Rocktrospectiva: Duran Duran's Live Album "Arena" Turns 40

 

Released on 12 November 1984 "Arena" was a live album by English band Duran Duran, the album spawned a single "The Wild Boys" and went on to sell pretty well despite many of its incosistent as a live album

It was Duran Duran's first live album, released at the peak of their commercial success in late 1984. It included one new song, the studio recorded "The Wild Boys", which as a single was a worldwide hit, reaching no. 2 in both the UK and the US. 

The album is a landmark in Duran Duran's career. Already famed for their creative music videos, which played incessantly on the day’s music video channels, and this album capped it all off while they were at their peak, just before they took a much-needed leave from all the hysteria and commotion that surrounded the group. It would become one of the last projects that the original line-up did together.

The result of a desire to make a more conceptual concert film, Duran Duran teamed up with up-and-coming director Russell Mulcahy to create a storyline and integrate it to the live footage. The concert footage was filmed during the ‘Sing Blue Silver‘ tour, and was also broadcast in a slightly different cut on US and UK television.

It’s important to note that "Arena" is primarily a concert film: a story was contrived into the footage that had already been shot and released. So there are limits to what can be done with the material; it’s not like there are lot of story ideas when your main cast is on stage, performing. Secondly, one has to consider that it was made in 1984. At the time, "Arena" was a significant production, with sets built on the sprawling 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios to film the supplementary material. There was a large complement of dancers, stunt people and extras assembled for "The Wild Boys", as well as countless costumes and special effects – including some rudimentary animatronics.

Based on the cult Jane Fonda exploitation sci-fi film, "Barbarella" from which Duran Duran took their name, it proposes that Dr. Durand himself has traveled 20000 light years away from home, arriving in Earth’s orbit only to find the group misappropriating his name. Upset, he sets out to disrupt their concert and destroy them.

Not much of this is self-evident: the way that this video has been put together, the exposition is a jumbled mess that’s exacerbated by the fact that Dr. Durand looks nothing like he did in ‘Barbarella’ – even if he’s played by the same actor. One isn’t sure if it’s meant to be a sequel, is inspired by, or is simply an homage to the original.

Arena was Duran Duran's highest-charting album and it sold over two million copies. Nevertheless, it's the most inconsequential album in their entire catalog, remains enjoyable, though, for what it is: a surrealistic sci-fi concert film. It doesn’t work as a motion picture, and it doesn’t work as a concert, but it’s an exciting, visually-arresting film backed by a genius soundtrack. This is undoubtedly a must-see, if not a must-own, for Duran Duran fans.

 

Arena Track List:  

 

1. Is There Something I Should Know?

2. Hungry Like The Wolf

3. New Religion

4. Save A Prayer

5. The Wild Boys (New studio track)

6. The Seventh Stranger

7. The Chaffeur

8. Union Of The Snake

9. Planet Earth

10. Careless Memories 

11. Girls On Film

12. Rio