Album Review: Asia – XXX
Listening to XXX, I can’t help but think two things. One, this is really catchy music. Despite the fact that the group has always been built around seriously ace players from the prog end of the pool – extraordinary vocalist/bassist John Wetton, guitarist Steve Howe, and drummer Carl Palmer (keyboardist Geoff Downes is always impressive, but inevitably a notch below the legendary status of his bandmates) – Asia has always, always been a song-based group. And thirty years after the MTV success of “Heat of the Moment,” they still deliver on tracks like the leadoff “Tomorrow the World.”
But the thought I have in tandem with that is this: there’s not really a big market for this highly-polished, radio ready music. I mean, I dig it, and I know people who’ll enjoy it (perhaps some of my readers among them), but there simply isn’t a chance that XXX is going to catch on commercially in 2012. Instead its best hope (and probably its goal) is to remind fans how catchy the band’s approach has always been, and to hope that will bring fans out to see live dates.
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About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.