Editing Asia (band) (section)

===Formation===
Asia began in early 1981 after the apparent ending of [[Yes (band)|Yes]] and [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]], two of the founding bands of British [[progressive rock]]. After the breakup of [[King Crimson]] in 1974, various plans for a [[Supergroup (music)|supergroup]] involving bassist [[John Wetton]] had not been successful, including the abortive British Bulldog project with [[Bill Bruford]] and [[Rick Wakeman]] in 1976. In 1977 Bruford and Wetton were reunited in [[U.K. (band)|U.K.]], augmented by guitarist [[Allan Holdsworth]] and keyboardist/violinist [[Eddie Jobson]]. Their self-titled debut was released in 1978. But by January 1980, U.K. had folded after one lineup change and three recordings. A new project was then suggested involving Wetton, Wakeman, drummer [[Carl Palmer]] and (then little known) guitarist/singer [[Trevor Rabin]], but Wakeman left this project shortly before they were due to sign to Geffen and before they had played together.<ref>Wakeman, R. "Say Yes"</ref>

In early January 1981, Wetton and former Yes guitarist [[Steve Howe]] were brought together by [[A&R]] man [[John Kalodner]] and [[Geffen Records]] to start writing material for a new album.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://originalasia.com/about/|title=About|date=14 May 2012|website=Original Asia|language=en-US|access-date=28 January 2019}}</ref> They were eventually joined by Palmer and finally by Howe's fellow member of Yes, keyboardist [[Geoff Downes]]. Two other players auditioned and considered during the band's formation were former [[The Move]] and [[Electric Light Orchestra|ELO]] founder [[Roy Wood]] and the aforementioned guitarist/singer Trevor Rabin, who would end up replacing Steve Howe in a reformed Yes in 1983. Rabin, in a filmed 1984 interview included in the DVD ''[[9012Live (video)|9012Live]]'', said that his involvement with Asia never went anywhere because "there was no chemistry" among the participants.

The band's first recordings, under the auspices of Geffen record label head [[David Geffen]] and Kalodner, were extremely popular with record buyers, while considered disappointing by music critics<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/165/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105213004/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/165/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 January 2009|title=Asia Biography|publisher=Simon & Schuster|encyclopedia=The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll|year=2001}}</ref> and fans of progressive rock, who found the music closer to radio-friendly [[album-oriented rock]] (AOR).<ref>{{cite book |last=Stump |first=Paul |title=The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock |date=1997 |publisher=Quartet Books Limited |isbn=0-7043-8036-6 |pages=258–9 |quote=Nothing could have given anti-Progressive forces a bigger target than this FM-rock band ... Asia were luridly launched in April 1982, and the fact that the US AOR market took them to its heart speaks volumes. Asia sold millions, but their links with Progressive rock were as tenuous as [[George Formby]]'s links with [[Mozart]].}}</ref> However, Asia clicked with fans of popular arena acts such as [[Journey (band)|Journey]] and [[Styx (band)|Styx]]; Kalodner had once introduced Wetton to Journey's short-lived frontman [[Robert Fleischman]], with a view to Fleischman becoming Asia's lead singer. As they worked on material together, Fleischman was impressed by Wetton's singing and felt the voice best suited to the new material was Wetton's own. He left Asia amicably.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.journey-zone.com/Features/Interviews/26_01-03/RF.htm#4 |title=The Journey Zone |publisher=The Journey Zone |date=14 August 2009 |access-date=14 September 2011 |archive-date=24 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824202333/http://www.journey-zone.com/Features/Interviews/26_01-03/RF.htm#4 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

''[[Rolling Stone]]'' gave ''Asia'' an indifferent review,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/101939|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060324120931/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/101939|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 March 2006|title=CD Reviews Archive|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> while acknowledging the band's musicianship was a cut above the usual AOR expectations.