Asia featuring John Payne

[AR]

Just had a weird thought.

This version of Asia is actually the linear true version of the band (thinking in boxing championship terms)

Payne owned the rights to the name and his version of the band is the only one capable of playing the entire catalog up to the split - not including the 2 fine albums the original 4 have recorded. He had to allow the 4 originals to use the name in the settlement.

I like both versions of the band, so I'm not debating who is better or anything like that. Obviously the "4 Original Members of Asia" is the version everyone considers the real one, but in reality Payne's version is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE38akvSPBc

[conversationpc]

The first album can't be touched. They haven't come close to topping it yet. It's still one of my favorite all-time albums.

[AR]

The first album can't be touched. They haven't come close to topping it yet. It's still one of my favorite all-time albums.

A classic. I saw the original 4 recently in Annapolis, MD. We were almost too close to the stage. Table seating. We had to look almost straight up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFy8sXrKAv0

My seats were more center and closer. 350 seat club. Smallest venue they have played in years according to Wetton. If you look down at the end of JW's microphone stand that is where my table was.

[Rip Rokken]

I haven't seen the ASIA feat John Payne show yet -- haven't been anywhere close to where they are playing. Have they released any albums since Geoff went back with the original guys? I always wondered how the heck J.P. ended up owning the name.

I've always been a huge ASIA fan, all the way from the beginning and thru the entire J.P. era, though I really thought Silent Nation sucked. It was so sterile sounding, and just kinda horrible. Two of my most prized possessions -- the keyboard and 5-string bass that I bought directly from Geoff and John Payne several years back.

[Starrider]

I haven't seen the ASIA feat John Payne show yet -- haven't been anywhere close to where they are playing. Have they released any albums since Geoff went back with the original guys? I always wondered how the heck J.P. ended up owning the name.

If I am remembering correctly, I think there was some agreement among the original four members that it could only be called "Asia" if at least two of the original four (Wetton, Dowes, Howe, and Palmer) were part of the band. When it was just Downes, that was obviously not the case any longer. Downes needed the name recognition of Asia, so some type of arrangement was made where Payne became a partner and part-owner of the Asia "brand name." My understanding was that by the end of the Downes/Payne era of Asia, JP owned a significant portion of the Asia name. When Downes split on Payne for the original Asia reunion, since Payne owned so much of the Asia name, the original four had to work things out with JP in order to call themselves Asia without involving him. Part of the agreement that they struck involved him being able to move forward calling his band "Asia featuring John Payne" but without the use of the Roger Dean logo. Most people don't understand that JP was in Asia for about 14 years. A little-known tidbit is that before joining Asia, JP almost became the frontman of ELO Part II when Bev Bevan wanted to start things up without Jeff Lynne. Too much legal wrangling over the "ELO" name for JP, so he moved on.

Asia featuring John Payne released an EP (Military Man) in 2009 and are working on a studio album entitled "Americana" - back to the Asia naming convention of album titles starting and ending with the letter "A".

Here is a link to info about the Military Man EP:
http://www.theasiaband.com/store/asia-featuring-john-payne/asia-featuring-john-payne-military-man-ep/

Here is a pretty good interview with JP:
http://celebritiesindisgrace.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/twenty-questions-with-rock-star-john-payne-of-asia-featuring-john-payne-by-caitlin-mccarthy/

Asia featuring JP mostly hits the casino circuit these days, as well as small clubs and free-concert-in-the-park deals.

[verslibre]

Asia featuring John Payne released an EP (Military Man) in 2009 and are working on a studio album entitled "Americana" - back to the Asia naming convention of album titles starting and ending with the letter "A".

They sure painted themselves into a corner with that "A" bullshit!

Good thing there are still plenty of words that start with "A" — like Ass/Arse, Areola, Anus, Afterburner (wait, that was used already), etc.

Asia has never been a band to get too excited about, IMO. Very "vanilla" rock. If they do a new album, I may check it out because Erik Norlander is on keyboards, and his customized analog gear blows away Geoff's Sam Ash discount buys.

