Compilation albums are always an interesting gamble. They can either be the baby diaper syndrome where you don't know what's in there, but you're pretty sure you're not going to like it; the Christmas present where it's something that you really like; or it can be somewhere in between with some of both.With one exception the music on "Rock in Asia" begins with a pop rock sound and gets heavier from there. The one exception is a new age style piece. While the album is a compilation of songs from rock artists all over Asia there is very little other than language to signify the artist's origin or nationality. This is strictly a rock album put together with rock musicians who happen to live in Asia.
My personal opinion of the album fits more into the baby diaper category but there were a few Christmas presents among the mix, most notably "Dreams of Grandeur" which is a piece that contains the chord structure of a classical piece but the freedom in movement of new age style pieces. However, my personal musical preferences take nothing away from the quality of the musicianship on the album. Even though many of the songs are not my cup of tea, I still respect the musicianship and work that went into the music.
There are 17 songs on the album covering many aspects of rock music including a song that sound like it belongs on a Bob Dylan album and one that should be on a Springsteen release.
"Rock in Asia" has at least one song to suit most any rock music fan.
