15 years later, Asia song still strikes a chord - Entertainment, Music - Navy Times

15 years later, Asia song still strikes a chord

As an artist, Asia singer/guitarist John Payne might be proud that his song "Military Man" is relevant 15 years after he wrote it. As a humanist, there's cause for him to be dismayed about its longevity: It's about a soldier struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.

A re-recorded version of the song serves as the centerpiece of the album "Asia Featuring John Payne." Originally written when the first Iraq war splashed across television news in the early '90s, it centers on a soldier haunted by combat and his struggles to reacquaint himself with civilian life.

"I see the whole war scenario, especially with the Middle East campaigns, as a double-edged sword," Payne said. "I understand the necessity of it, but I'm also quite saddened by how it affects people and how people come back from some of these wars, starting from Vietnam, and don't get looked after."

Payne's father served as a fighter pilot for Britain's Royal Air Force in World War II, and it was through reading his father's logbooks that Payne learned about the psychological stresses of warfare. That connection, as well as the news coverage of the Iraqi campaign, inspired the track.

It appeared in 1994 on "Aria," Payne's second album with the progressive-rock outfit. Payne presided over the band for five albums and several lineup changes until 2006, when the original lineup reconvened without him. A year later, the two factions settled their differences. The original lineup kept the shorter name, while Asia Featuring John Payne was a nod toward the singer-bassist's 14-year tenure at the front of the band.

The "Military Man" EP is the first release from Payne's new incarnation of the band. It was originally conceived to help support a USO concert last fall that never materialized, but Payne and company chose to finish the recording. Asia Featuring John Payne will donate a portion of the royalties from the release to the USO.

Payne said he supports troops abroad and other entertainers should address the issue.

"It tends to be often a subject that gets ignored, or people out of embarrassment won't mention it because they're afraid to upset somebody or afraid to say their views," he said. "This is just a song that I'm proud of, and I'm also incredibly proud of people who would go and fight for their country like my father did."

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Matt Schild is a Military Times music writer and the founder of the online music magazine Aversion.com.