Radio Massacre International: Lost in Transit 3rd pressing info

(Thanks to 'Webmaster Mike,' a.k.a. Michael Ostrich, for bringing this to my attention!)


Since the first two pressings sold out earlier this summer, we've have been inundated with requests to re-press Lost in Transit. We are currently looking into this and expect to possibly repress later in the autumn..but that depends on you. Any pressing will be STRICTLY limited edition, and will be on a first-requested, first serve basis. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR ANY MONEY AT THIS TIME - just an email stating that you would like to buy one, as well as the country you are from. So, if you wish to pre-order a copy please drop Webmaster Mike an email and we'll add you to the list. We'll do our best to make sure you get a copy!


Here's what’s included:
The Gatherings 2004
National Space Center 2005
National Space Center 2006 (w/Ian Boddy)
Various live tracks with Damo Suzuki (2004 & 2006)
Rain Falls In Leicester & Baltimore (w/Martin Archer, Cyndee Lee Rule & Premik Russell Tubbs)
The Gatherings 2007 (Sets 1 & 2) (w/Cyndee Lee Rule)

IQ: The Wake 25th Anniversary Edition ready for order

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of IQ´s classic album The Wake, GEP is to release an extraordinary 4 disc edition of this recording.

The 4-disc boxed set includes:

the remastered version of the album
two additional discs with:

• work in progress
• rough mixes
• studio outtakes
• demos
• writing sessions

a fourth disc containing:

• 47 minutes of ultra-rare live video from 1984 (the oldest existing footage of the band)
• a full album video commentary by Peter Nicholls, Mike Holmes and Paul Cook
• the multi-track files for a DIY-mix of the song “Corners“
• tons of additional audio-material and interviews as mp3 files.

a 60-page-full-colour-booklet, featuring new artwork, unseen photographs, memorabilia and a documentary of the album´s history with contributions from all members of the band.

a double sided poster featuring the original album artwork

PLEASE NOTE: This will ship on or before the 30th July

http://www.iq-store.co.uk/shop/

Magma Monday 4: Theusz Hamtaahk

Welcome to Just Another Magma Monday. Once a week, your obd’t narrator and occasional blogger will trawl the expanses of his Magma collection to discuss something of Zeuhl-ish importance. Whether it’s the studio albums, the best of the AKT archive releases, one of the sundry live DVDs, or a choice artifact from his ‘unofficial’ collection, one thing is for sure…for this writer, Magma iss de hundin!

This week, sit back and relax as we take a look at Theusz Hamtaahk, the 3 CD boxed set of Magma performing the Theusz Hamtaahk trilogy at the Triannon theatre in Paris on 13/14 May 2000.


As I think back on the trials and tribulations I went through in deciding to finally purchase this set, I wonder what exactly was wrong with me at the time. After all, we are talking about someone who didn’t blink some 10 years earlier at spending 40 to 50 dollars US for copies of three Renaissance albums that were only available and in print in Japan at the time (but that’s a story for another post)…nor did I have issues with spending close to 30 dollars a piece for 2 of the 4 Mythes et Legendes DVDs a couple years later. Hell, I didn’t even have a problem spending the 65.00 US at the time to purchase a copy of Kenso’s Live in USA DVD (a price that’s now up around 80.00 thanks to exchange rates).

But the Trilogie boxed set…for some reason, that would be a totally different story.

The 3-CD boxed set came out in 2001, and I’d become a covert to the cause, as it were, 2 years later. At NEARfest 2004 I started looking seriously at the boxed set, thinking to myself ‘Self, here is a way to get three Magma albums you don’t yet have, in one fell swoop, and get live takes on them as well. Buy!’ And I would pick it up, turn it over…and then put it back down. The same thing happened in 2005. And then again in 2006…at least through the first 2 bands. Finally, before Riverside took the stage, a friend of mine pulled me aside and said ‘Bill, if you don’t buy that (redacted so as to not offend sensitive eyes) Magma boxed set right now, I’m going to take your wallet and buy it for you!’

Suitably chastened, I bought it. And I didn’t regret it. Of course, I then proceeded to leave the boxed set in the theatre and had to run back in to get it, nearly running over a somewhat surprised Mike Portnoy, but that’s neither here nor there, and realistically is one of those stories for another time yet again.

Let’s take a look at the set, in case you’ve never seen it:

My box is sadly a little crushed these days, having survived but barely 2 moves in about 2 years. But it’s a glossy little box, a little larger than the mini-LP style sleeves inside. The Magma logo is gold foil stamped on the front, the back is printed with a list of the material presented within, and the spine is printed to look like three of the Seventh Records jewel cases, one for each disc. It’s a classy looking boxed set, to be sure.

