Phoenix

by Asia

Overview

Like the Phoenix of the title of their 2008 album, Asia has risen from the ashes and made their first studio album with their original lineup in a quarter century. The remarkable thing about Phoenix is that in pure sonic terms, it could have appeared as the sequel to Alpha in 1985 instead of the Steve Howe-less Astra, which is a remarkable achievement in many ways, but what makes the album more interesting is that it is suffused with a sense of mortality. This is no doubt due in part to singer/songwriter/bassist John Wetton's brush with death via open heart surgery in 1997, but his frankness in regards to death gives Phoenix an emotional pull that Asia lacked on their twin blockbusters of 1982's Asia and 1983's Alpha. This makes Phoenix a richer experience, but the nice thing about the album is that it's also easy to appreciate on a simpler musical level, in how the band has a suppleness when they stretch out into multi-part suites while retaining a knack for big, arena pop hooks. All this adds up to a comeback that is surprisingly compelling and surprisingly moving, something that only die-hard fans may have suspected the band still had in them. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	05/26/2023
Label:	Bmg / Bmg Rights Management
UPC:	4050538823714
Rank:	62954

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Never Again
2. Nothing's Forever
3. Heroine
4. Sleeping Giant/No Way Back/Reprise
5. Alibis
6. I Will Remember You

Disc 2

7. Shadow of a Doubt
8. Parallel Worlds/Vortex/Déyà
9. Wish I'd Known All Along
10. Orchard of Mines
11. Over & Over
12. An Extraordinary Life

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Asia   Primary Artist
Steve Howe   Vocal Harmony,Guitar (Steel),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Carl Palmer   Drums,Percussion
Geoff Downes   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
John Wetton   Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Hugh McDowell   Cello

Technical Credits

Steve Rispin   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Steve Howe   Composer,Producer,Group Member
Simon Hanhart   Mixing
John Dent   Mastering
Curtis Schwartz   Mixing
Evren Goeknar   Mastering
Carl Palmer   Composer,Producer,Group Member
Geoff Downes   Composer,Producer,Group Member
John X. Volaitis   Mixing
John Wetton   Composer,Producer,Group Member
Jeffrey Fayman   Composer
Mike Ragogna   Executive Producer
Daniel Pursey   Composer
Phil Carson   Management
Martin Darvill   Management
Dax Kimbrough   Executive Producer
Martyn Dean   Cover Design,Computer Editing
Michael Inns   Photography
Steven Howe   Composer