Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 51 to 70 of 70

Thread: Dukes of the Orient (New John Payne Band)

  1. #51
    Quote Originally Posted by jrw View Post
    http://ultimateclassicrock.com/lou-g...ner-asia-tour/

    Guess Payne has to keep using the Asia name to get work.

    “Billed as Lou Gramm, the Original Voice of Foreigner and Asia Featuring John Payne, dates covering this year and next are to be announced in the near future.“
    they opened for Kansas a week ago not too far from me I kinda wanted to go to see if they would do a dukes of orient track, but I couldn't swing the 6 hours or so of driving especially cause I think Kansas were doing their hits show rather than the point of know return show that I am hoping will come by.

  2. #52
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Kalamazoo Michigan
    Posts
    9,578
    Quote Originally Posted by Top Cat View Post
    I had hoped for some tour dates for Dukes of the Orient because we enjoy the cd quite a bit.
    John Payne era Asia isn't for everyone, his vocals bring a different flavor to the Asia table, but I think he and Geoff did record some very good songs during their time together.

    Wikipedia:
    .
    I still think the "Silent Nation" album is one of the best Asia albums they did. All solid songs.

  3. #53
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Iowa City IA
    Posts
    2,438
    Six months on, what does everyone think of the Dukes' CD? My own take: great playing, love Norlander, the songs are JP's least interesting since probably Aria. Not a keeper, sadly.

    This comes from someone who got a lot of mileage out of Aqua, Aura, and Silent Nation.

  4. #54
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Vallejo, CA
    Posts
    1,012
    Quote Originally Posted by arturs View Post
    Six months on, what does everyone think of the Dukes' CD? My own take: great playing, love Norlander, the songs are JP's least interesting since probably Aria. Not a keeper, sadly.

    This comes from someone who got a lot of mileage out of Aqua, Aura, and Silent Nation.
    I wanted to really like it. I gave it a few listens. It isn't that bad but it didn't grab me as much as, say, GPS. I haven't listened to it since the week I bought it, but I may try once more.
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

  5. #55
    ya similarly I have listened a few times but trying to think of it nothing really comes to mind will give it some more spins though as time permits.

  6. #56
    Quote Originally Posted by jrw View Post
    http://ultimateclassicrock.com/lou-g...ner-asia-tour/

    Guess Payne has to keep using the Asia name to get work.

    “Billed as Lou Gramm, the Original Voice of Foreigner and Asia Featuring John Payne, dates covering this year and next are to be announced in the near future.“
    Payne did say that he would be continuing to tour as AFJP, separate to Dukes of the Orient.

    Henry
    Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
    Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/

  7. #57
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Burlington Twp, NJ
    Posts
    2,272
    Dukes of the Orient have a 2nd album coming - this is the first single. Interestingly, they added Frank Klepacki on drums. Klepacki has made a career out of video game music, particularly the Command & Conquer series.



    “Freakshow" is the second album from Dukes of the Orient, the international AOR band with a Mid-Atlantic Prog accent, following their impressive self-titled debut that successfully launched the group in 2018.

    John Payne says, "Working on the second Dukes of the Orient album has been a very cathartic experience. The addition of Alex Garcia, guitar, and Frank Klepacki, drums, was a very positive move for a more signature, cohesive sound. As with the previous album, we continue our rich analog keyboard approach layered with guitars by myself and Alex.
    Mixed and recorded on a traditional board with vintage outboard, we wanted to create an echo to the past and write songs with strong melodic content."

    "Freakshow is much more focused both in concept and in sound as it was written and recorded in a single year with a tight group of musicians," says Erik Norlander. "Our debut album came out fantastic, but it was recorded over a period of 10 years with many different contributing musicians, and in many ways, it sounds like that. Freakshow has the cohesiveness of vision where the same five musicians performed all the material that was written expressly for this album. I also think our writing on this album is more focused for the same reasons. After working together for so many years, I can write a vocal melody for John, he can write a keyboard part for me, and the parts just work right out of the gate.”
    Last edited by Dan Roth; 06-02-2020 at 06:28 PM.

  8. #58
    Member PixelDelirium's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Kendall Park, NJ
    Posts
    301
    Erik Norlander. I'll pretty much buy anything he plays on. Given the density of Moog gear in the video (and audio) I'll definitely be buying this one! "The Original Four Members Of Asia" will always be the true Asia for me. But, I do pull out the John Payne era albums every once in a while as well. He's certainly managed to capture that whole vibe with this band... for better or worse. I think I'll go give the first album another listen now.

  9. #59
    I'm enjoying this track immensely, looking forward to the new album.

