I ROBOT

Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson had the desire of following up 'Tales' with yet another concept record inspired by literature, this time around drawing inspiration from the robot stories of Isaac Azimov, and with such a concept partially realized, the songs of the album ultimately became connected by the common theme of artificial intelligence, although not explicitly reiterating actual stories of Azimov. And while the duo abandoned the classical experiments of their debut album, they did preserve the essential structure of what was a very successful progressive rock record. This time around, however, the project offers a much more diverse range of styles and influences, a more profound, organic sound, perhaps a greater sense of composition and sees the introduction of a truly melancholic tone. 'I Robot' becomes a thematic album that offers some straightforward prog-pop tunes, some funky classics as well as some Floyd-ian grooves as the band once again has a cast of vocalist contributing to the album.

We have Eric Woolfson covering a tremendous array of keyboards, including the Fender Rhodes, the Wurlitzer and the clavinet, while Alan Parsons is busier with production, sound engineering, ambience, the use of effects, tape loops and sequences, all aspects that contribute to the futuristic, artsy sounds of 'I Robot', undoubtedly one of the signature progressive albums of the late 70s. Relying upon an instrumental intro once more, APP offer the iconic title track, a tune so quirky and memorable, a great introduction to a lush journey. 'I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You' with its uplifting guitars and swaying rhythms is another essential entry, while the moodier side of the band is explored on 'Some Other Time', 'Don't Let It Show', and 'Day After Day', all very mellow, these tracks focus on the songwriting aspect as well as the forging of a particular feel rather than the technical, instrumental side, which is to be heard on songs like 'The Voice' with its enigmatic and modernist middle section, 'Nucleus', 'Total Eclipse' and album closer. Obviously 'I Robot' is a classic album by the Alan Parsons Project, one that offers a fine balance between radio-friendly pop-prog tunes and spacey, instrumental ventures.