Inside the box are two booklets. The smaller features photographs from the performances, as well as track listings and performer/production credits. Had this set come in a jewel case, this would be the basic liner notes booklet. It is the second book that is far more interesting, as it is the libretto for the performance; all the lyrics to Theusz Hamtaahk, Ẁurdah Ïtah and Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh, in their original Kobaian, for your reading and singing along pleasure. Sadly there’s no translation, but that’s just as well, as these are albums intended to be listened to as is, with the listener being moved by the sounds of the instruments and the voices of the singers.

Each of the three albums inside are encased in sleeves of similar design, with a treated band photo in differing primary hues. No track listings are included on any of the three albums, though a list of who plays on each release is includes inside the gatefold, with tiny pictures of each musician next to their names. Everything fits fairly firmly in the box; there’s not a lot of room for things to slide around a lot.

The performances are the area most readers are going to be interested in, and I have to say that at the time I purchased this, these are preferred recordings for me. As time has gone on I think other performances have eclipsed at least one of the three suites (Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh, for which I prefer currently the Epok II DVD), but the rendition of Theusz Hamtaahk in here is still the one I reach for when I am in the mood for that particular piece. Of course, it usually follows that I want to hear the rest of the trilogy in succession by that point, so this boxed set still gets a lot of play.

I don’t want the above paragraph to imply that the performances of Ẁurdah Ïtah and Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh are poor here; I do think that a few more years of playing together leads the band to be much tighter, their playing more telepathic and powerful, on the Epok DVDs filmed at le Triton. However, when one considers the length of time this particular band had been playing this particular set of material, the performances here are nothing short of astounding. It’s only been in the last 10 years, really, that Magma has become more of a constant focus for Christian Vander again, but in 2000, to have a band convene for a series of concerts playing this material to the level of quality here is amazing. Vander’s playing is as impressive as ever, and there are reasons James Mac Gaw and Philippe Bussonnet remain essential parts of Magma to this day. I do rather wish that the encore material from these shows ('Hhaï') had been included, but as it’s not part of the trilogy, I can accept their exclusion.

As I look back, nearly 10 years on from the release of this set of concert recordings, I can state that there are perhaps better places for a Magma fan new to the band in a live context to dig in. There are none quite as inclusive for the same price, however, and once you factor in the libretto of Kobaian lyrics (and believe me, it does help in some of the faster sections to understand what words are being sung, even if you don’t understand the words), there aren’t many places that are as ‘user friendly’ as this. I just wish I had picked up the box sooner :-)

Join me again next week for another trip back into the Magma Vaults, as we look at the bonus discs packed in to the recent Studio Zünd: 40 Ans d'Evolution boxed set. As always, thanks for spending some of your Monday with Magma and me, and I’ll see you next week!



CD 1 - First Movement: Theusz Hamtaahk
1. Malawëlëkaahm − 6:28
2. Sëwolahwëhn Öhn Zaïn − 6:42
3. Dëümb Ëwëlëss Dölëhn − 3:52
4. Zeuhl Wortz − 2:28
5. Gorutz Waahrn − 3:15
6. Tü Lü Lï Ë Üi Dü Wiï − 1:08
7. Se Lah Maahrï Donsaï − 2:31
8. Slibenli Dëh Theusz − 5:21
9. Zortsüng − 3:09

CD 2 - Second Movement: Ẁurdah Ïtah
1. Malawëlëkaahm (Incantation) − 4:21
2. Bradïa Da Zïmehn Iëgah (L'initié A Parlé) − 2:35
3. Manëh Fur Da Zëss (Ensemble Pour Le Maître) − 1:42
4. Fur Dï Hël Kobaïa ( Pour La Vie Eternelle) − 5:38
5. Blüm Tendiwa (L'Ame Du Peuple) − 5:49
6. Wohldünt Me¨m Dëwëlëss (Message Dans L'étendue) − 3:08
7. Waïnsaht !!! (En Avant !!!) − 3:11
8. Wlasïk Steuhn Kobaïa (Ascension Vers L'éternel) − 2:44
9. Sëhnntëht Dros Wurdah Süms (la Mort N'est Rien) − 6:00
10. C'est La Vie Qui Les A Menés Là! − 4:32
11. Ëk Sün Da Zëss (Qui Est Le Maître) − 2:37
12. De Zeuhl Ündazïr (Vision De La Musique Céleste) − 6:11

CD 3 - Third Movement: Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh
1. Hortz Fur Dëhn Stekëhn West − 10:16
2. Ïma Sürï Dondaï − 4:13
3. Kobaïa Iss Dëh Hündïn − 2:07
4. Da Zeuhl Wortz Mëkanïk − 7:20
5. Nebëhr Gudahtt − 7:39
6. Mëkanïk Kömmandöh − 8:05
7. Kreühn Köhrmahn Ïss Dëh Hündïn − 1:30
8. Da Zeuhl Wortz Waïnsaht (Hymne De La Zeuhl Wortz) − 1:53
9. Untitled (Joyeux Anniversaire) − 5:41

