Alan Parsons Project - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Author

Message

Topic Search

Topic Options

kingcrimsonfan View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: November 19 2010
Status: Offline
Points: 239

Topic: Alan Parsons Project
Posted: September 18 2011 at 14:59

sirius is a pretty good moment off of eye in the sky album

Slaughternalia View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: February 17 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 901

Posted: September 18 2011 at 09:15

Tales is probably on my top ten favourite albums. Turn of a Friendly Card is their second best, I robot is good, but I've never really liked much else by them

I'm so mad that you enjoy a certain combination of noises that I don't

ghost_of_morphy View Drop Down

Prog Reviewer

Joined: March 08 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 2755

Posted: September 17 2011 at 09:21

I'm quite fond of Eve myself, although I will admit Turn is better. Vulture Culture is criminally underrated as well.

Edited by ghost_of_morphy - September 17 2011 at 09:23

JeffELOLynne View Drop Down

Forum Newbie

Joined: December 26 2010
Location: Antwerp,Belgium
Status: Offline
Points: 19

Posted: September 16 2011 at 07:51

Their best album is easily The turn of a friendly cart, with delicious disco/funk meets progrock and killer tracks "Must be a price to pay", "Games people play" and the instrumental "The Ace of Swords" are highlights of the artrock genre. Their previous album however,"Eve", should be avoided at all times. It's sounds very bland and dull.

jean-marie View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 27 2010
Location: FRANCE
Status: Offline
Points: 2585

Posted: May 16 2011 at 15:54

Matte wrote:

There are positive moments in all AP albums, but if I have to choose one of them it would be The turn of a friendly card.

That album keeps my interest up from start to finish. same as you, ( pyramid too )

But, to be honest, the amount of prog on AP albums is minimal.

Matte

Forum Senior Member

Joined: November 20 2008
Location: Sweden
Status: Offline
Points: 103

Posted: May 16 2011 at 14:57

There are positive moments in all AP albums, but if I have to choose one of them it would be The turn of a friendly card.

That album keeps my interest up from start to finish.

But, to be honest, the amount of prog on AP albums is minimal.

jean-marie View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 27 2010
Location: FRANCE
Status: Offline
Points: 2585

Posted: May 09 2011 at 17:15

No one quoted Turn of a friendly card ? quite good though Wink

Green Shield Stamp View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: February 17 2009
Location: Telford, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 933

Posted: May 09 2011 at 11:45

Alitare wrote:

I Robot is in my top 10 favorite prog albums of all time. It's right up there with Court and Selling England. A prog pop masterpiece.

I am also a fan of The Alan Parsons Project. I think the term prog pop is more appropriate than prog rock, but for me the word pop doesn't automatically carry negative connotations - far from it!. My favourite albums are Tales of Mystery and Imagination and Pyramid closely followed by Eye in the Sky. Less proggy but still excellent is the solo album On Air - beautiful melodies and brilliantly produced.

Haiku

Writing a poem
With seventeen syllables
Is very diffic....

Alitare

Forum Senior Member

Joined: March 08 2008
Location: New York
Status: Offline
Points: 3595

Posted: May 09 2011 at 10:16

I Robot is in my top 10 favorite prog albums of all time. It's right up there with Court and Selling England. A prog pop masterpiece.

kolossusuk View Drop Down

Forum Newbie

Joined: May 09 2011
Location: London
Status: Offline
Points: 6

Posted: May 09 2011 at 09:54

Tales of Mystery and Imagination totally excellent and the remastered version really sounds current and fresh

The rest of the output I can take or leave....

sealchan

Forum Senior Member

Joined: March 12 2009
Status: Offline
Points: 179

Posted: April 29 2011 at 12:38

I've a fair collection of Alan Parsons/Project albums. I think the following are highlight albums:

Tales of Mystery and Imagination - great one of a kind, highly orchestrated second side

I, Robot or Turn of a Friendly Card - I like the latter for its second side suite

Eye in the Sky - I was musically reborn in 1982 so this was my first introduction to APP

Gaudi - I love this album, particularly La Sagrada Familia

Try Anything Once - very good Alan Parson reboot

I find that Alan Parsons/Project is marginally progressive rock. By my definition progressive rock enjoys escaping the typical structure of pop/rock songs. APP mainly does this through extended emphasis on instruments and occassional multi-part songs or with instrumental leads (instrumental chorus or co-chorus). But this is on the very light end of progressive. To me its more "crossover" of pop-rock with emphasis on electronic. Some songs approach the mood of space rock.

