The expression "keeping it real" has been used by countless hip-hop and alternative rock artists, who pride themselves on providing lyrics that are reality-based. But some artists don't pretend for a moment that their songs have anything to do with "keeping it real"; they operate in the fantasy realm, which is exactly what
Arjen Anthony Lucassen's
Ayreon project does throughout the retrospective Timeline. Spanning 1995-2008, this four-disc box set (three audio CDs and a DVD) is full of fantasy-based lyrics and sci-fi themes -- and
Lucassen does it without even a trace of irony. Actually, the fact that
Lucassen takes his lofty, overblown epics and "rock operas" so seriously is a big part of Timeline's charm.
Lucassen doesn't run away from progressive rock's stereotypes or excesses; he happily embraces them, and Timeline reminds us that
Ayreon was as overblown and as endearingly cartoonish in 2008 as it was in 1995. For
Ayreon, not much changed in 13 years, and that is probably for the best because
Ayreon's hardcore fans tend to be the sort of
Emerson, Lake & Palmer and
Rush diehards who not only don't mind prog rock's self-indulgence, they cherish it. Of course, a four-disc set is too much for listeners who have only a casual interest in this type of over the top prog, but then, Timeline wasn't assembled with the casual listener in mind. Between the three audio CDs and the DVD (which ranges from videos to live footage to an interview with
Lucassen), Timeline contains more than five hours worth of material. Timeline is strictly for those who like their prog rock in very large doses. ~ Alex Henderson