┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Ayreon - The Dream Sequencer + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Feb-10-2006 Encoder......LAME 3.90 Modified ║ │ │║ Genre........Hard Rock Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2000 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......rainbow Songs........11 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.ayreon.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Ayreon Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : The Dream Sequencer Label : Transmission ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Line-up ║ │ │║ - Arjen Lucassen / electric and acoustic ║ │ │║ guitars, bass guitar, analogue synthesizers, ║ │ │║ Hammond, Mellotron and additional keyboards ║ │ │║ - Erik Norlander (Ritual Symphony, Rocket ║ │ │║ Scientists, Lana Lane) / analogue synthesizers, ║ │ │║ piano, vocoder, Hammond and additional keyboards ║ │ │║ - Rob Snijders (Celestion Season) / drums ║ │ │║ Synth solos: ║ │ │║ - Erik Norlander / (Rocket Scientists, Lana ║ │ │║ Lane) on 1, 4, 6 ║ │ │║ - Clive Nolan (Arena, Pendragon) on 3 ║ │ │║ Singers: ║ │ │║ - Johan Edlund (Tiamat) on 2 ║ │ │║ - Floor Jansen (After Forever) on 2 ║ │ │║ - Lana Lane - on 3, 6 and voice on 1 ║ │ │║ - Edward Reekers (Kayak) on 4 ║ │ │║ - Mouse (Tuesday Child) on 5 ║ │ │║ - Jacqueline Govaert (Krezip) on 7 ║ │ │║ - Arjen Lucassen on 8 ║ │ │║ - Damian Wilson (Threshold, Landmarq and now ║ │ │║ playing the role of Jesus in Jesus Christ ║ │ │║ Superstar) ║ │ │║ - Neal Morse (Spock's Beard, Transatlantic) on ║ │ │║ 10 ║ │ │║ Backing vocals: ║ │ │║ - Mark McCrite (Rocket Scientists) on 10 ║ │ │║ - Lana Lane on 4, 5 ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ù I can tell this is an acquired taste: some ║ │ │║ of it is actually painful to listen to. Even ║ │ │║ when it is listenable, this is prog-rock at its ║ │ │║ most pretentious. The only reason I gave it two ║ │ │║ stars (it deserves maybe one-and-a-half) is ║ │ │║ because there are actually a couple of songs ║ │ │║ that are "pleasant" (an admittedly backhanded ║ │ │║ compliment). The opening title track is an ║ │ │║ object lesson in how NOT to imitate Pink Floyd: ║ │ │║ I've heard it done better by amateurs. "My House ║ │ │║ on Mars" is an interesting "idea," but is only ║ │ │║ fairly executed. "2084" is the first track that ║ │ │║ is listenable, with some good dynamic changes ║ │ │║ and a nice vocal by Lana Lane. "One Small Step" ║ │ │║ is another weak track. "Shooting Company" is ║ │ │║ another interesting "idea," with obvious Floyd ║ │ │║ and Beatles (MMT) influences. (N.B. If you like ║ │ │║ Beatles/Floyd-influenced sci-fi prog, I highly ║ │ │║ recommend Klaatu's album, "Hope," which is a ║ │ │║ masterpiece of that genre.) "Dragon on the Sea," ║ │ │║ a listenable track, has a chorus that sounds ║ │ │║ like ABBA gone prog, in a minor key. "Temple of ║ │ │║ the Cat" is a pleasant, heavily ELO-influenced ║ │ │║ song (which even sounds like it was produced by ║ │ │║ Jeff Lynne). "Carried By the Wind" is a ║ │ │║ quasi-Irish-flavored number that ultimately ║ │ │║ fails. "And the Druids..." is forgettable, ║ │ │║ despite a strong vocal by Damian Wilson (which ║ │ │║ outshines the song itself). "The First Man on ║ │ │║ Earth," is another pleasant piece, similar to ║ │ │║ "Shooting Company" in its approach, with a good ║ │ │║ vocal by Neal Morse of Spock's Beard. The ║ │ │║ reprise of the title track is as forgettable as ║ │ │║ the original. / Although a few songs are ║ │ │║ "pleasantly listenable," if I had paid for this ║ │ │║ album, I would have asked for my money back. ║ │ │║ Still, it's worth a listen just to see how BAD ║ │ │║ some derivative, bombastic, pretentious prog can ║ │ │║ be. