Asia released its debut album

Asia Asia

Released: March 18, 1982 Charted: April 3, 1982 Peak: 19 US, 11 UK, 13 CN, 13 AU, 14 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 4.0 US, 0.1 UK, 10.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock/progressive rock

Tracks: Click on a song title for more details. Heat of the Moment [3:50] Only Time Will Tell [4:44] Sole Survivor [4:48] One Step Closer [4:16] Time Again [4:45] Wildest Dreams [5:10] Without You [5:04] Cutting It Fine [5:35] Here Comes the Feeling [5:42] Total Running Time: 44:22 The Players: Geoff Downes (keyboards) Steve Howe (guitar) Carl Palmer (drums) John Wetton (vocals/ bass)

Rating: 3.861 out of 5.00 (average of 30 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

The Making of a Supergroup In 1981, the progressive-rock band Yes broke up – seemingly for good – after more than a decade as a band. Their manager, Brian Lane, masterminded the pairing of Steve Howe, best known for his “nimble, classically tinged guitar work” TD with Yes from 1970 to 1981, with the “powerful vocals” TD of John Wetton. He had served as a singer and bassist with King Crimson (1972-74), Roxy Music (1974-75), Uriah Heep (1975-76), UK (1977-80), and Wishbone Ash (1980-81). Lane also pushed for the addition of Carl Palmer, PB-9 who had also put in years with one of the most iconic progressive rock groups of all time. He brought his “propulsive drumming” TD to Emerson, Lake & Palmer from 1970 to 1979. He also wanted former Yes’ keyboardist Rick Wakeman and South African singer and guitarist Trevor Rabin, who left his home country because of Apartheid and relocated first to the UK and then the US. PB-9 Geffen Records was prepared to ink a deal with the group. Wakeman said, they “were happy to sign us without hearing us play or even talk about the style of music we wanted to do. I refused to sign the contract on a matter of principle.” PB-9 Wetton, Howe, and Palmer started playing together, but Palmer, thought “that with the amount of technology available today, not to have a keyboard player is a bad idea.” PB-10 Howe suggested Geoff Downes, with whom he’d worked in the final configuration of Yes on their 1980 album Drama. He and Trevor Horn, who served as the lead singer on Drama, had cemented themselves in music history with “Video Killed the Radio Star,” the 1979 hit by the Buggles which would later become the first video featured on MTV in August 1981. So now Downes and his “majestic keyboard playing” TD was part of the mix. The last piece of the puzzle was Rabin. While he did record some demos with the group, it didn’t work out. As Wetton said, “when we first started, we wanted two singers” PB-10 but then he and Geoff realized “we didn’t want any more people in the band…We had the songwriting covered. We knew what the sound was going to be.” PB-11 Things turned out okay for Rabin, however. He formed a band, initially called Cinema, with bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White, both formerly of Yes. When they brought former bandmates Jon Anderson and Tony Kaye into the fold on vocals and keyboards respectively, they realized they’d just formed a new incarnation of Yes. Their 1983 album 90125 would be the most commercially successful of their career. A Prog-Rock Supergroup: Recipe for Disaster? “By 1981, progressive rock had become a dirty phrase. Most such acts, like Genesis, the Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, King Crismon, and others, had shifted towards shorter, more compact songs, and steered away from the ten to twenty-minute epics of the 1970s.” PB-9 The genre had never been a favorite of critics who saw it as a pretentious, bombastic form of music that would forever be tied to the 1970s and didn’t need to go any further than that. It didn’t help that supergroups often had a way of being less than the sum of their parts. What chance did Asia have for success? Producer Mike Stone Mike Stone was brought in as producer. He had worked with Queen, Kiss, April Wine, and, most recently, Journey. Their 1981 album Escape was the “boldest sounding album to date.” PB-12 It proved to be a blockbuster, topping the U.S. charts, selling nine million copies, and producing four top-20 singles. Wetton said, “We had exactly the same vision for the sound of the band. It was the harmony vocals on the chorus, the way that the vocal would be presented, in your face. Lots of keyboard layers and stuff. It was just exactly right.” PB-11 Stone was able to create a “cohesive, collective sound” PB-12 instead of focusing on “individual performances, which was more difficult to achieve than it sounds because these four musicians, legendary for their musicianship, were now being asked to rein that in.” PB-12 Super Success From the start, Lane’s vision had been to form “a new band that could adapt to the new musical climate of the 1980s whilst still maintaining the musicality and sophistication of the 1970s.” PB-9 Asia were definitely “going against the grain of the new wave styling of the day,” TD but they also adopted a more commercially savvy pop-rock sound. By delivering “a precarious balance between arty rock ambition and bombastic pop appeal” GG Asia silenced the critics with “the success story of 1982.” TD Their self-titled debut logged 9 weeks atop the Billboard chart and was named the magazine’s album of the year. It has gone on to sell an estimated 10 million copies worldwide. Of course, critics aren’t necessarily impressed with sales juggernauts. Some “despised the band for even existing” PB-14 and “had poisoned darts out for Asia before a note was even played.” PB-14 Detractors said “the lyrics are overwrought at moments” TD and, as critic Robert Christgau said, the album is “pompous – schlock in the grand manner.” RC Still, “there’s no denying the epic grandeur of the music, which provided some much-needed muscle to radio at the time and did so with style.” TD Billboard magazine said “the caliber of the [band’s] playing is superb and the music sounds fresh and perfect fare for AOR.” WK The Album Cover “An amazing album cover illustration and logo designed by Roger Dean” PB-12 was the perfect final touch. He had famously worked with Yes and Uriah Heep, but the “leviathan sea serpent rising out of the ocean” PB-12 which he did for Asia might have been his most iconic work of all. While the band originally had reservations about being too tied to Yes, Dean said, “The logo was sufficiently different to Yes, and the dragon sufficiently different to Yes, and it was powerful in its own right.” PB-12 The lead single, Heat of the Moment, was a perfect introduction to the band. It was a #1 song on album rock and a top five pop hit. The follow-up, “the sweeping Only Time Will Tell,” TD was a top ten album rock hit and top-twenty pop song. Sole Survivor also hit the top ten on the album rock chart. Notes The B-side “Ride Easy” was added to later editions of the album. The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.