[verslibre]

Most people don't understand that JP was in Asia for about 14 years.

"Most people" don't know Asia continued to release albums after Astra.

[AR]

Most people don't understand that JP was in Asia for about 14 years.

"Most people" don't know Asia continued to release albums after Astra.

True, but then again most people don't know anything about the music we discuss here daily either.

[verslibre]

You mean like Journey, Styx, Yes, etc.? Those are mainstream bands. It may not be '73 or '81, but plenty of people know about them unlike all the obscure prog groups that are way better.

If you think Asia got a raw deal, how about Saga? They recently played in NY. It was their first American gig since the '80s!!! Two whole decades of playing only in Canada and Europe (and some Puerto Rican shows). Gotta go where the money is.

[AR]

I haven't seen the ASIA feat John Payne show yet -- haven't been anywhere close to where they are playing. Have they released any albums since Geoff went back with the original guys? I always wondered how the heck J.P. ended up owning the name.

I've always been a huge ASIA fan, all the way from the beginning and thru the entire J.P. era, though I really thought Silent Nation sucked. It was so sterile sounding, and just kinda horrible. Two of my most prized possessions -- the keyboard and 5-string bass that I bought directly from Geoff and John Payne several years back.

I've seen Asia with Payne 3 times - one acoustic. Great shows. Worth checking out if you can find them.

Here's John Payne performing Heaven And Hell at Ronnie James Dio's memorial service.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weCucYgsVBE

This version of Heaven And Hell was pretty special.

[mrsromek]

I saw JP's version on the Silent Nation tour in Chicago at the Abbey Pub. He did OK with the old stuff and honestly, there are a few tracks I like on Silent Nation. Geoff was Geoff, and Chris Slade on drums was awesome. Saw him w/ AC/DC in '91 at my 3rd concert ever-he liked hearing that story. I'm not sure who JP's guitar player is anymore, but Guthrie Govan was awesome. All guys were cool after the show, too. I don't know if I would check out this lineup again, because to me, ASIA is Wetton, Palmer, Downes and Howe. Period. I know JP was on a few albums in the 90's, and I own most of them, but really, nothing compares to ASIA's first two LP's.

[AR]

I saw JP's version on the Silent Nation tour in Chicago at the Abbey Pub. He did OK with the old stuff and honestly, there are a few tracks I like on Silent Nation. Geoff was Geoff, and Chris Slade on drums was awesome. Saw him w/ AC/DC in '91 at my 3rd concert ever-he liked hearing that story. I'm not sure who JP's guitar player is anymore, but Guthrie Govan was awesome. All guys were cool after the show, too. I don't know if I would check out this lineup again, because to me, ASIA is Wetton, Palmer, Downes and Howe. Period. I know JP was on a few albums in the 90's, and I own most of them, but really, nothing compares to ASIA's first two LP's.

I like a couple of tracks on Silent Nation. This one in particular.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLmbyTTMyWU

[Ehwmatt]

I saw JP's version on the Silent Nation tour in Chicago at the Abbey Pub. He did OK with the old stuff and honestly, there are a few tracks I like on Silent Nation. Geoff was Geoff, and Chris Slade on drums was awesome. Saw him w/ AC/DC in '91 at my 3rd concert ever-he liked hearing that story. I'm not sure who JP's guitar player is anymore, but Guthrie Govan was awesome. All guys were cool after the show, too. I don't know if I would check out this lineup again, because to me, ASIA is Wetton, Palmer, Downes and Howe. Period. I know JP was on a few albums in the 90's, and I own most of them, but really, nothing compares to ASIA's first two LP's.

I like a couple of tracks on Silent Nation. This one in particular.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLmbyTTMyWU

Great tune. Partial to the original Asia too, but this tune is a solid AOR effort. I frequently jam along to this on guitar.

[conversationpc]

Most people don't understand that JP was in Asia for about 14 years.

"Most people" don't know Asia continued to release albums after Astra.

True, but then again most people don't know anything about the music we discuss here daily either.

