Plus Strangers on a train (that's the band name), who have so far issued 2 parts of a trilogy. Rumour has it the third part is in the works now.

Also Shadowland, another side project.

Arena have their own label, Verglas. The website will tell you about their side projects.

http://www.verglas.com/index.htm - http://www.verglas.com/index.htm

If "Songs from the cage" is your first Arena album, you have much to look forward to with their others.

Clive Nolan

Pendragon - recommended albums, Window Of Life, the Masquerade Overture
Shadowland - recommended album, Ring Of Roses
Strangers on a Train - Don't have it, can't find it anywhere
Casino - Don't have it, can't find it also
Nolan & Wakeman - recommended album, Jabberwocky, The Hound Of The Baskervilles

He produced some other bands aswell (Landmarq) and guested on Ayreon Albums ( Into The Electric Castle)

All mentioned bands are in the archives, so read the reviews

Very good indeed

BTW all Arena albums are very good, just proceed chronologicaly
1. Songs from the lions cage (already got that)
2. Pride (similar in style and sound as Songs)
3. The Visitor (little pink floyd feel added to their sound IMO)
5. Immortal? (Quite heavy, leaning on prog-metal at times)
6. Contagion (Little softer than Immortal, takes a couple of listenings I think)
7. Pepper's Ghost (find it some what disappointing, even more heavy than Immortal I think)
 Maybe buy a live album along the way (after the visitor buy Live & Life, and after Immortal buy Welcome to the stage)

Easy Livin wrote: Plus Strangers on a train (that's the band name), who have so far issued 2 parts of a trilogy. Rumour has it the third part is in the works now. Also Shadowland, another side project. Arena have their own label, Verglas. The website will tell you about their side projects. http://www.verglas.com/index.htm - http://www.verglas.com/index.htm If "Songs from the cage" is your first Arena album, you have much to look forward to with their others.

I agree totally. I only came to them recently and they are top-notch. Wonderful albums, not particularly innovative,but it gives you what you want in spades.
Picked up the DVD for £9.99 this week on Play.com

Yeah - Listened to ELP - ELP first and Only Tank is prog worth listening to - then the Arena - There was just no comparison whatsoever - one was pure , well structured prog and the other was a mish mash of the usual ELP drivel.....

One good track on ELP does not make it the classic album that ELP fans tell everybody it is !

Swinton MCR wrote: bands was he in - I'm listening to Arena for the first time - Songs from the Lions cage - What a CD !!!! - This is what they want ! - How can such a band exist without me finding out about them till now ! - Marvellous, Marvellous and Again - Stupendous !!!!

yeah, lions is excellent; try visitor: you should like it too!

Mr Nolan (in all his incarnations) is the reason why so many people laugh about prog. Embarrassing lyrics, bad vocals, uninspired keyboard paste and bland, derivative compositions are all he has to offer. "Mad as a Hatter" (Shadowland) is one of the worst albums I've ever heard, even worse than the first three Arena disasters (I've never listened to the others), and I seriously ask myself why so many prog fans are taken in by him.  [/irrational hatred]   

Miaugion wrote: Mr Nolan (in all his incarnations) is the reason why so many people laugh about prog. Embarrassing lyrics, bad vocals, uninspired keyboard paste and bland, derivative compositions are all he has to offer. "Mad as a Hatter" (Shadowland) is one of the worst albums I've ever heard, even worse than the first three Arena disasters (I've never listened to the others), and I seriously ask myself why so many prog fans are taken in by him.  [/irrational hatred]

While I wouldn't label Arena albums 'disasters' and haven't heard Shadowland, I tend to agree. It's good craftsmanship (just good, there are plenty of excellent musical craftsmen out there), fun to listen to, if one can get past all the cheese, but very repetitive. Fortunately Nolan plays for Pendragon, and Pendragon smokes Arena, IMO, so I'm not that negative about his work...  

Disaster????? Clive Nolan did a hell of a job with Pendragon, his solos in Masquerade Overture are simply amazuing, and his use of Mellotron is impeccable.

Of course he follows the style of Mr. Tony Banks (Specially from ATOTT), but all Neo Prog bands including the so called virtuosos of Marillion do the same.

Honestly he's the only  musician from Arena that doesn't bore me to death (A band that I can't resist) but what he has done with Pendragon and even with Oliver Wakeman is outstanding.

Iván