Heat of the Moment Asia

Writer(s): John Wetton, Geoff Downes (see lyrics here) Released: April 1982 (US single), June 1982 (UK single), Asia (1982) B Side: “Ride Easy” (international), “Time Again” (UK) First Charted: April 3, 1982 Peak: 4 BB, 6 CB, 4 GR, 4 RR, 16 AR, 46 UK, 4 Cn, 26 AU, 2 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 295.27 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: “Heat of the Moment” was “the perfect way to usher in this new musical entity called Asia. The song lets the listener know right off the bat that this was not going to be like the Yes, ELP or King Crimson of the 1970s. Steve Howe’s opening, chiming guitar chords are unusually simple for the guitar virtuoso, and it works like a charm. The warmth of the sound is immediate, and as soon as the rest of the instrumentation joins in and John Wetton’s vocal begins, listeners are hooked. The melodies and keyboard fills are perfectly placed and the chorus is instantly memorable.” PB-14 A video directed by the team of Godley & Crème, from the band 10cc, did well at MTV. It used a grid look with constantly changing boxes which “was a great way to show fleeting, memorable images.” SF It propelled the song to the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100; it also topped the album rock chart. It was the last song recorded for the album. Geffen Records executive John Kalodner told the band they needed a single. Wetton had an idea for the song as early as 1980 when he was in Wishbone Ash. SF He explained, “The chorus began its life as a 6/8 country song, but when Geoff and I started writing together, we moved the time signatures around and ‘Heat of the Moment’ emerged.” WK The two wrote the song in an afternoon. The line “You catch a pearl and ride the dragon’s wing” was inspired by the album cover artwork created by Roger Dean. WK Wetton sings, “I never meant to be so bad to you.” He explained, “I got it wrong. I never meant to be like that…And so I’m sorry.” SF The song was specifically written for his girlfriend Jill, who he would later marry. At the time it wasn’t common for rockers to apologize; it was considered wimpy. SF However, he wasn’t concerned about “macho posturing…he was trying to bare his soul in the manner of one of his songwriting idols: Joni Mitchell.” SF

