BREAKFAST IN BIARRITZ

If one band is allowed to have the progressive rock-label, Arena is the one. They know perfectly how a good progressive CD should sound like. They have proven it more than once. Every studio album from this band is a masterpiece. From the first album on, all ingrediënts to make Arena an excellent band were there. There is only one major problem : their set-up. Many members came and went. Probably because Arena is just Clive Nolan and Mick Pointer. All the other musicians are "replacable". But while that's no problem for the music itself, the fans are not very happy about it. One can start to like or appreciate certain musicians, John Jowitt or Paul Wrightson for instance, and when they don't appear on the next album, you feel a bit lost, betrayed sometimes. Especially on a live gig when, since live acts are a visual experience as well, a former group-member has been replaced. The music itself however stands like a cathedral.

Every self-respecting and modern band tours to promote it's latest CD and releases afterwards a live recording. Arena is a modern band, so.after the successfull "The Visitor" came the live "Welcome to the stage" and after their last studio album "Immortal?" came this one, "Breakfast in Biarritz".

The intro is far too long and eventually the album starts with "Moviedrome" from the "Immortal?" CD. This live version is not that different from the studio version. After this, the CD continues with "A crack in the ice" and "Double Vision" from "The Visitor" album. This is the first time we miss Paul Wrightson. The big difference between a former line-up is heard in "Midas Vision" from "Songs from the lion's cage", where you can hear that Arena's first vocalist John Carson, had much more to offer.

The instrumental Pink-Floyd-like guitarpiece "Serenity" is astonishing. It proves that Keith Moore was an excellent guitar player, but John Mitchell can touch your sensitive snare.

"The butterfly man", again from the "Immortal?" album is the next track. All songs from that studio album sound excellent on this live CD, whereas "The Hanging tree", "The state of grace" & "Enemy without" miss the fire and mysticism of Paul Wrightson. It is as if every vocalist is at his best on his "own" studio-album.

"Crying for Help VII" from the "Pride" album is played in a 'we will rock you' manner, which is fun, but the original version is much better.

The following "Chosen" and "Friday's dream", both from the "Immortal?" album are played perfect again, whereas "Elea" from "The Visitor" scores much less on the vocals.

Rob Sowden is an superb singer and I hope he gets the chance to grow to a higher level. As for me, I hope the band wil continue playing with this line-up. They score a little less on the "live" gigs, but they deserve the benefit of the doubt ; we'll just have to wait and see at their next show.

"Breakfast in Biarritz" makes the grade, but it could have more to offer. Had they waited to make a recording until after another studio album, it would have been a lot better. But don't misunderstand me, Arena is a magnificant band. The way they play together makes their sound homogenous. Lots of bands, even the ones that have played together for longer periods, couldn't reach Arena's skills, even in a hundred years.