Lucassen's Star One, Arjen Anthony - Live On Earth


Year of Release: 2003
Label: InsideOut
Catalog Number: IOMCD 121/SPV 089-65722
Format: CD
Total Time: 113:55:00

Arjen Anthony Lucassen has built up quite a reputation with his Ayreon projects, not in the least because of the people he gets to work with him, but also for his composing skills. In 2002 he surprised everyone with his Star One project, his first so-called "side project" that got the same attention and dedication as his Ayreon projects. But more interesting was that his Star One project would enable him to bring it live, and after careful consideration he started to fulfill a dream that every Ayreon fan has since the release of The Final Experiment in 1995: He would organise a small tour to play not just Star One songs, but also Ayreon songs! In the autumn of 2002 the dream became reality as Arjen, with his impressive band, set out to play 7 concerts in Holland, Germany and Belgium. And now the last show of the tour (played at Lucky & Co. in Rijssen, Netherlands) has been released on double CD and in a limited edition with a bonus DVD of the entire show.

The setlist is very impressive as nearly all the songs from Star One are played as well as a selection from every Ayreon album. Arjen re-wrote some of the Ayreon songs to be able to play them live and after barely two weeks of rehearsing together, they set out on the tour. With the exception of Dan Swanö (Nightingale), who could not come and was replaced by Robert Soeterboek (Wicked Sensation), all original singers were there: Sir Russell Allen (Symphony X), Damian Wilson (ex-Landmarq, ex-Threshold) and Floor Jansen (After Forever), and all were complemented by Floor's sister Irene on backing vocals. The band consisted of Arjen Lucassen on guitars, Peter Vink (Veralin) on bass, Ed Warby (ex-Gorefest) on drums and the very young, but very talented Joost van den Broek (Sun Caged) on keys. During the tour they had some special guests to add to the performance: Ewa Albering (ex-Quidam) on flute and Edward Reekers (ex-Kayak) on guest vocals.

Despite the short rehearsal time and the fact that these guys never played together as a band, you could not hear it and they all showed both talent and professionalism in their performance. The live CD breathes the same feeling and atmosphere there was at the venue on the night the songs were played and put you in the middle of the audience. Some of the highlights on the album: "Dawn Of A Million Souls," brilliantly sung by Russell Allen, "Into The Black Hole," sung by Damian Wilson, with a touch of "Arabia" (by Vengeance, Arjen's former band) in the middle, "Isis And Osiris," with Russell taking the part of Fish and as final song "The Two Gates," with an introduction of the band by Russell Allen. Each song rocks, and if you buy the limited edition, you get a bonus DVD and you can also see them!

What more can I say? I have done my best to find something negative or something to criticise, but I can't. Live On Earth is a brilliant live album with a fantastic sound and good production, as well as great artwork by Mattias Norén. The DVD has bonus material: a photo gallery, a 20 minute behind the scenes look, with some really nice stuff, like Arjen and Russell singing a Simon and Garfunkel song right after the soundcheck, and three additional songs that were recorded with home cams. This album definitely deserves 5 stars and your ears! You can not afford to not have Live On Earth in your collection.

Similar bands: Avantasia, Dream Theater, Symphony X

[This review originally appeared April 2003 at the ProgPower Online review site - ed.]


Tracklisting:
Disc One: Intro/Lift Off (1:34) / Set Your Controls (6:19) / High Moon (5:28) / Dreamtime (2:58) / Eyes Of Time (3:49) / Songs Of The Ocean (5:59) / Dawn Of A Million Souls (5:17) / The Dream Sequencer (6:03) / Into The Black Hole (11:27) / Actual Fantasy (1:28) / Valley Of The Queens (3:22)

Disc Two: Isis And Osiris (8:48) / Amazing Flight In Space (8:00) / Intergalactic Space Crusaders (5:15) / Castle Hall (4:57) / The Eye Of Ra (9:16) / Starchild (9:21) / The Two Gates (14:34)

DVD (Special Edition only): Intro/Lift Off / Set Your Controls / High Moon / Dreamtime / Eyes Of Time / Songs Of The Ocean / Dawn Of A Million Souls / The Dream Sequencer / Keyboard solo / Into The Black Hole / Actual Fantasy / Valley Of The Queens / Isis And Osiris / Amazing Flight In Space / Bass solo / Intergalactic Space Crusaders / Castle Hall / The Eye Of Ra / Starchild / The Two Gates

Musicians:
Arjen Anthony Lucassen - guitars, synth and vocals
Sir Russell Allen - vocals
Floor Jansen - vocals
Damian Wilson - vocals
Robert Soeterboek - vocals
Irene Jansen - vocals
Ed Warby - drums Peter Vink - bass Ewa Albering - flute

Discography:
Ayreon - The Final Experiment (1995)
Ayreon - Actual Fantasy (1996)
Ayreon - Into The Electric Castle (1998)
Ayreon - The Univeral Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer (2000)
Ayreon - The Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight Of The Migrator (2000)
Ayreon - Ayreonnauts Only
Ambeon - Fate Of A Dreamer (2001)
Arjen Anthony Lucassen's Star One - Space Metal (2002)
Arjen Anthony Lucassen's Star One - Live On Earth (2003)
Ayreon - The Human Equation (2004)
Ayreon - Actual Fantasy Revisited (2004)
Ayreon - The Final Experiment - Special Edition (2005)
Ayreon - 01011001 (2008)
Arjen Lucassen's Guilt Machine - Arjen Lucassen's Guilt Machine (2009)
Arjen Anthony Lucassen's Star One - Victims Of The Modern Age (2010)
Arjen Anthony Lucassen - Lost In The New Real (2012)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin VA

Added: May 29th 2005
Reviewer: Marcel Haster
Score:
Artist website: www.ayreon.com/starone/so_index.html
Hits: 2240
Language: english

  

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