Journey, Asia and five reasons

That was the shortest that hinted at the long winded title I really to use. That title is five reasons why Journey's new release Revelation works and Asia's new release Phoenix does not work. Okay, so both are big name AOR bands and both have new releases out. Asia boasted their original line-up and this is the first release with that line-up since 1983. Journey boasted a new vocalist marking the third in two years. Quite honestly Asia's new effort is one of the worst albums I have heard so far this year and Journey's is one of the best from a veteran band that I have heard so far this year. So why the difference? Both play AOR, neither have done a very good album in a long time and yet one succeeded and one failed. Here's my take on it.

1)Journey actually sound like they are excited. Vocalist Arnel Pinada sounds very fired up and I am sure he is because he has a big opportunity and he runs with it. When was the last time a Journey vocalist sounded really excited on a studio album? Frontiers? Quite possibly and the rest of the band feeds off his energy as well. On the flipside Asia sound about as bored as their music made me feel. Everything about Phoenix was so stiff and scripted.

2)Play what you are comfortable with. Journey generally stick to types of songs that have worked for them in the past and they have enough ideas and energy to make it work. A very easy and enjoyable listen. Asia have twelve songs on their CD and half of those are over five minutes plus two of those are over eight minutes long. However they obviously are not comfortable with what they are playing, there is virtually no flow for much of the material and it becomes very tedious. That's just the short songs, stretching out bad material only hurts the listeners more.

3)Both bands try to focus on a sound they had success with in the early 80's. However there is a difference between playing a similar style and copying. Journey play a style similar to the material from Escape and Frontiers, but not so much that it sounds like a copy. They add enough that it still sounds fairly fresh. Asia's sound like they tried to include some of their old style, but it came across as forced.

4)Too many bands from another time struggle so bad with dating themselves. Journey avoid that trap by keeping things moving and playing on their strengths which here are the vocals and some strong out of the blue guitar parts. Asia sound like a poor Asia cover band, it's like bad 80's music only longer and played by old men who would rather be doing something else.

5)Consider your ballads carefully because there is nothing more excruciating than a bad one. Journey do several and all flow and vary from good to very good. They sound strong and smooth with solid music and vocals to match. I got to track three "Heroine" on Asia's Phoenix and I thought my breakfast, lunch and dinner were going to come up. It was sap of the worst degree and they fumbled through it trying to do who knows what. It was perhaps the most awkward ballad I have ever heard. I would rather have the CD shoved under my fingernials than to have to sit through that song again.

***There you go.