Personnel
Christian Vander − Drums
Emmanuel Borghi − Piano
Stella Vander − Vocals, Piano, Percussion
Antoine Paganotti − Vocals, Piano
James Mac Gaw − Vocals, Piano, Guitar
Claude Lamamy − Vocals
Jean-Christophe Gamet − Vocals
Julie Vander − Vocals
Isabelle Feuillebois − Vocals, Percussion
Philippe Bussonnet − Bass
Fred Burgazzi − Trombone
Ronan Simon − Trombone
Benoît Gaudiche − Trumpet
Yannick Neveu − Trumpet

CD REVIEW: Magma, Studio Zund (Seventh Records, 2008)

The mere thought of a 12 CD boxed set of Magma recordings is sure to cause most prog fans to have a fit. On one side, ardent fans of the zeuhl genre likely will be salivating at the idea of a big black box emblazoned with Magma logos, filled to overflowing with musical goodness. On the other hand, there is a more than insignificant portion of the prog fanbase who greets the name Magma with hands over the ears and tongue sticking out like they’d just taken poison.

Yes, it’s fair to say that Magma is a polarising band.

Studio Zund is an impressive release to be sure. Yes, it compiles in one convenient package all the original Magma studio albums, from Kobaia in 1970 through Kohntarkosz Anteria from 2004. None of the releases have seen any remastering or sonic tweaking (I am not sure how much any of them really needed it…they are products of their period, and to my ears have sounded pretty good historically), but for the fan who wants everything to look the same presentation wise, you just can’t go wrong. Each album is in a nice card digipak, with all edges in red and black, numbered chronologically on the bottom in red, and with nicely reproduced cover art. Inside each album’s packaging, you get a thick, beefy booklet with notes from Christian Vander himself (along with another author whose name escapes me, as I only have one disc with me today as I write this review) that go into the recording and writing process of each release. I love that…I love getting an artist’s take on the process of creation, and for a band so identified with a singular musician and philosophy, such notes are almost essential.

What will draw in the most attention is the 2 CD Archiw set, which compiles a number of interesting historical recordings. We get the first demos from 1970, sourced from vinyl (yes, it’s pretty obvious, as there’s pops and crackles in the recording; not enough in my opinion to detract from the listening, but it is there. Fair warning), an early take on Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh with just rhythm section and a vocal guide track, the original sound track from the film 24 heures seulement recorded that same year by the line-up playing on the first album, and a version of “Eliphas Levi” with drums. For me, again, these historical recordings are enlightening. I do not know that they would be so for others, but considering how frequently I go searching for material like this (old demos, et cetera), it’s nice to have them in one place along with the rest of the catalogue.

As a Magma fan, purchasing this boxed set was an easy decision to make (though this has not always been the case…ask any of my friends how hard it was for me to finally bite the bullet and purchase Trilogie au Triannon a few years back). Considering that the boxed set contains 12 CDs, the cost is minimal really. It does make the albums I already own duplicates, but I am sure that I can find good homes for the ones that I’ve just purchased again. As this set only covers the core releases, things like Mekanïk Kommandöh (the other early version the band has released officially) are not included, nor are the official live albums or any of the official bootlegs released on Akt Records over the years.

So, who is Studio Zund aimed at? I’m not sure there. Hardcore fans probably have everything on here save for the material on Archiw I & II…and for them, I’d wager a $100 + price tag for 2 discs is probably a bit much. As I’ve not gotten the whole studio discography yet (and several of the ones I do have I have as officially purchased downloads), it was easier to justify the purchase, and have the bonus of the unreleased material. What I can and will state is that this is one of the most attractively designed, well thought out boxed sets I have seen in recent years (tho the Henry Cow boxes probably beat this on sheer volume and unreleased material standpoints), and pretty essential for presenting the catalogue of one of the most influential, important bands in all of progressive music.


Contents:
1970: Magma (reissued as Kobaïa)
1971: 1001° Centigrades
1973: Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh
1974: Ẁurdah Ïtah
1974: Köhntarkösz
1976: Üdü Wüdü
1978: Attahk
1984: Merci
2004: K.A. (Kohntarkosz Anteria)
2008: Archiw 1 & II


