hard work and faith in our music, explains Gui Oliver. It sounds corny, but it’s really a dream that came true especially for a Brazilian band where this kind of music is not very popular. We really have to thank Frontiers for their trust and support.
Being a real band, not just a studio project, Auras had their live debut supporting their idols Jeff Scott Soto and Jimi Jamison inCuritiba, Auras hometown. Hearing the band play, Jamison mentioned that Auras songs took him back to the eighties and reminded him of the great bands of that period.
Artists like Toto, Journey and Survivor, tells Gui, are known worldwide and in Brazil it’s not different: their classic hits are still on the radio. Their music touched me in different ways. It was not only the beautiful and amazing melodies, but their songs also had great lyrics. Ferpa also grew up in a very musical family and this kind of music was always part of his life. Definitely melodic rock and AOR in Brazil is not for the masses but we have a faithful and loyal audience. We received lots of emails of people saying how proud they were of us about the album.
During the recording process the great jazz drummer Edu Sallum, who had already played with Rafael Moreira (Pink, Christina Aguilera, Rockstar INXS, Paul Stanley), joined the band, and the local studio musicians Matheus Brandon and Hemerson Vieira helped to complete New Generation. The album was finally mixed and mastered to sonic perfection by Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69, Sunstorm, Place Vendome, Khymera etc.).
Love, dreams, faith and hope are what Auras music is all about.
John Wetton and Geoffrey Downes are true Rock icons. Wetton, an extraordinary bassist, vocalist and songwriter, played with King Crimson, Roxy Music and UK before joining forces with Yes guitarist Steve Howe and forming the 'supergroup' Asia in 1981. The third recruit to the Asia fold was another Rock legend: drummer Carl Palmer, formerly of Emerson Lake &... In need of a keyboardist, Howe suggested Geoffrey Downes, who had recently gained fame as both a member of Synthpop duo The Buggles and as Rick Wakeman's replacement in the short-lived Drama-era line up of Yes. Downes was a perfect fit and the band became a unit: four exceptional musicians playing together as one. Wetton and Downes became the core songwriting unit of Asia, writing all of their hits including “Heat Of The Moment” and “Only Time Will Tell”. Though the original Asia quartet splintered after their sophomore album, members of the band continued to work together, on and off, over the next few decades. Wetton teamed up with Phil Manzanera for an album and released some fantastic solo work. Meanwhile, Downes continued using the Asia name with an entirely new line-up through the '90s. Though this line-up of Asia did not reach the commercial highs of the original quartet, they recorded some fantastic AOR albums in their own right. Wetton and Downes renewed their writing partnership in the early part of the millennium, finally releasing, Icon, their first full-fledged effort as a duo, in 2005. Icon II: Rubicon followed in 2006. Asia fans were overjoyed when the original quartet reformed and toured to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the band's original formation. An Asia studio album, Phoenix, was released in early 2008, followed by even more touring. During a break in Asia's hectic schedule, Wetton and Downes wrote and recorded Icon 3, an album that might well be their most consistent and inspiring full length collaboration to date. From beautiful ballads to accomplished rockers, Icon 3 is filled with fantastic melodies, artful musical passages (from Downes) and Wetton's most confident vocals to date. AOR, Icon and Asia fans will be blown away, to say the least. And with any luck, Icon 3 might connect with a whole new audience of young listeners eager to hear how honest and real music is made. Wanting to know more about this latest Icon release, Stephen SPAZ Schnee was able to catch up with Wetton and Downes just before they took off on another leg of their world tour with Asia.
SPAZ: With all the activity going on in your careers, how did you find time to put together Icon 3? It's barely been a year since Phoenix was released... JOHN WETTON: We were on tour when we made our decision to go ahead with Icon 3. In May, Geoff and I had lunch in Bratislava, and made plans to meet to start work on this project in June. Our first meeting was at my house, at the piano where we wrote many Asia anthems in the '80s, and we ended the afternoon with 11 ideas. They are the same 11 ideas that are on the CD. GEOFFREY DOWNES: We set aside a time-frame and started afresh on the new Icon album. As Asia was on hiatus, we could concentrate our efforts solely on Icon
SPAZ: Were the songs on Icon 3 specifically written for this project or were any of them left over from the previous Icon albums or Phoenix? JW: A good idea is never wasted. 'Peace in Our Time' is a tune that was born around the time I was rehearsing with Bill Bruford and Rick Wakeman in 1976. 'Sex, Power and Money' was a title that had been flown when I was writing in California in 1991 for (solo album) Battle Lines. 'Don't Go Out Tonight' was written (by us) in 1987. Lots of the stuff is new, however, but not all. That's normal for us. GD: We went in and the 11 ideas we had penned in from the beginning stayed right to the end, and made up the exact formation of the album.
SPAZ: The second Icon album, Rubicon, was loosely based on a concept that John had. Does Icon 3 have an overt or underlying concept as a whole? GD: I don’t think there is a particular theme to 3, although we were conscious of putting across a positive message. We had a lot of fun writing and recording the material, and hopefully this shines through on the album.
