Ayreon/Arjen Lucassen Thread (Star Three on the way)

[goo-goo]

Is it me or does Anneke voice just doesn't sound good when she sings outside Devin Townsend material?

When she sings with Devin, her voice sounds amazing and I massively enjoy it. But when she sings with Ayreon or Gentle Storm or even Vuur, I just can't stand her voice. It sounds very "shrieky" and a bit unpleasant to my ears. Maybe it's the way she is being put in the mix or how is she recorded but it's very frustrating. The Devin Townsend stuff with her sounds angelic to my ears.

[Adami]

Is it me or does Anneke voice just doesn't sound good when she sings outside Devin Townsend material?

When she sings with Devin, her voice sounds amazing and I massively enjoy it. But when she sings with Ayreon or Gentle Storm or even Vuur, I just can't stand her voice. It sounds very "shrieky" and a bit unpleasant to my ears. Maybe it's the way she is being put in the mix or how is she recorded but it's very frustrating. The Devin Townsend stuff with her sounds angelic to my ears.

It's you.

[SwedishGoose]

Is it me or does Anneke voice just doesn't sound good when she sings outside Devin Townsend material?

When she sings with Devin, her voice sounds amazing and I massively enjoy it. But when she sings with Ayreon or Gentle Storm or even Vuur, I just can't stand her voice. It sounds very "shrieky" and a bit unpleasant to my ears. Maybe it's the way she is being put in the mix or how is she recorded but it's very frustrating. The Devin Townsend stuff with her sounds angelic to my ears.

It's you.

Definitely you.... love her voice and can't wait to finally get to see her live.... both solo and in VUUR on the 29th of September

[Adami]

I'm not saying you have faulty ears, but I hope you kept the warranty.

[SwedishGoose]

Follow the link to hear an amazing vocal performance by Anneke....

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156377404449216&id=17778084215

[goo-goo]

Follow the link to hear an amazing vocal performance by Anneke....

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156377404449216&id=17778084215

I saw that a while back and liked the video. I also like the stuff she has done with Danny Cavanaugh from Anathema. Very solid stuff.

[SwedishGoose]

Follow the link to hear an amazing vocal performance by Anneke....

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156377404449216&id=17778084215

I saw that a while back and liked the video. I also like the stuff she has done with Danny Cavanaugh from Anathema. Very solid stuff.

Just ordered the In Parallells CD (with Daniel Cavanagugh) and Everything is Changing from Annekes shop.
Love getting stuff from her as she always signs the albums.

[jammindude]

Watching Universe right now. 

I honestly wonder how Arjen does it.   I mean, everyone appears to be having a blast, and for the most part I believe that to be true.  But I just can't imagine that it's possible to get *that many* performers involved in a project and not have a clash of egos somewhere.   

Great show, though.

[KevShmev]

On the one hand, I see your point, but on the other hand, the history of rock has many examples of large groups of musicians coming together for a show/festival/etc. for the greater good.  Ultimately, if you are a musician, you like playing and/or singing music, and a show like this lets you do that without having to worry about doing all of the grunt work; that is all on Arjen.  You just have to show up and play and/or sing.

[Cyclopssss]

If you've watched the documentary, you can see there isn't all that much time to let ego's get in the way. They litterally show up one or two days ahead of the shows, have maybe one full rehearsal and that's it. It's the band that does all the preparation.

[Adami]

Its also the specific musicians involved. Not all musicians have insanely big egos. It looks like the big ego guys weren't there. The people there, mostly, just love doing music with good people.


They chose wisely.

[MirrorMask]

Also, more generally, didn't the whole "musicians are god-like divas" thing was a product of years gone by?

I mean, I grew up thinking of musicians as not necessarily assholes or people with big egos, but being anyway larger than life personalities, living detached from reality... granted, being a kid I got notice of only the famous enough people to actually afford to be a bit like that, but generally I thought musicians had the whole "god among peasants" vibe going for them.

It seems to me that the trope of the rockstar who breaks down hotel rooms died out in the '90s, and granted, following not only big acts it's easier to find down to earth people who don't make millions from records and that are friendly, especially in the social media era... but more generally it seems to me that musicians kinda "toned it down" and the people acting like dicks are far and few between.