Musicians (likely a far from exhaustive list)
Christian Vander – drums, vocals
Claude Engel – guitars, flute, vocals
Francis Moze – electric bass, contrabass
François Cahen – piano
Teddy Lasry – soprano sax, flute
Richard Raux – alto and tenor sax, flute
Alain "Paco" Charlery – trumpet, percussion
Klaus Basquiz – vocals
Jeff Seffer - Saxophone, Bass Clarinet
Louis Toesca – Trumpet
Jannick Top — Bass
Jean Luc Manderlier — Piano, Organ
Rene Garber — Bass Clarinet, Vocals
Claude Olmos — Guitar
Stella Vander — Vocals
Muriel Streisfield — Vocals
Evelyne Razymovski — Vocals
Michele Saulnier — Vocals
Doris Reinhardt — Vocals
Gerard Bikialo - Pianos,Yamaha Organ
Michel Graillier - Pianos, Clavinet
Brian Godding - Guitar
Alain Hatot - Saxophones, Flute
Patrick Gauthier - Piano, Synthesiser
Bernard Paganotti - Bass, Vocals
"Lisa" - Vocals
Lucille Cullaz - Vocals
Catherine Szpira – Vocals
Tony Russo - Trumpet
Jacques Bolognesi – Trombone
Benoit Widemann - Grand Piano, Rhodes, Mini-Moog, Oberheim Polyphonic
Guy Delacroix - "Earth" Bass, "Air" Bass
Guy Khalifa - Vocals
Francois Laizeau - Drums, Drum Programming
Marc Eliard - Bass
Liza Deluxe - Backing Vocals
Simon Goubert - Synthesizer
Phillipe Slominski - Trumpet
Christian Martinez - Trumpet
Michel Goldberg - Saxophone
Freddy Opsepian - Trumpet
Christian Guizen - Trombone
Alex Ferrand - Vocals
Jean Luc Chevalier - Guitar
Paul Bayle - Saxophone
Denis LeLoup - Trombone
Arrigo Lorenzi - Soprano Sax
Maria Popkiewicz - Backing Vocals
Jerome Naulay - Trombone
Zaka - Percussion
Michel Graillier - Rhodes Piano
James Mac Gaw — Guitars
Emmanuel Borghi — Piano, Fender Rhodes
Frédéric d'Oelsnitz — Fender Rhodes
Philippe Bussonet — Bass guitar
Antoine Paganotti — Vocals
Himiko Paganotti — Vocals
Isabelle Feuillebois — Vocals

Harmonium boxed set forthcoming

http://www.canoe.com/divertissement/dvd/nouvelles/2009/06/03/9661776-jdm.html

Translation follows, courtesy of Yves on ProgressiveEars:

Harmonium Will Relive On DVD

The complete works of Harmonium will be revisited in a series of 6 DVDs, documentaries, music, archive photos, and the presentation of their last concert March 4th 1977 at the Théatre Outremont. This box set is scheduled to be released November 11. TVA Films will be in charge of this project.

"Harmonium has marked an entire era and continues to capture the interest of another generation. We will travel their entire journey with them. Even their last concert will be presented in colour. Thanks to the collaboration of Serge Fiori and Louis Valois, we will re-immerse ourselves , for a moment, in history and in time. They have opened their archives. This will be a veritable collector's item with many never-before-seen images" TVA Films' Yves Dion told us.

Unique Documents

The box set contains not less than 6 DVDs.

"This will truly be a collectors item. We have completely restored, and colorised, their last concert at Thétre Outremont. From their birth, to the force of their music, to their stage presence, it's a veritable journey in the world of Harmonium that we're offering to the people. In fact we will attempt to answer 30 years of questions." added Yves Dion.

Quality Documents

How was Harmoium born? Why did the group transform from album to album? What were the circumstance surrounding the band's decision to quit recording? What became of the band members? Serge Fiori will tell his tale.

32 years after their last show, Harmonium will be granted a second life.

"Serge Fiori is very pround and so are we" concluded Yves Dion, impressed by the quality of the archives retained for the marketing of this DVD.

The Harmonium box set goes on sale November 11.

LTE reunion mega-boxed set announced

http://ytsejamrecords.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=32

"The LTE Box Set is the ultimate souvenir of Liquid Tension Experiment's 10th Anniversary Reunion Tour.

Included in this deluxe package is both the NYC and LA shows in their entirety (on both CD and DVD), as well as the Liquid Trio Experiment 2 CD and two items that are exclusive to this set and will not be available separately: Live In LA on BluRay disc and a bonus CD of all of the improv jams from the other LTE 2008 shows.

THIS DELUXE BOX SET IS LIMITED EDITION AND ONLY AVAILABLE ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS!!!
THERE WILL ONLY BE ONE PRESSING DONE AND ONCE THEY ARE GONE, THEY ARE GONE FOREVER!!!
DON'T REGRET MISSING OUT ON THIS GREAT COLLECTOR'S ITEM!"

Box Set Includes:

• LTE Live In NYC (2 CD)
• LTE Live In NYC (1 DVD)
• LTE Live In LA (2 CD)
• LTE Live In LA (1 DVD)
• LTE Live In LA (1 Blu-ray) Available only in the boxset
• LTE Bonus Disc (1 CD) Available only in the boxset
• Liquid Trio Experiment - When the Water Breaks: Live In Chicago (1 CD)
• 24 Page Booklet

Some thoughts on boxed sets...

