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

[KevShmev]

The Human Equation is meh. Extremely overrated.

Without question.  I don't visit Ayreon that much anymore, but when I do, it is almost always something from Into the Electric Castle or The Dream Sequencer.

[Ben_Jamin]

01 did have characters, they showed their feelings since t he giant machines blocked out their sun till the end. Anneke is loving hence the heart symbol...things like that give the forevers their identity...its to distinct themselves as another race that used symbols as their name.

I didn't say they weren't written with characters - I even acknowledged that I'd heard Hansi was the sciencey one. I'm saying I don't think they're conveyed successfully - they end up a little indistinct. Anneke's meant to be distinctly loving, but this is genuinely the first I've heard of it. Not sold on the execution.

I hear what you mean. They probably got away with Arjen being lenient

[Nekov]

The Human Equation is meh. Extremely overrated.

I normally don't agree with you. This time I will 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Ya'll crazy i'll tell you that. 

[Zook]

The Human Equation is meh. Extremely overrated.

I normally don't agree with you. This time I will 

That's been happening a lot lately.

[obscure]

01011001 is Ayreon's best album.

Correct! Human Equation is close for me too though

I'm inclined to join this camp....

[Silver Tears]

Good girl 

[obscure]

    

[kirksnosehair]

The Human Equation is meh. Extremely overrated.

I normally don't agree with you. This time I will 

Sign me up here as well.  Disc one is pretty good, but I almost never listen to the second disc.  And like KevShmev wrote above, when I listen to Ayreon I also usually select one of the Dream Sequencer discs or one of the Electric Castle discs, although I do admit that I kind of enjoyed that 0010010100010101001010100101010001010100000110000101011001010 thing too.

[obscure]

 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

The Human Equation is meh. Extremely overrated.

I normally don't agree with you. This time I will 

Sign me up here as well.  Disc one is pretty good, but I almost never listen to the second disc.  And like KevShmev wrote above, when I listen to Ayreon I also usually select one of the Dream Sequencer discs or one of the Electric Castle discs, although I do admit that I kind of enjoyed that 0010010100010101001010100101010001010100000110000101011001010 thing too.

You mean:

0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1
0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0
0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1
0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0
0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

off on on off off on on off
off on on off on on on on
off on on on off off on off
off on on off off on off on
off on on on off on on off
off on on off off on off on
off on on on off off on off

no yeah yeah yeah no no yeah yeah
no yeah yeah no yeah yeah yeah yeah
no yeah yeah yeah no no yeah yeah

no yeah yeah yeah no no yeah yeah
no yeah yeah no yeah yeah yeah yeah
no yeah yeah yeah no no yeah yeah

[Crow]

actually taking Electric Castle seriously for perhaps the first time. never really dug this one much before but I'm attempting to.

I just wish there were less songs that sucked on a mostly pretty good album.

[Aefenwelg]

I recently started listening to Into the Electric Castle.
It's pretty good, but I think I like 01 and THE better.

I just wish Castle had more Anneke; actually, I wish that of 01, also.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

actually taking Electric Castle seriously for perhaps the first time. never really dug this one much before but I'm attempting to.

I just wish there were less songs that sucked on a mostly pretty good album.

Just out of curiosity, which songs do you think suck?

[Crow]

Time Beyond Time and The Castle Hall are both pretty worthless. Evil Devolution's chorus is also terrible, as is the death section of Cosmic Fusion. That last one is probably the worst moment on the album in what is otherwise a great song, which is why it pisses me off so much.

The Decision Tree and Tunnel of Light also both have a hilariously bright mood considering the events of the songs, though I think it's at least intentional in Tunnel of Light.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

The Castle Hall is awesome dammit! 

Star One - The Castle Hall. Robert Soeterboek!!!! 

[obscure]

Arjen in the beginning!!!!

[Bolsters]

The Castle Hall is awesome dammit! 

