Asia--The Heat of the Moment (1982)

     I've always been a bit conflicted about Asia. They were born out of the general meltdown of the progressive rock movement and the lineup certainly had the rep; John Wetton, Geoff Downs, Steve Howe, and Carl Palmer had all been with groups who were at the top of their game less than 10 years before.

     Many of us who grew up listening to King Crimson, Yes, and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer though them to be "selling out". Being quite a bit older now, and having dealt with the music business to some degree, it seems more obvious now that as much as one might enjoy 'serious' music, singles put food on the table. For a time in the early 80's they did just that, scaling down the ambitions without losing the vibe (or the pomposity) of the music.

     Although the hits stopped coming by the mid-80's, they continue to record and tour. The lineup has shuffled consistently with the original lineup being the one touring now.