Geoff Downes: Asia Reignited, Yes “Fragile” Revisited, and Keeping the Fire Burning
There are musicians who slow down with age… and then there’s Geoff Downes.
In this episode of the Now Spinning Magazine Podcast, I’m joined by a man whose musical fingerprints are all over our record collections — songwriter, producer, keyboard maestro and a key part of two monumental legacies: Asia and Yes.
Fresh back from Japan with Asia, Geoff has been revisiting the legendary Asia in Asia era — performing the exact same 1983 setlist, while simultaneously preparing to hit the road in the UK with Yes, performing 1971’s Fragile in its entirety. And as if that wasn’t enough, he’s also working on the Icon retrospective release “Lexicon”, celebrating his long-standing creative partnership with the late, great John Wetton.
What follows is a conversation about momentum, memory, emotion — and the privilege of still making music at the highest level.
Asia: rekindling the flame — without John Wetton
Geoff explains that the current “rekindled” version of Asia grew out of the John Wetton tribute performance in August 2024 — a night that reminded him just how much love still exists for those songs.
With Harry Whitley on vocals, Geoff is keen to stress it’s not about imitation — but about respect, understanding, and delivering the music with authenticity.
And Japan, as ever, remains a special place for Asia. Geoff talks about the scale of the fanbase, and the thrill (and challenge) of rebuilding the iconic Asia in Asia experience — not only performing the set, but revisiting the technical reality of what those shows meant at the time: satellites, time limits, and a broadcast ambition that was groundbreaking in its day.
One of the most revealing moments comes when Geoff reflects on how the band’s story unfolded after 1983 — the changes, the regrouping, and then the powerful return of the classic lineup in 2006, which gave them “seven or eight years” that felt like “the old times.”
“Live in England” and the reality of playing albums in full
We also talk about the upcoming Asia – Live in England release — recorded across three nights at Trading Boundaries, with the band taking on the first three Asia albums, one album per night.
Geoff describes the scale of the task: weeks of rehearsal, 35 tracks, and the very real fact that some songs had never been performed live — meaning they were being learned and lived again for the first time since the studio.
It’s a reminder of something fans don’t always see: album anniversaries and “played in full” shows aren’t just nostalgia trips — they can be genuine acts of rediscovery.
Yes: stepping inside Fragile
The Yes section of the conversation goes deep — not just into the material, but into the meaning.
Geoff first joined Yes during the Drama era, a period he describes as a bridge from the 70s into the 80s, helping push the band toward a more contemporary direction — and ultimately paving the way for 90125 and Yes’s next chapter.
We talk openly about the initial backlash: two “pop guys” (from The Buggles) stepping into a revered progressive rock institution. Geoff acknowledges the resentment, while also making it clear that both he and Trevor Horn were Yes fans — with Geoff naming Time and a Word as an early personal favourite.
And now, in 2026, Geoff is performing Fragile in full — a record that isn’t just iconic, but structurally unusual: big epics broken up by short “cameos,” each member given a mini spotlight.
He explains how he approaches those pieces: stay faithful, honour the intent, and try to enter the mindset of the band in 1971 — young men, working fast, and creating something bold and oddball that somehow became timeless.
There’s also a brilliant observation about Fragile’s running order:
The set opens with “Roundabout” — the ace card — before the gig has even begun.
And yet, Geoff feels it actually elevates what follows, especially the towering emotional and musical climax of “Heart of the Sunrise.”
The emotional weight of Yes — for band and audience
One of the most important threads in this interview is the emotional reality of performing this music now.
We talk about the shared experience of time passing — the losses within the Yes family (Chris Squire, Alan White), and the fact that audiences are ageing too, often carrying their own grief, health issues, and personal history into the room.
Geoff doesn’t turn it into tragedy — but he doesn’t dismiss it either. He speaks about those moments when the music “escalates to another plateau,” and how, some nights, you really do feel lifted — as do the people in front of you.
He mentions songs like “And You and I” as an example of that transcendence — pieces that can take everyone somewhere else entirely, not every night, but often enough that you’re reminded why live music still matters.
We also touch on Tormato — an album Geoff admits he’d “parked” for years — but now, revisiting it with fresh ears, he hears the beauty, the craft, and the intrigue. Sometimes albums don’t reveal themselves fully until decades later.
Icon “Lexicon”: creative freedom, artistry, and missing John
Before we wrap, we turn to Icon and the upcoming retrospective Lexicon release.
Geoff describes Icon as a space where he and John Wetton could create without restrictions — not chasing commercial territory, but following ideas that felt more personal and artistically open than what would necessarily fit under the Asia banner.
And when Geoff speaks about John, you feel it. The admiration is deep — not just for the voice, but for the lyric writing, the delivery, the sheer musical intelligence.
John is “sadly missed,” Geoff says — but releases like this can keep that legacy alive, and introduce the music to people discovering it for the first time.
New Yes music is finished — and on the way
A major headline moment in this conversation: Geoff confirms the new Yes album is recorded, finished, and delivered.
He reflects on the current lineup having been together for close to a decade — “the lifetime of a band,” as he puts it — and believes that shared understanding is coming through in the music. He hopes it will please a lot of people.
As we come to the end, I tell Geoff what I genuinely feel: he’s an inspiration.
Not just because of the workload — but because of the motivation behind it.
Geoff’s answer is wonderfully simple:
He loves making music.
It’s in the blood.
And when you hear him talk about still feeling good doing it — still energised by the studio, the writing, the challenge — it’s hard not to feel energised yourself.
Music is the healer and the doctor.
Thank you for all your support
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
