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Least favourite Arena track!!

Started by mdread666, Fri, 2005-02-18, 17:41:16

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Gollum

Quote from: Deenfan on Fri, 2005-02-18, 18:24:50I usually burn a cd where I leave out the "unwanted" track(s). One such is the otherwise fine album "Pride", where I left out the acapella "Crying for help VII" thing. Actually, when I got "The cry", there's a version with guitar, and now that one graces my CD-R of "Pride". Much better. Other than that, I find "Double vision" to be somewhat weak. Like 3- out of 6... (In my world, 3- means "Good, but...")

I may agree with "Double Vision", I will definetly disagree with Crying VII instead :P Actually, I wonder if there's any chance to listen to a Rob Sowden version of that one... (a capella, of course, we've got plenty of "all the band - live" versions). According to his work in Contagion, I think it would be worth the try.

More "not so good" songs... Maybe I shouldn't mess with a classic, but I never got really into "Midas Vision", it's the one i like the least.
On the other hand, there are songs that I would add to albums... That is, some Contagious/Contagium songs, that I would include in an "extended-huge-all-included-overwhelming edition" of Contagion  8) (BTW, is such a thing to be released?)
La vergüenza de haber sido y el dolor de ya no ser

Peter

Now that you mention it, I remember that there really IS a least favourite Arena track for me, and that's the Special Remix of 'Witch Hunt' on the Contagious EP. I hope the guys meant it to be as funny as I find it.
Arriving somewhere, but not here....

Gollum

Hahaha!
I agree 100%... I consider those EP remixes as rarities, didn't even take them into account when thinking about best/worst songs  ;D
La vergüenza de haber sido y el dolor de ya no ser

keyboardistmatt

Quote from: BrianG on Mon, 2005-02-21, 08:09:52
***about Blink of an Eye: I had trouble with this song for a while and I couldn't figure out why, then it dawned on me: it was the lyrical content.Not the actual words, mind you, but the fact that there were lyrics at all...it suddenly occured to me that this song could be a fabulous instrumental piece. It just seemed to fit that way for me.

That's very interesting you should say that; listening to the verses, the piano part (with all the other instruments, of course!) is worthy of being an instrumental thing on it's own.  However I think that the song needs the lyrics to complete it.  And so, I like the song as it is!  ;D

My own least favorite, -Midas Vision.

(Let the frenzied discussion begin...)  ;)
...Is this just a dream I'm in?

~~Drallion official Facebook page:~~
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psychopomp95

Hmmm... without getting into most of the "Crying For Help" tunes, here's a few of my somewhat less preferred Arena tunes - personally, though, I DON'T skip tracks when listening to albums (or if I do, not because of my opinion of the song - more to do with how much time I have to listen)! I like to hear the whole thing like it was intended! :D

- Waiting For the Flood - certainly not a bad song! In fact I quite like it! But, compared to all of the other songs on Immortal? which I REALLY like (it took me some time, but this one might be my favorite now), I find this one is missing just a bit of a 'lift' toward the end of the tune, and it ends on a slight plateau rather than a very strong climax. Mind, who says that all songs have to have a definite climax to be good? It's just a different approach to writing, I suppose. :)

- Tsunami - I'll second this one (mentioned earlier), although it seems to act as a 'bridge' of sorts on the album, so maybe it's unfair to 'expect' a huge impact from it... that said, I can't shake the feeling that it fades out just as it's starting to get going. Oh, and this is maybe the ONLY place where a particular part of an Arena song (the bridge, IMO) sounds a bit out-of-place and unnecessary.