jean-marie View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 27 2010
Location: FRANCE
Status: Offline
Points: 2585

Posted: April 29 2011 at 09:29

have a look to the poll by Genbanks a few weeks ago Wink

yanch

Forum Senior Member

Joined: January 03 2010
Location: Lowell, MA
Status: Offline
Points: 3247

Posted: April 29 2011 at 07:07

They have 2 brilliant albums, but that is really it. Tales of Mystery and Imagination and I' Robot are terrific, but by Pyramid the pop influences start to take over from the prog influences and I lost interest. There are some good songs from later albums, La Sagrada Familia, as mentioned by Dellinger as an example, but nothing as strong over all as the first 2 albums.

Formentera Lady View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: August 20 2010
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 1768

Posted: April 29 2011 at 02:10

Dellinger wrote:

I also like this band a lot. However, by far the best albums are the first two, with some very good songs in the next few albums. After Eye in the Sky, the songs get less stellar, though there are still some very good ones. And then, La Sagrada Familia, from Gaudi, must be one of my very favourite songs from them, and a rather underlooked one at that.

That's more or less, what I think, too. The first two albums are stellar great albums. But I lost somehow interest after Eye In the Sky. So thank you for the recommendation of La Sagrada Familia, I will check it out.

Steven Brodziak View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: November 24 2010
Location: usa
Status: Offline
Points: 488

Posted: April 28 2011 at 21:54

lazland wrote:

So far, i've only reviewed a compilation album, but I will get around to the discography of a seriously under valued band here in the UK. Wolffson & Parsons made a great pair.

Wow, I'd have thought you would have had all the Parsons.

Anyway. Stay away from VALID PATH.

Ammonia Avenue is very good too! and for later ('90's) I highly recommend Freudiana!

The only one I'm not too familiar with is Stereotomy.

Well, there it is. (Amadeus)

rushfan4

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: May 22 2007
Location: Michigan, U.S.
Status: Online
Points: 66057

Posted: April 28 2011 at 21:34

gasline09 wrote:

Tales of Mystery and Imagination is a downright BRILLIANT album.

Seriously, it's so good.

I heard that a lot of what Alan Parsons did when he went solo was pretty good, although I haven't heard a lot of it. I'm just way too behind on bands that I need to catch up on. The only track I heard from him was a somewhat recent track they played at the DTE called "We Play the Game". You can find a video of it on youtube, it's pretty good.

Also, I'm the opposite. I am actually an American living in Canada. It's a pretty good country. I like how we have milk in bags lol.

I saw them at DTE back when they toured with Yes during the Open Your Eyes tour. I don't remember that much about it, but I remember enjoying their show. I have the majority of their albums, but a couple are missing from the collection.

Dellinger

Forum Senior Member

VIP Member

Joined: June 18 2009
Location: Mexico
Status: Offline
Points: 12612

Posted: April 28 2011 at 21:31

I also like this band a lot. However, by far the best albums are the first two, with some very good songs in the next few albums. After Eye in the Sky, the songs get less stellar, though there are still some very good ones. And then, La Sagrada Familia, from Gaudi, must be one of my very favourite songs from them, and a rather underlooked one at that.

gasline09

Forum Newbie

Joined: April 27 2011
Location: Canaduh
Status: Offline
Points: 4

Posted: April 28 2011 at 18:44

Tales of Mystery and Imagination is a downright BRILLIANT album.

Seriously, it's so good.

Also, I'm the opposite. I am actually an American living in Canada. It's a pretty good country. I like how we have milk in bags lol.

Edited by gasline09 - April 28 2011 at 18:45

lazland

Prog Reviewer

Joined: October 28 2008
Location: Wales
Status: Offline
Points: 13349

Posted: April 28 2011 at 04:56

So far, i've only reviewed a compilation album, but I will get around to the discography of a seriously under valued band here in the UK. Wolffson & Parsons made a great pair.

Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org

richardh

Prog Reviewer

Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 26371

Posted: April 28 2011 at 02:00

Eye in The Sky has a real killer hook to it. So easy to recall without having to listen to it.

I only have a 'best of' compilation at the moment but this is certanly a band I want to go into a bit further. Thanks for the recommendations.