Resonance is a two-CD and single DVD live document of the Asia’s May 4, 2010 concert in Basel, Switzerland. It features the original lineup of John Wetton, Steve Howe, Geoff Downes and Carl Palmer, who have never sounded better. Resonance proves this point well.
“I Believe” takes a bit to get going, but the band is soon into this nice and poppy-sounding tune from Omega, which they were touring behind at the time. From the outset, it is clear Wetton’s voice is spot-on — “Only Time Will Tell” gets a good hearty cheer with the singer raising chills. This is one of the best of this set.
Downes plays some nice piano on “Holy War,” another one from Omega. Howe churns out the power chords on “Never Again” from 2008’s Phoenix album, and Wetton and Downes pair up for a version of “Don’t Cry.” Wetton prompts the crowd into clapping along and using his strong voice to its fullest, while Downes just plays the hell out of that piano. This is worth the price of Resonance alone.
“All’s A Chord” and “The Valley Of Rocks” are Steve Howe’s acoustic guitar moments — the first one quiet, the second one jaunty and slightly country influenced with heavy use of the lower strings. Wetton and Downes come back again for “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes,” kicking it out of the park. I would have been fine with a complete acoustic Asia set.
Carl Palmer’s starts off the second disc, followed by Howe’s power chords and organ and piano from Downes for a straight ahead “Finger On The Trigger.” A slightly geriatric “Time Again” is next, probably not the band’s best here, though Howe and Downes have the riff down perfectly. The pretty “An Extraordinary Life” features those sweet Howe single opening notes and an uplifting, goose-bump-inducing chorus presents a great take on how precious life can be. Wetton’s triple bypass surgery gives the man a better perspective than most.
Howe and Downes shine on “The Heat Goes On.” Wetton’s vocal and Howe’s sparkling-like distorted runs (oftentimes with riffs he simply seems to just throw away) fuel “Soul Survivor,” and “Heat Of The Moment” ends the set. You can certainly spin the two CDs anywhere, but you’ll want to sit down and spend some time with the Resonance DVD, an 18-camera shot, high-definition, in-your-face document of a really great show.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
