ASIA - Astra Promo - Roger Dean Album Cover Artwork 12" Vinyl LP Album

Album Description: 

The album ASIA - ASTRA was released in 1985 by the British rock band Asia. The band had achieved significant commercial success with their first two albums, but faced some critical backlash for their pop-oriented sound. With ASTRA, Asia sought to return to their progressive rock roots while also incorporating new elements to keep their sound fresh. The album ultimately received mixed reviews, but remains a notable entry in Asia's discography.

ASTRA features a mix of progressive rock, hard rock, and pop influences. The album's opening track, "Go," is a fast-paced rocker with a prominent synthesizer riff and soaring vocals from lead singer John Wetton. The song's lyrics deal with themes of escape and freedom, with lines like "Leave behind the city's drone / Let the weather be your guide."

ASTRA received mixed reviews from critics upon its release. Some praised the album's return to a more progressive sound, while others criticized it for being too pop-oriented. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that while ASTRA "has its moments," the album "suffers from a lack of focus and occasionally uninspired songwriting." Rolling Stone's David Fricke was more positive, writing that the album "plays like a sharply executed sampler of rock styles."

Despite the mixed reviews, ASTRA was a commercial success, reaching No. 67 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawning the hit singles "Go" and "Voice of America."

ASTRA remains a notable entry in Asia's discography, showcasing the band's ability to blend progressive and pop elements. The album's mix of hard rockers and ballads has influenced many bands in the years since its release.

In 2020, the surviving members of Asia - John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, and Carl Palmer - released a deluxe edition of ASTRA to commemorate the album's 35th anniversary. The reissue features a remastered version of the original album, as well as a bonus disc of live tracks and previously unreleased studio recordings.

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Album Production Information:

Produced by Mike Stone and Geoff Downes

Album cover design by Roger Dean

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Band Members and Musicians on: Asia Astra

Band-members, Musicians and Performers
• Geoff Downes - Keyboards (Yes, The Buggles)
• Mandy Meyer - Guitar
• Carl Palmer - Drums
• Carl Palmer – Drums, Percussion

  The human metronome who could still swing while the time signatures did parkour. Read more...

  Carl Palmer was the turbo-charged drummer who made prog rock feel like a high-speed chase in a concert hall. Before the supergroup mythology, he cut his teeth with The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (late 1960s) and Atomic Rooster (1969-1970). Then he strapped in with Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970-1979; reunions through the 1990s) and turned odd meters into something you could actually head-nod to. After ELP’s first run, he helped launch Asia (1981-1986, 1989-1992, 2006-2022), where his precision kept the arena hooks from going soft. Palmer’s playing is all snap, elegance, and controlled chaos—the kind of drummer who makes keyboards and guitars behave by sheer force of timing.

  Carl Palmer Wiki
• John Wetton - Vocals and Bass Guitars
  John Wetton (1949–2017) was a British singer, bassist, and songwriter known for his powerful voice and melodic bass lines. He played with King Crimson (1972–1974), Uriah Heep (1975–1976), and the prog supergroup UK (1977–1979), later achieving global fame with Asia (from 1981). Visit John Wetton at Wikipedia

Complete Track Listing of: Asia Astra

The Song/tracks on "Asia Astra" are

• 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

Album Cover Photo Gallery of: Asia Astra

 Note: The images on this page are photos of the actual album. Slight differences in color may exist due to the use of the camera's flash. Images can be zoomed in/out ( eg pinch with your fingers on a tablet or smartphone ).