SPAZ: Was there any particular event (s) or inspirations that inspired the songs on Icon 3? GD: Without going into specific songs, they all have an experience-related idea behind them. For instance, 'Green Lights & Blue Skies' is based around the atmosphere in a nightclub. But there is a wealth of diverse experiences we hung the songs on. JW: We chose the symbol 'Aum', which looks remarkably like a 3, because it means an all-encompassing, non-specific deity. Everything.
SPAZ: Icon 3 has a nice variety of songs, ranging from gorgeous ballads to anthemic rockers. What tends to dictate the arrangement of the songs: the lyrics or the melody? JW: It just happens: we don't know how it works ourselves. The mood, or spirit, of the song will dictate to us what the arrangement is and further musical decoration will enhance this. GD: I think it’s all about contrast, and possibly this album (of the three Icons) boasts the most diversity. We like the idea of going from a high power rock track to a subtle orchestral arrangement. Music is, after all, all about dynamics. There are no rules in creation of the material. We just let it invent itself and mature over a period of time.
SPAZ: When you write together, do you approach writing for Icon and writing for Asia with different mindsets or do you just let the songs come naturally? JW: Sometimes, we’ll say 'This would be good for Icon', or 'This will never fly with Asia', but, in general, we just write, and then the only difference between Asia and Icon is purely in the ear of the listener. For instance, we have written for other people ('We Move As One' for Agnetha from Abba) and performed the song at an Icon concert. GD: To be honest, we are generally focused on one project at a time. Therefore, when we have an Asia album to write, we are not really thinking in terms of Icon. Therefore, the ideas rarely overlap.
SPAZ: Do you find songwriting easier now at this stage of your career? JW: No, it’s never easy, it's always tough, and sometimes my muse will leave it till the last minute to visit, which can be stressful. GD: I think both John and myself have re-invented our partnership over the last few years, and we never seem to have a problem coming up with ideas. We do view music with very similar perspectives, so many things are assumed, and left unsaid. As long as we have new ideas and visions, the music will keep coming.
SPAZ: John's voice sounds better than ever, especially on tracks like “My Life Is In Your Hands”, “Under The Sky” and “Destiny”, while Geoff's personality really shines with outstanding keyboard work throughout the album. At times, do you still feel that you have something to prove? GD: Very kind of you to say so. I believe the challenges we set each other help to fuel the fire. Certainly, John is singing at the top edge of his game, and, yes, I think we both feel we’ve got something to prove, and continue to challenge ourselves in the future. JW: If you enjoy what we do, then there's always more to come. We have less fear these days, and rather relish the idea of doing something unconventional.
SPAZ: The Icon albums seem more organic, personal and warm compared to Asia's albums. Is this intentional or is it simply a case of less cooks in the kitchen? JW: No, it's back to fear again. We have absolutely no constraints on Icon writing, production or performance. There's always a feeling while the same process with Asia is that it must be 'Asia'. That doesn't enter into our mindset with Icon; we deliberately include duets with female singers, bring in special guests (Andreas Vollenweider, Katie Jacoby) who take the music into a seriously different firmament. GD: It’s a very different process working with Asia. We are a band of four individuals who all contribute the sound, and it’s a total group effort. With Icon, it’s very much just me and John creating the ideas. Within this, we feel a certain freedom to add elements such as acoustic orchestral instruments, female vocals, etc., which wouldn’t work within the Asia framework.
SPAZ: Apart from John and Geoff, there's some exceptional vocal and instrumental work on Icon 3. Who worked on the album with you? JW: Hugh McDowell (ELO's cellist) works on all the Icon recordings, Andreas Vollenweider (harp) is a major feature on two songs ('Raven' and 'Anna's Kiss'), Anne-Marie Helder's voice is a stunning addition, and new guys Dave Kilminster (guitar) and Pete Riley (drums) make amazing contributions. GD: The song is the all important aspect on Icon. We see this in a joint conceptual direction, and the orchestrations are there to embellish the song and voice. We view Icon almost as a classical ensemble rather than a rock band.
SPAZ: While your fanbase is exceptionally strong and dedicated, do you have hopes that Icon 3 might reach listeners outside your normal demographic? JW: It's a nice thought: we'll have to see. We don't consciously make a great effort to change our style or write hit material because, these days. those things are not pertinent to our corner of the record market. People who like Icon love it. GD: I sometimes think, maybe naively, that one day, our music will reach other audiences such as Radio 2. It’s all down to promotion, but certainly, I see no reason why the Icon project should not touch and reach a wider audience.
SPAZ: What's next for Wetton & Downes? JW: Asia tour starting in Moscow: we'll tour through the summer then start thinking about recording again in September. GD: I think we’ve established our own style with Icon, and having completed the third album of our ‘trilogy’, maybe later in the year, we’ll sit down and talk about another album. Certainly, I think we’ve done enough so far to justify continuing with the project.
SPAZ: What is currently spinning on your CD and DVD players? GD: This may well be where our personal musical tastes differ. I’m fairly sure John would not be too enthusiastic about some of my tastes in dance music! I’m often drawn to music which features keyboards, naturally, and so you would not be surprised to hear me playing some Ministry Of Sound or Ibiza-based dance anthems. JW: Last CD I bought was Bruce Springsteen's Working On A Dream. The latest DVDs are Dark Knight (Director's Cut) and Atonement.
