Astra [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Asia | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 14, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Mca Special Products
• ASIN: B000002QMB
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,682 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Japanese limited edition reissue of 1985 album, packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, if disappointing, August 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Astra (Audio CD)

When John Wetton was unexpectedly replaced by Greg Lake, I expected Asia's 3rd album to include him. Not only was the '83 live show not released as an album (only a video) but when their 3rd studio album materialized, Wetton had suddenly returned-- while Steve Howe had gone! Roger Dean's stark mechanoid cover painting accurately reflects the album's contents; guitarist Mandy Meyer brings a harsh, hard sound to replace Howe's warmth.

As with ALPHA, the first half of ASTRA are all among my favorite Asia tunes. The powerful "Go", the melodic "Voice Of America", the highly-charged "Hard On Me", the emotional "Wishing" and the epic "Rock And Roll Dreams". But Side 2 was a serious nosedive. Perhaps "Countdown To Zero" was a reflection of a band falling apart-- and "After The War" appropriately ends with the musical equivalent of a A-bomb being dropped. The rest is too downbeat, and oddly enough ASTRA reflects almost exactly ELO's final album, BALANCE OF POWER, released about the same time. But I guess half an album worth of greatness is more than most bands deliver, and that still makes this worth buying.

But what FOOL screwed up the track running order on the CD? (You have to "program" it if you want to play the 10 songs in the original order!)

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great album. Really, it is. Really., June 11, 2001

By 

"pythia_the_original" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Astra (Audio CD)

Asia's debut was a landmark event in music history, not because of the music's excellence alone, but because it was the closest a true masterpiece came to receiving an proportional number of album sales. The follow-up, Alpha (which was still great, albeit comparatively light and repetitive), also fared well commercially. And then, well, one of the most unappreciated albums ever. . . Astra. . .

Asia's third album contains the same basic sound as had its predecessors, with a level of songwriting that ought to meet, quite possibly to exceed, expectations. (The recording quality, however, is not as good as it could be.) From the majestic keyboard opening of "Go" to the climactic ending of "After the War," this album is pure, quintessential Asia. Layers of symphonic instrumentation mesh with Wetton's pleasant, melodic vocals in a surge of euphony and harmony, energizing and elating the listener. Somehow, the music's eudaemonic tone prevails even through the resentfully mournful "After the War" and "Countdown to Zero," which nearly succeeds in its attempt at melancholy and acerbity. That diacritical Asia sound (see musically-ignorant pythia's vague definition) saturates every song, yet without the songs' sounding like facsimiles of one another. Despite the almost orchestral feel of the music, it is erroneous to apply the progressive rock label to Astra--the album being poppy and straightforward relative to the genre's typical associations. Even the longest track, "Rock and Roll Dream" (a fitting title), remains engaging throughout, never lapsing into pretentious nothingness. Astra (indeed, the Wetton-era Asia triptych as a whole) is best categorized as AOR in its most elevated form.

See the price? For ten virtually flawless songs, that is quite a bargain! (On the other hand, if you do dislike it--although I fail to see how you could--at least you won't have wasted a good deal of money.) Sadly, Astra was the effective end of the Asia I love, but what a phenomenal conclusion it was!

~pythia~

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Dig for victory, Go for gold", January 27, 2004

By 

mwreview "mwreview" (Northern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Astra (Audio CD)

Astra is an often overlooked gem. It was the last in a trio of brilliant Asia albums featuring one of the best vocalists of all time, John Wetton. Astra is not as solid as Alpha and does not have the super hits like their self-titled debut, but it is still an excellent album with plenty to offer. It starts with the driving "Go." I did not like "Voice of America" at first because I thought it was a bit sappy but, upon further listens, it is one of my favorites on the album. It is very pleasant. Curiously, it is on the Then and Now 1990 compilation as a "Now" song even though, as far as I can hear, it is the same 1985 version. "Hard on Me" is a very catchy rocker. The verses just makes me want to move my feet, but the chorus is a little awkward. "Wishing" is not very memorable. "Rock and Roll Dream" is a slow, calm song during the verses and then bursts out in tempo during the chorus.

"Countdown to Zero" is a powerful track and is very 1980s Cold War with the spoken verses "Do you realise what's happening in Western Europe? Norway, Finland, Scotland, England. We'll be the first to go." The last spoken lines are kind of silly though: "Don't do it, Don't start the countdown to zero. We want to live. You've got your finger on the trigger. Take it off." "Love Now Till Eternity" is a little sappy and, unlike "Voice of America," I still think it is sappy, but there is nice acoustic guitar at the end. "Too Late" has an addictive rhythm like "Hard on Me." "Suspicion" has a spooky sound and then bursts out with a cool keyboard/guitar piece. It is also very 1980s-sounding (that is a good thing). "After the War" starts out like it is going to be an overdone track like "Wildest Dreams" but then settles down to a very pleasant melody. This album is closer to Alpha than Asia's debut as it keeps the excesses of progressive rock in check. Any fan of Asia's hit singles will enjoy this album, as it is just as accessible and catchy.