Arcadia was a spin-off from Duran Duran.
Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor working together whilst the others worked on Power Station.
As a Durannie, I of course immediately started begging my parents to buy this the second it was released. Unwrapped my Xmas pressies - yes! a copy! ... Read review
A review by prufrax on So Red The Rose - Arcadia September 16th, 2005
Author's product rating:
Originality
Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics
Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks
A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Not applicable
Value for Money
Excellent
Advantages:
deep layers of rich sound, prog rock influences
Disadvantages:
poor arrangement of "goodbye is forever", some people get embarrassed about liking things linked to Duran Duran .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Arcadia was a spin-off from Duran Duran. Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor working together whilst the others worked on Power Station.
As a Durannie, I of course immediately started begging my parents to buy this the second it was released. Unwrapped my Xmas pressies - yes! a copy! - put it on the turntable and give it a listen...
... and it didn't leave my turntable again for OVER A YEAR.
This album opened my eyes to music beyond the top 10.
Deep intricate layers of sound... Prog Rock influences... Credits to artists I barely knew of: Herbie Hancock, Dave Gilmour - so I went looking to see what their music was like...
I have since wandered far from the mainstream in musical taste, but this was the first step away from that well-trodden path.
Best listened to in a darkened room, headphones on and the volume up loud. Lie down, close your eyes, and really listen to the full depth of sound.
Tracks:
Side A
Election Day The first single from the album, with a tense dark feel. It has somehow become inextricably entwined with memories of a science fiction book I was reading at the time it came out - something to do with the half-heard snatches of voices in the background that dot this track. The voiceover in the middle is spoken by Grace Jones.
Keep Me In The Dark The weakest track, in my opinion. Unlike the others, this is not an above average song to start with, and even the production values cannot elevate it above that fact.
Goodbye Is Forever A well-written simple song let down by a rather poor arrangement. This is begging for someone, anyone, to do a cover version, just to do full justice to the song!
The Flame Another song that was released as a single. This is a great song with a Spanish influence - though I now prefer the livelier feel of the remix on the 12 inch single to the original album version.
Missing A subtle, understated ghost story - fading into a summer thunderstorm. Shivers up the spine.
Side B
Rose Arcana Unfortunately, this instrumental track was trimmed to under a minute in order to fit the album onto an LP! The full track appears as a b-side to the single of "The Promise".
The Promise This is probably the best track on the album, and features performances from Herbie Hancock and Sting. It is also the longest track on the album at just under 7 and a half minutes. "Heaven hide your eyes - Heaven's eyes will never dry". Heaven indeed.
El Diablo Another vaguely Spanish-sounding track, complete with touches of acoustic guitar. Not quite as serious lyrically as the other tracks, but still very listenable.
Lady Ice A brittle clashing of icebergs, distant sparkling chimes and an oboe set the tone for this track. A stunning conclusion to a wonderful album.
Album Notes: Arcadia: Roger Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Simon Le Bon. Additional personnel: Carlos Alomar, Gabriel Bindi, Pierre DeFay, Jean-Claude Dubois, Mark Egan, David Gilmour, Herbie Hancock, Grace Jones, Steve Jordan, Rafael DeJesus, Andy MacKay, Sting, Masami Tsuchiya, David Van Tieghem. After the release of their third album, 1983's SEVEN AND THE RAGGED TIGER, and a lengthy tour, Duran Duran split into two camps for about 18 months. Andy and John Taylor formed the chartbound Power Station with Robert Palmer and Chic drummer Tony Thompson, while singer Simon LeBon and keyboardist Nick Rhodes formed the artsier Arcadia. Superficially, SO RED THE ROSE is a bit more experimental than the Durannies' hit albums, but LeBon and Rhodes' songs--although Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor plays on the album, he didn't participate in the writing--are fundamentally similar to their Duran Duran work. The single "Election Day" and the ballad "Goodbye Is Forever" in particular wouldn't sound out of place on any Duran Duran album. The lengthier tracks on side two, featuring cameos by folks like Herbie Hancock and art-pop percussionist David Van Tieghem, are somewhat more intriguing.
Titles on disc 1
1.: Election Day
2.: Keep Me In The Dark
3.: Goodbye Is Forever
4.: Flame
5.: Missing
6.: Rose Arcana
7.: Promise
8.: El Diablo
9.: Lady Ice
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since : 10/07/2005
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