Ayreon - The Final Experiment

This album has been the center of my musical obsession all week. First I love the prog-rock elements. The metal is a guilty pleasure. Much of the music often reminds me of Mannheim Steamroller christmas music, over the top and sometimes cheesy. It's metal, but it still has that 1990's saccharin positiveness. Not that angry metal that's out now. Epic fantasy rock. Great stuff.

THIS IS THE VOICE OF MERLIN. LISTEN WELL,
FOR IT CONCERNS YOU. THIS CHRONICLE COMMENCES IN THE YEAR 2084 A.D.
MANKIND HAS VIRTUALLY DESTROYED ITSELF.
IT'S SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON 'THE FINAL EXPERIMENT'.
SCIENTISTS FROM THE 21ST CENTURY HAVE DEVELOPED
A NEW COMPUTERPROGRAM CALLED 'TIME TELEPATHY'.
BY USING THIS TECHNIQUE THEY HAVE SENT VISIONS OF HUMANITIES'
DECLINE BACK IN TIME. THESE TRANSMISSIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY THE MIND
OF A BLIND MINSTREL WHO LIVES IN 6TH CENTURY GREAT BRITAIN. HIS NAME ....
IS 'AYREON'.

The Final Experiment is the first album under Ayreon. Are the subsequent albums more visions the blind minstrel experiences and sings? Perhaps Ayreon overcame Merlin's curse!

Comic Book Day and The Voice that Relaxes

We had a Safety Meeting at work today so I was unable to go home. This disrupts my routine which is good and bad. I love to go home and relax turning the heat and the radio up, but I am also a fan of change.

Since there was no work or postal service on Monday, that makes today Comic Book Day!

It's usually on Wednesdays, but not today, that I go to The Source and chat with the guys working there about whatever- usually Hans. Hans and I trade music a lot. We have many similar interests which go beyond just music. Today we talked about The Gunslinger series by Stephen King and how Merlin/Randall Flagg (of the Stand) was very similar to Tolkien's wizards and even Lewis's version of Merlin in That Hideous Strength. He lent me another album by Transatlantic. In turn, I gave him a copy of Ayreon - The Human Equation. Transatlantic was a lighter prog band that featured Neal Morse who left the band and went on to do solo stuff as a christian musician.

I got gas for the Jeep today at $1.86 a gallon!

Dah is a young girl on the elementary school route I work. She has taken a liking to me and always sits right behind me and chats away about whatever. One day Leesha ended up riding the bus with me all day. She and Dah became friends, but they can't seem to connect by phone since. Today, Dah wanted to sing songs that she made up right there on the spot. I allowed her to go ahead. The odd thing about it (and what makes it blog worthy) is that when I would allow myself to focus on her voice, I found it very relaxing. It only worked on the songs she made up. The only other song she knows (that I recognize) is Whitney Houston's Greatest Love of All and I found that that song doesn't relax me at all- even if its sung by Dah.

As soon as I got home dinner was served. As soon as dinner was done, Leesha was on her way to bed. Our schedule is brutal. Seems like there isn't much time with her.