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Pick of the Week: AyreonBy Keith Hannaleck - April 13, 2008
iBerkshires Columnist
010110001 (Limited Edition)
Arjen Lucassen continues to astound the music world with a string of releases that always seem to raise the bar for everyone else in the prog-rock community.
"010110001" is yet another two-CD set that fans and media are calling a prog-rock opera masterpiece - and with good reason.
So is this the Ayreon magnum opus? Well, every time I hear a new album I really want to say that, but this time I am not going to count my chickens before they are hatched because he will probably find a way kick it up another notch on the next release. Clearly, this is one of his best albums.
In typical Ayreon style, he put together an incredible cast of characters to contribute, and every one of them honored to get the call from the master of the modern-day rock opera. Some of the stars that stepped into Lucassen's studio were Ty Tabor, Jonas Renkse, Hansi Krusch, Anneke van Giersbergen, Simone Simons, Tom Englund, Michael Romeo and Derek Sherinian to name a few.
I was lucky enough to receive the limited edition from the man himself. Again, his down-to-earth personality just blows me away for a person of his stature in the world of music. He is successful because he is real and remains so, not only because he happens to be an incredibly talented and respected musician.
The first two discs is the entire story, with some the of best prog-rock you will hear this year, and the third disc is a DVD that takes you through the behind-the-scenes recording sessions and interviews with all the people who participated, giving their thoughts on the project and how they feel about Arjen.
There is also a 5.1 surround-sound version of the video "Beneath the Waves." It is unfortunate that the 5.1 conversion process is so cost prohibitive as this recording would be unbelievable in that format. I cannot take anything away from the stereo version though, because it is outstanding.
Lucassen knows exactly what he wants during the recording process and is simply brilliant producing his own work. The separation of instruments is fantastic and it sounded great on my surround system; it really just blew me away entirely.
There is also a section of bloopers on the DVD that is riot ... it shows a side we never see as listeners while at the same time shedding some light on our rock-star heroes illustrating that they put their pants on every day just like you and me. That is what Lucassen is all about; he never takes himself too seriously.
I enjoyed the entire recording but I did have some favorites. The theme is typical Ayreon, with songs based on our dark future and what it will be like because of our poor stewardship of our surrounding environment and where technology rules our every move.
"Unnatural Selection," "Beneath the Waves" (a five-part track) and "Comatose" I feel are classic prog-rock opera tunes; it's vintage Ayreon surrounded by some of the best of his contemporaries. This is an environment that he thrives in, getting the energy and input from all the participants.
The only drawback with projects like this is that it is highly unlikely you will ever see it hit the road. It would be a logistical nightmare - everyone has his or her own bands and projects they are responsible to return to. Perhaps someday, I will have the chance to see this legendary musician perform but until then I have his entire catalog to dive into and enjoy and that is quite satisfying to say the least.
"010110001" is another template for his peers to judge their success by; if anyone can come close to matching this superlative effort they would have released a fine album.
Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck of Adams offers up his best-listening bets as a regular contributor to iBerkshires. For more reviews, www.muzikreviews.com.
Tracks
| Disc One |
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Disc Two |
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Disc Three |
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| 01. |
Age of Shadows (& We Are Forever) |
01. |
The Fifth Extinction: Glimmer Of Hope / World Of Tomorrow Dreams / Collision Course / From The Ashes / Glimmer Of Hope (reprise) |
01. |
Behind the Scenes - Making of 01011001
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| 02. |
Comatose |
02. |
Waking Dreams |
02. |
Beneath the Waves - CGI Movie (5.1/2.0) |
| 03. |
Liquid Eternity |
03. |
The Truth Is In Here
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03. |
Guide Demos (audio) - featuring Arjen on vocals
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| 04. |
Connect The Dots |
04. |
Unnatural Selection |
04. |
Bloopers (audio)
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| 05. |
Beneath The Waves: Beneath The Waves / Face The Facts / But A Memory... / World Without Walls / Reality Bleeds |
05. |
River Of Time |
05. |
Ed Warby's Session - Recording drums |
| )6. |
Newborn Race: The Incentive / The Vision / The Procedure / Another Life / Newborn Race / The Conclusion |
06. |
E=MC_ |
06. |
Teaser Trailer |
07.
|
Ride The Comet
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07. |
The Sixth Extinction: Echoes on the Wind / Radioactive Grave / 2085 / To the Planet of Red / Spirit on the Wind / Complete the Circle |
|
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| 08. |
Web Of Lies |
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Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: Inside Out
Web site: www.ayreon.com
ITunes Link
My Bands Music Profile:
Source Link
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