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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle, Thursday. June 3, 1982 Page Eleven The Asia regrouping dies Quoon's nmusocal incoimgiruiity Howes by Randall Edwards Chronicle staff Hot Space by Queen Elektra Records Upon listening of the two songs from Hot Space, "Staying Power" and "Body Language," which are receiving the most airplay currently, one can almost divine Freddie Mercury's thoughts upon embarking on this new Queen album. "Our last big hit was 'Another One Bites The Dust,' an almost accidental funk song that, by virtue of its heavy bass line and spare guitar work, became a big hit, a crossover to black music seems to have the black market. Let's see .Wemust that funk rhythm, and a lot of songsabout sex ." be onto something here On Hot Space, Queen has taken their technical profispectrum of popular music. And ciency to the funk-sou- l while you couldn't beat soul into this band, which first gained notoriety by making outrageous, layered pomp-rock- , the fact remains that Queen's ersatz fusion is, if not authentic, a credible imitation. For the most part. Hot Space's lyrics are, like most Queen . . . . . . . blues-disco-so- ul creations, sophomoric at times insulting. Mercury manages to pull off without breaking into hysterical laughter this, from "Staying Power": I've got a fire down below I'm just a regular dynamo Want some smooth company Don't lose control just hang on out with me What saves Hot Space from the scrap heap is Queen's ability to pull off almost any musical feat in almost any musical genre with a penchant for believability that saves the execution from parody. On "Cool Cat," sung by Billy Squier, who actually can sing the blues with feeling (word has it that David Bowie, a slick showman who fits well with the Queen persona and who did the lead vocals on "Under vocals from the Pressure," pulled his already-recorde- d final album cutting), Queen does a song just before the n one wished wistfully for the of old Crimson, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, good days King and Yes. With Asia, an album made by a band comprising remnants of Yes (Steve Howe) and Emerson. Lake and Palmer (Carl Palmer), one almost wishes for a return of the golden age of the second generation superb, lean instrumental background, which by its very gauntness, gives the vocals the prominence they deserve. Quite a change from the bombast of "We Are The Champions" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" of old. And Mercury's "Life Is Real (Song For Lennon)" walks the thin line between pastiche and caricature in John Lennon's style in a song about Lennon, without degenerating into maudlin ramblings. Possibly the best song on Hot Space is Brian May's polemic in favor of gun control, "Put Out The Fire," a song that doesn't really fit the rest of the album in either message or delivery. Prominently driving the band with his guitar, May sings: You know a gun never killed nobody You can ask anyone People get shot by people People with guns Put out the fire You need a gun like a hold in the head. Obviously May read one too many NRA bumper stickers. You know the type. "When food is outlawed, only criminals will eat." Or something like that. May gotfed up with it, and was able to drive Queen, a band with no recognizable consistent musical philosophy or goal, let alone political goal, to make a powerful, meaningful statement. It alone is worth the price of the album. All in all. Queen, a band whose only congruity of theme has been that of survivorship on the Top 40, rather than a musical vision, has not produced a masterpiece in Hot Space. They have, however, come up with a competent, and sometimes masterful, piece of work. On Hot Space, Freddie Mercury's cliche-riddleexcesses are almost tolerable only in the knowledge that without them, work of real importance, like May's "Put Out The Fire," would probably never get the exposure it deserves. For that alone. Hot Space is a success of sorts. Asia by Asia Geffen Records When Journey, Genesis and Styx embarked on producing power-chordin- a art-roc- second-generatio- k, Asia is simply a band without anything to say While one would reasonably expect, if not a dazzling show of rock pyrotechnics, at least a push in an uncharted musical r direction, Asia offers only music, the like of Boston better which has been done and, perish the by a limit to what can be REO There's Speedwagon. thought, head-bange- g done with whining guitars, screaming vocals and a pounding 4 4 beat. Comment on each individual song is, at this point, useless. After listening to this plodding, lethargic album, each song more predictable than the last, it is impossible to say whether the songs were all written, recorded and produced in one sitting or whether the entire album is one song only, a "Variations On A Theme" of sorts, without the variations. Asia's album stands testament to what was already fairly well established before their advent: The days of the supergroup are over. Gone are the days when an estranged member of one musically gigantic group could team up with other "free agents" from other rock monsters, and produce something of merit. Those days seem to have given way to an age in which the great artists of the past are imitated but seldom equalled, those who mimic them doing so only the original masters dead, tired or half-heartedl- y, lazy. d That Asia has done as well as it has, both on the radio and the stores, is a sad reminder of how far has slipped. One can only hope that the degenerative disease that seems to have infected the genre will not regress to the point that, at some future date, someone will wish for the return of the golden age when Asia was making music. Review records provided by Randy's Records. in art-roc- k If you want to try something different visit the BALKAN VILLAGE Restaurant m& summer and try: Shishkabob, Mousaka, Pasticho, Souvlaki, Homemade Pastries You can always hnd daily & nightly specials. Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. 1 500 West North Temple AS LOW AS $500 A MONTH t(S Storage 531-776- Serves breakfast & homemade biscuits anytime. Call Redman Redman Van Storage Mini-Vau- lt & 2 136 $Q 500 West Co. 328-858- 1 Main Office, 972-442- 0 PIE PIZZAR1A Happy Hour Monday thru Friday 3 pm - 6 pm 50c 1320 East 2nd South (under the University Pharmacy) JUNE r --i lflZ- 0:30 $200 The Flying Pie Pizzaria FREE CHEESE PIE Valid Sunday thru Thursday Only One coupon per customer per visit This pass, when properly presented, entitles you to receive one free SMALL CHEESE PIE (12") when you purchase another PIE of equal or greater value at the same time THROUGH JUNb 1s UVB MUSIC Bi C0m IC - |