Underrated: Marc Edition: Asia

Ya, I said it and you're not going to like it but you're going to take it like a man. I wasn't always the industrial listening, Depeche loving, Prince appreciating man you see today. I was once a Missourian. And I loved Jerky, T-Tops, and the super group Asia.  I even had the poster you see above.  Right on my bedroom wall right next to a poster of Rob Halford with a leather bulge. Hey, wait. Am I gay? Oh, ya, right. Totally. 

Don't scoff. They were a supergroup. You know why they were good? They were SUPER. It's right there in the description. Lead singer John Wetton was from King Crimson, Steve Howe was from Yes, Carl Palmer was from ELP, and Geoff Downes was from The Buggles. Their music was slick and powerful and not a flaw to be found. Their debut album had tons of hits (Heat of the Moment, Only Time Will Tell) and was the #1 selling album of 1982 -- even I find that shocking. The second CD, Alpha, contained Don't Cry and The Smile has left your eyes. Their last moment of goodness was the track Go, easily their best track, from their forgettable third CD, Astra. After that I lost track as these fogies were too haggard to be on MTV with hotties like Duran Duran and Madonna ready for their close ups. 

In the end, the men of Asia are pretty much forgotten as they never fell into a good, retro-radio category like Metal, Soft Rock, or New Wave. They're just part of that crappy pre-wave 80's era populated by Christopher Cross, Toto, and Kim Carnes. We miss you, but stay in our memories, Asia. 

I'll leave you with my friend Matt (currently on tour!). The only other man I could confess this love to (besides all you on the world wide interweb).