Rare Asia - from 1981 rehearsals

[JJ88]

I do think the debut sounded like a true band effort, in that all four members audibly made their presence felt.

I'd say the two best songs on Alpha were the ones they were playing on the first album's tour- 'Midnight Sun' and 'The Smile Has Left Your Eyes'. Too much of the rest, whilst mostly okay, feels like an inferior re-run of what had worked on the debut. Howe has no writing credits on it. I think the production is a bit of a reverb soup as well.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

I do think the debut sounded like a true band effort, in that all four members audibly made their presence felt.

I'd say the two best songs on Alpha were the ones they were playing on the first album's tour- 'Midnight Sun' and 'The Smile Has Left Your Eyes'. Too much of the rest, whilst mostly okay, feels like an inferior re-run of what had worked on the debut. Howe has no writing credits on it. I think the production is a bit of a reverb soup as well.

Yup on all points!

[jrw]

Yup on all points!

I believe Downes said that Stone mixed Alpha so it would sound good on AM radio.

AM Radio! It was 1983.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

He mixed an album to sound good on AM radio in the 80's?! He should never have been let near a console!

[MudShark22]

I believe Downes said that Stone mixed Alpha so it would sound good on AM radio.

AM Radio! It was 1983.

Geoff will say anything to absolve himself of the downward slide

[jamesmanzi]

I believe Downes said that Stone mixed Alpha so it would sound good on AM radio.

AM Radio! It was 1983.

Maybe he meant he mixed it to sound like AM radio.