A few days ago I posted a review of the new Ayreon boxed set, Timeline. It got me to thinking about boxed sets in general. A bunch of progressive rock bands have released (in some cases, several) boxed sets, with varying degrees of success.

What do I mean by success?

That can be measured in so many ways. Certainly commercial sales is one way, but come on…this is prog. More importantly are artistic degrees of success and content. A label can repackage an artist’s catalogue, but if the artist him (or her) self is involved, the results are often superior. Related to that would be the contents of the set…is it a simple collection of previously released material, or is it filled up with interesting stuff that we may never have heard before?

The following is a smattering of boxed sets that I’ve found to offer very good value for one reason or another.


King Crimson – Epitaph, The Great Deceiver. Sure, they released one of the better career retrospective boxed sets in Frame by Frame. But save for the fourth disc of live material and a few curious edits (re-recording vocals and bass on "Cadence and Cascade" and "Bolero" respectively, among others), FxF doesn’t offer a huge amount to the hardcore Crimhead. Better to look at Epitaph, a 4-CD set of material from the first incarnation of the band (including some awesome BBC session stuff), or The Great Deceiver, 4 discs of concert material from 1973-1974. Both are well nigh essential…the first really allowed people to re-evaluate the first band and what they were capable of, while the second showed the 1973-1974 band for what they were…perhaps the first progressive metal band, and one who could jam as well. Awesome stuff all the way around.

Genesis – Archive 1968-1975. Full Lamb Lies Down concert? Check. Another disc of live material from the Selling England period, along with some hard to find B-sides? Sure, why not? An entire disc of material from the Genesis to Revelations era? Well…interesting, to be certain. It’s a shame the band didn’t visit this idea for the second boxed set (1976-1992)…if they had, I’d recommend both. Add in some excellent liner notes and recollections from all parties involved, and I am more than willing to overlook the re-recorded bits (yes, it was hard to mic Gabriel when he was in the Slipperman costume, but…). Now, all we need to find is a previously unknown high quality professionally filmed Lamb show and release it on DVD…that sound you hear is the sound of 500,000 devoted Genesis fans combusting spontaneously in thought…

Magma – Trilogie au Triannon. It’s tempting to say you need no more Magma than this. This is the essence…the first trilogy from Christian Vander and his Kobaian band mates. MDK, Wurdah Itah, Theusz Hamtaakh…Orff-ian, minimalistic, orchestral, intense. You get lyrics! You can sing along! It sounds like I making fun of this, but…I’m not. Magma is one of my favourite bands ever, and this boxed set is one of the best ways to discover what this underrated band has to offer. Not many groups can claim to have created a whole genre of music…Magma did just that. Essential. Essential in extremis.

Frank Zappa – The MOFO Project/Object. Zappa’s had a bunch of things that could be considered a boxed set. Lather is one, one might consider the YCDTOSA series as one, especially if you have the road case to put the volumes in. But that one was released in 6 individual releases, while Lather is more a repackaging than anything else. MOFO is…more. Yes, you have the original Freak Out! Album, but it’s a mix no one has heard in almost ever. Plus loads of studio sessions, outtakes, interviews…it gives the listener a great look into Zappa in 1966, the Mothers of Invention at their early onset, and it smokes to boot. I am not too keen on the packaging (the plastic seems to stick a little bit), but it’s an impressive looking thing, to be sure. And the music matches it.

Echolyn – A Little Nonsense. Yes, I wish the debut release were in print by itself. Same with …and every blossom, or When the Sweet Turns Sour. But we get all of them here, along with some remakes of older songs, some outtakes, and so on. 3 discs, a bugger of a package (yes, it looks all nice, but the discs can be a beast to get out carefully), and a nice booklet that offers up some historical background to the music in hand. If you’ve got everything else the band released and are missing these, get the box. It’s less expensive by far than trying to dredge up an original pressing of the debut, which at one point was selling for $200 or more.

Renaissance – Da Capo. A bit slight at only 2 CDs, this set is, however, what the old Sire released Tales of 1001 Nights dreamed it could be. More inclusive by far, it covers the old Keith Relf era of the band up through unreleased material from the Time Line/Camera Camera era band. The booklet is informative, there’s some great photos of the band from throughout the life of the group, and over all, it’s the best package a Renaissance fan has right now. It serves as a great intro to the band for those unfamiliar with their glorious classically influenced progressive rock. And really…you can never have too much Annie Haslam.