Only Time Will Tell Asia

Writer(s): John Wetton, Geoff Downes Released: July 1982 (US single), Aug. ’82 (UK single), Asia (1982) B Side: “Time Again” (international), “Ride Easy” (UK single) First Charted: May 1, 1982 Peak: 17 BB, 16 CB, 2 GR, 5 RR, 8 AR, 54 UK, 7 CN, 3 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 7.11 video, 50.31 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: “Heat of the Moment,” the lead single from Asia’s self-titled debut, was a top-5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the album-rock chart. The second single, “Only Time Will Tell,” reached the top 20 on the former chart and the top 10 on the latter. Cash Box called it “a multi-layered progressive rock production with a simple, easily flowing melody at its core, thus providing a little something for both the rock and pop fan.” WK The song shows “how dedicated the band was to crafting songs and not just building epics like in the past.” PB-16 It is “based largely on Downes’ insistent synthesizer flourishes. The main theme is carried by the lush keyboards, and Steve Howe adds beautifully-played accents on guitar, while Palmer plays tastefully and also gets to add timpani drum leading to the big choruses. Wetton delivers again on vocals in a sympathetic way that allows the song to connect emotionally without resorting to being saccharine or false.” PB-16 This song, which started out as “Starry Eyes,” was one of two which Trevor Rabin rehearsed with the group when he was still a potential member. PB-17 It actually dated back even farther, though, to 1980 and Wetton’s days with Wishbone Ash. PB-17 He said, “I had been stockpiling songs during the leadup to Asia, and a lot of my lyrics were about personal experience.” WK This one, he said, was “a very personal one about the end of a relationship.” WK He wrote the verse while Downes wrote the chorus (it was the opposite for “Heat of the Moment”). The song is about “a man learning that the woman he loved never loved him in return, only using him for her own gain. He walks out on her, refusing to live a lie, and predicting that she will probably have a lonely future, but ‘only time will tell.’” SF Wetton said the song “follows a dialogue he started in the song ‘Heat of the Moment,’ where he apologizes for past transgressions.” SF The video was directed by Kevin Godley and Lol Crème, who also did “Heat of the Moment” and later the Police’s “Every Breath You Take” and Herbie Hancock’s “Rock-It.” The video showed the band members on multiple TV screens alongside a gymnast doing slow motion tumbling. It “didn’t make a lot of sense but did make for an interesting visual.” SF

Sole Survivor Asia

Writer(s): John Wetton, Geoff Downes Released: 10/29/82 (single), Asia (1982) B Side: “Here Comes the Feeling” First Charted: April 3, 1982 Peak: 10 AR, 91 UK, 12 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 7.46 streaming About the Song: “This was more like it for progressive rock fans.” PB-17 It “combines all the elements the four band members brought to the table and is a bold mix of the new sound with a few nods to the past.” PB-18 It “packs an awful lot into its five-minute length. The opening is bombastic, heavy, and even somewhat gothic in tones, as it sets the listener up for a powerful ride. The song has serious drive, propelled by Palmer’s thunderous drumming, but the verses are relatively open, accenting Wetton’s vocals and bass-playing.” PB-18 “Downes’ organ, synthesizer and piano flourishes are all key to the song’s progressive feel.” PB-18 Wetton said the song is “a positive statement regarding our place in the state of the recording industry at the time. Indignant, if you will, and defiant. In other words, ‘Sole Survivor’ was a statement of the struggle – I’m not trying to sound pompous here – to get where we were going…Essentially it is a song of hope in the face of adversity.” PB-18

One Step Closer Asia

Writer(s): John Wetton, Steve Howe Released: Asia (1982) Peak: 34 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.50 streaming About the Song: This is the second song written by Steve Howe and John Wetton after their initial meeting and before any other musicians had joined Asia. The song was mainly Howe’s but Wetton rewrote some of the lyrics. PB-19 It is “the dark horse of the album” PB-19 as it is “the song that gets mentioned the least.” PB-19 “This wonderful song” PB-19 “is a rich combination of melody, hooks and tricky arrangements.” PB-19 “Downes’ keyboards provide pleasing colour, while Palmer and Wetton provide an excellent rhythmic counterpart.” PB-19

