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Arena - Welcome To The Stage

Artist:	Arena
Title:	Welcome To The Stage
Label:	Verglas VGCD 009
Length(s):	73 minutes
Year(s) of release:	1997
Month of review:	10/1997

Line up

Clive Nolan - keyboards
Paul Wrightson - vocals
Jon Jowitt - bass
Mick Pointer - drums
John Mitchell - guitar

Tracks

1)	William Tell Overture	3.10
2)	Valley Of Kings	10.07
3)	Out Of The Wilderness	6.46
4)	Midas Vision	4.45
5)	The Healer	4.51
6)	Sirens	13.57
7)	Medusa	4.22
8)	Welcome To The Cage	4.33
9)	Jericho	7.01
10)	Solomon	13.55

Summary

After two studio albums and a few ep's it seemed time for a live album. Recorded in Quebec during their tour through the US and Canada in May 1997 it is filled to capacity I would say with music from both the studio albums, but also included The Healer which must then be from the EP (which I do not have and so I'm not really sure).

The music

With respect to the track listing I'd like to record my objection of leaving Empire of a Thousand Days out. I know, you can't satisfy everyone, but with say Medusa left off we'd get a fuller CD and in my opinion better music, since IMO Empire was one of the best tracks from Pride. Bummer.

Opening with the well-known William Tell Overture (Arena's La Gazza Ladra and both are Rossini's) we get the first major epic, Valley of the Kings. This is a rather dark track that opens very recognizably, is in low key during the verses, but has some energetic keyboardsolo's as well. After a dark rumbling "silence" we get to the next part of the song with nice guitarwork and chorals on the keyboards. The vocals by Wrightson in this second part are quite expressive. Then follows Out Of The Wilderness that opens with a sequence of small solo's on keys, bass and guitar and features some nice solo's on guitar and keyboard that as always with Arena has a sort of "saturated" sound to them. The intermezzo reminds me a little of Sequences by Twelfth Night. When Wrightson goes into the higher registers he has the tendency to whine a little. But the song contains some great melodies, and although it's all wonderfully polished, I still like it a lot. With going into much detail with the rest of the songs, The Healer sounds a little more adventurous than the other songs, with some more unstructured parts and a lot of aggression in there. Still, I'm not that fond of the chorus. This also holds for the verses of Medusa, but the guitar work is nice.

Also the album features the euphoric Jericho, the high speed Welcome To The Cage and as high points the epics Sirens and Solomon. All excellent, but also obvious choices.

With the CD comes an extensive booklet with lots of photo's and a list of instruments used. But, ehm, Clive, Jack Daniels and diet Coke... do you see the contradiction here?

Conclusion

I saw this band live once, in the Pul Uden during the festival, and they gave a good show that time, with an energetic set and good playing throughout, especially the then still present Keith More. He's not here, but don't let that keep you from this album that gives a good overview of the band (just two studio albums, but okay) and I have to admit that live they are more present. That the band is not to take risks or make difficult music should be clear but the level of performance, the quality of the compositions and the melodies make this a band to reckon with. I would advise them though to try some new things (just to be on the safe side) on the next studio albums that undoubtedly will come.