TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

The album starts with the voice of the famous actor and director "Orson Wells" who narrates parts of Edger A Poe poems than slowly, the music build-up, with some kind of a flute and synth under it, to a bass rhythm + the drums that's the instrumental "Dreams Within A Dreams" wow! what a strong way to start a album about E. A. Poe.

Without knowing it, you realised that you've switch from "Dreams..." to "The Raven", the guitar solo in that song is completly amazing!!!! "Nevermore, nevermore, never..."

The third one is "The Tell-tale Heart" a rockyer kind of song. The vocal here is really fitting the story, i really like that song, my second favorite of the album.

"The Cast of Amontillado" is more ballad like in the verse to change drasticlly in the chorus. Very good orchestration here.

"(The System of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" is the more known song of the album, a very good song with very strong vocal prestation by John Miles.

Now we enter the core of the album, the best track ever recorded by The Alan Parsons Project, "The Fall of the House of Usher" a 15 min instrumental tour de force !

The first part "Prelude" is 7 min of orchestral only music, no guitar, bass or drums, just the orchestra, a very incredible trip it is!!!

The second part "Arrival" starts up with a real recording of a storm then, in the back you hear a church organ and couple second after that the synth comes in, it may be the best part of the song, i really like that build-up that comes right after the storm.

The third part "Intermezzo" is, like the title sugest, a interlude played by the orchestra.

The "Pavane" is filled with beautiful strings instruments, the main melody is played by the mandoline, the rhythm is played on the harps + you have by the end a beautiful build-up with acoustics guitars, bass and the drums.

"Fall" is the last parts and, it's mainly a chaotic orchestral build-up that goes in to the last song of the album, the beautiful ballad "To One in Paradise". What a wonderful way to close the album that the voice of Terry Sylvester surrounded by acoustic guitar and a boys choir.

5 Stars, essential to my life and definetly a masterpiece of progressive music.

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