Asia (album)
| Asia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
_front_cover.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by Asia | ||||
| Released | 18 March 1982 | |||
| Recorded | June – November 1981 | |||
| Studio | Townhouse Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, pop rock, AOR | |||
| Length | 44:22 | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Producer | Mike Stone | |||
| Asia chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Asia | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | C–[2] |
Asia is the self-titled debut studio album by British rock band Asia, released in 1982. It contains their biggest hit and signature song, "Heat of the Moment", which reached #4 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[3]
Commercial success
Upon its release in March 1982, Asia enjoyed massive commercial success, reaching #1 in the US and spending nine weeks at the top of the Billboard album chart.[3] According to both Billboard and Cash Box, it was the #1 album in the United States for the year 1982.[4] Asia was certified 4x-platinum in the US by the RIAA on 10 February 1995.[5]
In the band's native UK, Asia did not perform as well as in the US, peaking only at #11. At the same time, it spent a total of 38 weeks in the UK Albums Chart.[6] The record received a gold status in Britain on 18 October 1982.[7] "Heat of the Moment" climbed to No. 46.[6]
Asia's total worldwide sales are estimated at over ten million copies.[8]
Critical reception
Asia's debut album was met with mixed reviews. Robert Christgau panned the record and gave it a rating of "C–". In his Consumer Guide Review the critic stated that "rare that a big new group is bad enough to sink your teeth into any more" and called Asia "pompous – schlock in the grand manner".[2] On the other side, Tom Demalon of AllMusic, in a four-and-a-half-star review, praised the album saying that "there's no denying the epic grandeur of the music, which provided some much-needed muscle to radio at the time, and did so with style".[1]
Cover artwork
Asia's logo and cover artwork were created by Roger Dean, known for his work with Yes (of which guitarist Steve Howe and keyboard player Geoff Downes had previously been members) and Uriah Heep which depicts a leviathan gazing into a crystal orb.
2010 Audio Fidelity remastered edition
In 2010, Audio Fidelity released a 24 Karat Gold CD (AFZ 068) remaster of the album, mastered by Kevin Gray.[8]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by John Wetton and Geoff Downes except when noted.
| Side one | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | "Heat of the Moment" | 3:50 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Only Time Will Tell" | 4:44 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Sole Survivor" | 4:48 | ||||||||
| 4. | "One Step Closer" (Wetton, Steve Howe) | 4:16 | ||||||||
| 5. | "Time Again" (Downes, Howe, Carl Palmer, Wetton) | 4:45 | ||||||||
| Side two | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 6. | "Wildest Dreams" | 5:10 | ||||||||
| 7. | "Without You" (Wetton, Howe) | 5:04 | ||||||||
| 8. | "Cutting It Fine" (Wetton, Downes, Howe) | 5:35 | ||||||||
| 9. | "Here Comes the Feeling" (Wetton, Howe) | 5:42 | ||||||||
Total length: |
44:22 | |||||||||
Credits
Asia
|
Production
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Release history
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| US | 18 March 1982[5] |
| UK | 2 April 1982[7] |
Charts
Album
|
Singles
|
Chart procession and succession
| Preceded by Chariots of Fire by Vangelis Tug of War by Paul McCartney |
Billboard 200 number-one album 15–22 May 1982 19 June – 31 July 1982 |
Succeeded by Tug of War by Paul McCartney Mirage by Fleetwood Mac |
Certifications
| Country | Organization | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| UK | BPI | Gold[7] |
| US | RIAA | 4x-Platinum[5] |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Demalon, Tom. "Asia review". AllMusic.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Christgau, Robert. "Asia consumer guide reviews". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Asia chart positions in the US". Billboard.
- ↑ "The Billboard 200 – Year-end albums – 1982". Billboard.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "RIAA's Gold & Platinum Program searchable database". RIAA.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Asia chart positions in the UK". The Official Charts Company.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "BPI's certified awards search". BPI.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Asia::Asia". Audio Fidelity.
External links
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