Asia

The Very Best of Asia: Heat of the Moment (1982-1990) (2000)

 

  1. Heat of the Moment
  2. Only Time Will Tell
  3. Sole Survivor
  4. Time Again
  5. Wildest Dreams
  6. Here Comes the Feeling
  7. Don't Cry
  8. Daylight
  9. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
  10.Lying To Yourself
  11.The Heat Goes On
  12.Never in a Million Years
  13.Open Your Eyes
  14.Go
  15.Voice of America
  16.Too Late
  17.Days Like These
  18.Ride Easy
    

The question one must ask when confronted with The Very Best of Asia: Heat of the Moment is not whether the material itself holds merit—some of it clearly does—but whether this particular compilation serves any purpose beyond commercial convenience. With a limited discography to draw from, the band’s “very best” proves to be a somewhat generous concept, and this package does little to elevate or reassess their legacy.

The compilation assembles a modest collection of hits and notable album tracks from Asia’s early years, a period defined by their glossy, keyboard-drenched sound and melodic precision. Songs like Only Time Will Tell and Heat of the Moment remain essential inclusions—these are tracks that, for better or worse, encapsulate the band's mainstream appeal and momentary reign over early 1980s radio. Their inclusion is expected and uncontroversial.

What raises eyebrows, however, is the presence of four previously unreleased tracks—material that had not seen the light of day on any prior studio album. The implication, of course, is that these songs, once deemed unworthy of official release, have now been repackaged under the guise of being part of the band’s “very best.” It is a marketing sleight of hand rather than a musical revelation. These tracks range from the forgettable to the merely serviceable, and their inclusion does more to dilute the collection’s integrity than to enhance it.

More egregious is the decision to truncate two of the band’s more ambitious pieces: Sole Survivor and Here Comes the Feeling. Both are presented in edited form, with significant sections omitted—undermining their structure, pacing, and emotional payoff. One must question the rationale: were these edits made for time, or to improve accessibility? If the former, it is inexcusable; if the latter, it is misguided. Neither track was a commercial single, yet both showcase the more intricate tendencies of Asia’s songwriting—precisely the kind of work that might justify the “best of” label.

In short, The Very Best of Asia functions less as a career-spanning statement and more as a hastily assembled sampler, padded with outtakes and stripped-down edits that offer little insight and less satisfaction. For newcomers, it provides a narrow and sometimes distorted entry point. For longtime fans, it is redundant at best, frustrating at worst.

Ultimately, this compilation fails not because of the band’s limitations, but because of the compilation’s own. One is left with a tracklist that feels more like a missed opportunity than a definitive portrait.

Back To Main Page
Go To Next Review