[kaos2900]

I've been on a huge Ayreon kick lately. Does anyone have The Theater Equation? Is it worth the purchase.

[Nick]

I've been on a huge Ayreon kick lately. Does anyone have The Theater Equation? Is it worth the purchase.

I mean, it's an amazing album done live, so there is that. And for $15 or whatever I'd certainly get it, but next to Ayreon Universe its flaws become apparent. The show isn't as tight, and the video capture isn't nearly as good.

I would also add that having Anneke cover Devin's part was meh at best, and I love Anneke.

Definitely get the DVD because seeing it acted out is nice. Straight audio wise I'll take the studio every time on this.

[Ben_Jamin]

I've been on a huge Ayreon kick lately. Does anyone have The Theater Equation? Is it worth the purchase.

It definitely is worth it.

[Adami]

I've been on a huge Ayreon kick lately. Does anyone have The Theater Equation? Is it worth the purchase.

Yes to both. Love it.

[Evermind]

As someone who attended both Theater Equation and Ayreon Universe shows, I must say I preferred Theater Equation. Not by far, but given the choice which of the two I would like to see again, I would pick Theater Equation. The vibe they managed to strike during TTE was fantastic (and, well, The Human Equation is one of my favourite albums). The DVD doesn't quite live up to the actual quality of the show, though, but still a good one to have.

[Kwyjibo]

The Theater Equation is absolutely awesome, too bad that they didn't have a better production for the dvd. It's still beyond me that the filming was more like an afterthought.

[jingle.boy]

I agree with everything said so far (except with Evermind, because I wasn't at either  ).

[cramx3]

Damn, I feel like an idiot.  I have both concerts on blu-ray and have hardly watched either yet.  I keep telling myself to get into Ayreon and fail constantly because some other band I am going to see soon takes priority.  I will get to this.... one day.

[Ben_Jamin]

Damn, I feel like an idiot.  I have both concerts on blu-ray and have hardly watched either yet.  I keep telling myself to get into Ayreon and fail constantly because some other band I am going to see soon takes priority.  I will get to this.... one day.

Why not today...

[Cool Chris]

I keep telling myself to get into Ayreon and fail constantly...

When most of the material are double albums with complex concepts and various musicians and vocalists, I've found it takes much more time and investment. It's not like with a band like ACDC, where you can take an album, play a couple tracks, and can get a good sense of the band and its style and if they are up your alley and worth listening to more.

[cramx3]

Damn, I feel like an idiot.  I have both concerts on blu-ray and have hardly watched either yet.  I keep telling myself to get into Ayreon and fail constantly because some other band I am going to see soon takes priority.  I will get to this.... one day.

Why not today...

Got a Kamelot/Delain/Battle Beast concert friday so I've been soaking in those bands.  Since these are videos, I need to be in my basement which I am spending most of my day at work.

I keep telling myself to get into Ayreon and fail constantly...

When most of the material are double albums with complex concepts and various musicians and vocalists, I've found it takes much more time and investment. It's not like with a band like ACDC, where you can take an album, play a couple tracks, and can get a good sense of the band and its style and if they are up your alley and worth listening to more.

Yea, it needs a lot more dedication.  I don't even have the albums, just the videos though so that makes it harder.  I've got a lot of traveling coming up in May so I should probably get a couple albums and dig in and that would make watching the videos easier because I wouldn't have to learn the music, just enjoy it at that point.

[metrojam]

On the one hand, I see your point, but on the other hand, the history of rock has many examples of large groups of musicians coming together for a show/festival/etc. for the greater good.  Ultimately, if you are a musician, you like playing and/or singing music, and a show like this lets you do that without having to worry about doing all of the grunt work; that is all on Arjen.  You just have to show up and play and/or sing.

