Frontiers [Release date 24.03.14]
Crop rotation is something those of us of a certain age will recall from O level geography – leaving land fallow and rotating crops leading to bigger and better harvests.
Certainly over the years there’s been plenty of rotation and fallow periods in the Asia line-up and output. But there have been harvests of immeasurable quality – the band’s first couple of albums in 1982/83 and, for me, Aura in 2001 was something of a minor masterpiece.
The reunion of Messrs Wetton, Downes, Palmer and Howe in 2008 was another good summer for the band – whetting the public’s appetite once again with their well-received Phoenix album. Since then it’s been ‘business as usual’ with regular decent gatherings in the form of Omega (2010) and XXX (2012).
Where Asia is concerned size is never an issue – Wetton’s soaring vocals and choruses, Palmer’s bombastic fills and in Howe and Downes stadium filling guitar and keyboard runs. But while quality has been consistently good it’s not always vied for ‘best in class’.
Which brings us to Gravitas, an album that sees the band continue to plough the same furrow with the only rotation being the retirement of Steve Howe and his replacement by Sam Coulson – a young guitar whiz first spotted on YouTube. According to Wetton it’s ‘pure, unadulterated and stereotypical Asia, with raw energy, enthusiasm and free from impurities’.
That’s as may be, but the fact is Gravitas is another Asia album that delivers, bluntly, ‘more of the same’. Coulson’s guitar work may be a more ‘direct’ than Howe’s, but in truth, aside from the odd solo break here and there, Coulson makes very little difference to the band’s overall sound.
The result is, don’t get me wrong, a decent album – as you would expect from such a seasoned bunch of players but it won’t I suspect, be contributing many tracks to future set lists. Tasty, yes – but it’s not going to have you salivating. ***1/2
Review by Pete Whalley
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
Next session: Sunday 19 January
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024
In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections
Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
