The supergroup Asia has announced that they have split with Steve Howe, the legendary guitar player whose work with Yes made him and that band one of progressive rock’s finest ensembles.

In a press release distributed today, the remaining members of Asia, — ex-King Crimson vocalist and bass player John Wetton, ex-Yes and Buggles keyboardist Geoff Downes, and backbeat drum prince Carl Palmer — talked about the split and moving forward to the next phase of the band with a new guitarist.

As part of Amazon’s monthly $5 MP3 album deals for September 2012, Asia‘s Asia is on sale for only $5.

If you would like a physical copy of Asia, the CD is available for only $4.99

Asia, released in 1982, was the self-titled debut album from the British supergroup comprised of members from well-known progressive rock bands Yes, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Uriah Heep, Roxy Music, and King Crimson, among others. The album peaked at #1 in the U.S. and spent nine weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. The song “The Heat of the Moment” reached #4 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is Asia’s signature song and biggest hit to date. Also on the album are such recognizable tracks as “Only Time Will Tell” and “Sole Survivor.”

Browse the main sale page to see the other 99 albums on sale for only $5 each in MP3 format through the end of September 2012.

Two totally awesome albums from the band Yes — Tales From Topographic Oceans and The Yes Album – are available right now on MP3 format from Amazon for only $5 each!

First off, let me say that neither album contains their super-mega totally non-representative of them hit “Owner Of A Lonely Heart.” If that’s all you know from Yes, then you have a lot to learn. If you know a little about Yes, then you’re probably familiar with songs on The Yes Album like “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Starship Trooper,” and my favorite “Perpetual Change.” Every song on the album is great and is highly recommended listening. Now, if The Yes Album is prog rock at its finest, then Tales From Topographic Oceans is prog rock at its most elaborate, with 20-minute tracks! There’s no “singles” on this record, you gotta listen to it straight through, preferably in a black-light lit room (basically, the same way you’d listen to Pink Floyd). My favorite on Topographic Oceans is by far “The Revealing Science Of God” – can’t get enough of it!

Browse all 1,000 albums on sale this month for only $5 each.

XXX
Asia
CD+DVD | CD | MP3
Frontiers Records
Release Date: June 29, 2012

XXX, the newest album by the progressive rock group Asia and it marks the third release since the original members reunited, and for fans of this group, who got their start 30 years ago, there will no disappointments whatsoever. Others, however, might see the musical circumstances rather differently.

Asia, which is a group made much in the mold of those other supergroups like Cream or Blind Faith, is comprised of John Wetton on bass and vocals, Geoff Downes on keyboards, Carl Palmer on drums, and the great Steve Howe on guitar. These men came from more adventurous prog rock groups such as Yes, King Crimson, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. They shed their respective gymnastically sonically hyper-arranged skills that they ultilized during their tenures in these aforementioned bands and gave a more leaner, tighter, realized progressive pop sound in Asia, even spawning hits like “Heat of the Moment,” and “Don’t Cry,” which remain unabashed 80’s anthems. On this newest release, XXX, the band is firmly still mired in that sound, which is almost like a zeitgeist for the group, as all songs included on the album sounds like artifacts from that time, without missing a beat one iota.

The original members of the rock band Asia will be celebrating their 30th anniversary with a new album (on CD+DVD and CD), DVD, and a world tour, as well as a reissue of their debut album.

The original line-up — Geoff Downes (keyboards), Steve Howe (guitar), Carl Palmer (drums), and John Wetton (bass, lead vocals), will release a new studio album called XXX on Tuesday, July 3, 2012 in the U.S (June 29 in the UK), and will embark on their 30th Anniversary World Tour later this year.

Along with the new album, Asia will also release Resonance, a DVD concert film from the group’s 2010/2011 Omega World Tour, as well as a collectors’ edition of their eponymous 1982 debut album, which contains their hit song “Heat Of The Moment,” which you might remember featured prominently in the Steve Carell comedy 40-Year-Old Virgin.