Emerson Lake and Palmer – Where do I go here? I don’t have the most recently released boxed set, so I am limited to looking at The Return of the Manticore and the 3 Bootleg Boxes. The original 4 CD boxed set really only offered up one disc of interest to hardcore fans…the first, with some reworkings of songs from each band member’s past (i.e., a Crimson cover, a Nice cover, an Arthur Brown cover), as well as a reworking of Pictures at an Exhibition. There’s a few previously unreleased live tracks tossed in to spice things up, but overall, this is pretty much a career retrospective and not much more. The bootleg boxes are illuminating, and occasionally offer up some great sounding live recordings (the pair from 1992 and 1993 specifically), but in the end they are for absolute die hard fans only, the ones who can handle listening to a recording that is muffled or imperfect in order to hear the band taking risks.

I have a hard time with Yes. All I really have is the old YesYears set. I do not have In a Word, nor do I have The Word is Live. So I can’t recommend either of those. And YesYears…out of print, out of date (only covers up to Union), and some curious selections in tracks. Not a lot of unreleased goodies either…and very unessential now that Rhino has repackaged and re-released all the original studio albums with a plethora of bonus tracks and stuff.


I'll probably revisit this subject in a few days as well, once I've had a chance to mull over a few other boxed sets and artists...watch this space!

REVIEW: Ayreon - Timeline

So, let’s talk about the new Ayreon boxed set (click the picture above to be linked to my post with the initial announcement and set contents).

It’s a 3 CD, 1 DVD set titled Timeline, covering Arjen Anthony Lucassen’s releases from 1995’s The Final Experiment through 2008’s 0101001. 33 songs were culled from his catalogue of thematically written opuses, and there’s a veritable who’s who of prog rock, metal, and European rock stars guesting throughout. I could pad out this review by listing them all…

Bruce Dickinson, James LaBrie, Devon Townsend, Russell Allen, Daniel Gildenlow, Lori Linstruth, Lenny Wolf, Fish, Sharon den Adel, Damian Wilson, Neal Morse, Devon Graves, Heather Findlay, Eric Clayton, Mikael Akerfeldt, Marcela Bovia, Mike Baker, Bob Catley, Tom Englund, Anneke van Giersbergen, Jorn Lande, Hansi Kursch, Floor Jansen…

…and that’s just the guests that appear on the tracks selected for this retrospective.

Now, Ayreon’s albums are all thematically linked, and as each album is a self contained theme album, it may seem odd to extract individual pieces from the releases for fear of losing that connection. It’s a fear that Lucassen even had, which kept him from doing such a retrospective in the past. By using the expansiveness of a multi-disc boxed set, some of these concerns are alleviated somewhat.

I don’t know what tracks I might have selected differently, but I am sure that others have their own favourites from Ayreon’s releases that they’d like to see in exchange for any of these. Having said this, the song that introduced me to the world of Ayreon (“Isis and Osiris,” from 1998’s Into the Electric Castle) is on here, as well as enough highlights from his back catalogue to really impress to the listener how consistent Lucassen has been from a writing and performing standpoint.

When I reviewed 0101001 a few months back for another website, I said this:

Several things can be taken as givens when it’s time to review a new Ayreon album:

1) It will be a massive concept album
2) The number of guests will be immense
3) The word count for song titles and album personnel will probably outnumber the word count for the whole review.

I also said this in closing:

In the final analysis, I think I can say the following two things fairly:

1) If you love Ayreon, everything you love is here on 01011001, and then some.
2) If you find Ayreon’s material to be overwrought and twee...you’ll probably continue to feel that way with 01011001.

And when you are looking at almost 4 hours of music across 3 CDs, all the same can be said several times over.

This is not a complaint; Lucassen has a signature style, and he has honed that style to near gleaming perfection. But his material is a love it or leave it proposition…I don’t think I know anyone who inhabits a middle ground with him. I might come close…I genuinely like a lot of his releases, but I’m not a devout Ayreonaut. But even with me, I can’t say I’ve walked away from an Ayreon album genuinely disliking it. There’s always been something there to make me say “Yeah, I’m gonna come back to this one for another listen.”

I’m pleased by the selections he’s made across the board…he’s picked a good mixture of heavier pieces, lighter fare, material with a more electronic sound, and so on. I think he’s taken great care to ensure that the collection draws from as many releases as possible, showcasing the vast variety of styles that make up his C.V. Everything’s been tweaked and slightly and lightly remastered to ensure a smooth transition from album to album, and the end result almost qualifies as a 3 CD concept piece in and of itself.

Additionally, Lucassen has included a newly recorded track, “Epilogue: The Memory Remains,” tying up the whole audio package with a nice bow and ribbon on top.

I wish I could be as positive about the DVD.

Oh, there’s great stuff here…extended excerpts from his Star One and Stream of Passion side projects, concept videos, and so on. Sadly, unless I am the least observant person in the world, I can’t find a simple play all feature on the DVD. I want to sit back and be engrossed by 80 or 90 minutes of Ayreon on DVD…not 10 minutes, go back to the main menu, select the next feature, and so on. It’s frustrating and detracts from what is otherwise a very good video retrospective that fills out the package nicely.

