▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Wetton Downes ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Icon Zero █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-02-26 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Epicon Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ For anyone who finds the music of Asia too █ █ progressive for their taste, be assured that this █ █ release from John Wetton and Geoff Downes always █ █ lands firmly on the AOR side of the rock fence. █ █ Icon Zero is a repackaged edition of the 2002 █ █ Wetton Downes album that was a collection of a █ █ bunch of demo tracks and outtakes recorded by the █ █ duo. Presumably the new title indicates a desire █ █ to position this as the precursor to their Icon █ █ project, although the material here dates from █ █ after AsiaÆs split in the 1980s, long before the █ █ first Icon album was even a twinkle in either █ █ partyÆs eye, eventually emerging in 2005. ThereÆs █ █ certainly no mistaking the vintage of these songs █ █ as everything is smothered in synthesisers and █ █ electronic drums. Walking On Air and Running Out █ █ Of Time sound custom crafted to appeal to American █ █ rock radio, while I Would Die For You could have █ █ come from the soundtrack to an 80s movie, probably █ █ playing over a montage sequence. Only You is a █ █ rather bland ballad, while Soul is the worst █ █ offender on the cheesy synthesiser front û soul █ █ being the one thing that track definitely doesnÆt █ █ possess. DonÆt Say It Again manages to get the █ █ pulse moving a little, while Kari-Anne, which █ █ appeared on AsiaÆs Live In Moscow 1990 album, is █ █ the standout cut with a great riff from Thin █ █ LizzyÆs Scott Gorham and a very tasty guitar solo █ █ from Francis Dunnery. █ █ Included here is an earlier demo of that called █ █ Oh! Carolann, although what Carolann did to be █ █ replaced by Kari-Anne history does not record. We █ █ Stand As One features a lead vocal by Agnetha █ █ FΣltskog from ABBA and is pure radio fodder, a █ █ lighters-in-the-air power ballad untouched by any █ █ hint of prog. Lost In America is, sadly, not a █ █ cover of the Alice Cooper song of the same name, █ █ but a rather vapid attempt at social commentary. █ █ Wetton and Downes wrote a lot of great songs █ █ together, but this rounding up of the █ █ partnershipÆs prototypes is for completists only. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Walking on Air 4:32 ░ ░ 2. I Would Die for You 3:09 ░ ░ 3. Only You 5:41 ░ ░ 4. Running out of Time 4:11 ░ ░ 5. Soul 4:16 ░ ░ 6. Just as Long (As I Need You) 4:13 ░ ░ 7. Don't Say it Again 3:29 ░ ░ 8. Kari-Anne 5:20 ░ ░ 9. Lost in America 4:41 ░ ░ 10. Please 4:49 ░ ░ 11. Summer (Can't Last Too Long) 3:58 ░ ░ 12. We Move as One (featuring Agnetha 4:06 ░ ░ FΣltskog) ░ ░ 13. Oh! Carolann (Additional Track) 5:23 ░ ░ 14. She Knows (Demo) (Additional Track) 3:34 ░ ░ 15. I Would Die for You (Alternate Version) 3:18 ░ ░ (Additional Track) ░ ░ 64:40 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░