Set will be available on wax for the first time
Multi-platinum selling English rock supergroup Asia has announced the release of Fantasia, Live in Tokyo 2007 on vinyl for the first time. Recorded on the group’s 25th anniversary tour, and featuring the original line-up, the album will be available as a 3 LP set with booklet, including band photos, and sleeve notes on February 24th through BMG.
The setlist focusses on their globally successful 1982 debut self-titled album, featuring key tracks “Only Time Will Tell,” “Sole Survivor” and their anthem, “Heat Of The Moment,” and tracks from their 1983 follow-up, Alpha. The project also includes one song each from the band members’ previous bands — Video Killed The Radio Star, Roundabout, Fanfare For The Common Man and The Court Of The Crimson King.
Album artwork was by legendary designer Roger Dean.
Pooling the talents of John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes and Steve Howe, Asia immediately became the epitome of a supergroup of rock aristocracy and the natural heir to its members’ legendary bands of the 70s — King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer, The Buggles and Yes.
Leaving behind their progressive roots, Asia embraced the commercial FM rock sound and took the new MTV video channel by storm. “Heat Of The Moment” was a worldwide monster smash and their debut album spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. Asia became the biggest selling album of the year and world tour dates sold out.
The four original members reconvened in 2006 for a world tour and the album Phoenix followed. The foursome came together again to record Omega in 2010 and XXX in 2012. Howe stepped back from Asia to concentrate on his work with Yes and was absent for 2014’s Gravitas. The launched a tour in support of Gravitas, only to be followed by news of Wetton’s cancer treatment, a fight he sadly lost in 2017.
