Tuesday, August 11, 2009

America and Asia

AMERICA

Cheesy 70s/80s Californian band, but great music. A horse with no name, Ventura Highway, Muskrat love (ok that is a bit bad), You can do magic. As good as they can be...if you are in that right frame of mood, I decided my series could only have one song so I choose......

TRACK SIX: Sister golden hair
I adore the clear guitar riff in the opening of this, it sets the tone of the song immediately. I love, love, love singing this song (which is a bit wierd when you sing "when a women sure can be a friend of mine"...which they sure can but not really in the way he is singing!). If I was in a band I would insist we did this, cheesy as it is...I would probably be relegated to harmonies but that is ok.

ASIA

Firstly, I really like that Asia comes after America...that amuses me endlessly!Yes, this is there only hit and much like A-Ha, I backed up copy of their greatest (!?!) hits purely for this song......

TRACK SEVEN: Heat of the moment
How can a band that writes something so excellent write so much shite for every other song????? This is pure 80s American college radio and I just love it. The rockin' guitar gets you (me!) from the beginning, and that drum back beat drives it along perfectly. "I never meant to be so bad to you" - I love the lyrics, pure unadultered High school/College lurve. Yes, a little cheesy - but driving your car, on a hot windy day, you crank up the stereo and belt it out with them! And if anyone pays you off for doing so you can say: "It was the heat of the moment, telling you what your heart meant."

3 comments:

Vince Dale said...

I like the driving rhythm of 'A horse with no name', and the harmonies in 'Muskrat love'. 'Sandman' and 'I need you' are OK.

ASIA is the child of Progressive Rock, but engineered for the mass market. That 'rockin' guitar' is Yes's Steve Howe and the driving 'back beat' is by Carl Palmer of Emerson Lake and Palmer....These guys could really play. It is a pity that they chose to play such indulgent rubbish in this period.

Cathy said...

So, you are saying this song is bad?

Vince Dale said...

This song, which was their 'hit', is fine, but there is some dodgy stuff under the Asia brand.