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ù This will not be the album that reconciles ║ │ │║ progressive rock with electronica, although at ║ │ │║ times that's what it seems too be trying for. ║ │ │║ Nearly every song has a sequnced synth intro ║ │ │║ followed by pompous PINK FLOYD-influenced ║ │ │║ rock-musical anthems. "The Dream Sequencer" is ║ │ │║ very like "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", from the ║ │ │║ shimmering synth fade- in to the bluesy guitar ║ │ │║ noodling, but without the originators' sense of ║ │ │║ restraint; "First Man on Earth" starts with some ║ │ │║ Mello sounds but quickly devolves into a ║ │ │║ soundtrack to a cheesy 80s sci-fi action flick ║ │ │║ (think "Flash Gordon" or TOTO's "Dune" ║ │ │║ OSTs...except that I'd definitely prefer QUEEN's ║ │ │║ work over this). "Dream Sequencer Reprise" ║ │ │║ indeed reprises the FLOYD sound, this time more ║ │ │║ similar to the slow guitar-solo passages from ║ │ │║ "Meddle" and "Atom Heart Mother". "My House on ║ │ │║ Mars" follows the blueprint but adds vocal ║ │ │║ harmonies on the chorus as if to conjure up the ║ │ │║ gospel refrains of "Dark Side" or "The Final ║ │ │║ Cut". "2084" is like Andrew Lloyd Webber writing ║ │ │║ for DEF LEPPARD featuring ANNE MURRAY on vocals- ║ │ │║ I'll give this album another star because the ║ │ │║ final whispered vocal line made me giggle. "One ║ │ │║ Small Step" does a "Welcome to the Machine" ║ │ │║ turn- too bad they couldn't even manage to get ║ │ │║ the lyrics to fit half the time. "The Shooting ║ │ │║ Company" could almost be listenable without the ║ │ │║ vocals, which sound somewhere between ║ │ │║ psychedelic Lennon and the PET SHOP BOYS. The ║ │ │║ album goes on way too long, rather like this ║ │ │║ review. Usually even when I don't care for a ║ │ │║ prog band they can inspire my respect for their ║ │ │║ musical talents; this is pretentious enough in ║ │ │║ tone to require a little something special ║ │ │║ musically to back it up, which it never truly ║ │ │║ delivers. If there was even the subtlest sense ║ │ │║ of tongue-in-cheek (as GENESIS did so well) I ║ │ │║ could forgive the ponderousness of these tracks, ║ │ │║ but to me it's like listening seriously to ║ │ │║ SPINAL TAP's "Stonehenge". If you are a big fan ║ │ │║ of overblown rock musicals and/or think that ║ │ │║ FLOYD sounded just as good after Waters left, ║ │ │║ you may indeed like this album. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ù I see that a couple of my unfortunate ║ │ │║ colleagues (Maani and James Lee) made the ║ │ │║ mistake of starting their journey into the ║ │ │║ strange sci-fi world of Ayreon with this ║ │ │║ admittedly subpar release, so I figured I'd ║ │ │║ weigh in on it with my own thoughts, if nothing ║ │ │║ else simply to warn the prog listening public ║ │ │║ NOT to make this their starting point. Arjen ║ │ │║ Anthony Lucassen has had moments of pure genius, ║ │ │║ but most of them have come when he turns up the ║ │ │║ volume, as was emphasized when this was released ║ │ │║ alongside the superior "Universal Migrator" ║ │ │║ album. The reason why neither of those two ║ │ │║ albums could be considered his best are that ║ │ │║ they only show one side of the spectrum that ║ │ │║ Ayreon is capable of reaching, and neither shows ║ │ │║ the true versatility of Arjen's songwriting. ║ │ │║ However, what really makes The Dream Sequencer ║ │ │║ fall short is quite simply that the songs aren't ║ │ │║ all that interesting. Arjen has been heavily ║ │ │║ influenced by Pink Floyd throughout his career, ║ │ │║ and as he mellows out on here, it becomes ║ │ │║ increasingly evident, to the point where it's ║ │ │║ actually getting quite deriative. If you don't ║ │ │║ believe me, listen to the introductory title ║ │ │║ track, which despite being fairly good, sounds ║ │ │║ like it was lifted directly from a "How to play ║ │ │║ guitar like David Gilmour" book, if such a thing ║ │ │║ can be said to exist. