TIMELINE

What monster of a compilation has Arjen Lucassen released with this three-disc set! To call this a 'best-of' or 'greatest hits' would have been the appropriate term, if the whole had not been designed as, as the title suggests, timeline throughout the whole history of Ayreon, as well as the whole story told from album to album. From the beginning with ''The Final Experiment'' up to his most recent release ''01011001'', all albums are represented here with mostly five or six tracks. The songs selected are mostly secure choices, solid songs and favoured by the listener. Though the style of Ayreon changed a bit over the years, this album seems more coherent than other efforts of its kind. For the collector, the inclusion of previously released edited versions off singles or bonus tracks is interesting, yet there are better sources than this compilation. Also, the as far as I concerned previously unreleased epilogue is surely worth a listen.

All in all, with ''Timeline'' you can not go wrong if you want to have a quick overview of the Ayreon discography or like to start, as it surely is a welcome to new fans, however, it is not neccessary if you own at least three albums, as it is often the case with compilations. The few edited versions also won't make it essential. ''Timeline'' is, in its truest meaning, a three-star album. A good, but a non-essential one. To be honest, all you Ayreon-newcomers: You cannot go wrong, here is your introduction to the fantastic world of Arjen Anthony Lucassen!