Arjen Lucassen spoofs Better Call Saul in unboxing video

Arjen Lucassen has released an unboxing video showcasing his Ayreon vinyl reissues.

The clip Better Call Arjen, a spoof of Netflix’s Breaking Bad spinoff show Better Call Saul, shows the multi-instrumentalist previewing the deluxe reissue of his project Ayreon’s 1995 album Final Experiment and 1996 album Actual Fantasy: Revisited. They launch on August 26.

The Final Experiment comes in a 3LP hard-cover box in 180g blue-marble vinyl, alongside a bonus semi-acoustic LP. Actual Fantasy: Revisited comes in a 4LP hard-cover box in red-marble vinyl with the original version of the album included. Both include posters.

Lucassen says: “The reissues also include cards which will be signed by yours truly. It’s funny, The Final Experiment card has all the rejections of the record companies on it. No one wanted to have Ayreon, but luckily it was released anyway.”

Both can be pre-ordered via the label’s website. The reissues follow the re-release of their entire catalogue after Lucassen hooked up with Mascot Label Group in April. In June the Dutch multi-instrumentalist also released the DVD The Theater Equation in which he took his 2004 album The Human Equation to the stage.

Lucassen recalled how fellow prog mastermind Steve Wilson declined his collaboration offer because he considered his music “too old fashioned.”

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Lucassen's musical journey towards The Gentle Storm

Ayreon The Final Experiment tracklist

1. Prologue
2. The Awareness
3. Eyes Of Time
4. The Banishment
5. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy
6. Sail Away To Avalon
7. Nature’s Dance
8. Computer-Reign
9. Waracle
10. Listen To The Waves
11. Magic Ride
12. Merlin’s Will
13. The Charm Of The Seer
14. Swan Song
15. Ayreon’s Fate Bonus LP:
16. Dreamtime (Semi-Acoustic)
17. Eyes Of Time (Semi-Acoustic)
18. The Accusation (Semi-Acoustic)
19. Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy (Semi-Acoustic)
20. Sail Away To Avalon (Semi-Acoustic)
21. Nature’s Dance (Semi-Acoustic)
22. Waracle (Semi-Acoustic)
23. Merlin’s Will (Semi-Acoustic)
24. The Charm Of The Seer (Semi-Acoustic)

Ayreon Actual Fantasy Revisited tracklist

1. Actual Fantasy
2. Abbey Of Synn
3. The Stranger From Within
4. Computer Eyes
5. Beyond The Last Horizon
6. Farside Of The World
7. Back On Planet Earth
8. Forevermore
9. The Dawn Of Man