FIRST TIME HEARING Arena- "Crack In The Ice"/"Pins And Needles"/"Double Vision" (Reaction)

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12 күн бұрын

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FIRST TIME HEARING Arena- "Crack In The Ice"/"Pins And Needles"/"Double Vision" (Reaction) | Ah...so they're this kind of amazing storytelling band... I'm thinking my love for them will soon be at IQ/Porcupine Tree levels!!
Thank you for checking out this video and my channel. Don't forget to subscribe, like and comment to help the channel grow. I look forward to an amazing journey into the countless musical gems that came out of the 70s, 80s and 90s! Music is power, healing, joy, sadness, wonder and LIFE! The timeless songs from these 3 decades will live on forever...
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Пікірлер: 46

@retroreactions.... 10 күн бұрын

Ah...so they're this kind of amazing storytelling band... I'm thinking my love for them will soon be at IQ/Porcupine Tree levels!! Thanks for watching! 🥰

@stephaniemarx9162 8 күн бұрын

Arena is a Prog "Super Group " It has included Clive Noland ( Pendragon ) Mick Pointer ( Marillion ) John Jowett ( IQ)

@doplinger1 9 күн бұрын

Sounds EXACTLY like the kind of stuff you like! Although I can detect small elements of things that I like, overall it’s just not my style. It is very symphonic and sounds like it could be part of a musical.

@michaelbaucom4019 10 күн бұрын

Along with our host, my first time. Sounds like Asia and Marillion blended with a dash of Porcupine Tree and a hint of IQ...yes, that'll work

@retroreactions.... 10 күн бұрын

Yes, 4 mega bands in 1! How can you lose...😊 Thanks as always for watching and being first here today! 🥇

@TheAlbumReviewGuy 10 күн бұрын

Hey Brandon. Class music here. Really strong vibes from quite an unknown band to so many. Great choice pal. All the best. Dave✅✅

@retroreactions.... 10 күн бұрын

Hi Dave! Agree, and I want to know so much more about and from this band now. Thanks for stopping by...

@TheAlbumReviewGuy 10 күн бұрын

@@retroreactions.... You’re welcome. It’s a great channel

@TheRKae 9 күн бұрын

Another musician in this group is Clive Nolan on keys. He's a steady player in Pendragon. I love the heck out of Pendragon! I won't go on and on, but their song "Guardian of My Soul" is a great introduction to them. It will blast your socks off.

@grahamharley4895 8 күн бұрын

Thanks Brandon. Definitely Tony Banksish at the start. They never quite reached his grandeur I didn't think, but well worth exploring.

@JohnLRice 10 күн бұрын

Cool! Brings back memories as I got this album around the time it came out and I use to listen to it during some late night programming sessions. The album cover makes me visualize one particular office I had! 😅

@retroreactions.... 9 күн бұрын

Wow, I'm having you time travel all over and all the time lately it seems! 😏 🚀 I love the power of music!!

@reneelyons6836 10 күн бұрын

OUTSTANDING!! They remind me of Dream Theater. Mixed with some Styx. Super musicians. 💙🎵🎶🎶

@retroreactions.... 10 күн бұрын

Oh wow, is this what Dream Theater sounds like? Been avoiding them as I thought they'd be too metal for me. Curious now....🤔

@reneelyons6836 10 күн бұрын

They are very metal. But they are also a super group. Super musicians. That's what i call them. I would start with the song "Pull Me Under". It's a great track.

@retroreactions.... 10 күн бұрын

Looks like I'm starting a Dream Theater list haha!

@reneelyons6836 9 күн бұрын

Outstanding!!

@TheRKae 9 күн бұрын

Hot damn diggety dog! I'm gonna take credit for this suggestion! SOOOO glad to see that you've gotten around to it! This album is stunning. Absolutely one of the very best albums of the '90s!

@retroreactions.... 9 күн бұрын

🤣 Yes! Took too long for me to get to them, but I loved what I heard! Can't wait for more and very curious about their very first album. Thanks for recommending this great band my friend...

@TheRKae 9 күн бұрын

@@retroreactions.... Their first has a few big ones: "Out of the Wilderness," "Valley of the Kings" and "Solomon," which are all brilliant. But the very best is a shorter piece called "Jericho," which has a fantastic arrangement where the music drops low and eerie when the lead character is suspicious, aggressive when he's plotting revenge, and a triumphant march when he fights back. One of the best arrangements I've ever heard. Their second album has a few 10 minute tracks, which are again stunning. But the short opener is a ROLLICKING keyboard bit called "Welcome to the Cage."

@retroreactions.... 8 күн бұрын

Cool, thanks for the guidance. They are all going on my list!

@bigjapi1 10 күн бұрын

The ONLY Arena I know is the 1984 Duran Duran live album, lol "Save A Prayer" and "The Chauffeur"are OUT of this world, another level of music

@retroreactions.... 10 күн бұрын

I LOVE Arena by Duran Duran! I bet you know the album Arena by Asia too!!

@bigjapi1 10 күн бұрын

@@retroreactions.... I know and I have the album, also Aria, Rare, Aura, etc... but the Asia I like was over in 1990

@bigjapi1 10 күн бұрын

@@retroreactions.... I also LOVE 1983 - Under a Blood Red Sky Live U2 album wich includes my all time U2 song ever "New Year's Day"

@retroreactions.... 10 күн бұрын

Ah OK..

@retroreactions.... 10 күн бұрын

What!? New Years Day is also my favorite U2 song!!! 🏆

@bobbgoldstein9987 9 күн бұрын

Just found your channel. I like the variety of your content. I am a prog fan but also like LRB. Arena is one of my favorites.

