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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ASIA BUT NOT ASIA..., September 26, 2006
I am so pleased to be one of the first here to review GPS.
I've been a HUGE fan of all the John Payne era ASIA music. (Never really a fan of the Wetton era ASIA music.) Imagine my surprise and disgust when it appeared on the Asia website several months ago that ARCHITECT OF TIME had been shelved. Seemed the original Asia had been reformed. Maybe that's good for so many Asia fans, but it was not good for me. I feel in love with John Payne's voice on AQUA and have been in love with it ever since. Mr. Payne's singing is dynamic, fresh, powerful.
Ever since word surfaced about the forming of GPS, I've been on pins and needles to get their debut CD. But in a way it's not really a debut, is it, as these musical geniuses have been around a long time and involved with Asia. GPS has been the only CD in my CD player for over a week now and I'm sure it will remain in there for some time to come. Simply put... it's brilliant. It's amazing. In my opinion, it's bound to be bigger than Asia!
WINDOW TO THE SOUL: From the beginning of the song (with John Payne's altered voice slowly evolving into his real voice) this is a powerful song. Very emotional.
NEW JERUSALEM: This is one of the best songs on the CD. The message is powerful, emotional, and so fitting for the world today. WE CAN MAKE THIS KINGDOM COME NOT BY SWORD, NOT BY GUN. Could easily have been an Asia song. 8 minutes long, this is a true power ballad.
HEAVEN CAN WAIT: Another excellent song on the CD for sure. So Asia-like. It reminds of TIME TO GO HOME from Aura. John Payne and crew are music writing geniuses.
WRITTEN ON THE WIND: From the opening chords, this one gives you chills. Over six minutes long, the lyrics and the music are powerful. Probably the best song on the CD by far.
I BELIEVE IN YESTERDAY: Doesn't sound Asia-ish to me at all. Probably a GPS original. Fantastic.
THE OBJECTOR: If there is a song on the album I like the least, this is it. But hey, there has to a favorite song and a least favorite song on every CD, right? Still enjoyable, though, possibly Asia-ish.
ALL MY LIFE: What can I say about this beauty other than the musical portions are touching and John's voice is amazing?
GOLD: I would guess this is a song that evolved from ARCHITECTS OF TIME. Very powerful, excellent lyrics, excellent harmony.
SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE: Definitely one that reminds me of John Payne era Asia songs. This song helps take away the sting that Payne and Downes are no longer creating genius music together.
TAKEN DREAMS: An excellent ending to the this CD. Another power ballad, definitely not Asia.
As a fan, I can't help but to compare these songs to Asia. After all, Johne Payne and Asia created 5 gorgeous albums together. But John Payne IS Asia, so of course his follow-up band will be compared. But GPS can stand on it's own with or without comparisions. Nearly all of the songs are 5 minutes or longer and each one of them are power ballads in their own right. This is an ambitious album, and I only hope that John can step out of the shadow of Asia and make GPS into another superstar band.
Nowhere on this album am I disappointed. Every time I listen to it, I hear something new and exciting. These men have a strong future in store for them.
(My only question is... I read one review else where that said some of these songs had been carried over from ARCHITECTS OF TIME. Wow, I want to know which songs!)
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Payne and Company make a name for themselves, GPS!, October 4, 2006
Asia's John Payne, Guthrie Govan and Jay Schellen decided after Geoff Downes decided to reunite the original band lineup for a 25th anniversary tour, to release their own album as GPS.
The disc, Window to the Soul is a great CD. Joined by Spock Beard's keyboardist Ryo Okumoto, the new band steps into the spotlight without the Asia name and creates an identity of its own.
The disc comes right at you with the rocking, opening title track and continues throughout with amazing vocals and great musicianship.
If you are an old or new Asia fan, check this disc out. It's excellent!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
the heart and soul of Asia, September 26, 2006
I don't think anyone was really surprised when Geoff Downes, unable to resist the lure of an easy payday and the chance to play some bigger venues again, announced plans to reunite the original Asia lineup. We all knew it was coming; it was just a matter of when. Of course this meant that longtime vocalist John Payne, who was a key member of Asia for more than a decade, was essentially kicked to the curb. This was a real shame, considering Payne had a large role in a string of terrific studio albums that helped define Asia's current sound.
Fortunately, Payne was not content to remain on the sidelines. Instead he and fellow Asia bandmates Guthrie Govan and Jay Schellan would embark on a new musical venture called GPS. Added to the mix is Ryo Okumoto of Spock's Beard fame, one of progressive rock's finest keyboardists. Window to the Soul is GPS's debut album.
If you enjoyed the Payne-era Asia albums, you're going to love Window to the Soul. The songs on this album are a natural extension of the material Payne has been writing over the past several years, so similarities to Asia are simply unavoidable. Some of the pop sensibility that Geoff Downes brought to the table are missing, but Window to the Soul is still a powerful and melodic AOR album with plenty of progressive elements. Payne has such a warm and emotional vocal style that the songs seem to go straight to your heart. You don't just hear his songs, you feel them. The guitar and keyboard solos are every bit as powerful, and enhance the way these songs resonate with the listener. There's not a weak moment on the album, but songs like Heaven Can Wait, Written on the Wind, and Since You've Been Gone stand out as some of the Window to the Soul's better tracks.
I don't begrudge the original Asia lineup their success with this reunion tour; I just hate to think that this absolute gem of an album by an important former Asia member is going to go unnoticed by the band's fans. It is as good as, if not better than, anything Asia has released in a long time (except perhaps Aqua, which is still my favorite).
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