Arena

Asia | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 18, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Resurgence
• ASIN: B000003RSW
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,704 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Into the Arena

2. Arena

3. Heaven

4. Two Sides of the Moon

5. The Day Before the War

6. Never

7. Falling

8. Words

9. U Bring Me Down

10. Tell Me Why

11. Turn It Around

12. Bella Nova

13. That Season [*]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected beauty from Supergroup Asia, November 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Arena (Audio CD)

Arena is not only the best Asia album ever, it is possibly one of the best albums ever released by any progressive rock band. From the beginning to the very end, the music, the lyrics, and the story are stunning. In typical Asia fashion, we are taken into a world filled with magical riffs, melodically mystical keyboard sounds, and emotionally powerful reflective lyrics and words. The cover art was breathtaking as well, as the mythological sides of good and evil are symbolically painted before our eyes, the scene being emmersed in an orangish background, with desert-like post-apocolyptic images being displayed in what appears to be an untimely place, could it be the past or the future? The musical production is quiet but effective. The solemn sounds seem to echo the mood of the cover art and the singer, as well as the album itself. The singer, John Payne is at his best. He doesn't seem to strain as much or scream as loud, he doesn't seem as desperate, there is a comfort in his level, that is both warm and bittersweet. His voice is freely flowing with a silent urgency that echoes through each song with meaning and unspoken emotion. His voice is soothing and mature. Each song is tightly knit into a fabric that intrudes upon your memory and lingers like a scene from a distance time yet to play itself out. At first, one isn't expecting this from Asia, you might expect the sounds of the first albums, or even aqua or aria, but this isn't what you get, instead, its like Asia went from being a teenager to a young adult, with the experience and understanding gained through adversity, overnight. It is different, but still though, the Asia sound remains. Most remeniscent of "Alpha": Asia's second release, Arena is truly progressive rock in it's finest form. Arena, Two Sides Of The Moon, Heaven, Words, Falling, Day Before The Word, Tell Me Why, U Bring Me Down, Turn It Around are all songs with musical diversity, quality sound, craftsmanship, and feeling. Each song is deeper than a first, second or even third take. These are the kinds of songs where you hear something new from each listening, the type of songs that may not impress you at first, but remain scarred in your mind, leaving you hungry for a retake. Songs about humanity, war, love and loss, and finally reconcilation. Most importantly though they all fit together, like a well done movie, seamlessly playing before your ear's and mind's delight. Much like Pink Floyd's "The Wall" or Dream Theatre's "Images And Words", this take of Asia is compact, comprehensive, philosophical, and true to the story it is relaying to the audience. This is poetry set to music, mythology set to music, art set to music, call it what you like but it is truly one of the best albums to be released in quit sometime. Get a copy, you will not be disappointed, and if you are, listen again, you might just change your mind.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!, October 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Arena (Audio CD)

This is my all-time favorite CD. The musical variety is excellent. Geoff Downes' great synthesis including a softer feeling organ sound add a warmer feel to the keyboard sound, while Aziz Ibrahim does a great job on guitar. John Payne does his best vocal work to date on songs like "Never" and "Words". The album doesn't have a heavier metalish touch as Aria does, but it should satisfy nonetheless. You NEED to buy this CD, it is EXCELLENT! I've listened to my copy MANY times.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Special Edition reissue of a great Asia album, March 13, 2009

By 

Justin Gaines (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arena (Spec) (Audio CD)

I know I'm in the minority here, but I tend to enjoy the later Asia albums with John Payne on vocals a lot more than the best-selling original Asia material. Who cares that keyboardist/songwriter Geoff Downes was the only original member left in the 90s when the music Asia released was so amazing?

1996's Arena was the band's sixth studio album. At this point it was just Downes, vocalist/bassist John Payne, and a cast of session players, but they still managed to put together another gorgeous melodic rock album. With Arena, the band continued their shift away from radio-friendly pop tunes to achingly beautiful AOR songs. There's still a rock element, but for the most part, moving emotional songs like "Heaven", "Two Sides of the Moon" and the title track are the order of the day. The band also stretches their progressive muscles a bit on lengthier numbers like "The Day Before the War" and "U Bring Me Down". Payne's soulful vocals continue to define this stage of Asia's career, and are a great counterpoint to Downes's keyboards.

If your interest in Asia goes beyond just the band's radio hits of the early 80's, you'd do well to look into the band's 1990's output. Aqua is probably the best place to start, but Arena should please as well. For better or worse the original Asia lineup has since reunited, so we won't be seeing any more albums like Arena.

NOTE: Snapper reissued Arena in 2004 as part of their Snapper Classics line. The reissue features digitally remastered sound, digipack packaging, and the bonus track "That Season", which also appears on Archiva, Vol. 1/Archiva, Vol. 2.

NOTE 2: Arena was reissued again in 2005 by InsideOut. This reissue also features remastered sound, but comes in a jewel case with expanded liner notes and an embossed slipcase. Packaging aside, you get the same tracks as the Snapper reissue plus a live acoustic version of "Two Sides of the Moon". This is obviously the best version of Arena to get. I wish I had known it was on the way when I bought the Snapper reissue in 2004. Oh well.