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 Quite pleased to have this recording... Mar 27, 2009
This CD is certainly not a slam or rip-off (as ome people are prone to imply)directed to the "orginal four" members of Asia. When this recording was made (Dec 2005), Payne was a member of the band and had been for a decade. Keyboard wiz (and founder) Geoff Downes was there as well, sounding great. In fact, the entire recording is extremely well done and is an historical record of one incarnation of Asia that fans will never hear again. Payne's vocals were only getting stronger and more confident (Payne was no doubt much happier to be able to sing from his own recordings rather than than the hits from the early 1980's). He also should be commended for having to step in (very competently)and fill a void (Wetton had left the group), having to vocalize some of the best known songs in American rock and roll (few people missed "Only Time will Tell" and "Heat of the Moment" the first time around). Buy this live CD with confidence and you will be rewarded with some of the fastest guitar work going, by the vastly underrated (usually unknown) Guthrie Govan. This guy deserves more exposure. The current Asia is not going to lose any money over this...John Payne's name is clearly and boldly printed across the front cover and while they never enjoyed the popularity of the "original four", this Asia provided some great recordings...and this is their final statement. Poor quality Asia (live) recordings existed before, but this certainly is not one of them.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 John Payne's Coda Aug 24, 2008
This is a good sounding later day live Asia release. The best part is hearing songs from Silent Nation live. If you are a Asia fan add it to your collection. You won't be disappointed. As we all know some of the live Asia CDs can be a little hard to listen to because of poor sound quality. This is not the case with this release. Enjoy!
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 A GREAT PIECE OF MUSICAL WORK! May 05, 2008
I purchased this CD shortly after seeing "the original ASIA line up" on tour, last month, April of 2008. I always thought that John Payne got short shrift from everyone, including the fans of ASIA, after the original 4 members put aside their childhood squabbles and got back together. Like other folks have already noted John Payne was in ASIA longer than Carl Palmer, Steve Howe and John Wetton put together. When I spoke to Geoff Downes and John Payne during the now infamous acoustic tour, a few years back, there was no doubt that John was an integral part of ASIA.
John Payne's start with ASIA was a shaky one in my opinion, voice wise, but he improved with age, and this CD, Extended Versions [Live, is proof of how John's voice got better and the rest of the band really evolved. This CD of a live show in Helsinki, Finland shows how this version of the band really worked as one unit. The musicianship on this Live CD is awesome and especially Geoff Downes is in top form. The versions of songs like Here Comes the Feeling, the material from the Silent Nation CD, a great work on its own, and even the landmark Sole Survivor show that despite the desertion of 3 of the original members of ASIA, the band played on, and played on damn well in my opionion. If you don't think so, listen to Arena, Aura, and Silent Nation and compare it to the relatively safe fare and at times unremarkable stuff on the reunion CD Phoenix.
As for another reviewer's remark that John Payne should get over it, the same can be said for John Wetton et al, with the exception of Geoff Downes, who I hope one day will make peace with John Payne the way he has with Misters Wetton, Palmer, and Howe. John Payne paid his dues and worked hard for ASIA and this CD is proof of that fact. What's the big deal, the Beach Boys went two decades with fill-ins for Brian Wilson, and made great music live and in the studio. I think it is time for folks to stop acting childish, this goes for all former members of ASIA, and its fan base, and for the band to just get on making good music.
5 of 9 found the following review helpful:
A Good Thing Dec 28, 2007
John Payne may not have been in the original lineup, but he fronted the band for a very long time, giving it his full commitment. A release like this is a good thing because it shows how much life he breathed into a band that had already imploded for a number of reasons. Good for him! He's a very talented fellow who deserves much success in his new endeavors. I'm more interested in THIS group than in the reunion of the original crew.
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
The end of an era Dec 17, 2007
This is a live album recorded November 2005 in Helsinki, Finland. This is one of the last Asia concerts to feature both John Payne and Geoffrey Downes. A few months later, they announced the end of their partnership after nearly two decades. Downes brought back the original lineup while the others had a new group, GPS, only to start their own Asia (there are two Starships, so why not two Asias?), as well as Asia featuring John Payne, which is being used here.
Most of the very first album is covered here, and three from the last album, "Silent Nation", so there isn't anything from in between. The Roger Dean logo couldn't be afforded, so a poor man's version is here. This is part of the long-running Extended Versions series started by BMG's (now Sony's) budget line. This will be released everywhere else as "Scandinavia" by Devgel. This release is closure for those of you who may only like John Payne's Asia (there are some), but also for those who may not be familiar with him.
I bought it new here, but then I got an autographed copy.
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