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The storyline is pretty much what any Ayreon fan ║ │ │║ should expect from Arjen, dealing with a ║ │ │║ colonist on Mars who watches Earth get destroyed ║ │ │║ by some kind of ultra weapon, and in order to ║ │ │║ make his last days a bit less painful, uses a ║ │ │║ program called The Dream Sequencer, to let him ║ │ │║ see what happened to him in his previous lives. ║ │ │║ While Arjen at his best would be able to make ║ │ │║ this (admittedly) somewhat ridiculous storyline ║ │ │║ work perfectly, the music he wrote for this ║ │ │║ album is nowhere near the quality he's capable ║ │ │║ of, so despite solid vocal performances from ║ │ │║ people like Edward Reekers of Kayak, Floor ║ │ │║ Jansen of After Forever, Neal Morse of Spock's ║ │ │║ Beard and Damian Wilson of Threshold, listening ║ │ │║ to the album the whole way through can be more ║ │ │║ than a bit tedious. The tracks that actually do ║ │ │║ something for me are "One Small Step" and "The ║ │ │║ First Man on Earth", but on an album of The ║ │ │║ Human Equation's quality, they would probably ║ │ │║ rank among the weaker tracks. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In short... get The Human Equation before this. ║ │ │║ Only bother with this one if you're already an ║ │ │║ Ayreon fan and are prepared to be a bit ║ │ │║ underwhelmed. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ù Having been satisfied with AyreonÆs previous ║ │ │║ album ôInto The Electric Castleö I then ║ │ │║ purchased this album û the soft side of The ║ │ │║ Universal Migrator. As Arjen has put it in the ║ │ │║ CD sleeve, his intention to have two parts with ║ │ │║ different style was because he wanted to satisfy ║ │ │║ the fans of both styles: the progressive rock ║ │ │║ fans with ôThe Dream Sequencerö and the metal ║ │ │║ fans with ôFlight of The Migratorö. Or, put it ║ │ │║ in a business buzzword, he wanted to do the ║ │ │║ ômarket segmentationö right and targeting each ║ │ │║ segment with different product. It seemed like ║ │ │║ he applied the principles of marketing proposed ║ │ │║ by Dr. Philip Kotler, I think. What happened ║ │ │║ then? The fans loved those two styles regardless ║ │ │║ their original musical taste, according to ║ │ │║ Arjen. ThatÆs why he released a double album ║ │ │║ Special Edition under Inside Out label û the ║ │ │║ version that I purchased. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ItÆs slow moving! ThatÆs the first impression ║ │ │║ when I listened to the CD at first time. I ║ │ │║ almost lost my patience with the very very slow ║ │ │║ music I was listening to. The Dream Sequencer ║ │ │║ (5:08) begins with a soundscape and effects with ║ │ │║ some narrative greetings for Colonist by female ║ │ │║ voice and robotic talks, followed with keyboard ║ │ │║ work in a very slow tempo. The Floydian guitar ║ │ │║ work enters wonderfully augmented by spacey, ║ │ │║ long sustain keyboard work. [****] ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ My House On Mars (7:49) starts with a music loop ║ │ │║ / sequence with spacey keyboard work at the back ║ │ │║ that reminds me to a song in JEAN MICHELLE JARE ║ │ │║ (hmmm, if Tangerine Dream is featured in this ║ │ │║ site, Jare must be included here as well, I ║ │ │║ think) ôConcerts in Chinaö album. The vocal ║ │ │║ enters the music in very low register notes and ║ │ │║ slow tempo music. There are nice Floydian guitar ║ │ │║ work and nice keyboard solo û all are performed ║ │ │║ in spacey style. [****] ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ 2084 (7:42). The title reminds me to Rick ║ │ │║ WakemanÆs 1984 album that told the story about ║ │ │║ George Orwell. As for this album, I actually ║ │ │║ expected something heavy and energetic as the ║ │ │║ two previous tracks were truly mellow. But what ║ │ │║ I got is another mellow track with female voice ║ │ │║ and simple guitar fills and spacey keyboard. So ║ │ │║ sorry about the drummer û he cannot demonstrate ║ │ │║ his potential to the fullest as his role is ║ │ │║ purely as bar keeper for a very slow track like ║ │ │║ this, no challenging work for him really. ItÆs a ║ │ │║ good track, anyhow. [*** ╜ ] ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ One Small Step (8:46) is another nice outfit ║ │ │║ with simple acoustic guitar fills featuring lead ║ │ │║ singer that performs melodic lyrical part and ║ │ │║ good story. The way orchestration arranged ║ │ │║ reminds me to Royal HuntÆs repertoire û even ║ │ │║ though itÆs not exactly similar. What I really ║ │ │║ enjoy with this track is the guitar solo û itÆs ║ │ │║ stunning. The keyboard solo that follows also ║ │ │║ excellent. All are performed in slow tempo. ║ │ │║ [****]. