Album: Dukes of the Orient
Artist: Dukes of the Orient
2018 Frontiers Records
CD: FR CD 845
John Payne: vocals (all), bass (all), guitars (1, 3,
5, 6, 8)
Erik Norlander: keys (all)
with
Jeff Kollman: guitars (2, 7, 8)
Moni Scaria: guitars (4, 6-8)
Bruce Bouillet: guitars (1, 4)
Guthrie Govan: guitars (2)
Jay Schellen: drums
Molly Rogers: strings (3, 6)
Produced by Payne
Recorded at ADA Recording Studios (Las Vegas, NV); Think Tank Media
(Placerville, CA); Ocean Studios (Burbank, CA)
Recorded by Payne/Norlander
Mixed by Payne
Mastered by Joe Bozzi
Cover artwork: Rodney Matthews
Booklet design and layout: Alyssa Nance
Photos: Nance, Erik Nielsen, Payne
Artist management: Lee Evans
Tracks:
1. "Brother in Arms" [Payne/Norlander] (5:22)
2. "Strange Days" [Payne/Norlander] (5:33)
3. "Amor Vincit Omnia" [Payne/Norlander] (5:45)
4. "Time Waits for No One" [Payne/Norlander] (6:03)
5. "A Sorrow's Crown" [Payne/Norlander] (5:07)
6. "Fourth of July" [Payne/Norlander] (8:28)
7. "Seasons will Change" [Payne/Norlander] (6:37)
8. "Give Another Reason" [Payne/Norlander] (10:10)
Notes: (****) In early 2006, Asia had consisted of Geoff Downes (keys), John Payne (bass,
vocals, guitars), Guthrie Govan (guitars) and Jay Schellen (drums, backing vocals),
when Downes left for the reunion of the original band (see Phoenix). This came as a surprise to
the rest of the band. Payne/Govan/Schellen wanted to continue
working together and formed GPS, with Ryo Okumoto (Spock's
Beard) on keys. Meanwhile, Payne still had some rights to
the Asia name and the formulation "Asia Featuring John Payne" (AFJP)
was contractually agreed with the reunion band on 9 May 2006.
However, it was only after GPS had failed to take off commercially
that Payne re-assembled the band under this name. In May 2007,
Payne/Govan/Schellen announced the formation of Asia Featuring John
Payne, with Erik Norlander (ex-Ayreon) later
announced on keys. The band played scattered US dates with a set
list covering both the Payne and Wetton eras
of Asia. Their first show under this name was in Jun 2008, but Govan
soon left the band, to be replaced by Mitch Perry. Bruce Bouillet
joined on guitar in 2011, but left in 2012, replaced by the dual
guitar lineup of Moni Scaria and Jeff Kollman. You can see this
legacy of rotating guitarists on the album, with Govan, Bouillet,
Kollman and Scaria all appearing (but not Perry).
From the beginning, Asia Featuring John Payne were working on their
debut studio album. The project was initially trailed under the name
Architect of Time as a continuation or completion of the
2005/6 Asia sessions (although some of that material was used on the
GPS album, Window to the Soul). However, Payne started
writing with Norlander and no material was carried over from Architect
of Time (Payne also used the "Architect
of Time" name for an unrelated solo release). The album
name then changed to Americana. "Seasons will Change" was
released as a digital single and video in late 2012 under the AFJP
name, with the album also expected that year. However, Payne's Vegas
show, Raiding the Rock Vault, kept him busy and the album
languished.
Norlander left AFJP in 2014, and Schellen left in 2015. By 2017 and
onwards, there was a new AFJP line-up touring with Payne, Johnny
Fedevich (drums), Jamie Hosmer (keys), Moni Scaria (guitar) and Jeff
Kollman (guitar). At the beginning of 2017, plans for Americana
re-emerged. Feb 2017 on Facebook, Payne said, "finally to mix Asia
FJP Americana." The album was eventually released in Feb 2018, but
it had become this, the eponymous release for the Dukes of the
Orient, rather than being under the AFJP branding (although the new
name still retains a nod to Asia).
Payne explained the re-branding in the promotional materials: "This
started as an Asia FJP album initially but we, and the record
company, felt releasing an Asia FJP album so close to the tragic
passing of John Wetton lacking respect." In a promo video posted in
Apr 2018, Norlander explained, "I felt strongly about re-naming the
band because the Asia brand had changed so much", that is, the
reunion Asia had changed line-up, Wetton had passed away, and they
had toured with Sherwood, who he describes as "a good friend of
ours". Norlander continued, "It just became so muddy to me. And I
thought, let's not throw another variation of Asia into this mix.
It's already complicated enough for people to follow. This is an
album of all original music. You [Payne] and I wrote all of this.
None of this was left over from past projects. Y'know, people had
asked about the Architects of Time thing that you started
with Geoff in 2006, after Silent Nation. None of it comes
from that. You and I wrote this as a new band. Let's re-name it as a
new band. Let's keep it clear." Payne responds: "I couldn't see that
at first. [...] I'd been in the band since 1991. That's all I'd ever
done from '91 onwards. [...] Now I see it [new name] as the right
decision".
At time of writing, AFJP continues as a separate activity (without
Norlander). On social media in Dec 2017, Norlander explained, "I
left AFJP in 2014, but John continues to play live dates with his
current version of the AFJP band [...] I'm not a part of that, but
of course I wish them well. The Dukes are a totally separate band."
Dukes of the Orient are talking about a second album.
After all the palaver of the band name changes, the resultant
release sounds pretty similar to the Asia albums released during
Payne's tenure. Norlander brings a similar style to Downes. They've
stuck with Rodney Matthews (worked with Oliver
Wakeman) for the cover. Overall, I think it's one of the
better Payne-era Asia/Asia-ish albums, helped in part by some great
drumming from Schellen. (HP, 29 Mar 23)
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