THE BEST OF ALAN PARSONS PROJECT

I usually don't buy or review compilations, because simply lacks of sense to listen a song out of it's natural context (The way it was recorded in the original version and the tracks that are to be listened with it).

I'm even less interested when it's the case of a band like Alan Parsons Project that started their career strongly but turned weak and ultra commercial progressively with each new release (paradoxical way to use this term).

But there was something in this album that caught my attention, even when I believe that Eve is one of the worst albums ever recorded by an originally progressive band, Andrew Powell's Orchestral arrangements in Damned if I do are among my favorites, so the time I saw this album in the shelf of a store at the price of 3 bucks, decided to buy it instead of going with the terrible Eve.

To be honest the album is not bad, mostly not progressive but the songs personally selection by Alan Parsons include some of the best from their commercial years plus a couple of tracks from the more prog' oriented I Robot and Pyramid it's also important to notice that the production is outstanding as in every album by this band.

The Best of Alan Parsons Project starts with "I Wouldn't Want to be Like You" from I Robot, somehow jazzy with an excellent guitar work, good but still not the best song from the album based on Isaac Asimov's novel, mostly because of the drumming that sounds too mechanical for my taste.

Eye in the Sky (Same title album) and Games People Play (Turn of a Friendly Card) are just weak songs recorded for commercial purpose that IMO don't deserve to be commented, except for the trivia fact that Eye in the Sky reached the top of the pop chart in various parts of the world.

"Time" also from The Turn of a Friendly Card is one of the highlights of the album, nothing more than a poppy ballad, but the performance of the band is extremely strong, the piano is delightful and the vocals by Ian Woolfson are very appropriate. Who said that only progressive songs can be good?

The next track "Pyramania" from the album Pyramid is just a joke about people's fascination with all the Ancient Egypt issues during the 70's, would be funny if the lead vocals by Jack Harris weren't absolutely annoying.

"You Don't Believe" is originally a hit single that was later included in the album Ammonia Avenue (Released one year after this compilation), simple but effective track with good vocals by Lenny Zakatek, a bit electronic for my taste, but not bad.

"Lucifer" from Eve is a track that doesn't deserve more comments than a word or two about the good choirs wasted by Andrew Powell in this mediocre song, something that can't be said about the even worst Psychobabble, there's nothing that saves this hybrid mixture of genres.

At last it's the turn of the song that made me buy this compilation, "Damned if I Do", a track that normally wouldn't ever caught my attention, but the very good vocals by Lenny Zakatek, a couple of dramatic changes but specially the amazing orchestral arrangements by the very competent Andrew Powell made of this track one of my guilty pleasures.

"Don't let it Show" is another excellent track from I Robot, a good and solemn ballad where the vocals by Dave Townsend (Don't understand why he didn't sung many APP tracks) are perfectly enhanced by the surprising piano and organ, an excellent song.

The next song, "Can't Take it with You" from Pyramid as most of the racks from this album has a clear Ancient Egyptian atmosphere that makes the music pleasant and mysterious, the strange whistle at the beginning and end (Probably flute or Ocarina, not sure though) makes the song unforgettable

The album is closed by "Old and Wise" not the best choice for this purpose, soft calmed with piano and the characteristic vocals of Colin Blunstone, but has the problem never reaches the climax required to close an album not even with the jazzy saxophone at the end of the track..

Sadly The Best of Alan Parsons Project doesn't include a single track from their excellent debut "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" so it doesn't give a complete idea of the evolution of the band (more precisely involution in the case of this band), but if you want to have some of their best songs without having to buy some really weak albums like Eve or Eye in the Sky, this is a good choice.

Three stars is the correct rating for one of the few compilations that could be considered better than the original albums.