ARENA

MARSUPILAMI which formed in 1968 had humble beginnings as a mere folk band that formed out of the ashes of the R&B band Levitation in Taunton, England but quickly emerged as one of the most progressive bands when prog was still in the cradle. The lauded self-titled debut which debuted in 1970 was already miles ahead of the fledgling proto-prog groups and took progressive rock to new heights only a year after King Crimson shocked the world with its dazzling debut "In The Court Of The Crimson King." Meanwhile MARSUPILAMI which was named after the Belgian comic character was crafting some of the earliest examples of prog reaching its logical conclusion. Steeped in mellotron drenched symphonic prog blended with jazz-rock, hard guitar rock and unexpected hairpin turns and rich in time signature changes, MARSUPILAMI may not have become a household name but was without a doubt the most sophisticated prog band to emerge at such an early stage.

The band wasted no time conjuring up a second coming and had no intention of tamping down its eclectic tendencies in order to forge a crossover appeal. On the contrary the band upped the ante and crafted an even more dynamic mix of disparate musical elements that took things to the next level by adapting its musical vision to a large-scale epic tale that recounts the gladiator fights of Ancient Rome. With the same lineup as the debut which consisted of Mike Fouracre (drums), Fred Hasson (vocals, harmonica, bongos), Leary Hasson (keyboards), Richard Lathan Hicks (bass), Dave Laverock (guitars) and Jessica Stanley Clarke (flute, vocals), the band expanded its lineup to include Pete Bardens on various percussion as well as producer, Mandy Riedelbanch on tenor and alto saxophones and flute and even more percussion along with poet Bob West who provided lyrical inspiration as well as extra vocals. An English band that settled in the Netherlands, MARSUPILAMI crafted another dazzling display of eclecticism that somehow found ways to allow melodic structures to shine through the bizarre shifts in dynamics, tempos and musical motifs in unthinkable opposition.

ARENA appeared in 1971 and was a couple years ahead of the prog world which peaked around 1973. While many prog bands were just getting started and shedding their psychedelic 60s rock sounds, MARSUPILAMI was already crafting expansive slabs of complexity that found lush pastoral mellow sounds as heard from Genesis mixed with complex symphonic prog arrangements in the vein of Yes' more demanding material with moments of heavy rock bombast, folk-tinged flute workouts (a la Focus) as well as elements of classical and jazz. The music follows the tale of the themes focused on the Roman Coliseum where gladiators battle it out and even recounts a Greek minstrel whose destiny if a violent untimely death. The album took the thematic approach of a veritable rock opera and teased out the musical processions into a complex labyrinth of shifting musical motifs that showcase the Hasson brothers' extraordinarily brilliant compositional skills which unfortunately went over the heads of too many at the time despite some of the most stunningly adventurous musical moments in all of early prog.

Consisting of only five tracks, two of which exceed the eleven minute mark, ARENA is a wild eclectic ride through the early world of the progressive rock world making this sophomore offering even more adventurous than the already bold debut. "Prelude To The Arena" begins with jarring noise that sets the tone for the pins and needles mood for the album's adrenalizing adventures. The sounds quickly shift into hard rock guitar stomps, a quick narration and some sizzling guitar solos along with some of the most energetic and trailblazing drum performances in early prog. But just as quickly as the band gets firing on all pistols, the music shifts into a mellow flute-driven pastoral performance of acoustic guitar, mellotrons and sensual contemplation however even that doesn't last for long and the band jumps back into a heavier rock mode with demanding intricate melodic developments laced with angular jazzified chord progressions. The album only gets wilder after the opening track which happens to be the shortest.

"Peace Of Rome" offers a moment of hypnotizing repetitive percussion with howling keys ushering in a more dynamic shift to frenzied bass groove and demented keyboard style reminiscent of Van der Graaf Generator. Like the opener this track continues the labyrinthine stylistic shifts as it narrates the tales of the Ancient atrocities. The following title track and "Time Shadows" are the focus of the climactic drama of the Roman experience which alternates placid flute runs with nail-biting horror from the keyboard and mellotron darkness. With countless stop / start shifts into completely different musical styles and unpredictable time signature deviations from the norm, these two tracks showcase the extreme excesses that MARSUPILAMI was tackling before bands like Genesis, Gentle Giant and Jethro Tull were getting their prog workouts firing on all pistons. Fiery trade-offs between improv fueled jamming sessions and the passionate vocal performances of Fred Hanson accompanied by the ethereal backing femininity of Jessica Stanley-Clarke with the occasional sax solo thrown in for good measure is the stuff that prog dreams are made of.

The album closes with the seemingly tame sounds of "Spring" which offers a respite from the frenetic shifts that preceded. While a dangerous cacophonous roar of instruments clash at the beginning, the track ultimately simmers down to find an ostinato bass groove maintaining a consistency for the track's run while the instrumentalists take turns adding melodic counterpoints. It's actually understandable why MARSUPILAMI had a difficult time catching on at this early stage as even a hardened progger like myself has required many years of listening to this one for it to fully sink in but after it gestates in your soul and you can come back to it time and time again it unleashes its transcendental beauty and casts a spell of magnanimous beauty as if you have entered the fabled city of Shangri-La and this was the divine musical path to heaven. While it's understandable why this musical maze of prog ingenuity went over the heads of fans back when it was released, it does baffle me that this one hasn't earned its just desert some fifty years after it was created. This is without a doubt on of the earliest pinnacles of prog rock expression and for me still remains one of the best albums that symbolizes the world of crazy complex prog on steroids. This was unfortunately the last stop for this excellent band. This is for advanced prog aficionados only. Newbies stay away!