On The Road Again: Asia "Omega"

martes, 26 de septiembre de 2017

Asia "Omega"

Omega is the twelfth studio album by British progressive rock band Asia, released in Europe on 23 April 2010 by Frontiers Records. It is the second to feature all four original members (Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton) after the reunion in 2006.

Omega was recorded from October 2009 to February 2010 at Steve Rispin's Liscombe Park Studios, Buckinghamshire, where Asia had already worked on their previous album, Phoenix (2008). For the first time since the debut album, released in 1982, the group employed an outside producer, Mike Paxman. The cover artwork was designed by Roger Dean, who had collaborated with Asia since their inception and with Yes, of which guitarist Steve Howe and keyboard player Geoff Downes had previously been members. The white tiger on the front cover indicates that 2010 is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese calendar.

"Finger on the Trigger" was previously recorded by Wetton and Downes's side band Icon for their second studio album.

John Wetton explained the album title: "The title 'Omega', as any fan of the band will tell you, is 'very Asia' (as is the album, by the way). It no more means 'final' than 'Alpha' means 'the first' (which it wasn't). It's a great sounding/looking word, and a bookend to 'Alpha'. In many ways, musically and conceptually, the two albums share commonality".

As with many of Asia's releases, the cover artwork was created by Roger Dean. The white tiger on the front cover indicates that 2010 is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese calendar. The tiger face also resembles the emblem of a former publishing company named Paper Tiger Books in which Roger Dean was involved in the 1970s.

Track listing

All tracks are written by John Wetton and Geoff Downes, except where noted.

European release