Asia return with a re-formed line-up and release an outstanding new live album recorded in April 2025 at the rather select venue, Trading Boundaries in Sussex, England. Founding member, main songwriter and ‘keeper of the flame’ through the many manifestations of Asia, Geoff Downes, has teamed up with the stellar guitarist John Mitchell, Australian drummer Virgil Donati and newcomer vocalist Harry Whitley. Downes has always been the constant thread that runs through the ever-changing Asia line-ups, bringing his ear for a catchy melody and hooks, honed from his pop days with Buggles, to bear upon the more rock-oriented songs of Asia. Their most successful album was the multi-million selling debut album Asia in 1982, which was particularly popular in the USA and Japan, which thrust mainly previous arty progressive rock musicians from Yes, King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer into unfamiliar single chart territory and MTV videos. Downes wisely focuses mainly on that very popular album to record a live album as the first release of this newly reborn Asia.
For most rock and prog fans of a certain age Asia will be a very familiar album with its silky synthesis of earworm melodies, catchy choruses and accessible rock with some more ‘Prog’ leanings… but the emphasis was always upon the song and not indulgent virtuosity. This review will not be diving in too deeply into the details of these rock/pop gems as most will be fully aware of the treasures contained. The question is: Is it worth getting this album if you have the original?
Downes has surrounded himself with a fine band, in particular guitarist John Mitchell, who has worked with artists as diverse as Frost*, It Bites, Kino, Arena, Fish, Martin Barre, Karmakanic, his own great project, Lonely Robot, and previously even with former Asia front man, John Wetton and Geoff Downes on the Icon album of 2005. Therefore, his musical credentials and connections with Asia are impeccable. From the opening bars of their greatest hit, Heat of the Moment, it soon becomes evident why Downes recruited this talented guitarist as Mitchell seems comfortable inhabiting the iconic guitar parts created by the legendary Steve Howe. However, he does not slavishly just copy those Howe parts – he has the knack of respecting the origins of those parts so they are still recognizable, but also adding his own style to some of the more extravagant sections, particularly on the incendiary Sole Survivor, the dramatic Wildest Dreams and the cascading romp of Time Again. Driving the band forward with power and style is drummer Virgil Donati, who has previously played with Dream Theater’s Derek Sherinian, Allan Holdsworth and Steve Vai, so he is another artist with impressive references. Donati shows his great technical skills and rhythmic feel, powering forward classics like Sole Survivor, Only Time Will Tell, and his drums really stand out on Wildest Dreams – but in Asia its all about gelling with the whole band to smoothly deliver the goods rather than seeking the limelight, and he does that with aplomb.
The final piece in the new Asia jigsaw is the unknown Harry Whitley. Whitley has shared with TPA that Geoff Downes discovered him on Youtube as he had done a cover of Heat of the Moment which Downes watched repeatedly. Apparently Downes wife said to him ‘Will you stop playing John so much!?’ as she thought it must be the now sadly deceased Wetton, which helped convince Downes that he had found a suitable candidate to fill those rather legendary vocalist boots. Whitley does sound remarkably like Wetton. He is clearly a very talented and assured vocalist with such good control of his voice, and can really roar it out when needed in this live recording, particularly the stratospheric Sole Survivor.
Working with this new band seems to have re-invigorated Geoff Downes who is on great form on the keyboards, particularly in the ‘Bolero’ extended coda to Cutting it Fine, and he positively sizzles on the organ in a brilliant guitar / keyboard duel with Mitchell on the final album ‘bonus track’, The Heat Goes on (originally on 1983’s Alpha album.) Indeed, this live album does feel infused with a new energy, and does not feel like a band ‘going through the paces’ of an old classic album. Another ‘bonus track’ is Ride Easy, originally a single B-Side to Heat of the Moment, which flows along with all the smooth melodic rock style of the original album, including some lush harpsichord sounds from Downes. The icing on the cake is not an Asia track at all, but the multi-million selling 1979 international hit by Downes’ former band The Buggles, the unmistakable Video Killed the Radio Star. Asia pull off this fun and catchy song with a lightness of touch and excellent vocals from Whitley – the crowd obviously loved it!
This release comes with an additional high-quality DVD filmed at Trading Boundaries, which also includes short vignette interviews with all four band members, album cover and Asia logo designer Roger Dean, and the additional track Daylight, originally the B-side to the Don’t Cry single from the Alpha album. Apparently this is the first of three releases of those three shows at Trading Boundaries in April 2025 – the other two nights focused on the next two albums, Alpha and Astra. They will be interesting to see and hear, but somehow just as it was back then for Asia, it will be difficult to match the iconic and infectious quality of that first memorable debut album in which every track is a melodic rock/pop gem.
So back to our original question: Is it worth getting this album if you have the original?
As someone who loved the original album I did wonder whether it would be worth revisiting that album with a largely new band – however, Asia – Live in England is an absolute delight. Downes and his excellent new band reinvigorate that classic album with an outstanding performance, which reminds us of the greatness of that debut release.
This new Asia are recording a new studio album for release fairly soon, and this great release whets the appetite for what they can create as a new incarnation of Asia… but will it be any good? I guess ‘Only Time Will Tell’ !
TRACK LISTING
01. Heat of the Moment (4:31)
02. Only Time Will Tell (5:07)
03. Sole Survivor (5:45)
04. One Step Closer (4:23)
05. Time Again (5:05)
06. Wildest Dreams (5:16)
07. Without You (5:29)
08. Cutting it Fine (6:19)
09. Here Comes the Feeling (5:54)
~ Bonus tracks:
10. Ride Easy (4:47)
11. Video Killed the Radio Star (3:38)
12. The Heat Goes On (5:05)
13. Daylight (DVD only)
Total Time – 61:19 (CD)
MUSICIANS
Geoff Downes – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
John Mitchell – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Virgil Donati – Drums
Harry Whitley – Lead Vocals, Bass Guitar
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Frontiers Music SRL
Country of Origin: International
Date of Release: 13th March 2026
DISCOGRAPHY
– Asia (1982
– Alpha (1983)
– Astra (1985)
– Aqua (1992)
– Aria (1994)
– Arena (1996)
– Aura (2001)
– Silent Nation (2004)
– Phoenix (2008)
– Omega (2010)
– XXX (2012)
– Gravitas (2014)
– Asia – Live in England (2026)
