Asia - XXX (2012)

This is Asia’s finest moment since their debut. The 2012 release XXX stands as the fullest realization of the much ballyhooed super group’s potential for two crucial reasons. The nine song collection contains every particle of the musical energy powering their debut, but it’s likewise informed by a level of maturity that their self-titled first album never touched. The lessons vocalist/bassist and chief lyricist John Wetton derived from singer/songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Dylan, and Leonard Cohen reach their full fruition on this album and they are further informed by Wetton’s own distinct sensibility shaping them according to his personal experiences. There is emotional and musical maturity present in these songs the band wasn’t yet capable of achieving on heir vaunted debut, but they manage it quite artfully here and retain the usual performance energy you expect from these musicians. Few finales are ever this good.

“Tomorrow the World” is an airy, uptempo opener with some compartmentalized, sharply played keyboard runs from Geoff Downes alongside drummer Carl Palmer’s metronomic skill. The real story with this song, however, is Wetton’s vocal and lyric. His singing brings everything together with his sharp attention he pays to the words. “Bury Me in Willow” earns a place alongside the band’s best songs. It isn’t exaggeration to say this song took John Wetton a few weeks to write and sixty two years to live and stands as a beautiful reflection on mortality. The chorus carries it even higher and Wetton’s voice overflows with emotion and Geoff Downes meditative synth lines lacing through the instrumental breaks deepen the emotion. Asia breaks out some hard-charging rock with “No Religion”, one of two compositions on XXX co-credited to guitarist Steve Howe. Downes playing much of his organ contributions in lockstep with Howe’s guitar adds density to the music’s attack and Palmer’s drumming sharpens the aggressiveness of their performance. The production over the first three songs captures the band’s spirit in a visceral way certain to grab a listener’s attention with first listen.

Familiar ground returns with the fourth song “Faithful”. It isn’t a weak song, but plays a little paler in contrast to the first three tracks and, arguably, runs too long. Energetic sparring between Howe and Downes fortunately mitigates those weaknesses. “I Know How You Feel” begins simply enough with Wetton’s voice, straight-forward keyboard accompaniment, and hints of the band’s trademark harmonies lurking along the edges of the mix. One of the album’s centerpiece numbers, “Face on the Bridge” opens pensively before segueing into a fat rhythm section pulse and moving at a slightly uptempo pace. The chorus dramatically shifts gears, slowing things up just enough, and sports more of the band’s penchant for vocal harmonies. It reaches the same lofty standard set by the earlier “Bury Me in Willow” because it is a full band performance – these are musicians playing with a clear vision of their respective roles along with the required talent and chemistry to bring these things seamlessly together.

There’s a lot of musical energy on “Al Gatto Nero”, but Wetton’s lyric mixes welcome flashes of playful humor with his customary personal touch. It occupies a crucial place in the track list because its uptempo rush coming so late in the album signals the band’s unflagging musical energies. Steve Howe’s final songwriting credit on XXX, “Judas”, is a well-written track about betrayal. His guitar provides needed bite to a fine Wetton lyric, but some might hear this as another missed opportunity for shaking up the album’s sound with a harder edge. Like “Faithful”, however, this isn’t a weak track and continues the stretch of uptempo tracks near the album’s end. The album finale, “Ghost of a Chance”, impressively makes a song running less than four and a half minutes into a grandly cinematic experience thanks Wetton and Downes’ mastery of songwriting dynamics. Few bands ever stretch their musical resources in a conscious fashion with such consistency, but Asia is a gifted unit. Wetton’s vocal contributes much to the number’s final effect but, once again, it’s the all-around performance quality setting this track apart from an overall powerful song collection. XXX, Asia’s penultimate release featuring John Wetton on vocals and bass, puts an emphatic exclamation point on the original lineup’s recording history, a little more clearly realized than the first reunion album, and shows no signs of fading over time.

Grade: A