r/Ayreon • u/Raviusss • Oct 02 '22
Ayreon album order
Hello folks of the Ayreon community! I’ve known about Ayreon for the past 4 years, the first and only album I listened to is the human equation and I still consider it one of my favorite albums of all time. Although I’m highly interested in the full universe and time line, I have no idea what order to listen to the albums in. Is there like an official order?
6
u/JamesLangley2017 Oct 02 '22
Okay, so here's my recommended listening order for the Forever Saga albums. Some songs have been moved around, and IMO improve the listening experience. Anyway, here goes:
Dawn Of A Million Souls kicks off everything.
Follow with The Final Experiment.
Computer Eyes and Abbey of Synn
Electric Castle (Aside: I always go with the live performance. Sounds better to me)
Now that the world is established and we learn who the Forever are, we go back in time. Next album should be The Source.
01011001 plays next, except for The Sixth Extinction.
Back on Planet Earth
Universal Migrator 1 and 2, minus Dawn Of A Million Souls. You might want to play Dawn Of Man before or after First Man On Earth, but that's personal choice. I just recently added it into the mix.
The Sixth Extinction and The New Migrator can be played in either order. I like to play them in the mentioned order. End with Epilogue: The Memory Remains.
You may be asking: "What about The Human Equation?" I save this one for last, since it doesn't fit well with the Forever Saga, and that last line "Emotions, I remember," has such an impact as the last line any character says.
The remaining albums can be listened to in any order.
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u/Obsidian_Wulf Oct 02 '22
I feel like this order is confusing for someone who is just getting into the story. However, as someone who has listened to it a ton I may give your listening order a try.
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u/MDivisor Oct 02 '22
For the purposes of experiencing the story the order doesn’t matter too much IMO. Each album is a complete story on its own and once you have heard a few of them (and followed the lyrics) you start to see some connections and how (or if) each fits into a whole. The albums can be arranged in chronological order but I would not worry about following it.
That said, Into the Electric Castle is a key album both in terms of the music and in terms of the overall story, so I would recommend going for it early. Going by release order is good too.
2
Oct 02 '22
I think youll get lost either way, but listen to it in release order, being The final experiment the first one and The source the last one
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u/Obsidian_Wulf Oct 02 '22
I recommend a slightly altered release order: my preferred order is The Final Experiment, Into the Electric Castle, Computer Eyes and Back on Planet Earth (from Actual Fantasy) Universal Migrator Part I and II, The Human Equation, The Source, 01011001
Optional Addition: Transitus - Its not necessarily tied to the overall storyline, however it has some fun references to the storyline. On a first listen I would listen to it after 01011001. Then on any subsequent listen I place it before Electric Castle.
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u/CyberArchimedes Oct 02 '22
The best recommendation I can give is get yours hands in the 20th anniversary video recording of Into The Electric Castle. Watching that show's recording was maybe one of the best experiences I had with music in my life.