The booklet has much to offer too…along side lyrics for each song in the set, Lucassen has added newly written notes explaining the set, his thoughts on each album, and his thoughts for the future of Ayreon. So many boxed sets miss this, I think…being the product of a record company wanting to push product, many sets come off as overly clinical and cold even as they push out familiar material with a smattering of the unreleased. Timeline really comes off well in that regard…it feels more personal, more like the creator’s vision than just another slab of plastic paper and cardboard.

Now, the big questions?

Who is this boxed set for?

Are hardcore fans really going to buy this?

Neither question is easy to answer. I think people unfamiliar with Ayreon will find much to offer here, but the fact that the tracks are still parts of concept albums means that new listeners will maybe be at a loss for some of what is going on. Long time listeners, on the other hand, likely know these albums inside and out, have them all, and are looking at buying this release for the new song and portions of the DVD. I don’t know if that is enough to warrant the purchase, and it’s something that I could honestly say for a majority of boxed set purchases

The final question…what do I think of this set?

I like it. A lot. It’s nice to have a broad cross section of his work in a single package. I think the boxed set format (a small square box just larger than the disc sleeves) selected is nice…it fits on the shelf along with my other Ayreon releases. I think the new cover art is excellent, and I am hugely glad that Lucassen took the time to pen some personal thoughts for the liner notes. My quibbles are minor (except maybe for the DVD…can someone out there who has this box verify that there is in fact no play all feature), and in the end I’d offer a recommendation to check it out. It works well as a retrospective of the past 13 years of musical travels in time and space, and closes this chapter of his career nicely.

One only wonders what the next step is…

Magma - boxed set retrospective with bonuses forthcoming

MAGMA 40TH ANNIVERSARY BOX-SET
STUDIO ZÜND

A must for MAGMA fanatics, fans and freaks everywhere. An opportunity not to be missed. For the first time ever, the full set of 9 incredible studio albums - from Kobaia to K.A - in deluxe digipack form.

Each volume has its own 32 to 48 page booklets, containing photos and previously unpublished documents re-telling the story of MAGMA in 9 detailed chapters. Also includes a bonus double CD of archive documents: the first demo recorded by the band in 1970, the original sound track from the film 24 heures seulement recorded that same year by the line-up playing on the first album, a demo version of MDK with just rhythm section and a vocal guide track , and a version of "Eliphas Levi" with drums.

Thank you for your faithfulness
The Seventh Team
http://www.seventhrecords.com
http://v2.seventhrecords.com/index.php?lang=en
http://www.seventhrecords.com?3182015052752c523edf

Arjen Lucassen announces retrospective boxed set

Arjen "Ayreon" Lucassen has announced a massive 3-CD, 1-DVD retrospective boxed set, titled Timeline, to be released on InsideOut Music November 2008 (early 2009 North America).

Arjen says: "I've been asked many times before to release an Ayreon compilation album, but it just didn’t feel right to present fragmented bits of story by lifting individual songs out of their greater contexts. However, my attitude changed after I completed my 2008 album 01011001, in which I connected all the previous Ayreon releases, musically as well as lyrically. Having completed the circle, so to speak, it seemed like a fitting time to put all things Ayreon into perspective and create an Ayreon timeline outlining the entire story."

Tracklisting is as follows:

CD1
1995: The Final Experiment
1) Prologue 3:17
2) The Awareness 6:36
3) Eyes of Time 5:05
4) The Accusation (acoustic version taken from the Special Edition) 3:43
5) Sail Away to Avalon (single version) 3:40
6) Listen to the Waves 4:40

1996: Actual Fantasy (Revisited)
7) Actual Fantasy 1:31
8) Abbey of Synn 9:25
9) Computer Eyes 7:17 10]
10) Back on Planet Earth 7:04

1998 Into the Electric Castle
11) Isis and Osiris 11:09
12) Amazing Flight 10:21

Total time CD1: 73:53

CD2
1998 Into the Electric Castle
1) The Garden of Emotions 9:40
2) The Castle Hall 5:48
3) The Mirror Maze 6:23
4) The Two Gates 6:23

2000: The Universal Migrator parts I and II
5) The Shooting Company of Captain Frans B Cocq 7:42
6) Dawn of a Million Souls 7:44
7) And the Druids Turned to Stone 6:32
8) Into the Black Hole 10:17
9) The First Man on Earth 6:54

2004: the Human Equation
10) Day Two: Isolation 8:46

Total time CD2: 76:14

CD3
2004: The Human Equation
1) Day Three: Pain 4:53
2) Day Six: Childhood 5:04
3) Day Twelve: Trauma 9:23
4) Day Sixteen: Loser 4:47
5) Day Seventeen: Accident? 5:41

