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AYREONAUTS ONLY
As we have come to expect from Ayreon, the 'Ayreonauts Only'
CD comes very nicely packaged. The artwork for the booklet cover incorporates imagery from all of the previous albums and inside, a page is devoted to each song with full lists of musicians, photos and an explaination from Arjen of why the track appears.
I think we all know by now that this is an album of alternative versions of songs from other albums, and we start with four numbers from 'Flight of the Migrator', firstly 'Into the Black Hole' (10.46). Lana
Lane sung the original guide vocals and Damian Wilson recorded a version in case Bruce Dickinson didn't have the time to sing it.
Arjen mixed and blended Damian and Lana's voices - fabulous singers both - together and it makes a great duet; their voices complimenting each other perfectly.
The version of 'Out of the White Hole' (7.12) features the voice of Robert Soeterboek who sung 'To The Solar System' on 'Flight...' and appeared on the first couple of Ayreon albums.
Robert has a great rock voice and he performs excellently here and I must say that I prefer his version of the two as a stand alone song - although Timo Kotipelto's fits in better with the mood of the original album.
Another guide vocal for 'Through the Wormhole' (6.14), this time from Ian Parry.
Next comes an early version of the opening track of the 'Flight...' album. 'Carpe Diem (Chaos)' (4.15) is an 4 track home demo recorded in 1992 for one of Arjen's earlier bands. This is a good fun track, really interesting listening and proves to all aspiring musicians that if you have a good tune, hold on to it - because it might come in useful one day!
Moving on to the 'Dream Sequencer' album, this is an acoustic version of 'Temple of the Cat' (3.07) featuring the 14 year old Astrid van der Veen on vocals, with Arjen playing all of the instruments.
Astrid has a voice that is sweet and pure, yet has an amazing maturity and together they have created a lovely interpretation with a psychedelic feel.
Moving backwards in time to 'Into The Electric Castle', we next have 'Original Hippie's Amazing Trip' (6.38).
Arjen sang this part on the album as, due to technical problems he couldn't access the tapes with Mouse's vocals. Having solved the problems, this is a medley made from three songs - and he would have made a wonderful Hippie.
Back again to 'Actual Fantasy' - and a newly recorded version of 'Beyond The Last Horizon' (5.34). Gary Hughes (Ten) provides the vocal, with Robert Soeterboek and Okkie Huysdens on backing vocals, real drums
from Stephen van Haestregt and Arjen playing everything else with just the guitar and synth solo from the original. This is a song with a great catchy chorus line and it makes a really nice smooth and warm
sound - and I love the Beatle-y chanting in the outro.
Back one more step to 'The Final Experiment, and the first of three tracks from here is 'The Charm of the Seer' (3.30).
This is an eight track home demo with Arjen singing and playing - and this certainly has a charm all of its own.
Leon Goewie's vocals sit well against the heavy, sensuous and eastern sounding instrumentation of 'Eyes of Time' (5.10) and turns this into a great rock number.
'Nature's Dance' (2.33) is another eight track demo, here performed in an acoustic setting with a natural vocal. This makes for a simpler and more appealing sound with a very definate psychedelic feel.
Catapaulting forward in time to the future, the last track of the album comes from Arjen's upcoming Ambeon project with Astrid van der Veen providing vocals and lyrics, Stephen van Haestregt on drums, bassist Jolanda
Verduijn - and Arjen playing the rest. 'Cold Metal' (7.10) has a vocal style very reminiscent of the early work of Sinaid O'Connor (circa 'The Lion and the Cobra') and combines heavy rhythms with brooding,
atmosperic synth sounds which are lightened by short passages of inspired guitar work ... I look forward to the album if this is a representative sample.
This is an absolute essential for all of the Ayrean fans out there although I do also feel that much of the material stands up in its own right.
Marisa 7th February 2001
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