Asia

According to guitarist and founding member Steve Howe, the reunion of Asia's original lineup that began last year will likely yield a new studio album.

"We're starting the process of recording, and we feel good about that -- partly because we're getting on well and we think, 'Why not?'," says Howe.

"We're trying to make an album that isn't terribly predictable for us," Howe adds. "We're not doing retrospective music; we're certainly going to try to show our histories but still have a slightly more diverse range."

"We like the chemistry now more than ever," the guitarist says. "This (reunion) is proof there was a great chemistry originally. The fact it got messed up was our fault. We felt we owed it to each other to put it right."

Howe also notes that Asia is "not trying to live up to the first album" -- the quartet's self-titled 1982 debut that spent nine weeks at No. 1 on The Billboard 200, launching the hits "Heat of the Moment" and "Only Time Will Tell." This lineup recorded just one more album, 1983's "Alpha," before splintering. Downes has maintained the group over the years with shifting array of members.

Howe expects Asia to work in earnest on the new album in early 2008. But he also expects to be busy again with Yes, whose planned two-year hiatus has become three years. Plans are afoot for touring and possibly recording, but Howe is confident both groups can co-exist.

"There's no issue of moving Asia out of the way so I can do Yes," says Howe, who also plays in the Steve Howe Trio, a jazz group with his son Dylan. "The other guys in Asia feel it is right Yes should come back. But we're certainly utilizing the time when Yes is dormant to our advantage."

Drummer Carl Palmer had this to say about going back returning to the band: Ah, Asia will actually do something together again. We'll do something later on this year. End of Aug, September and we will come to Canada. Hopefully in America. It's the 21 Anniversary. It's just something we'd like to do. Who knows how long we'll do it for: 2,3,4,5 weeks. That's where we are. We have no plans to record. I wouldn't mind making a DVD. I think we'll play the whole of the first Asia album. And I think considering the people who are in the band, because the pedigree of each one of us is so long, and having so much time in progressive rock music with Yes, ELP, King Crimson, with the Buggles, whatever. I think we could actually put a great show together by playing something from all of our pasts, in the various bands we've been in and playing, as I said, the whole of the first Asia album. I think it would be, not only nostalgic, but historic sorta type of show, musically.