Get what you mean but I thats a little unfair on Joost who was just about an equal partner in all this and about whom Arjen will tell you, he couldn't have put this show on without.
On to the show itself.....WOW!!...what an amazing gig it was with top, top, TOP performances from everyone involved, there wasn't even a hint of a weak link anywhere. Far too many great moments and songs to individually list them all but another spine tingling performance of the "Valley of The Queens" and the amazingly emotive "The Eye of Ra" stick out for me.
Amazing singers, musicians and show. The only slight disappointment for me was the very limited involvement "ON" the stage of Arjen. We all know the reasons behind that though and full respect and thanks to him for putting these shows together (with Joost!!) and for the great DVD and documentary which gives us who weren't able to attend the chance to witness the magic of those evenings.

[Cool Chris]

Got a Kamelot/Delain/Battle Beast concert friday...

Never heard of Battle Beast, but have seen both Delain and Kamelot in concert recently and thoroughly enjoyed both performances. They are at the top of my "Why don't I listen to these bands more" list, along with Ayreon.

[cramx3]

Got a Kamelot/Delain/Battle Beast concert friday...

Never heard of Battle Beast, but have seen both Delain and Kamelot in concert recently and thoroughly enjoyed both performances. They are at the top of my "Why don't I listen to these bands more" list, along with Ayreon.

Yea, I've seen both bands like 4 or so times each and never Battle Beast.  Honestly haven't really liked their music, but it's pretty catchy and figure it would be worth watching.  Kamelot has a new album out so I am trying to digest it before seeing the new songs live.  And to tie into Ayreon, Kamelot's singer (Tommy Karevik) has played a role in their music.  While I don't know what exactly his role is, it's reasons like that which made me buy the blu-rays and want to get into them.  They use some of my favorite musicians and Tommy is one of my favorite vocalists.

[ErHaO]

As someone who attended both Theater Equation and Ayreon Universe shows, I must say I preferred Theater Equation. Not by far, but given the choice which of the two I would like to see again, I would pick Theater Equation. The vibe they managed to strike during TTE was fantastic (and, well, The Human Equation is one of my favourite albums). The DVD doesn't quite live up to the actual quality of the show, though, but still a good one to have.

I agree. In terms of production, Ayreon Universe is way superior, but the atmosphere of seeing the Human Equation performed live in a theater setting was something more special to me personally.

Having seen quite some big productions of opera's and musicals the last years, the production (light/stage) of the Theater Equation was actually (understandably) quite subpar, but in the end the artistry of every single person on stage is what makes a show like that. Ayreon Universe, however, did look very tight and I love what they did with the screen throughout the show.

That said, I would attend both shows again without a doubt, fantastic experiences.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Alright..... I've ignored Ayreon for FAR too long. Know some of the names involved and I should have gotten into this years ago.

So DTF....hit me with your top 3 Ayreon albums. Want to start with those.

[Cyclopssss]

Alright, I'll go first. Although only 3 is very difficult to do.

1. The Human Equation. Overall the album that hits me the most on an emotional level.

2. Into the Electric Castle. It all started there for me.

3. Dream Sequencer: Flight of the Migrator. Top notch Sci-Fi metal.

[jingle.boy]

Alright, I'll go first. Although only 3 is very difficult to do.

1. The Human Equation. Overall the album that hits me the most on an emotional level.

2. Into the Electric Castle. It all started there for me.

3. Dream Sequencer: Flight of the Migrator. Top notch Sci-Fi metal.

Just be aware that Flight of the Migrator is very atmospheric and softer than anything else in Ayreon's catalog.  THE and ITEC are my #1 and #2 choices for Ayreon.  The Source is a nice flavour of everything Ayreon has to offer as well.

If you want Arjen's real prog-metal stuff, go with the two Star One albums. 

[The Letter M]

Alright, I'll go first. Although only 3 is very difficult to do.

1. The Human Equation. Overall the album that hits me the most on an emotional level.

2. Into the Electric Castle. It all started there for me.

3. Dream Sequencer: Flight of the Migrator. Top notch Sci-Fi metal.

Just be aware that Flight of the Migrator is very atmospheric and softer than anything else in Ayreon's catalog.  THE and ITEC are my #1 and #2 choices for Ayreon.  The Source is a nice flavour of everything Ayreon has to offer as well.

