Asia's "reunion" album Phoenix to be reissued as lavish double vinyl set

By Natasha Scharf
( Prog )
published

Asia's classic line-up – including John Wetton and Steve Howe – originally released Phoenix in 2008

Asia group shot circa 2008 with the band smiling at the camera
(Image credit: Michael Inns)

Prog supergroup Asia are to reissue Phoenix as a 2LP vinyl set via BMG on May 26. First released in 2008, the album was the first studio recording to feature the band's original line-up of John Wetton, Steve Howe, Geoff Downes and Carl Palmer since 1983's Alpha. ELO cellist Hugh McDowell also guests on two tracks. 

Illustrator Roger Dean – whose artwork has long been associated with Yes – designed the cover, which depicts the colourful mythical bird of the title with its wings outstretched in front of his Asia logo.

Asia formed in 1981 and soon enjoyed chart success on both sides of the Atlantic with the rock anthem, Heat Of The Moment. Their 1982 self-titled debut has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, although follow-up Alpha failed to reach the same heights leading to Wetton's departure from the band. After a series of live shows with Greg Lake at the helm – which can be heard on the recently reissued Asia In Asia live package – Wetton returned for 1985's Astra, which saw Howe replaced by Krokus guitarist Mandy Meyer. Wetton left the band again in 1991 and was replaced by John Payne. For the next decade, Asia enjoyed modest success with alternating line-ups until the original team officially reunited in 2006.

The 2023 reissue of Phoenix finds the album presented on double vinyl for the very first time.

Listen to a stream of the epic Sleeping Giant / No Way Back / Reprise below and scroll down for the vinyl tracklisting.

Tracklisting

Side A

1. Never Again
2. Nothing's Forever
3. Heroine

Side B

1. Sleeping Giant / No Way Back / Reprise
2. Alibis
3. I Will Remember You

Side C

1. Shadow Of A Doubt
2. Parallel Worlds / Vortex / Déyà
3. Wish I'd Known All Along

Side D

1. Orchard Of Mines
2. Over And Over
3. An Extraordinary Life

exploding packshot of Asia's vinyl reissue for Phoenix showing four records and album artwork featuring Roger Dean's colourful Phoenix illustration

(Image credit: Press)
Natasha Scharf
Natasha Scharf
Deputy Editor, Prog

Contributing to Prog since the very first issue, writer and broadcaster Natasha Scharf was the magazine’s News Editor before she took up her current role of Deputy Editor, and has interviewed some of the best-known acts in the progressive music world from ELP, Yes and Marillion to Nightwish, Dream Theater and TesseracT. Starting young, she set up her first music fanzine in the late 80s and became a regular contributor to local newspapers and magazines over the next decade. The 00s would see her running the dark music magazine, Meltdown, as well as contributing to Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Terrorizer and Artrocker. Author of music subculture books The Art Of Gothic and Worldwide Gothic, she’s since written album sleeve notes for Cherry Red, and also co-wrote Tarja Turunen’s memoirs, Singing In My Blood. Beyond the written word, Natasha has spent several decades as a club DJ, spinning tunes at aftershow parties for Metallica, Motörhead and Nine Inch Nails. She’s currently the only member of the Prog team to have appeared on the magazine’s cover.