| Band
Members: |
Arjen Anthony Lucassen - Vocals,
Guitar, Bass, Keyboards |
All Artists Credits- See Cd for
all songs except: "Epilogue: The Memory Remains" -
(Jasper Steverlinck) / vocals - (Arjen Lucassen) / guitar, bass,
keyboard - (Lori Linstruth) / guitar - (Ed Warby) / drums |
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Disc 1-Total time
CD1: 73:53
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Disc 2-Total time CD2: 76:14
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| Track
Listing: |
1.)- Prologue - 3:17
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1.)- The Garden of
Emotions - 9:40 |
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2.)-The Awareness - 6:36 |
2.)-The Castle Hall - 5:48 |
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3.)-Eyes of Time -
5:05 |
3.)-The Mirror Maze
- 6:23 |
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4.)- The Accusation
(acoustic version taken from the Special Edition) - 3:43 |
4.)- The Two Gates
- 6:23 |
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5.)-Sail Away to Avalon
(single version) - 3:40 |
5.)-The Shooting Company
of Captain Frans B Cocq - 7:42 |
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6.)-Listen to the Waves - 4:40
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6.)-Dawn of a Million Souls -
7:44 |
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7.)-Actual Fantasy - 1:31 |
7.)-And the Druids Turned to Stone
06:32 |
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8.)-Abbey of Synn - 9:25 |
8.)-Into the Black Hole 10:17
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9.)-Computer Eyes - 7:17 |
9.)-The First Man on Earth - 6:54
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10.)-Back on Planet
Earth - 7:04 |
10.)-Day Two: Isolation
- 8:46 |
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11.)-Isis and Osiris
11:09 |
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12.)-Amazing Flight
10:21 |
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Disc 3-Total time -CD3: 77:23
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Disc 4- is a DVD. Total time DVD: approx
2 hours.
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1.)- Day Three: Pain
- 4:53 |
1.)- The Stranger
from Within (5.1, available on Actual Fantasy Revisited) |
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2.)-Day Six: Childhood
- 5:04 |
2.)-Valley of the
Queens (available on Star One Live on Earth) |
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3.)-Day Twelve: Trauma
- 9:23 |
3.)-Isis and Osiris
(available on Star One Live on Earth) |
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4.)- Day Sixteen:
Loser - 4:47 |
4.)- The Two Gates
(available on Star One Live on Earth) |
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5.)-Day Seventeen:
Accident? - 5:41 |
5.)-Teaser: The Human
Equation (available on the special edition of The Human Equation) |
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6.)-Age of Shadows (edit) - 5:39
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6.)-Day Eleven: Love (5.1, available
on the special edition of The Human Equation) |
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7.)-Ride the Comet - 3:39 |
7.)-Come Back to Me (available
as CD ROM track on the EP Come Back to Me) |
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8.)-The Fifth Extinction 10:27
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8.)-Loser (Star One version, previously
unreleased) |
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9.)-Waking Dreams - 6:23 |
9.)-Farside of the World (5.1,
available on Actual Fantasy Revisited) |
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10.)-The Sixth Extinction
12:16 |
10.)-Back on Planet
Earth (5.1, available on Actual Fantasy Revisited) |
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11.)-Epilogue: The
Memory Remains - 9:16 |
11.)-Featurette Actual
Fantasy (available on Actual Fantasy Revisited) |
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12.)-Computer Eyes (available
on Stream of Passion -Live in the Real World) |
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13.)-Day One: Vigil (available
on Stream of Passion -Live in the Real World) |
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14.)-Day Three: Pain (available
on Stream of Passion -Live in the Real World) |
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15.)-The Castle Hall (available
on Stream of Passion -Live in the Real World) |
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16.)-Release Party 01011001 (previously
unreleased) |
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17.)-Beneath the Waves (5.1, available
on the special edition of 01011001) |
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18.)-Teaser 01011001 (available
on the special edition of 01011001) |
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19.)-Featurette Epilogue: The
Memory Remains (previously unreleased) |
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On the face of it and as mainman Arjen Lucassen says
in the sleeve notes it is very hard to pick a ‘best of’ from
albums that are all linked and the songs may lose something
if taken away from the original albums they were on. But rest
assured it does work and the three CD’s cover the band from
1995’s ‘The Final Experiment’ through to this year’s excellent
effort ‘01011001’. I would say this set is worth it alone
for the packaging which includes a superb artwork poster complete
with a Ayreon timeline on its reverse, a very extensive booklet
plus of course the three CD’s and DVD. Plus the earlier songs
have been remastered to bring the sound up to date.***
The three CD’s contain not one duff song and for fans
there are a few ‘carrots’ to entice them in like the acoustic
version of ‘The Accusation’ (previously only available on
a special edition) and rounding off the set a new previously
unreleased song ‘Epilogue: The Memory Remains’. The latter
song starts of very gently before kicking in with those familiar
Ayreon riffs. Personal highlights are ‘Day Three: Pain’ featuring
Devin Townsend in fine growling form; ‘Ride The Comet’ of
the latest album and ‘Into The Black Hole’. One thing that
amazes me still is the sheer number of top notch vocalists
and musicians involved including Bruce Dickinson, Jorn Lande,
Bob Catley, Ken Hensley and Fish to name but a few plus the
very talented Ed Warby on drums.***
Turning to the DVD there is plenty on here for the fans
to enjoy including some very informative and interesting interviews
with Arjen over the creation of the new song ‘The Memory Remains’
and an earlier interview about ‘Actual Fantasy’. There are
live versions of ‘The Human Equation’ songs performed by Streams
Of Passion (these have been released previously on a live
DVD by that band) plus a great, light hearted video for ‘Come
Back To Me’ which includes underwater keyboard players and
must have been a hoot to film! Previously unreleased footage
includes a live version of ‘Loser’ by Star One and the ‘01011001’
release party. Fantastic for fans and a well thought out and
presented DVD.***
If you have experienced the music of Ayreon this is a
fantastic place to start, for fans there is plenty on here
you won’t have to enjoy and overall a superbly presented package
all round. What is next for the Ayreon project we don’t know
but whatever Arjen Lucassen pouts his name to you know it
will be worthy of your time to listen to.***
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