TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

1976 APP- Tales of Mystery and Imagination - Edgar Alan Poe (redo). 12/1""/10""""""The man that engineered not only the Beatles Abbey Road album but then to go onto Pink """Floyds Dark Side of the Moon, it is no wonder that Alan Parsons retained the same concept """of one song flowing right into the next.""""""When this came out on CD I rushed right out and bought it, to my dissatisfaction, it was """different than the original vinyl I had. There was extra excerpts of narration, additional guitar """bits. Looking into the guts of the CD was Parsons explanation. He (Parsons) wanted to """enhance his album (though some diehards would still prefer the original). I yearned to have """a CLEAN CD copy (available import only). Many years later I would put the vinyl back on the """turntable and though it was what I expected, near perfection album, I missed the extras he """had put into the REDO. So I must say that Alan improved near perfection. """"""1. A dream Within a Dream -4:14 Opening narration by Orson Wells to a flute from the """middle east feel. Enter a bass and snare soft keys and then very melodic keys and guitars """entering to a triumphant beat of drums, Alan Parsons knows how to put the feel into you, """quieting down to make you strain to listen""""""2. The Raven 3:""8 A reverberated vocal becoming full sound to the shout Never more! """Horns, drums choral backing with bass, very nice vocals re-enter. Then the first aspects of """the REDO. A strong electric guitar with heavy notes. Thus, quote the raven, nevermore! """This is a music that most if not all of us had never heard before. Parsons put these pieces """together very nicely, a flowing design that brings you up and down his coaster of dramatic """music. """"""3. The Tell-Tale Heart 4:39 Very strong vocal start, heavy bass guitar and electric, drums """solidly making known they are there, hidden piano to a wonderful soothing change of key """chords, light strings. Soft vocals And he wont be found at all, new insert floral keys, drums """slowly coming back with elec guitar, to an amazing full sound with elec guitar. Louder and """Louder! Great lyrics. I have seen the movie, The Tell-Tale Heart, very creepy. closing """with The eyes of the Devil himself shout. """"""4. The Cask of Amontillado 4:34 Strings in background vocals with such feeling """strengthening strings drinking the wine as we laugh at the time which is passing """incredibly slow backing vocals enter, sharp strings heavy brass notes, then full brass enter """with drums to a quiet, start vocals with sole piano and instruments join back in with strings """to a great lyric vocal with backing vocal you feel your mind, slipping away """Incredible deep brass overlying male chorus French horn coming out to strengthen the """might sound fading you here the strings."""""""". (The System of) Doctor Tarr and professor Fether 4:21 Just what you need to make you """feel better Strong guitar lead heavy deep vocal to verses accompanied by keys and so """much going on. Great play on words. Dont stop bringing the girls round! Powerful lyrics """strong instrumentation enter synths to round this out with flute, drums never ceasing, elec """guitar.. fade""""""6. The Fall of the House Usher 21:""7 - A very profound intro by Orson Wells Shadows of """shadows passing, it is now 1831 and as always, I am absorbed with a delicate thought, it """is how poetry has indefinite sensations, to which end, music is an essential. Since the """comprehension of sweet sound is our most indefinite conception, music when combined"""with a pleasurable idea is poetry. Music without the idea is simply music."""Without music or an intriguing idea, colour become pallor, man becomes carcass, home """becomes catacomb and the dead are for a moment motionless. """Enter subtle flutes, soft brass orchestra solidarity, bassoon, high strings straining to hear, """crescendos high and mighty back to a single shrill of violins, bassoon notes flutter to a """deafening quiet, like someone is slowely releasing the volume, pretty violins atop muted """brass, flutes taking over and then a major brass influx back to dark then the roll begins as a """bass guitar hits a note violins scraping the sky deep bass, timpani drums screeching """strings to a thunderous halt.""""""Storm sounds with organ and keys bringing you upward spiral ever rising Bang on the """door!! OH yes! Need I say more? OK I will. This is a piece of brilliance."""A changing section of held notes and deep sounds, till the bass and acoustic guitar comes """in, enter synth keys bringing you to a land beyond your thoughts, the bass guitar behind the """high pitch of keys is so wonderful. Everyone wonders to their own place when listening to """this Im sure, Alan directs you there though. Increasing intensity with the strumming guitar, """strumming guitar heavy brass note drums, it is so there. Tear forming in my eyes. Chorus """faint in background increasing, oh what a sound this is. Crashing to a mash of various """instrumentation at full screech. """"""To One in Paradise 4:47 A very sweet and mellow guitar (I Robot sounds) vocals I believe """in my dreams! Nothing could change my mind"""Just a great closing song for a miraculous album. Such backing vocals.""""""This IS an absolute essential piece of music. I give it a 4.99 of """""