Time Again Asia

Writer(s): Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer, John Wetton Released: June 1982 (UK B side of “Heat of the Moment”), Aug. ‘82 (international B side of “Only Time Will Tell”), Asia (1982) First Charted: July 31, 1982 Peak: 43 AR, 22 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 2.49 streaming About the Song: This is “one of the all-time classics in the Asia canon.” PB-19 It “combines elements of progressive rock, hard rock, and even some jazzy inflections in the short spaces between the verses.” PB-19 “In concert, this song was always explosive – the band sometimes using it as an opener, to great effect.” PB-19

Wildest Dreams Asia

Writer(s): John Wetton, Geoff Downes Released: Asia (1982) First Charted: April 10, 1982 Peak: 28 AR, 5 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.16 streaming About the Song: This is “an established fanbase favourite.” PB-20 “Here we see the progressive side of the band in more pronounced form while still reining things in.” PB-20 In 1974, this song might have clocked in at 10 minutes, but in 1982 it runs just over five minutes.” PB-20 “The lyrics are anti-war and get right to the point from the opening stanza.” PB-20 “The vitriol from Wetton’s pen and voice comes through loud and clear, and it builds from there with a series of striking images” PB-20 and descriptions of “the fruitlessness, futility and waste of war.” PB-20

Without You Asia

Writer(s): John Wetton, Steve Howe Released: Asia (1982) Peak: 34 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.80 streaming About the Song: This was the first song Steve Howe and John Wetton wrote together. It is “a haunting, dark ballad, rich in complex arrangement, with stark melody and lyrics that cut through the soul. The song begins quietly, with Wetton lightly singing over keyboard accompaniment. Even after the other instruments kick in, the song remains dark and dramatic.” PB-21 Downes and Howe play in tandem on a few instrumental breaks and Howe has a couple of solos. “The cinematic, almost string-like keyboards from Downes accent the song perfectly during the verses. It’s truly an expert way of playing with taste. The song comes to a sudden, quiet fade, played delicately and barely above a whisper.” PB-21

Cutting It Fine Asia

Writer(s): John Wetton, Steve Howe, Geoff Downes Released: Asia (1982) Peak: 40 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 1.24 streaming About the Song: This is “an interesting song that starts as an upbeat rocker with driving bass and drums…and then around the 3:20 mark suddenly becomes a solo orchestral suite from Downes on eloquently-played piano, leading to an arsenal of keyboard sounds with a classical influence, as Palmer lays down some military-styed snare drums low in the mix.” PB-21 While the song is done in a “progressive style” PB-21 it still comes in at a reasonable five-and-a-minute run time “so the accent is on the song, not the showmanship.” PB-21

Here Comes the Feeling Asia

Writer(s): John Wetton, Steve Howe Released: 10/29/82 (B side of “Sole Suvivor”), Asia (1982) First Charted: July 3, 1982 Peak: 40 AR, 23 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 2.52 streaming About the Song: This song dates back to “the well-regarded French progressive rock act, Atoll.” PB-21 They had a potential deal with Polydor and asked Wetton to produce them. He ended up singing on three tracks to get the demos recorded when they lost their lead singer. PB-21 One of those songs was “Here Comes the Feeling.” The demo with Atall is “very close to how it came out with Asia in some places and more of a mid-tempo rocker in other places.” PB-21 Wetton worked on the song with Howe, who made some changes to it, before Palmer and Downes were on board as part of Asia. PB-21 “The finished version is wonderful, with melodic touches galore, especially in the verses, which ooze dramatics. Wetton’s voice is sublime here as he carries the emotion of the lyrics.” PB-22 “Its precision, melodicism, professionalism and incredible consistency made it a thoroughly enjoyable listen from start to finish” PB-22 and a “great conclusion to an excellent album.” PB-22

Resources/References: PB Peter Braidis (2021). On Track…Asia: Every Album, Every Song. Sonic Bond Publishing: United Kingdom. RC Robert Christgau (1990). Christgau’s Record Guide: The ‘80s. TD Tom Demalon, AllMusic.com GG Gary Graff et al (1999). Music Hound – Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press: Farmington Hills, MI. SF Songfacts page for “Heat of the Moment” SF Songfacts page for “Only Time Will Tell” WK Wikipedia page for Asia WK Wikipedia page for “Heat of the Moment” WK Wikipedia page for “Only Time Will Tell” Related DMDB Pages: First posted 2/14/2008; last updated 6/28/2026.