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[Pretty Little Flower]

Originally Posted by Not Bob

Asia



So, as I think I mentioned, some albums have had a negative influence on your old friend Not Bob. "Asia," the self titled debut album by the supposed supergroup Asia is one example.

I cannot tell you how much hype preceded this release on Podunkville's preeminent AOR FM station, 97 Rock. One could not listen for more than an hour without hearing some breathless reference to how awesome it was going to be -- an amazing work of art put together by an amazing collection of musicians from Yes, King Crimson, and Emerson Lake and Palmer.

I wanted to like it -- I really did. But maybe because I was beginning to hang out with the Punk Rock Girl* and listening to Elvis Costello, the Police, and early Prince, I hated it. Really and truly despised it. And, for the first time in young Not Bob's life, he publicly rejected the lemming-like musical taste of his friends. (This is also when he found the courage to tell people that he didn't like Led Zeppelin, either.)

Maybe I needed someone else to introduce me to Not Mainstream music** for me to come to the realization that corporate rock sucked. Or maybe it was that I realized that I didn't like prog rock (it's true that I never was a big fan of Yes), but Asia was the album that drove it home for me.

*Yes, for the millionth time, I know that the music she introduced me to wasn't really punk (with the possible exception of the Clash, depending upon your definition of the Clash's genre). She got the nickname at the time from an older co-worker.

**Yes, I understand that Elvis circa "My Aim Is True" and the Police circa "Zenyatta Mondatta" were considered mainstream or even passe in some areas of the country at the time, but I can assure you that this was Not So in Podunkville.

I can honestly say I have given no thought whatsoever to the band Asia in over twenty years. I did think about ToTo recently (and briefly) due to a discussion about yacht rock, but never Asia. I am hoping for another twenty.