2008: 01011001
6) Age of Shadows (edit) 5:39
7) Ride the Comet 3:39
8) The Fifth Extinction 10:27
9) Waking Dreams 6:23
10) The Sixth Extinction 12:16

2008: New previously unreleased Ayreon track
11) Epilogue: The Memory Remains 9:16

Total time CD3: 77:23

DVD
1] The Stranger from Within (5.1, available on Actual Fantasy Revisited)
2] Valley of the Queens (available on Star One – Live on Earth)
3] Isis and Osiris (available on Star One – Live on Earth)
4] The Two Gates (available on Star One – Live on Earth)
5] Teaser: The Human Equation (available on the special edition of The Human Equation)
6] Day Eleven: Love (5.1, available on the special edition of The Human Equation)
7] Come Back to Me (available as CD ROM track on the EP Come Back to Me)
8] Loser (Star One version, previously unreleased)
9] Farside of the World (5.1, available on Actual Fantasy Revisited)
10] Back on Planet Earth (5.1, available on Actual Fantasy Revisited)
11] Featurette Actual Fantasy (available on Actual Fantasy Revisited)
12] Computer Eyes (available on Stream of Passion – Live in the Real World)
13] Day One: Vigil (available on Stream of Passion – Live in the Real World)
14] Day Three: Pain (available on Stream of Passion – Live in the Real World)
15] The Castle Hall (available on Stream of Passion – Live in the Real World)
16] Release Party 01011001 (previously unreleased)
17] Beneath the Waves (5.1, available on the special edition of 01011001)
18] Teaser 01011001 (available on the special edition of 01011001)
19] Featurette Epilogue: The Memory Remains (previously unreleased)

Total time DVD: approx 2 hours

Henry Cow archival release coming from ReR

HENRY COW
40th ANNIVERSARY BOX SET Volumes 1 & 2
9 CDs and 1 DVD with 2 substantial books - in two solid Boxes. LIMITED EDITION.

Assembled over 15 years, this collection gives for the first time some idea of the breadth and depth of Henry Cow's work. Always very much a live band, performance was their metier, and a concert might range far - always driven by an intense dialogue between tightly knit compositions and radically open improvisation. The officially released LPs tell at best only half this story, and one purpose of this definitive collection is to set the work back into its broader context. These are all previously unreleased recordings, that include many compositions and improvisations new to anyone who only knows the official releases, documentation of a number of one-off projects and events and - where different or remarkable enough to justify inclusion - live versions of parts of the LP repertoire. Many of these recordings are high quality radio transcriptions taken directly from the original masters, others are less hi-fi, but justified we think by their historic and musical quality. And everything has been carefully transferred and re-mastered by Bob Drake to the best audio quality that current technology allows without interference or tampering. It's all a million times better than the terrible bootlegs that are swimming around. Altogether, these 9 CDs embody some extraordinary, and occasionally prescient music. Taking this box together with the officially released albums, it is possible at last to get some impression of the extensive ground Henry Cow covered in it's 10 short years. Finally, there is the DVD: 80 minutes of the 1976 Cow (with Georgina Born and Dagmar Krause) performing many unreleased pieces as well as Living in the Heart of The Beast, Beautiful as the Moon &c. This is the only known video recording in existence - professionally made, multi camera - and has not been recovered since its original broadcast (just scour U-Tube, HC is conspicuous by its total absence). And last but not least, there is a great deal of written, photographic and textual documentation. Since this will probably be the last and definitive collection, it has to be thorough. For reasons of fairness and cost we have decided to split the set into two boxes - which can be bought separately or together. VOL 1 covers the period 1971 to the 1976 Hamburg radio show which documents John Greaves' last concert with the band, as well as the extraordinary Trondheim concert from the quartet tour that immediately followed. VOL 2 takes the story through to 1978 and includes more previously undocumented compositions as well as the Bremen radio recording. The Stockholm CD belongs to this second box, which also contains the DVD.

EMI to release Fish-era Marillion boxed set

From the official forum:

NOT CONFIRMED STILL BEING JIGGLED SUBJECT TO CHANGE ETC PROPOSED TRACKLISTING:

A Live Anthology 1982 – 1988

CD 1/2: Live - At The Marquee, 30/12/1982
CD 3: Live - At The Reading Festival 27/8/83
CD 4: Live - tbc
CD 5: Live - At Hammersmith Odeon 14/12/84
CD 6: Live - At Wembley Arena 5/11/87
Bonus CD E.P.
DVD: Live & TV performances at the BBC (in CD size mini sleeve)

New Mark Wilkinson artwork

Replica of original an Marquee or similar early Tour Poster
Early replica tour T-shirt

Booklet to feature pictures, memorabilia and memories of each gig by band members and fans.