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Fictional Arena album

Started by Constable Hogweed, Wed, 2005-02-23, 03:07:00

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Constable Hogweed

Band - Arena
Album title- Confliction
Release date - September 12th 2006

Tracks - 1 Dramatoze - 30.12
             2 crying for help - (part 13,000)- 1.55
             Umpire of a million years- 7.04
             Changing my mind-15.50

After the success of "Peppers Ghost" in 2005, proggers "Arena" are back with a new album and an addition to the line-up. Axe wielder "Sir Bobby Charlton" has been added to bring a new twin guitar sound to the Arena table. This album is rich in everything that is "Arena" with a few twists, as the band enter the territory of "Albanian Folk songs" and "Welsh Reggae"
Dramatoze is typical "Arena" with its musical twists and turns. Hard hitting in places and heartfelt in others. I asked Clive what the meaning of this track was, but he wouldn't tell me.
Crying for help - (Part 13,000 is an interesting washboard duet featuring Clive and John. the bottleneck solo on the washboard by John mitchell is truly mind boggling.
Umpire of a million years is truly inspirational and uplifting with its tearjerking melody and sad lyrics. the biting hammond solo halfway through this track is in fact Mick pointer coughing. If you listen carefully you can hear Martin Orford and Neal Morse in the background discussing great keyboard solo's, which is a really clever touch considering they weren't even there.
Finally we come to Changing my mind Which tells the tale of a man who enters a newsagents to buy 20 cigarettes but ends up buying a mars bar instead. I defy anyone to listen to this without shedding a tear or three. the mood of the track is very "Trespass" era "Genesis" with its crunching riffs and in yer face vocals, which bring to mind "Metallica" Clive Nolan remarked that the band wanted to do things a little differently with this track, so Clive recorded his keyboard parts on an "Amstrad" music system with microphone mixing and bass boost. "John Mitchell" decided to record his parts in the centre circle of "The Nou Camp" during a Barcelona v Real Madrid match. "Rob Sowden" recorded the vocals whilst being tortured in a turkish prison. Ian Salmon decided to add his bass by using a "Rolf Harris" stylophone. And finally for added effect and atmosphere "Mick pointer" decided not to record his drum parts at all.
Oh and "Sir Bobby Charlton" cannot in fact play guitar and was therefore dismissed from the "Arena" ranks before they recorded this monsterpiece of an album, which SHOULD be in EVERY prog fans collection.
I asked Clive Nolan when the tour to promote the album was due........but he wouldn't tell me.

Album rating 12/10

Peter

harhar  :D
very creative, mate!
Arriving somewhere, but not here....

Moonloop

Magnificent. Love it.  ;D

(Is there going to be a limited edition version btw  ;) )
The brainwashed do not know that they are brainwashed...

Constable Hogweed

The limited edition version will include a mammoth 5 year bonus disc with a deluxe 3 month booklet.  ;D

Mark Jan

What a lot of inspiration Hogweed!  :D It's really a well-considered description, a lot of details. I'll defintitely buy it if it's gonna be the next Arena-album. Well Clive what do you think of it!  ;)

I like the "Trespass"-mood on the last song. It must be a very sad song, because you'll have to fight against your tears. But I like sad and moody songs.

Clive

That's kind of blown the surprise and impact of the next album.... :)
I guess it's back to the drawing board... Mick's got some great Kazoo ideas which could take us somewhere.........

Constable Hogweed

Quote from: Clive on Wed, 2005-02-23, 15:02:56
That's kind of blown the surprise and impact of the next album.... :)
I guess it's back to the drawing board... Mick's got some great Kazoo ideas which could take us somewhere.........

Sorry about that Clive. I couldn't resist letting the cat out of the bag.  ;)  ;D
The good old Kazoo eh. I can only afford Izal toilet paper and a comb.  :)

Appelmoes??

Are there some other song that didn't make it to the album that will be released on 1 or 2 maxi-singles? If so, is there going to be a fanclub double-album-mix from Clive? (Or wouldn't Cilve tell?)
For some good reading visit:""Fluffy Kittens of DOOM"!

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Xanxtuary

What Clive also failed to divulge is that Hogweed did the same thing with next year's Pendragon album ... and the guys haven't even finished recording this year's album yet!  ;)
Progpriestess Xanxtuary Hogweed