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The Shooting Company Of Captain Frans B Cocq ║ │ │║ (7:57) is a keyboard-based tune with distant ║ │ │║ vocal singing style and excellent guitar work, ║ │ │║ good melody. With this kind of music, melodic ║ │ │║ and slow tempo, it would favor neo prog lovers. ║ │ │║ [****] ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Well, I donÆt need to elaborate all songs as ║ │ │║ there are very little variations among them. All ║ │ │║ are performed in very slow tempo with similar ║ │ │║ style: spacey keyboards, Floydian guitar and ║ │ │║ very rare tempo changes. As colleague ║ │ │║ collaborator FloydWright has put it, the concept ║ │ │║ is excellent. For my personal taste, each song ║ │ │║ is excellent. However, I have trouble listening ║ │ │║ to the whole disc in its entirety as I tend to ║ │ │║ get bored right after track 6 because every ║ │ │║ single song is alike (tempo-wise), no hard ║ │ │║ driving track as variation. For those of you who ║ │ │║ love Pink Floyd or space progressive music or ║ │ │║ neo prog, you may like this album. I am not ║ │ │║ saying that this album is Pink Floyd-like but at ║ │ │║ least there are bits of it in some tracks. ║ │ │║ Recommended. Keep on progginÆ ..!! ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ù Upon the first listen of this first part, I ║ │ │║ must say that I was really impressed. Initially, ║ │ │║ I thought to myself, "Where's the metal?" When I ║ │ │║ opened up the lyric book, the forward note ║ │ │║ mentions that Lucassen split the album into one ║ │ │║ really progressive one, and one metal one. I ║ │ │║ also like how he tried to stray away from Into ║ │ │║ the Electric Castle, pt. 2, and went for a more ║ │ │║ straightforward approach with this one. I forgot ║ │ │║ to mention the vocalists, and there is an ║ │ │║ eclectic bunch of them. From Neal Morse (Spock's ║ │ │║ Beard, Transatlantic) to Mouse of Tuesday Child, ║ │ │║ there is an impressive amount of different ║ │ │║ voices that should suffice anybody's needs. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The album begins and ends with The Dream ║ │ │║ Sequencer. It sets up the rest of the story, ║ │ │║ telling you how the main character is going ║ │ │║ through all the stages of time (I recommend ║ │ │║ looking in the lyric book as you listen to grasp ║ │ │║ a better idea). Other songs on Pt. 1 worth ║ │ │║ mentioning are 2084, a grim and impressive ║ │ │║ acoustic piece, with harrowing vocals and some ║ │ │║ spectacular playing on Lucassen's part. ║ │ │║ Lucassen's work on this album is really ║ │ │║ top-notch. He plays with great ease, and his ║ │ │║ solos are fluid and crisp. Carried By the Wind ║ │ │║ brings back memories of The Final Experiment, ║ │ │║ where the main character is reincarnated into ║ │ │║ the body of the blind minstrel Ayreon. But with ║ │ │║ all the good things in this albums, there has to ║ │ │║ be a few faults. First off, it is a little too ║ │ │║ synthy for my tastes (but I really do enjoy the ║ │ │║ fantastic Hammond work), and some of the songs ║ │ │║ do drag on a bit. But the phenomenal playing ║ │ │║ really does make up for it. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Overall, this album is not an album to get into ║ │ │║ Ayreon with. I'd recommend you start with The ║ │ │║ Human Equation or Into the Electric Castle, then ║ │ │║ you can diverge into this work. The first part ║ │ │║ is very solid, but the second part is where the ║ │ │║ fun really begins. