WAKE ME UP WHEN IT'S OVER
I am so happy I torrented this masterpiece of poop. If I had actually spent money on this record....I didn't at that's all that matters.
The material is all rehash from every guitar solo and keyboard noodling from their 80's masterpieces of poop. (The first album was good).
AVOID AT ALL COSTS.........

Too Mellow
I have followed ASIA awhile. I feel that ASIA without Steve Howe is not ASIA. I also feel that John Wetton is the ONLY voice of ASIA. I could not stand John Payne! So you can probably figure out by these statements that I was very happy when two years ago the original members got back together. That is the only true ASIA lineup!

The problem with "Phoenix" is not the production or who they chose as a producer. It is not bad songwriting either or the artwork. The problem is a lot more simple then that. The way I see it,the songs are too mellow. It is OK to have a ballad to balance out the other songs but this CD has too many of them!!!! There are no great Steve Howe moments when you can say "WOW, that guitar" solo really grabs me"! If I wanted a CD that soft, I would have bought a Barry Manilow album!

Let me ask a question to those of you that reviewed this CD and gave it 5 stars. Are you perhaps older? (I mean no disrespect)
Russ

Solid Asia
Phoenix is a very good piece of music. Asia did not try to become a current band, they decided to remain Asia, and I'm glad they did. There are some really good songs on this CD, especially An Extraordinary Life and Heroine. There is no doubt that this is an Asia album. If you yearn for new music from bands you know, this is a CD for you.

back together
I was lucky enough to see them back together again in Phoenix Az, to kick off their new album Phoenix. They are still amazeing. The last song on the album, " an extraodinary life " is a testament of how precious life really is after recent health problems with two of them. It's a little slow at times but diffently nice to see this talented group back together.

Asia back like they never left
This offering from the 80's supergroup Asia picks up exactly where the group left off, while regressing slightly to a more progressive sound than that on 'Astra', which was the album that saw the departure of Steve Howe. Astra attempted a more commercial sound than what was produced before on the first 2 albums. Phoenix takes the more commercial lyrical leanings of the second album, Alpha and combines them with the more progressive sounds that Geoff Tate incorporated into the second incarnation of the group. Geoff Tate's keyboard style hasn't changed one bit, but bringing Steve Howe and the rest of the gang back have changed the sound to that of the first 2 albums. This is definitely a good thing, although I miss the sound of John Payne's voice. My personal favorite album that Asia ever produced in either lineup is "Arena". John Payne has a voice that is 100% more powerful and distictive than John Wetton's. Again, though, the content of Phoenix will surely please old and new fans alike since the instrumental styles and sounds form a combination of the old and the new Asia. Perhaps the original lineup augmented by John Payne might bring an ideal sound that would please fans of the old and new Asia alike. Phoenix does not measure up to the original Asia debut album, but is better than the 2nd offering, 'Alpha'. Highly recommended for casual and hardcore fans alike.