Armed To The Teeth (1980)
I remember when Michael Piper debuted his new reissue label with Asia's two albums. It seemed such an odd choice for a diehard progger like him. I heard the CD not long after release, but didn't think much of it at the time, and passed on buying my own copy.
Many years later, with my tastes having broadened more and more into hard rock territory, I finally relented and purchased the CD. And enjoyed it much more. I was probably just catching up with the label owner's more advanced tastes.
What we have here is a distinctly Midwest North American sound, that which mixes hard rock, prog, and AOR sensibilities. Rush, Styx, Kansas, whoever was getting on the radio, that was the blueprint. These were all bands that possessed a lot of talent, but also toed the line for the major labels, since much moolah was at stake. I've documented this extensively on this blog and RYM, so I'll stop here. Just know that Asia were yet another willing participant in this once great scene.
And we hear that sound throughout Armed to the Teeth. Each track has purposeful hooks to gain DJ attention, and then they breakdown into sophisticated instrumental patterns. The music rocks hard, so as to maybe earn credibility in that market as well. Though by 1980, heavy metal was emerging, and Asia were falling behind the times. And they still employed the mellotron, an instrument relegated to museum status during this era.
Rapid City's Asia were the first to market with the healthy moniker of Asia. It would only be a year later that the ex-big-name English proggy boys went by that name, while going whole hog for commercial radio styled tunes. Despite legally owning the name, it's pretty tough to sue international megastars without a reservoir of personal cash, and naturally that wasn't the case. And into the mists of history went South Dakota's Asia. Only to be resurrected by hungry LP collectors many years later. Asia (SD) remains a footnote in music history, but their legacy is strong when considering the Midwest hard rock / prog movement.
1980 private (LP). Acquired in 2021.
1995 The Wild Places (CD). with Asia (1979). Extensive liner notes. Lyrics provided as well. Acquired in 2011.
11/3/11; 5/18/26 (review)
Also own: Asia (1979)
5/18/26 (new entry)
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