RATING: RR
Label: Frontiers
Review By: Alan Holloway
Some of you may remember that a couple of years I went a bit
mental over Asia’s “XXX” album, a fantastic
piece of work that resulted in much singing along and many embarrassing Google
searches. It was, to be honest, an almost perfect album, full of pace and
melody, the best , for me, since “Astra” way back in the Eighties.
Understandably I’ve been waiting for the follow up with baited breath.
One of the problem’s I have had with Asia
in the past is their propensity for releasing albums full of mid paced, samey
songs. This is one of the reason’s I loved “XXX” so much, as it really rolled
along and showcased varying speeds and styles. “Gravitas” does not do this, not
even a tiny bit. Opening track “Valkyrie” will have you singing along, but only
because John Wetton sings that very word over and over. Next is eight minutes
of “Gravitas” that feels more like fifteen, with a dull two minute intro (to
build gravitas, I suppose) and a nice opening riff that dissipates into five more
minutes of mid paced averageness that threatens to be good but never quite
makes it. It only wakes up at the end when we finally get a sweet guitar solo. The
most interesting track is “I Would Die For You”, which rolls in at just over
three minutes and has absolutely no flab on it anywhere.
“Gravitas” is a rather uninteresting album overall. If a few
of these slow tracks, like “Russian Dolls” and “Nyctophobia” had been part of a
pacier album then they would have been fine, but when the vast majority of an
album is so unchanging and mediocre it does begin to grate. There’s no real
flow to many of the tracks, no sense of urgency, none of the passion of “XXX”. In short, “Gravitas” is boring. It’s not
Prog-boring, as Asia have never really been a
Prog band, it’s just dull in a generally dull way. I have a feeling this will
be the biggest disappointment of the year for me, and that sucks.
Reading this review, and hearing comments from a couple other people (fans of the band) who have heard it, I've figured out Asia's problem: It is (has probably always been) it's fanbase. If Asia has a record that's popular, and their next record isn't like their last record - they get criticized! .. And by some people, lambasted. The same thing happened (by several people) to their second record, in 1983, after the first record. {When (with the exception of "Don't Cry") song-wise Alpha was a clear progression, from Asia I .. if not production-wise} ... And it's about to happen again.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the record is dull .. It has more slower songs, but that doesn't = dull, for me ... I like them; they're deep, and very well done. ... Perhaps they could have utilized their new guitar player more, but there are songs where guitars are a loud, constant instrument - like "Till We Meet Again".
The lyrics of the songs are excellent, and well thought-out (with maybe the exception of "I Would Die For You", which is your standard '80s-style rock love song) ... moreso than those of the last two albums.
There are no really cheesy lyrics such as the lyrics to "Faithful", "Emily", and "Shadow Of A Doubt" (a horrible song on the Phoenix CD).
"Valkyrie" could have been faster-paced, I'll give you that - because it's the single. It's as though they played with a click-track, doing the basic tracks ... and the tempo was just wrong. But, I like the chorus of it, simple as it is.
There are some amazing songs, though, that sound like things Asia wouldn't even do! - in a good way. The second part of the chorus of "Joe DiMaggio's Glove" sounds like "Take the Long Way Home", from Supertramp, which is interesting.
I could do without "Nyctophobia", but then I've never been one for Asia's 'fun' songs ... like "Summer (Can't Last Too Long)" ... But "Russian Dolls" is spine-tingling, and "Heaven Help Me" has a great Trans Siberian Orchestra vibe. Better production on the drums, than on X X X, helps as well.
It's a completely different animal than X X X, but I don't think it's a worse album. But it is a transitional album ... I look forward to hearing a record done after they've played live, for a year ... and with the guitarist contributing to the music-writing.
Sounds like we do agree though that Astra sure is a good record. - Darrien