TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

The Alan Parsons Project is not a typical band per se, but more of an in-studio collaboration lead by music producer Alan Parsons, working with a huge array of different musicians as and when possible. It wasn't a touring outfit, and the style of music varies from song to song. While the "group" are often loosely considered progressive rock, the music in this, their debut, is mostly straightforward rock or symphonic music.

First and foremost, 'Tales of Mystery and Imagination' is a collection of songs based upon works by renowned author Edgar Allan Poe, of which, I must say, I have absolutely no knowledge or interest in. I can only judge this album based solely on the quality of the music, of which it's a fairly mixed bag.

The record is mostly divided into two parts. The first, being some rather standard rock songs, is easily the highlight for me, with 'The Tell-Tale Heart' and '(The System of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether' being the only two songs I like. They're rocking and catchy, with some infectious vocal melodies and hooks.

The second half is a prog-inspired symphonic piece called 'The Fall of the House of Usher'. It's broken into five individual parts, and to be honest none of them really do anything for me. There's some big, orchestral sounding parts, and sections that sound reminiscent of Mike Oldfield's work, but other than the odd melody here-and-there, there really isn't anything going on that interests me.

And that's pretty much all there is to it! I'm a fan of Alan Parsons (and his project), but this debut release is fairly lacklustre to me. Maybe I'd appreciate it more if I was a fan of the source material, but I'm not. Onto the next album!