If you want Arjen's real prog-metal stuff, go with the two Star One albums. 

Just to correct both posts above - Universal Migrator is a pair of albums released at separate times, but eventually packaged together, with both parts titled "Part 1: The Dream Sequencer" and "Part 2: Flight Of The Migrator". The first part, "The Dream Sequencer" is the more atmospheric, Floydian side of Ayreon, while the second part "Flight Of The Migrator" is the heavier, power-metal-inspired side of Ayreon.

Both are fantastic albums, and many fans consider both as a singular double-album (as are many Ayreon albums are doubles anyway), and while initially release apart, they tell a singular story, so they belong together anyway.

-Marc.

[jingle.boy]

Right you are.  I saw "Dream Sequencer" and my brain instantly went to that disc.

[The Letter M]

Right you are.  I saw "Dream Sequencer" and my brain instantly went to that disc.

Understandable. I just wasn't sure if Cyclopssss was intending his 3rd place album to be JUST FOTM or both DS and FOTM (both Universal Migrator albums as a single double).

Anyways, my top 3 Ayreon albums?
The Human Equation - I'm sure this will be a lot of people's favorite, or in their top 3. It's typically regarded as one of Arjen's best works, and it's got a great story, the music is interesting and varied, and the characters are written well IMO.

The Theory Of Everything - when it came out, I took awhile to get into this one, but after a few listens, it REALLY grew on me. The guest musicians really help sell the album for me, and the vocalists are great as well.

Into The Electric Castle - though I don't spin this one much anymore, I have fond memories of hearing it for the first time and how amazed I was at the whole thing. I believe it might've been my first Ayreon album.

Also, gotta mention to Arjen's solo work "Lost In The New Real", which is tangentially related to the Ayreon canon and features Arjen doing all of the vocals and most of the instruments! I feel like this one doesn't get talked about enough, even when mentioning other non-Ayreon stuff (like Star One, Ambeon, Guilt Machine, Gentle Storm, and Stream Of Passion).

-Marc.

[Ninjabait]

My favorites are probably:

01. The Human Equation
02. The Theory of Everything
03. 01011001

Buuut, I'd recommend you'd switch out 01011001 for The Source.

The Human Equation is 100% the first album you should listen to. It's nearly unanimously agreed to be the best Ayreon album, and it's not hard to see why. It has the perfect balance of interesting storytelling and characterization, good music, style shifts, nice individual songs, and good album flow. Fair warning, tho: Day 11: Love is the catchiest metal song in the history of the universe. It will be stuck in your head forever. Plus, it can be enjoyed without knowledge of the Ayreon story.

The Theory of Everything is probably the most album-focused of all the Ayreon albums. It's also quite a bit lighter than the rest (kinda funny, because it's sandwiched between the two much heavier 01011001 and The Source albums that preceded and followed it). It doesn't have much in the way of localized songs, but it probably flows the best out of all the albums. It's a bit lighter on the vocal side of things, but it makes up for that by basically being a "who's-who" of prog musicians (especially keyboardists...Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson, and Jordan Rudess all on one album? Yes please) and having really strong characters and story. It can also be enjoyed without knowledge of the larger story, since it's separate.

01011001 is basically the exact opposite. If you ask me, it's probably the heaviest and darkest Ayreon album and it's the least "album-focused" and the most "song-focused". It has a lot of really strong vocalists, but the characters are fairly weak and the story can be a bit confusing to follow at times. That said, I'd say you should listen to The Source. It is the very first part of the greater Ayreon story, giving a lot of backstory to it. It's similar in tone to 01011001, but has a bit more of an album experience. Great vocalists still, and some really killer music.

If you want to follow up after tHE/ToE/tS, I'd recommend moving on to 01011001 next, then the first two albums, then Into the Electric Castle, and finally Universal Migrator (and maybe relisten to tHE between Electric Castle and Migrator...trust me on that one ). That's probably the most logical progression to try to follow the story.

[Ben_Jamin]

The source is actually the prequel to 01011001. I was really happy when i heard "The Age of Shadows will begin." Before Age of Shadows on Ayreon Universe, that made it have a nice impact.