Release date: March 27, 2020
Label: Mascot Label Group/Music Theories
Production: Arjen Anthony Lucassen
Length: 2:26:39
Genre: progressive rock/progressive metal
Rating: 9.5/10
Ayreon, the project of Dutch multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and producer Arjen Anthony Lucassen, created its most celebrated record, the conceptual space-rock opera «Into the Electric Castle» (RockLine review HERE), back in 1998, and floored the prog-rock world with it. In 2019, on the twentieth anniversary of the release of this most beloved Ayreon album, Arjen decided to play it in full ‘live’, together with some longtime musical collaborators and a few new guests. The result of this super-ambitious undertaking is the new live album «Electric Castle Live and Other Tales», the audio recording of one of the four shows that took place on this rare occasion. Ayreon had pulled off a similar, seemingly impossible live feat four years earlier, when they released the live album «The Theater Equation» (2016), a live version of the album «The Human Equation» (2004).
For this rare occasion Arjen was joined by almost all the singers who took part in the studio version of «Into the Electric Castle», led by Fish (ex-Marillion), Damian Wilson (ex-Threshold), Edward Reekers (ex-Kayak) and Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering), while keeping them company were ‘regular’ drummer Ed Warby, guitarist Marcel Singor (Kayak), keyboardist Joost van der Broek (ex-After Forever) and flutist Thijs Van Leer, the boss of the legendary Dutch prog-rock band Focus, to name just some of the instrumentalists. Marcela Bovio (Mayan), Simone Simons and Marc Jansen (both of Epica) stepped in for some of the absent vocalists from the studio version of «Into the Electric Castle».
Despite the enviable lineup of revered vocal and instrumental names from the world of progressive rock and progressive metal, the biggest star of the night was undoubtedly cult American actor John de Lancie, whom most people know best as the ‘omnipotent’ Q in the sci-fi series ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’. De Lancie, who plays the narrator in the role of the mysterious alien entity The Voice, replaced Peter Daltrey, who took part in the original version of «Into the Electric Castle». De Lancie, a true master of sci-fi-flavored theatrical choreography, did his job with distinction: his trademark sinister, cynical, biting and mocking voice, which ties the individual songs together, comes off even better than the original, i.e. Daltrey’s version, and was instrumental in creating the tense, dramatic atmosphere that runs through the lion’s share of the «Into the Electric Castle» performances. De Lancie rewrote most of the narration and tailored it to his own theatrical style, which Arjen, a longtime fan of the actor’s work, ‘blessed’.
From a choreography and staging standpoint, performing «Into the Electric Castle» live was an extremely demanding project, but with the help of his splendid musical guests and a prestigious actor, Arjen managed to pull off an exceptionally good, heartfelt live version of this ambitious space-rock opera, one that falls short of the studio original in practically nothing. The differences are minor and more or less come down to which singer you personally prefer in a given role, say Simone Simons or Sharon den Adel (on the studio version) as the Indian. The fantastic adventure through the labyrinths of the electric castle runs from the opening «Welcome to Another Dimension» to the closing, epic triumph of «Another Time, Another Space», when the live performance of the space-rock opera wraps up successfully with solo and then choral vocal contributions from all the guest singers.
After the full «Into the Electric Castle» is done, Arjen’s all-star lineup played a few songs from his other, lesser-known projects like The Gentle Storm, Ambeon and Stream of Passion, while the Dutch multi-instrumentalist took advantage of Fish being there for a very fitting cover of the Marillion hit «Kayleigh». The live recording closes with «Pink Beatles in a Purple Zeppelin», which comes from Arjen’s solo album «Lost in the New Real» (2012), and the Star One standard «Songs of the Ocean» from the band’s self-titled debut, which is also the only moment on this recording when Arjen picks up his favorite instrument, the electric guitar. Funnily enough, out of all the possible Star One songs, they picked the one with lyrics inspired by a film from the Star Trek saga, which left a defining mark on De Lancie’s acting career.
After more than two decades, the most revered album in the story of Lucassen’s ever-ambitious Ayreon project has finally got a live version, and it’s remarkably faithful to the studio original. That’s news that’s bound to delight most fans of this singular Dutch musical oddball. The production is ‘polished’ to a shine throughout, so much so that, apart from the rare moments when the audience chimes in, it’s easy to forget you’re listening to a live album. For a concept-driven project like Ayreon, that kind of production actually comes off as a plus. And De Lancie’s outstanding narration is the thing that tips the scales, which is why for many the live version of «Into the Electric Castle» will even top the original, which most of the faithful still consider the magnum opus of this splendid Lucassen prog-rock/prog-metal project.
Review by: Peter Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. Welcome to the New Dimension
2. Isis and Osiris
3. Amazing Flight
4. Time Beyond Time
5. The Decision Tree
6. Tunnel of Light
7. Across the Rainbow Bridge
8. The Garden of Emotions
9. Valley of the Queens
10. The Castle Hall
11. Tower of Hope
12. Cosmic Fusion
13. Robby Valentine
14. The Mirror Maze
15. Evil Devolution
16. The Two Gates
17. Forever of the Stars
18. Another Time, Another Space
19. Shores of India
20. Ashes
21. Out in the Real World
22. Twisted Coil
23. Kayleigh
24. Pink Beatles in a Purple Zeppelin
25. Songs of the Ocean
Singers and their roles:
John de Lancie – narrator
Arjen Anthony Lucassen – Hippie
Fish (ex-Marillion) – Scottish Highlander
Simone Simons (Epica) – Indian
Damian Wilson (Headspace, Maiden uniteD, ex-Threshold) – Knight
Edwin Balogh – Roman
Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gentle Storm, VUUR, ex-The Gathering) – Egyptian
John Jaycee Cuijpers – Barbarian
Edward Reekers (ex-Kayak) – Futurist
George Oosthoek – Death
Mark Jansen (Epica, Mayan, ex-After Forever) – Death
Marcela Bovio (ex-Stream of Passion, Mayan) – backing vocals, lead vocals on “Out in the Real World”
Dianne van Giersbergen (Ex Libris, ex-Xandria) – backing vocals
Jan Willem Ketelaers – backing vocals
Robert Soeterboek – vocals on “Songs of the Ocean”
Michael Mills (Toehider) – TH-1 (recorded intro in the Other Tales section)
Rutger Hauer – Voight Kampff (recorded intro on “Pink Beatles in a Purple Zeppelin”)
Instrumentalists:
Ed Warby – drums
Marcel Singor (Kayak) – lead guitar
Ferry Duijsens (VUUR) – guitar
Bob Wijtsma (Ex Libris) – guitar
Johan van Stratum (VUUR, ex-Stream of Passion) – bass guitar
Joost van den Broek (ex-After Forever) – keyboards
Ben Mathot – violin
Jurriaan Westerveld – cello
Thijs van Leer (Focus) – flute
Robby Valentine – piano on “Robby Valentine” and “The Mirror Maze”
Arjen Anthony Lucassen – guitar on “Songs of the Ocean”