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ù After being thoroughly impressed with "The ║ │ │║ Electric Castle", I had to pick up master ║ │ │║ LUCASSEN's next progressive rock work... "The ║ │ │║ Universal Migrator" program has been selected. ║ │ │║ The genius of AYREON's music rests in that of ║ │ │║ its creator Arjen Anthony LUCASSEN who once ║ │ │║ again adds a cast of musicians to help him ║ │ │║ fulfill his space odyssey. LUCASSEN himself ║ │ │║ wrote the music and played guitars, bass, ║ │ │║ synths, mellotron and hammond. Recognizable ║ │ │║ talent includes Erik NORLANDER (ROCKET ║ │ │║ SCIENTISTS) (keyboards and voice), Clive NOLAN ║ │ │║ (keyboards) with Lana LANE, Neal MORSE, Damian ║ │ │║ WILSON and others adding their vocals ║ │ │║ throughout. Songs are highly melodic and full of ║ │ │║ grand epic-like character with some tasty ║ │ │║ musicianship. "The Dream Sequencer" offers some ║ │ │║ pretty big sound dynamics and will likely ║ │ │║ challenge those old speakers you are driving. As ║ │ │║ you would expect this album is a wonderful mix ║ │ │║ of melodic and space music with some great sound ║ │ │║ bites throughout. A great album with some highly ║ │ │║ memorable melodies and captivating music. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The first couple of tracks on this AYREON album ║ │ │║ could easily come from an PINK FLOYD record, at ║ │ │║ least if PINK FLOYD would work with the vocalist ║ │ │║ of TIAMAT ;) ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Don't be surprised by the fact that Johan Edlund ║ │ │║ of TIAMAT sings on one of the songs, it's not ║ │ │║ alike the way he sings with TIAMAT, he now shows ║ │ │║ us that he can sing instead of growling. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ About the album: Most of this album is ║ │ │║ atmospheric, keyboard orientated music, ║ │ │║ accompanied by great guitars en drums.. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ There are actually only a couple of really stand ║ │ │║ out tracks (which are even better than the rest) ║ │ │║ and those are: ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ 1. The instrumental opener of the album: The ║ │ │║ Dream Sequencer, which has stunning guitarwork ║ │ │║ on it and is very remiscent to PINK FLOYD. 2. My ║ │ │║ House on Mars, I really love the vocals of Johan ║ │ │║ Edlund (TIAMAT). 3. 2084, great haunting ║ │ │║ melodies accompanied by the nice warm voice of ║ │ │║ Lana Lane. 4. Carried by the Wind. The ║ │ │║ Keyboard's on this song are just fabelous! ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Just a wannahave if you like Pink Floyd and ║ │ │║ Porcupine Tree ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ù Of the two Migrator albums, The Dream ║ │ │║ Sequencer--the mellower, more atmospheric of the ║ │ │║ two, is in my opinion the stronger one, and ║ │ │║ worth hearing just for the first four songs ║ │ │║ alone. The premise, related, apparently, to ║ │ │║ prior albums, is of a Martian colonist at the ║ │ │║ beginning of the 22nd century who is now the ║ │ │║ last human being alive. Lonely, desperate, and ║ │ │║ in danger of running out of supplies, he seeks ║ │ │║ refuge in a machine called the Dream Sequencer ║ │ │║ which takes him back, in a hypnotized state, to ║ │ │║ his prior lives. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The first four songs, to my mind, offer the most ║ │ │║ powerful emotional punch. After the soothing, ║ │ │║ Pink Floyd-like introduction of "The Dream ║ │ │║ Sequencer", we are taken back to the narrator's ║ │ │║ desolate childhood--to the moment when the young ║ │ │║ boy first realizes he will never see Earth...nor ║ │ │║ even lead any semblance of a normal life on his ║ │ │║ dying colony world. The vocals by Johan Edlund, ║ │ │║ while admittedly strange to say the least, could ║ │ │║ not be better fitted for the emotionally-draned ║ │ │║ narrator's state of mind. