Never in a Million Years

by Greg PratoThe original Asia lineup supplied several tracks that were spun endlessly by MTV during the early '80s, as the band scored a mega-hit with their chart-topping 1982 self-titled debut. But the group was unable to retain its success, no doubt due to constant lineup fluctuation and inner-band bickering. By the early 21st century however, all was well in the Asia camp once more, as the original lineup had reunited. Around the same time, Asia singer/bassist John Wetton and keyboardist Geoffrey Downes launched their own project, which went by the imaginative title of John Wetton/Geoffrey Downes. Releasing a studio album on their own (2005's Icon), the duo also issued a live set in 2006, Live Icon: Never in a Million Years. Expectedly, the set mixes both Asia favorites ("Only Time Will Tell," "Heat of the Moment," "Don't Cry") with newer Wetton/Downes compositions ("Let Me Go," "Meet Me at Midnight") which are played in a professional, workmanlike manner. With Asia themselves playing gigs again around this time, though, a live Wetton/Downes album (which includes Asia tracks) is definitely a bit redundant.