    I love all the Asia albums with John Payne, lyrically this track seems to fit in with the album Silent Nation, and specifically one of the lyrics from that album, - 'turn up the neighbours the Eagle is listening', which is in turn a play on a Steely Dan lyric from The Royal Scam, 'turn up the Eagles the neighbours are listening'.

  10. #60
    Member Rajaz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    New Scotland, Canada
    Posts
    1,033
    I met JP back in 2001 when Asia played Houston Eleanor Tinley park when they were touring for the Aura album. They did an excellent set with JP on bass and vocals joined by Geoff Downes (keyboards), Govan Guthrie (guitar) and the bald drummer from AC/DC (can't remember his name). Great set and performance and they kindly did a meet & greet after the show at no extra charge. Honestly, I think he did an excellent job replacing the very dificult John Wetton vocals.

    I listened today to both the first Dukes of Orient CD and the Prog Legends tribute CD by AFJP, JP does an excellent job on the music by Alan parsons, Yes, Camel, Tull, ELP, King Crimson and UK. Very impressive. Album is titled Recollections.

    And am sure the second Dukes album will not dissapoint.

    But I agee, JP wasted a full decade of irreplacable time on if or not using the Asia name, GPS was also a waste on talent having lost Govan Guthrie, Jan Schellen and Ryo Okumoto in the process.

  11. #61
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Vallejo, CA
    Posts
    1,012
    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post
    I wanted to really like it. I gave it a few listens. It isn't that bad but it didn't grab me as much as, say, GPS. I haven't listened to it since the week I bought it, but I may try once more.
    Hearing that John Payne/Dukes of the Orient has another album coming out made me re-listen to the first album, and it completely clicked this time. Particular favorites: "Brother In Arms", the fun Brian May bit at the end of "Seasons Must Change" and the very proggy finale, "Give Another Reason." This last song has a beautiful classical guitar beginning and flows through its various moods nicely. I've listened to it four times in the past two days.

    "The Monitors" is also a nice song and I've preordered the new album. I like that Payne tackles lofty concepts in his songs; it's a long way from "The bad boy's back in town!!!" from his first Asia album, Aqua.
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

  12. #62
    I like the first Dukes album a lot and The Monitors suggests that the new one will be as good if not better.

  13. #63
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Burlington Twp, NJ
    Posts
    2,272
    Another new song from the forthcoming album, “The Dukes Return”. This has a bit of an Asia feel.


  14. #64
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Vallejo, CA
    Posts
    1,012
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Roth View Post
    Another new song from the forthcoming album, “The Dukes Return”. This has a bit of an Asia feel.

    Oddly, it has a late seventies "Who Are You"-era Who feel to me.
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

  15. #65
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Iowa City IA
    Posts
    2,438
    Good track. The first "band it sounds like" that hit me was Magnum. Also a little of Springsteen circa Born in the USA. But I hear the Asia and Who references as well. Anyway it sounds promising enough that I will likely buy it!

    EDIT: And some Queen in the bridge....

  16. #66
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Vallejo, CA
    Posts
    1,012
    Okay, I've bought the album and given it a listen. This album is going fairly astray from the band's Asia origins. There's apparently a sax player who contributes regularly... and since two of the songs have a decided Supertramp feel, the sax only accentuates that! Outside of those, the other songs have their own identity and there are many proggy moments. "The Great Brass Steam Engine" is an instrumental which veers from Geoff Downes pomp to Tangerine Dream stylings and makes it work.

    The only negative I'll give this album involves John Payne's vocals. Many times his raspiness goes over the edge into Jon Oliva (from Savatage) territory, and it does the music no favors. Other times he's trying to be "quirky" when he sings, and it doesn't really work. I'll probably get used to it, but this'll be the SECOND time I've had to "get used" to John Payne's vocals. It's a shame, because he's a talented songwriter and musician; I just wish he'd leave the artiness to the music and not his singing.
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

  17. #67
    Old man of prog
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    New Haven
    Posts
    295
    I find the use of the sax here incredibly cheesy.

  18. #68
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Vallejo, CA
    Posts
    1,012
    Quote Originally Posted by progmeister View Post
    I find the use of the sax here incredibly cheesy.
    Yeah, I don't think it'd go over well with a lot of people here. I don't mind it myself, especially during the Supertramp-esque songs, but I do have to wonder what made them decide to employ it this way.
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

  19. #69
    At first, it reminded me of not someone imitating Springsteen as doing a parody of him - but I got used to it. Very late 70s-early 80s sort of sound to the songwriting. I find it a somewhat comforting sound.
    Mongrel dog soils actor's feet

  20. #70
    The album's on its way to me unfortunately.

    I can't abide sax.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •