Comments for Asia, Aqua

Although the US version is slightly different, this album is easily one of Asia's best. Commercially, this album did not experience much success, but it is one of the best pure rock albums that I own. "Who will Stop the Rain?" "Heaven On Earth" "Someday" "Crime of the Heart" "Don't Call Me" are the best songs on the album (not to say that the others aren't good as well).

Without John Wetton, but with an acoustic Steve Howe, the renewed line-up moves decisely towards a hard rock style, thanks to the entries of John Payne and Al Pitrelli in the band. The quality of the songs is good ...but they sound very different than before, except for the best song of all, "Who will stop the rain", that could have been a classic Asia or even GTR tune. "Aqua part 1" is a great intro, and I also particularly like "Love under fire" (Downes/Lake) and "Someday". GL

A great album from a great band. The quality of the songs are as good as their debut album (ASIA), however distinctly more guitar work featuring Howe than the Asia album. Who will stop the rain, love under fire, Back in town, Someday are true rock numbers which sets the album apart. However Don't call me is my number one favourite. A must buy for any rock fan. One of the best I possess. The idea of starting and finishing with the instrumentals really works great.

The above comments are completly wrong. This has to be the WORST Asia album of any before it. John Payne has completly RUINED the sound of ASIA. The only song I will listen to is "who'll stop the rain". I saw this album in stores a few years ago and snatched it up like mad; only to listen to it and be sorely disapointed. It is sad that one of the best bands of all time will be no more. The last ASIA album released in my opinion was "Live in Moscow".

You have comments like the above on this album, and you have good ones too. It turns out that not too mmany people can agree on AQUA. I feel it is a strong entry, considering how the band was in shambles. Geoff Downes spearheaded this version, and John Payne is a great singer. Howe sounds great, and the AQUA I and II tracks are mindboggling. "Heaven on Earth" is my fave. It ain't Wetton, but this is the ASIA we've got at the moment. I will enjoy it.

This was the first Asia album I had heard, and I loved the excellent sound of keyboard genius, Geoff Downes, who finally blew away his prevuiously excellent showing in such albums as DRAMA-YES and a song on the ABWH disc. Howe's return to the Asia fold is excellent and Carl Palmer is brilliant. Melodic songs like "Love Under Fire" and "heaven on Earth" are excellent. Bottom line-It's Steve Howe, It's Geoff Downes, It's Carl Palmer, and Payne is a good adition. It's one of the best!

Okay, joke's over. BRING BACK JOHN WETTON!!!! Being an avid Asia fan, I, too, snatched this up when I saw it in Wal-Mart in 1992. I opened it, and instead of John Wetton, a man in leather with a top hat adorned with bright bird feathers assaulted my eyes with the name of John Payne. That outfit was the first strike against the new Asia, but I figured, what the hell, I'll put my predjudices against Payne's gaudy clothing aside and give this cassette a try. I got as far as "Lay Down Your Arms", and I simply couldn't take any more. I even tried listening to it twice afterwards, but I just cannot bring myself to like any song on this album but "Who Will Stop The Rain". I very sadly came to this conclusion: the Asia I had known from 1982 was dead. And it will remain dead to me unless John Wetton returns. I'm sorry, John Payne. I really don't mean to sound insulting, but I grew up with John Wetton's Asia. It is my all-time favorite band, and an Asia without John Wetton to me would be just as hard for me to take as a new Journey album would be without Steve Perry. Maybe I'm sounding like a young child who cannot or will not accept a new step parent, but this is how I feel.

my review and opinion of ASIA''s first album.....one the greatest rock albums ever produced of all time. my review and opinion of ASIA-ALPHA.....a great album. almost as great as the first but MIKE STONE''s production was just a little over done. my review of ASTRA is posted. give it a read. my review of AQUA and all subsquent ASIA albums is.....why bother? i could find virtually nothing on this album that even resembled ASIA. the only things that sounded like ASIA were the occasional keyboard sequences or keyboard effects and the acoustic guitars but the keyboard parts were few and the acoustic guitars could have been done by any studio musician. whatever happened to that amalgamation of such groups as YES, KING CRIMSON, ROXY MUSIC, ELP, and even THE BUGGLES? i can honestly say i''ve listened to ASIA''s first and second albums an incalculable amount of times but i''ve only listened to AQUA and ARIA a few times. i''ve tried to get into them but there''s nothing there! i think there are a lot of people just like me that are waiting for a reunion of the original line-up. we are jonesing for an ASIA where steve howe plays lead and acoustic guitars in his own inimitable style. we want to hear carl palmer keeping a beat that you would need a computer to calculate not something that any competent drum machine could put out. we want to hear the virtuoso ivory pounding of geoff downes. we want to hear the voice of john wetton and we want to hear his songs. most of all we want to hear these musicians blend their incredible talents together to produce the progressive sound that is the hallmark of what we know of as ASIA. without these things i say ASIA isn''t ASIA and it''s a waste of time. anyone who likes this bland dreck either doesn''t know any better or is living in denial. i welcome any rebutals.

The Japanese release of Aqua

I agree. Bring back Wetton. The hard edge is OK, but it's not Asia. Downes really shoul dhave changed the name of the band when he did this. Most likely he's using the name for commercial reasons. That's unfortunate since he has his own coattails to ride on. He's worked with Trevor Horn and Yes. The first few songs are good. The production is very very good. But the quality of the writing seems to drop off after the first few songs. I like Someday, Far Cry, and Who Will Stop the Rain.