Most people don't know about "Astra", which is better than "Alpha", in my opinion.

[Rip Rokken]

I saw JP's version on the Silent Nation tour in Chicago at the Abbey Pub. He did OK with the old stuff and honestly, there are a few tracks I like on Silent Nation. Geoff was Geoff, and Chris Slade on drums was awesome. Saw him w/ AC/DC in '91 at my 3rd concert ever-he liked hearing that story. I'm not sure who JP's guitar player is anymore, but Guthrie Govan was awesome. All guys were cool after the show, too. I don't know if I would check out this lineup again, because to me, ASIA is Wetton, Palmer, Downes and Howe. Period. I know JP was on a few albums in the 90's, and I own most of them, but really, nothing compares to ASIA's first two LP's.

I like a couple of tracks on Silent Nation. This one in particular.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLmbyTTMyWU

Great tune. Partial to the original Asia too, but this tune is a solid AOR effort. I frequently jam along to this on guitar.

I forgot about that one... probably my favorite song on the album. Interesting about jamming along with the song on guitar -- I have one I love to play too -- the solo in the intro "Into the Arena" from ARENA (guitar by Hotei Tomayasu). There is a lick in that solo that I enjoy throwing into my playing every once in a while.

I love that entire album. Damn, now that I'm remembering, I could list quite a few Payne-era ASIA songs I love. "Under The Gun" from AURA is another one that comes to mind. I remember e-mailing Dave Gallant (who ran their newsletter "The Armada") with a tough lyrical question about that song, and he had to get the lyrics directly from John Payne to answer my question.

Can't find videos for either song, so here... enjoy this one.

Free
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MvQm1IEGg8

[Don]

I didn't even know who Payne was until about three years ago. He's like those guys that go around with Wayne Nelson calling themselves Little River Band. They might have the naming rights but when music historians look back, these characters will mostly be relegated to the footnotes only.

[conversationpc]

Any of you heard the GPS material? I actually like that a little better than most of his stuff with Asia, though it's really quite similar.

[AR]

Any of you heard the GPS material? I actually like that a little better than most of his stuff with Asia, though it's really quite similar.

Tougher sound on that one. I like that CD. I would guess J.P. would love to just record under that name, but "Asia" is more lucrative and he has the right to do it.

[Rip Rokken]

Any of you heard the GPS material? I actually like that a little better than most of his stuff with Asia, though it's really quite similar.

Tougher sound on that one. I like that CD. I would guess J.P. would love to just record under that name, but "Asia" is more lucrative and he has the right to do it.

I meant to get it, but never did. I believe most of the songs were rocked-up reworks of the album he was writing with ASIA right before Downes left for the reunion. That album was originally to be called "Architect of Time", and I'd been waiting patiently for it. The remaining band continued on as GPS. I should pick up a copy.

It's interesting how much Payne's vocals mellowed out since his debut on AQUA. When I go back and listen to that album, he's really a whole different singer.

[conversationpc]

Any of you heard the GPS material? I actually like that a little better than most of his stuff with Asia, though it's really quite similar.

Tougher sound on that one. I like that CD. I would guess J.P. would love to just record under that name, but "Asia" is more lucrative and he has the right to do it.

I meant to get it, but never did. I believe most of the songs were rocked-up reworks of the album he was writing with ASIA right before Downes left for the reunion. The album was called "Architect of Time". The remaining band continued on as GPS. I should pick up a copy.

It's interesting how much Payne's vocals mellowed out since his debut on AQUA. When I go back and listen to that album, he's really a whole different singer.

"Aqua" is my favorite album of his tenure in the band. "Who Will Stop the Rain" is one my all-time favorite tracks, not to mention that my 2nd favorite guitarist, Al Pitrelli, came onboard for that album.

[Rip Rokken]

"Aqua" is my favorite album of his tenure in the band. "Who Will Stop the Rain" is one my all-time favorite tracks, not to mention that my 2nd favorite guitarist, Al Pitrelli, came onboard for that album.

Al rules! Have the pleasure of seeing him play each year with T.S.O.