And although I said I wouldn't get into them, I must mention "Crying For Help VII" as well. Sorry to say, I don't think Paul Wrightson's voice works in an acapella context! :p However, I'm in the majority stating that the full-band version is GREAT as an 'antidote' to the more involved, complicated stuff that the band does... nice for an encore, to blow off some steam. ;)

And interesting points about "In the Blink of an Eye"! I think the song is fantastic in any case (gotta love that 'synth firestorm' intro!) but it definitely IS strong enough to stand up as an instrumental, should the guys ever want to try it! :D

Deenfan

I hope they never do an acapella of any song ever again. Can't see the attraction, regardless of the voice. I wouldn't even want one with Mike Baker on vocals! (The most wonderful voice on this planet, according to me. Shadow Gallery singer.) :-X

Teunis

Quote from: Deenfan on Sat, 2005-07-02, 01:10:29
I wouldn't even want one with Mike Baker on vocals! (The most wonderful voice on this planet, according to me. Shadow Gallery singer.) :-X

Oh, yes. He also sings on 'The Human Equation' of Ayreon. Great voice. I have never heard any music of Shadow Gallery, have to hear it once, but I have so much wishes. So, laterrrrrrrrrr.
'I will surrender my heart to the sky
Oh, our love doesn't end here, it lives forever on the wings of time'
-------------------------------------------------------
Toto - Wings of time (Kingdom of Desire)

Deenfan

Oh, you got a lot coming, then.... ;)

erik

Quote from: Appelmoes?? on Thu, 2005-03-10, 22:12:41
After very long consideration (and listening all arena albums I own) I have decided I find 'Waiting for the Flood' is my least favourite. Still I like it though :-\
Interesting thread! When I first heard Immortal? I really disliked Waiting For The Flood, just didn't seem to fit in nor sound like Arena, but the song has grown on me and now I love it, the Genesis/A Trick Of The Tail sound, the great melody and vocals...

My least favourite is Crying For Help III/Problem Line. I like atmospheric interludes, but this is just dull, nothing happens and when something does, ie. the phone starts ringing, it's annoying. I skip it right away or when that telephone starts!

Also not too fond of Climbing The Net. It has that vintage Arena jump-a-long sound, but just doesn't grab me and seems to lack focus, to combine too many ideas. Prefer Jericho and Enemy Without as jump-a-long tracks. Love the lyrics of Enemy, great to sing along to, very loud!
Jericho is a classic, I love those different 'moods', the melancholic start, the dark, riffy middle section and the party ending. Although I do think that the vocal line in the end section is impossible, neither of the three vocalists can do it live (would love to hear Clive - creator of this burden for every Arena vocalist - doing a 'ghost vocal demo' of this one  ;) )
We stare at our screens
All our lives
What a waste of eyes..

kmorse

"Waiting for the Flood" is among my favorite tracks, but that's off topic. Least favorite? "Problem Line," hands down. I never listen to it. The one time I played it, my wife kept saying, "Get the phone!"
I'm falling.....Falling down again!

keyboardistmatt

Quote from: kmorse on Wed, 2005-07-06, 17:04:20
Least favorite? "Problem Line," hands down. I never listen to it. The one time I played it, my wife kept saying, "Get the phone!"

Amazing!! LOL :D
...Is this just a dream I'm in?

~~Drallion official Facebook page:~~
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marcello

Both the "Witch Hunt" and "Salamander" special remixes are my least favourite arena tracks. Robs Voice seems all distorted and i prefer the originals. Who agrees?
What will I be, When Winter comes again, and were wrapped up in furs, and life has begun again

erik

Quote from: marcello on Mon, 2005-07-11, 22:48:06
Both the "Witch Hunt" and "Salamander" special remixes are my least favourite arena tracks. Robs Voice seems all distorted and i prefer the originals. Who agrees?

I like those remixes, especially Witch Hunt with those great cheesy vocoder backing vocals. I don't consider them Arena tracks, but just fun versions of the - agree here - preferred originals. I like remixes from time to time, happen to be now playing Marillion - Remixomatosis...
We stare at our screens
All our lives
What a waste of eyes..

keyboardistmatt

Quote from: marcello on Mon, 2005-07-11, 22:48:06
Both the "Witch Hunt" and "Salamander" special remixes are my least favourite arena tracks. Robs Voice seems all distorted and i prefer the originals. Who agrees?

