This is what i did to myself when I was forced to sit through the APP collection

It seemed a reasonable alternative at the time.

Alan Parson's is an interesting collection. In the beginning they had some excellent stuff with Tales of Mystery and Imagination and I Robot and then progressively get worse until they became unlistenable. Amonia Avenue still makes me wince.

I wish you would have had an OK selection.

They made some great albums.

If we start from the assumption that all prog is underrated, I reckon APP get their fair share of recognition. I would say though that Eric Woolfson's contribution to the "Project" is underrated.

I'd rather eat a pizza made out of my own toenail clippings - or even someone else's - than listen to Tales Of Mystery And Imagination again, let alone subsequent albums. Having said that, they do have a place in prog history, and I wouldn't quibble over their inclusion in the archive.

Definately underated. I Robot is the best album followed by Tales, Pyramid, and turn of a friendly card. Eye in the sky is the last good album, I think, but the 80s albums aren't completely wastable. At least the concepts are good, just perhaps not the music.

Gaston

I don't find the right option here and it's inconsistent.

Alan Parsons did an outstanding progressive album as Tales of Mystery and Imagination, an also very good conceptual I Robot and a pretty decent Pyramid (In the Lap of the Gods is a masterpiece). But after that everything was downhill (I used this word twice in this week to describe two bands).

Eve is a poppy album that has almost no merit except Damned if I Do, a great song that deserves to be in a better album. The Turn of a Friendly Card is also a disappointment, has some medieval sounds but mixed with mediocre pop.

Eye in the Sky is an album created with no artistic ambition, they needed some cash and released an album to reach the charts. The arrangements by the Power behind the curtain (Andrew Powell) saves the day, better than the previous but still not a good album, but at least the masses heard of Alan Parsons for the first time in their lives, and a semi prog' song reached N° 1 in most countries.

Vulture Culture is more of the same, no imagination or quality, only cheap pop, but with a terrible problem, the imagination and capacity was lost because Andrew Powell left the band, no Andrew Powell and his magnificent arrangements = No Alan Parsons Project.

Gaudi: Pretentious album mostly by Erick Woolfson, but at least Andrew Powell is back and the orchestral arrangements again save the day.

Freudiana: Again Alan Parsons sounds pretty decent and started to sound asin his early years, but it was too late for the project that turned into the Alan Parsons Band that deserves no comment at all.

In other words, one masterpiece, two excellent albums, a good one and a lot of poppy stuf, but each and every album has a perfect production something in what Alan Parsons was the best since the days of Dark Side of the Moon.

Iván

PS: Don't mention Ammonia Avenue and Stereothomy because I haven't heard enough of those albums to give a valid opinion.

Ivan, what about Ammonia Avenue and Stereotomy?

The bass isn't as important in APP, sorry to disappoint you, but Pastorius isn't prog either.

There's different aspects of what constitutes good and bad prog. 70s APP is good prog just like Presto is bad prog.

Bashing APP altogether means you simply don't get it. Prog should encompass a wide variety of genres, not just Geddy bass.

Gaston

Gaston wrote: There's different aspects of what constitutes good and bad prog. 70s APP is good prog just like Presto is bad prog. Gaston

No Gaston,Presto is sh*te, full stop!

Reed, I guess what I'm saying is that an album like Presto doesn't diminish Rush's work, though any fool could say so.

The same can be said for most prog bands that released overwhelmingly bad reviewed albums. Those bad albums aren't their sound - Rush isn't famous (and thus, hated) for Presto.

APP isn't without their share, but neither is Rush. None of them are, in my opinion, unless you completely disregard the 80s.

Gaston

Gaston wrote: The bass isn't as important in APP,

I don't know....I heard Alan Parson's was an avid Largemouth bass fisherman

Velvetclown wrote: Understand why you quit smoking Reed

nah, that was because of the "Sprouts Mexicaine" my wife used to serve me!

Prog_Bassist wrote: Gaston wrote: The bass isn't as important in APP, sorry to disappoint you, but Pastorius isn't prog either.   There's different aspects of what constitutes good and bad prog. 70s APP is good prog just like Presto is bad prog. Bashing APP altogether means you simply don't get it. Prog should encompass a wide variety of genres, not just Geddy bass. Gaston ? I'm stating my opinion, and my opinion is that APP is complete and total crap. I also think Presto is Rush's worst album, the only one I truly dislike for that fact. And what was the remark about Jaco? Are you trying to say I don't like anything that isn't prog? Because if you are you are severely wrong. And you also seem to be saying that I only like something if it has crazy bass in it, just because im a bass player. You're also dreadfully wrong on that. So in short, don't bash people because of their opinions, cuz that's just down right lame. And my opinion is that APP suck donkey balls.

Prog-B I'm still not getting it.Can you be unequivocal re your position on Alan Parsons?

Actually some of the earlier stuff was good, I Robot, Turn of a Friendly Card... but the 80s stuff was pretty bad... however, he put out one in the 90s that has become one of my favorite albums... and made me a fan of Ian Bairnson... "Try Anything Once".  I think thats his best album....

I went to see him live a few months ago.. and the problem now is that Ian Bairnson is no longer with him... and he's got a completely new band.. all made up of  guys from Brooklyn and New Jersey... it was like Alan Parson's meets Bon Jovi... and just about as cheesy.. I was really disappointed.  However, the guitarist did do a really good job on the David Gilmour part on "Return to Tunguska" which is the only song I like off  the new album...

Prog_Bassist wrote: Interesting question reed, let me explain in a technical manner for us to better understand the situation: Clear enough for ya?

I am indeed not worthy!