I ROBOT

By profession, I'm a workshop facilitator. Am now running a Corporate Culture workshop for the largest (with 21,000 employees!) national bank in my home- country. I usually use classic rock as well as progressive rock music to create the "right" ambient for my workshop - usually during experiential learning and/or self reflection phase. [Tell me my friend, is there any kind of music that is conducive enough to create a great ambient of a dynamic workshop?? Only PROG my friend!] Or sometimes during the assignment where all participants write something at their work book. At my last session , a lady participant approached me during break and asking me how come I dare to use songs like "Firth of Fifth", "Hairless Heart", "I Know What I Like" (Genesis), "Humble Stance" (Saga) as well as "The Friends of Mr Cairo" (Jon and Vangelis)? She claimed that she enjoyed the workshop ambient with that kind of songs as background. During the discussion she also asked me whether I know a band with its name using something like "project". So I did mention: "It must be The Alan Parsons Project". "You got it right!" she said. She asked me how to get the CD for that kind of music. The long discussion follow and to make it short the discussion led me the way to spin again my collection of The APP and write the review after listening to it. "I Robot" started first. [Phew !!!. such a long intro. So sorry . Talking about music is talking about life - even, I can write a novel about it . but, who's gonna buy? No one! So I'd better talk about this album .] You might call this as progressive pop music as it contains mostly poppy stuffs with a bit of rock favor. Put off the prog boundary, it's a good album by Alan Parsons Project that colored the classic rock era of the seventies. The album starts off with an atmospheric keyboard effects and female chanting through "I Robot". It might bring your memory into Pink Floyd stuff - but it's not really. "I wouldn't want to be Like You" is a nice pop rock with good vocal line in upbeat style. Hit like "Some Other Time" was very common by the time and people in my country really enjoyed this track. I remember how my friends generally liked this song because of its melody. Some radio stations put this track as hit and made it popular during that period. "Breakdown" brings the music into a mellow pop music with good melody and good rhythmic guitar and choirs. "Don't Let It Show" is my favorite Alan Parsons Project song with powerful and memorable melody. The vocal is really excellent. The organ sound that accompanies the vocal reminds me to the seventies type of music combined with melodic keyboard and electric piano. "The Voice" starts with repeated chords of bass and keyboards in atmospheric setting followed with great vocal line. I also really enjoy the concluding track which has a very good composition "Genesis Ch. 1 V. 32".

It's an excellent album. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW