The Alan Parsons Project: Thoughts?

akin wrote: Their are not prog to you, but they were considered prog in the seventies, eighties and nineties (And nowadays too). The same thing goes with supertramp, for example.   First Akin, don't worry replying when you fiind the word guest as username, most probably was a throll benned from Prog Archives and we can expect anything from trolls.   Now, I partially disagree with you, IMO Alan Parsons Project was prog only at the beginning of his career:   Tales of Mystery and Imagination: That was his best album, 100% Symphonic, imaginative and very complex. I Robot: More oriented towards Pink Floyd meets Vangelis, somehow electronic and spacey, but still great album. Pyramania: One of my favorite releases, In the Lap of The Gods and What Goes Up are wonderfull, here you can discover who was the soul of APP and hhis name is Andrew Powel, his Orchestral Arrabngements are simply spectacular. Eve is a 100% POP album, despite the pompous and good (only for Powell's arrangements) Damn if I do and the solid  Lucifer, the album suchks, if oit wasn't for those two tracks this record would be now working as a coaster in my house. The 80's were terrible, nobody in his right mind would ever consider Alan Parson's Project Prog. The Turn ogf the Friendly Card was sklightly better than Evve, (But still very poppy), and then everything goes downhill, reaching the peak of popularity with Eye in the Sky.   There's something I must say about APP, all the albums are good (even when most not prog) but the impeccable production always saved the day, listening the great quality of recording was always a pleassure.   In the 90's they only released Freudiana in 1990, Erik Wolfson leaved if I'm not wrong and Alan Parson's Project DISBANDED.   What you can listen noiw is the Alan Parson's Band, who plays his old songs, but in the 89's there was no APP anymore.   In my opinion it is useless to change the defiition of what is prog and what is not. I think those new criterias should be applied to the new bands.   Why??? Anybody saying that We Can't Dance is Prog is really out of his mind, Genesis ceased breing Prog after W&W (Some nbelieve after Duke, I don't), Alan Parsons Project ceased beimg Prog (except for some disperse songs) after Pyramids. In early seventies, Funkadelic, Parliament were funk. Nowadays funk is something like rap. This doens´t cause Funkadelic or Parliament to not being funk.   There are no Prog or Funk bands, ther are bands that play Prog amnd bands that play Funk. A band may be playing Prog today and tomorrow just bland ballads. Just my thoughts about thiese questions. Exactly as in my case. Iván

TheProgtologist wrote: Guests wrote: OMG, surely they aren't prog..................i've got most of their albums and prog ain't anywhere in sight. However as i've stated before a lot of crap in here is being blessed as prog...god forgive them..or whatever. I don't really think of The Alan Parsons Project as prog. But I like his work so what's the difference?

Their are not prog to you, but they were considered prog in the seventies, eighties and nineties (And nowadays too). The same thing goes with supertramp, for example.

In my opinion it is useless to change the defiition of what is prog and what is not. I think those new criterias should be applied to the new bands.

In early seventies, Funkadelic, Parliament were funk. Nowadays funk is something like rap. This doens´t cause Funkadelic or Parliament to not being funk.

Just my thoughts about thiese questions.

Has anyone got the new album "A valid Path" Is it good? I only heard "Return to Tunguska" & I liked that track.

My favourite album is the concept double album "Freudiana". Very, very, very, very underrated and forgotten.

 

oliverstoned wrote: Are you both joking? What is good is "The fall of the house of Usher" from Tales... And the beggining of Pyramid.

My favoirite track doesn't come from my favorite album which is Tales ..., my favorite song is "In the Lap of the Gods" from Pyramids, one of the most wonderful orchestral work, the point where the Rock song turn into an almost symphopnic work withs a full Orchestra conducted and arranged by Andrew Powell is outstanding, the  echoes of the ancient Egypt add more mystery.

Iván

Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M

Are you both joking? What is good is "The fall of the house of Usher" from Tales...

And the beggining of Pyramid.



Edited by oliverstoned

Sounds like I'm the only one who liked "Amonia Avenue"?

OK, maybe not the whole album but songs like "Don't Answer Me".

Alot of the APP material was just easy listening pop songs but there is a lot of good instrumentation on all the albums. I used to own a compilation of all his instrumentals and it was great. I quite like 'The Valid Path' but it's totally different from the earlier albums IMO.

I actually think that "I Robot" was one of the best albums ever made. I remember laying on the bed about 1978 and listening to the whole album while thinking around corners, it was intense to be on the same plane as Alan when he made the album and it was bourne from another state of conscienceness.

One excellent album, close to amasterpiece....Tales of Mystery and Imagination

Two very good albums, pretty much over the average......I Robot and Pyramids.

The rest absolutely forgetable IMO.

BTW; The genius behind Alan Parsons Project was Andrew Powell his skills as conductor and arranger are outstanding, even the worst APP albums arranged by him sound excellent, the problem was the path Alan Parsons took.

Iván