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ After this, we travel back to "2084"...the year ║ │ │║ when the human race unleashed a devastating ║ │ │║ superweapon and wiped the planet barren of all ║ │ │║ life. The introduction is chilling beyond ║ │ │║ words...as air raid sirens sound and machine ║ │ │║ guns are fired, it's all too easy to imagine ║ │ │║ this being our fate 80 years from now. Could ║ │ │║ such a superweapon be in the works somewhere, in ║ │ │║ some terrorist's basement or in some ║ │ │║ government's secret lab? Who knows? After all ║ │ │║ this, it is a truly haunting transition into ║ │ │║ "One Small Step", where a young boy in the 20th ║ │ │║ century (again one of the narrator's past lives) ║ │ │║ hears the news that man has landed on the ║ │ │║ moon...but in his sleep he is then haunted by ║ │ │║ warning dreams. As a listener, for a second I ║ │ │║ was even fooled into thinking, It's a shame it ║ │ │║ all turned out that way, as JFK's voice ║ │ │║ announced the inauguration of the space program. ║ │ │║ To hear that voice, this quote, once such ║ │ │║ symbols of youth, vitality, and optimism, in ║ │ │║ this context is emotionally crushing, and ║ │ │║ perhaps the most masterful touch on the entire ║ │ │║ album. It still chokes me up to hear it, to this ║ │ │║ day. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The next songs are, while quite enjoyable for ║ │ │║ the most part, a bit less emotionally- involving ║ │ │║ than the first four...but then again, those four ║ │ │║ are almost impossible to match. "Dragon on the ║ │ │║ Sea" is probably my favorite of thees, telling ║ │ │║ the tale of Queen Elizabeth's stand against ║ │ │║ Spain's Invincible Armada, cleverly set to the ║ │ │║ rhythm of ships' cannons...apparently our humble ║ │ │║ narrator has lived in high places! "Carried by ║ │ │║ the Wind" will be a treat to fans of Arjen ║ │ │║ Lucassen's voice; he sings the song by himself ║ │ │║ in its entirety, unusual among Ayreon songs. ║ │ │║ This is the only other song besides the first ║ │ │║ three that relies entirely on a fictional ║ │ │║ character--a blind 6th century minstrel named ║ │ │║ Ayreon, who tried to warn humanity of the ║ │ │║ horrible fate he (correctly) perceived in the ║ │ │║ distant future. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The Dream Sequencer is, overall, incredible, and ║ │ │║ would have easily received a 5.0 if not for one ║ │ │║ song: "The Temple of the Cat". The vocalist, ║ │ │║ unfortunately, is annoying. I try very hard to ║ │ │║ cut foreign singers a lot of slack, but ║ │ │║ occasionally someone makes so many errors, and ║ │ │║ in crucial places, that it ceases to be alluring ║ │ │║ and becomes impossible to ignore. That's what ║ │ │║ happened when the singer finally mispronounced ║ │ │║ "cat" (among other things) so many times in, ║ │ │║ shall we say, a very prolonged manner. I would ║ │ │║ have advised that either this song be dropped ║ │ │║ (at the length of this album it wouldn't take ║ │ │║ away much) or that another vocalist perform it. ║ │ │║ I really don't understand why it was chosen as ║ │ │║ the album's representative single--"Dragon on ║ │ │║ the Sea" or "Carried by the Wind" might have ║ │ │║ done the album much more justice. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ As with The Human Equation, the lyrics are ║ │ │║ passable, but not the main skill of the band. ║ │ │║ However--the concept is excellent, and the music ║ │ │║ should provide more than enough to satisfy. ║ │ │║ Those of you who do not care for metal may want ║ │ │║ to use this as an introduction to Ayreon, in ║ │ │║ fact. In spite of one song with an oversight, I ║ │ │║ think that any and all fans of prog rock should ║ │ │║ have The Dream Sequencer in their ║ │ │║ collection--ideally with its companion album, ║ │ │║ the prog-metal adventure The Flight of the ║ │ │║ Migrator. Ayreon, overall, may be one of the ║ │ │║ most innovative musical projects currently in ║ │ │║ existence. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 01 - The Dream Sequencer [05:09] │ │ 02 - My House On Mars [07:49] │ │ 03 - 2084 [07:42] │ │ 04 - One Small Step [08:46] │ │ 05 - The Shooting Company Of Captain Frans B Co [07:58] │ │ 06 - Dragon On The Sea [07:09] │ │ 07 - Temple Of The Cat [04:11] │ │ 08 - Carried By The Wind [03:59] │ │ 09 - And The Druids Turn To Stone [06:36] │ │ 10 - The First Man On Earth [07:20] │ │ 11 - The Dream Sequencer Reprise [03:36] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [70:15 minn │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