Astra (album)
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| Astra | |||||
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| Studio album by Asia | |||||
| Released | August 20, 1985 | ||||
| Recorded | 1984 | ||||
| Genre | Progressive rock | ||||
| Length | 44:47 | ||||
| Label | Geffen/Warner Bros. Records GHS 24072 |
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| Producer | Mike Stone | ||||
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| Asia chronology | |||||
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Astra is a 1985 album by rock supergroup Asia. Started in 1984, Astra is the last Asia album to feature John Wetton on lead vocals until 2008. After being brought back into the fold for their third album, Wetton and Geoff Downes forged ahead with this effort. Steve Howe, having left sometime before the Astra sessions due to tensions with Wetton, was replaced by guitarist Mandy Meyer. According to Howe, he was approached to play on the album by the record company before its release, but declined once he heard the material. With less lyrics about love, Astra was a bit different from its predecessors. Due to a lack of public interest, however, Astra failed to chart and went largely unnoticed. Wetton left Asia soon after the record's release. Meyer would never play with Asia again. The band itself, after cancelling the Astra tour, was basically finished until 1990.
[edit] Track listing
All songs by Wetton/Downes except where noted.
- "Go" – 4:07
- "Voice of America" – 4:27
- "Hard On Me" (Wetton/Downes/Palmer) – 3:34
- "Wishing" – 4:15
- "Rock and Roll Dream" – 6:51
- "Countdown to Zero" – 4:14
- "Love Now Till Eternity" – 4:11
- "Too Late" (Wetton/Downes/Palmer) – 4:12
- "Suspicion" – 3:45
- "After the War" – 5:11
[edit] Personnel
- Geoff Downes - Keyboards, vocals
- Mandy Meyer - Guitar
- Carl Palmer - Drums
- John Wetton - Vocals and Bass Guitars
"Go" was a minor hit, reaching #46 on the Billboard charts with a science fiction-themed video which played off the album cover.
The sound effect heard at the beginning of "Countdown to Zero" was later used as the sound effect for Lucasfilm THX sound system.
[edit] Credits
- Mastered by Bob Ludwig & Greg Fulginiti at Masterdisk
- John Kalodner : John Kalodner
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