[kirksnosehair]

Into The Electric Castle has got to be the biggest slab of cheese ever created.  But I still love it 

[jingle.boy]

Into The Electric Castle has got to be the biggest slab of cheese ever created.  But I still love it 

Rhapsody and the Emerald Sword Saga would like a word with you.

Into the Electric Castle is suh-weeeet!  Can't wait for some more news on this album.

[KevShmev]

Time Beyond Time and The Castle Hall are both pretty worthless.

Those are two of the best songs on the entire album. 

[SomeoneLikeHim]

I love every single song on ItEc. Hell, even "Forever of the Stars" has some epic moments.

[Ben_Jamin]

We have been chosen to enter the great hall.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Love the chorus in Tower Of Hopes and Across The Rainbow Bridge! 

[BlackInk]

I'm making a "best of prog" list and so far not one of the songs from Into the Electric Castle has made it on to the list.

[KevShmev]

I am not sure how many, if any, Ayreon songs would make it on to a "best of prog" list I would make (it would depend on how many songs I was going for), but I know that Amazing Flight and Isis and Osiris would be two of my top three Ayreon choices (along with The Shooting Company of Captain Frans B. Cocq).

[BlackInk]

So far Age of Shadows, Waking Dreams and Sixth Extinction has made it, all 01 songs. Both Waking Dreams and Sixth Extinction are pretty far down but still on my list.

[Crow]

Into The Electric Castle has got to be the biggest slab of cheese ever created.  But I still love it 

this is exactly why I had trouble liking it for the longest time

also.
why oh why does the middle of Cosmic Fusion suck so hard.
the beginning is great, the instrumental is one of the best moments on the album, ugh why arjen why

[Ben_Jamin]

Into The Electric Castle has got to be the biggest slab of cheese ever created.  But I still love it 

this is exactly why I had trouble liking it for the longest time

also.
why oh why does the middle of Cosmic Fusion suck so hard.
the beginning is great, the instrumental is one of the best moments on the album, ugh why arjen why

I AM DEATH.....thats the best part of the song. I can picture the Indian floating towards the sun in a hypnotic trance.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Day Twelve: Trauma is such a well constructed song and god damn Mikael's growls sounds so good and so does everybody else.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Day Twelve: Trauma is such a well constructed song and god damn Mikael's growls sounds so good and so does everybody else.

YOUR WAYS CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED!

[ColdFireYYZ]

I've been meaning to get into this band/project for a while, but the huge cast of special guests on the albums kind of turns me off. I've noticed that they've used some of my favorite singers, like Anneke van Giersbergen, but it sounds kind of gimmicky to be honest. I'm not sure if this will make any sense but are all the vocalists used well, like on Devin Townsend's Deconstruction where they all blend in with the music as if they're band members, or does it sound like they're just there for the sake of having an all-star cast?

[Crow]

I AM DEATH.....thats the best part of the song. I can picture the Indian floating towards the sun in a hypnotic trance.

I have no problems with the growls themselves.
It's the music. It completely doesn't work. Ugh.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Day Twelve: Trauma is such a well constructed song and god damn Mikael's growls sounds so good and so does everybody else.

YOUR WAYS CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED!

Exactly!  

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I've been meaning to get into this band/project for a while, but the huge cast of special guests on the albums kind of turns me off. I've noticed that they've used some of my favorite singers, like Anneke van Giersbergen, but it sounds kind of gimmicky to be honest. I'm not sure if this will make any sense but are all the vocalists used well, like on Devin Townsend's Deconstruction where they all blend in with the music as if they're band members, or does it sound like they're just there for the sake of having an all-star cast?

Well, I'm probably a bit of an Arjen fanboy, but I've always thought that the vocalists were utilized very well. If you're new to Ayreon, I'd recommend you check out The Human Equation first, as most people consider it his best.

I really like 01011001 as well, but there are so many singers on that one, none of them have space.

That's my (slightly) educated opinion. Hope it helps.