@retroreactions.... 9 күн бұрын

Hello Bobb! Glad you found my channel, welcome! Yes, I definitely try to be diverse here, which make all the musical rewards even greater for me. LRB is one of my all time favorite discoveries from this channel (apart from the epic Reminiscing, and a couple of others which I've known forever). And as you saw I loved my introduction to Arena yesterday. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! 😊

@TheRKae 9 күн бұрын

The theme: A man has died, and is being chased through the Land on the Other Side by an evil (or IS he?) character called "The Visitor" who appears in many guises: a thief, a wicked priest, a vampire, and a clown. In the end, the man escapes from the illusions and ascends.

@retroreactions.... 9 күн бұрын

Incredible story! Thanks for shedding light for me...

@TheRKae 9 күн бұрын

"Sirens" (from the album "Pride") is another great, EXTREMELY proggy song of theirs from the '90s. As for this album, "The Visitor," not only is it genius all the way through, but they did a sequel in 2018: a single 22-minute track called "The Legend of Elijah Shade." It's divided into separate movements, and when you take the first letter of the title of each movement, it spells out "V-I-S-I-T-O-R." Very spiffy. Be warned: They've changed lead singers many, many times over the years.

@retroreactions.... 9 күн бұрын

Yea, I saw all their different lineups on Wikipedia haha...

@drmagic60 10 күн бұрын

Great new artist choice my friend! I’ve heard of Arena before, but I think this was the first time I actually listened to them. Great stuff….what else with members coming from IQ, Marillion, Frost, etc. The last section gave me some Saga vibes. I saw others mention Dream Theater, I’ve gotta say they’re another amazing band you should get involved in. I’ve seen them 3-4 times, and are incredible live. Their current keyboard player, Jordan Rudess, is amazing and has quite the solo discography, including several piano albums. If you’d be considering reacting to Dream Theater down the road,may I suggest “Trial of Tears”, which is an epic 13+ minute, three part track from the 1997 album Falling Into Infinity.

@retroreactions.... 9 күн бұрын

Oh nice. I had a small suspicion they might be new for you, as I don't think you've ever mentioned them in past comments. Yes, I should give DT a chance here. I think I sampled 1 song and it was a bit much, but that's not where I should have stopped. I've heard Jordan mentioned on several reactor's channels and I think Nick&Lex have featured them several times on their channel. Well safe to say your suggestion is now on the list, along with "Pull Me Under"!

@lilybee2955 10 күн бұрын

Oh, goody: Arena: one of my all-time favourite bands! If I could give you ten "👍👍👍" I would! 🙂 This is first rate neo-prog, borderline metal but always melodic. They're under the penmanship of keyboardist extraordinaire Clive Nolan (of Pendragon, Shadowland and Caamora fame) and feature one of the best guitarists around: John Mitchell. As for the lyrics, Arena are always a bit obscure - not to mention dramatic, as you can hear on this album 😉. This one is supposed to be about a man who has a near death experience after falling into icy waters. Brrr.... Thank you so much for this, Brandon, and hope to hear more Arena in the future! 🐝 P.S. You were right about "Me wanting to stop by tonight" ha ha 🤣!

@retroreactions.... 10 күн бұрын

Yay, you made it here! Thought a little mention of this in yesterday's comments would help 😊 Melodic definitely the key for me. Haha, I should have been able to figure out the story based on the 3 song titles! I guess the music and album title/cover made me think spacey/aliens/abduction for some reason. A nice parallel (lyrically) to Kate Bush's The Ninth Wave! Safe to say Arena is on rotation in the channel 🥳 Thanks and have a splendid night 💙

@ericjourdain892 9 күн бұрын

More guitars please! 😂

@retroreactions.... 9 күн бұрын

Just for you my friend!!!

@TheRKae 9 күн бұрын

Shall I tell you where the breaks are in the album? The rest of the album is in clumps of songs, just like this.

@retroreactions.... 9 күн бұрын

Sure why not? I know I will get back to this album at some point!

@TheRKae 9 күн бұрын

@@retroreactions.... Next... "Elea" (instrumental) "The Hanging Tree" "A State of Grace" (This is The Visitor in the guise of the false priest) "Blood Red Room" (instrumental) "In The Blink Of An Eye" (This is The Visitor as the thief) --BREAK "Don't Forget To Breathe" (The Visitor as the vampire) --BREAK "Serenity" (instrumental) "Tears In The Rain" (The Visitor as the clown) "Enemy Without" "Running From Damascus" --BREAK "The Visitor"

@retroreactions.... 8 күн бұрын

Thanks for that!

@sagitt1856 9 күн бұрын

In my opinion, 'The Visitor' (1998) is ARENA's masterpiece album. In the neo-prog genre, it is of the same level of quality (content and form) and presents a degree of creativity equivalent to 'The Masquerade Overture' (1996) by PENDRAGON, 'Ever' (1993) and 'Dark Matter' (2004) from IQ. Thanks. [NB1: In addition to the fact that it is made up of the virtuoso keyboardist Clive Nolan from PENDRAGON, from the first year of existence (and first album 'Songs from the Lion's Cage', 1993) of the band, the bassist Clive Orsi will be replaced by John Jowitt... from IQ (and before, from ARK). Jowitt will decide to leave ARENA, immediately after the release of the album 'The Visitor'.] [NB2: Strangely, the cover illustration of the album 'The Visitor' always seemed to me to be of the same inspiration as those of several PINK FLOYD albums.]

@retroreactions.... 8 күн бұрын

Hello. Glad you love these guys too! Great information. Happy we agree on so much of this music 😊