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| Ayreon - The Final Experiment - Special Edition |
 Released: 1995 / 2005 Label: Transmission Records / Inside Out Music/ InsideOut Music America Cat. No.: TM001 / IOMCD 202/SPV 085-40832 DCD Total Time: 71:19 / 30:46 | |
Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, May 2005 I have listened to Arjen Lucassen’s (AKA Ayreon) music from present day back to his first step into the realm of rock operas. The Final Experiment, originally released in 1995 is another lost prog-rock classic. This was a huge step forward in Arjen’s career. It was risquéé at the time for him to release this album, but as all of his followers know, it was the beginning of a long string of strong albums with a thematic concept and Ayreon as the main character. This special edition remastered 2 CD set does the legacy of this recording fairness and then some. Listening to the bonus disc was like hearing Human Equation revisited, obviously due to that fact that the people involved on that project contributed once again. The bonus disc is all-acoustic, unplugged if you will, recorded right from scratch because Luccassen believed it should be a two-disc set just as its predecessors were. As much as I enjoyed The Final Experiment, I have to be honest, the bonus disc was so wonderful I could not get enough of it. I feel my sojourn into the catalog of Ayreon is complete, for now. I now understand how this fine artist has developed as a musician and storyteller. It all makes perfect sense now why he chose to continue his Ayreon epic with so many albums. First, it is a brilliant concept to take from start to finish, and an open-ended storyline that leaves room for more great albums, another stroke of musical genius I must say. This how Arjen Lucassen began to build his Electric Castle, it is indeed the foundation to the monument of his recorded works. Rating: 4.5/5 [See also Steph's review of the original version -ed. More about The Final Experiment - Special Edition: Track Listing: Prologue (3:17): A. The Time Telepathy Experiment - B. Overture - C. Ayreon's Quest / Act I: The Dawning: The Awareness (6:36): A. The Premonition - B. Dreamtime (Words Become A Song) - C. The Awakening / Eyes Of Time (5:06): A. Eyes Of Time - B. Brainwaves / The Banishment (11:08): A. A New Dawn - B. The Gathering - C. The Accusation - D. The Banishment - E. Oblivion / Act II: King Arthur's Court: Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy (2:46) / Sail Away To Avalon (4:02) / Nature's Dance (2:28) / Act III: Visual Echoes: Computer-Reign (Game Over) (3:25) / Waracle (6:44) / Listen To The Waves (4:59) / Magic Ride (3:36) / Act IV: Merlin's Will And Ayreon's Fate: Merlin's Will (3:20) / The Charm Of The Seer (4:12) / Swan Song (2:44) / Ayreon's Fate (6:56): A. Ayreon's Fate - B. Merlin's Prophecy - C. Epilogue Musicians: Contact: Website: www.ayreon.com Discography
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