Album Review #25 - Icon (John Wetton and Geoff Downes) - Icon (2005)

Album Review #25

 

Artist:  Icon (John Wetton and Geoff Downes)

Album:  Icon

Year of Release:  2005

Grade:  4.5 / 5

 

Band Members

John Wetton – vocals, bass, acoustic guitar

Geoff Downes – keyboards, vocoder

John Mitchell – guitars

Steve Christey – drums

Hugh McDowell – cello

Annie Haslam – vocals on “In The End”

 

Background

John Wetton is one of my favorite singers.  As a member of King Crimson, UK, and Asia, he found much acclaim and success but it was not until Asia when he really found his niche.  Geoff Downes found success in The Buggles (“Video Killed The Radio Star”) then later in Yes and Asia.

 

After the breakup of the Wetton iteration of Asia after three albums, Wetton focused on solo work.  With newfound sobriety, John Wetton and Geoff Downes began writing songs together.  In some ways, it was a trial run of a potential Asia reunion (which would actually happen then next year).  Icon is almost like an Asia-lite.  I don’t mean for that to sound negative.  The songs and performances are top notch but they don’t have the Asia harder edge.  To me, this is the perfect balance between Wetton’s solo work and Asia.  In filing it, I tend to put it under Wetton’s solo stuff because Carl Palmer isn’t involved.

 

Of the three Icon albums, this is probably my favorite.  They weren’t released to much fanfare or popularity outside of their respective fans.  It is a very underrated album.  The others are very good as well especially Icon II: Rubicon.

 

Track Listing

1.      “Overture:  Paradox/Let Me Go” (John Wetton/Geoff Downes)

2.      “God Walks With Us” (Wetton/Downes)

3.      “I Stand Alone” (Wetton/Downes)

4.      “Meet Me At Midnight” (Wetton/Downes)

5.      “Hey Josephine” (Wetton/Downes)

6.      “Far Away” (Wetton/Downes)

7.      “Please Change Your Mind” (Wetton/Downes)

8.      “Sleep Angel” (Wetton/Downes)

9.      “Spread Your Wings” (Wetton/Downes)

10.  “In The End” (Wetton/Downes)

 

 

Review

 

The album opener follows a pattern with some of Wetton/Downes songs were there is a nice instrumental prelude followed by a shift to a more upbeat sound.  “Overture:  Paradox/Let Me Go” does just that.  It has some great guitar work on the Let Me Go portion with Wetton’s expressive vocals.  This song has a definite Asia feel to it and could easily fit on one of their albums.

  

The second track “God Walks With Us” is one of my top two Wetton solo-ish songs.  To me, the song is almost a perfection of lyrics and musicianship.  It is a ballad that explores Wetton’s sobriety as well as rediscovered faith.

 

“I Stand Alone" is an outstanding track.  The song is about the breakup of a relationship how one person is left alone wondering how it all happened (the singer in this case) while the other person treats the whole relationship as just casual.  The lyrics have a sense of defiance about them.

  

“Meet Me At Midnight” is a ballad where the longing in Wetton’s vocals really shines.  Downes’ haunting keyboards add just the right amount of ambience.  Initially, I didn’t really care for this track much but the more I listened to it, the more I appreciate it.

 

 

“Hey Josephine” is another fantastic track.  It has an upbeat fun sounding melody.  The song itself is about the singer being totally enraptured with a woman.  So much so that he questions what she sees in him.  The chorus has an addictive quality to it.

 

“Far Away” is another ballad.  Sometimes, Wetton’s ballads can be uninspiring.  Far Away is not that way.  It has a building quality.  It is about the break in a relationship where one longs for another and hopes to find the relationship to succeed again.  There will be pain but there will also be joy (he hopes).

 

“Please Change Your Mind” is a song about second chances in a relationship.  Once again, the melody has this haunting feeling that fits the lyrics so well.  Downes’ keyboard work and Wetton’s vocals are perfect foils for each other.

 

“Sleep Angel” is the one track that prevents this from being a 5/5 rating.  It just does nothing for me.  There is nothing specific about it that I don’t like but there is nothing that I do like about it either.  This is usually the track that I skip.

 

“Spread Your Wings” rebounds with a great inspiring feel to it.  It could be about the passing of someone or the ending of a relationship.  The soaring keyboards and vocals just have this great airy feel to them.  This is another song that could easily have been an Asia ballad.

 

“In The End” is a duet between Wetton and Annie Haslam (remarkable vocalist of the band Renaissance).  Haslam was the friend who supported and took care of Wetton when he finally hit bottom and entered lasting sobriety.  You can almost hear the loving friendship as they sing to each other.