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Rating: - A Weird CD
Asia Phoenix is a weird CD. It's as if we're back in 1982. The keyboard sound is pure analog synth. As at least one other reviewer noted, it does sound like Chicago circa 1982 but without horns.

Instrumentation aside, there are some strong songs that stand up well against their classic debut. Wetton's voice is still strong as are the instrumentalists.

If you like their classic 1982 recording, you will enjoy this one as well. You may be disappointed if expecting otherwise.

[DW]

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Rating: - Not as bad as I thought!
I put off buying this CD for a long time. The samples I heard, like others have said, sounded too much like something from a Wetton solo album, and there didn't seem to be much of interest going on in the musical/instrumental side of things. The first time I listened to it, my fears seemed confirmed. I felt pretty disappointed with it, but there were some interesting things going on instrumentally that I knew right away I wanted to come back to. After listening a second, a third, and a fourth time, I was hooked. The songs are very catchy and I have difficulty keeping them out of my head. There are some cheesy cliches in most of the songs, but the first two Asia albums, which I've cherished ... Read More

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Rating: - This is good but should be better
This is an excellent CD for those that love Asia, as I do, there are a couple of really excellent songs, such as Extraordinary life and Shadow of a doubt, there isn't a bad song on the CD, is very well engineered and produced, but there is nothing that is a standout song. For anyone that has been an Asia fan from the 80's, when they really changed a lot of the music world with what they did, this will be a good, but not a great cd. If you are someone who has listened to Asia before, you will enjoy this, but if you haven't, this CD probably isn't for you. Even with the original members all together again, there is nothing groundbreaking here, and you will either like the original sound or not.

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Rating: - Return of a Supergroup
This is a classic Asia album. Not just a collection of beautiful, lasting songs but an album and that's something you don't find too often these days. Four original members of Asia reunited first on stage and now with this great cd. I do hope there is more to come because, like this album tells, they are in fine form. In 80's they were entitled a "Supergroup" in 2008 they are still firmly in power.

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Rating: - Visit with an Old Friend
There seems to be an awful lot of love it/hate it reviews for this album. Perhaps it is related to the hype. Perhaps it is related to all the expectations that listeners bring to this album. I would like to propose a slightly different view of this album.

I purchased this album with some trepidation. Namely, recent history is littered with "great come-back/reunion albums" from groups of the 70s and 80s that were anything but. Based purely on the statistics, the odds were against this being a good album from the out-set.

As it turns out, I have been pleasantly surprised with this album. However, it did not start out that way. I am a fan of Asia and Alpha and, to a lesser ... Read More