...Thats why they're remixes... ;) ;D
...Is this just a dream I'm in?

~~Drallion official Facebook page:~~
www.facebook.com/DrallionOfficial

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Herben

I was never very fond of all the Crying for Help s :'(ongs, not that they are bad, but they didn't seem to suit with the other songs. But I understand the point that you must have a moment to relax while listening to the heavier songs. I think the minialbum the Cry is the Arena album that I not often listen to. but I like the song: Only Child (Crying for Help IV), and The Cry (Crying for Help VII). I also like the song named The Healer, it's been critizised by many Arena fans but, I like the lyrics, it's being sang by an evil person, that makes it interesting. It's also a funny song, the lines: Let Damocles come back! And drop his sword upon my head, I get right up again and dance with the dead.

Oh sorry my piece of writing should be about the least favourite Arena track, Valley of the kings wasn't also one of my favourites the lines, One man fate unknown born of stone on stone is being repeated to often in the song that keeps on going on in your mind, I don't like that.
Walk along the Waterfall, watching as the world turns red
Wonder where the river flows, and the blood on the River bed
Poison lies to close to us, Reach across the salt and Sand
Moving Deeper into the Land

Herben

Quote from: BrianG on Mon, 2005-02-21, 08:09:52
Pride: Don't have the album
(
You should go and buy it it's fantastic, You really miss great songs!!
Walk along the Waterfall, watching as the world turns red
Wonder where the river flows, and the blood on the River bed
Poison lies to close to us, Reach across the salt and Sand
Moving Deeper into the Land

erik

I second that! Pride is definitely worthwhile and in a way a forerunner of Pepper's Ghost in terms of the more raw, agressive sound.
We stare at our screens
All our lives
What a waste of eyes..

freeman17

Hanging tree  :D, Ascension  :D, Ghost in the firewall  :D

Guillermo

  "Ghost in the firewall" from "Immortal?" and some parts of "contagion"
Permite que tu conciencia decida!

The Fury

I love the Contagion Remixes. They add a different flavour to the songs, giving them a industrial kind of sound. I would like to hear remixes like these in the future (Though I don't think the PG songs are really well suited for such mixes).

About the Healer: not only the fans but some of the guys themselves have issues with this song.
Too bad, because it's a good song and makes a nice and relaxing intermezzo between all the other rather complicated stuff (Hmm I sound awfully mainstream now, don't I?) However it may be, I would love to hear it again live (last time was Paradiso 98, I think). But well, I have been whining for ages about Empire and Fool's Gold as well, so...
Why do you laugh at my hopeless appeal for your mercy?

Vanderwoude

With some albums I listen to I find about 30-60 % of the tracks brilliant, but the albums from Arena are not like that. I think that every track is beautiful. And there aren't many albums like this.
''I'm a million times removed, from the socially closed world.''
I can imagine, that wouldn't be too nice.

Alle Jansen


keyboardistmatt

Quote from: Alle Jansen on Sat, 2005-10-29, 20:59:56
THE HEALER

Out of curiosity... what don't you like about "The Healer"?
...Is this just a dream I'm in?

~~Drallion official Facebook page:~~
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frenchsting

lara moon, and midas vision (especially the beginning of both of them)

Herben

Quote from: erik on Tue, 2005-07-05, 12:49:39
Interesting thread! When I first heard Immortal? I really disliked Waiting For The Flood, just didn't seem to fit in nor sound like Arena, but the song has grown on me and now I love it, the Genesis/A Trick Of The Tail sound, the great melody and vocals...
I always liked the song waiting for the flood, I think all the Immortal songs are great, it was the first Arena album I heard. My least favourite album is the Cry, there's no energy in it too boring except for the song "The Healer" I like this one, I was always been hoping that Arena would play it Live sometime
Walk along the Waterfall, watching as the world turns red
Wonder where the river flows, and the blood on the River bed
Poison lies to close to us, Reach across the salt and Sand
Moving Deeper into the Land