Alan Parsons was an engineer for the Beatles at Abbey Road studio and worked extensively with Pink Floyd. He came up with lots of major innovations including forms of multi-tracking with older equipment. He is a technical genius (as well as so many other plaudits.
@@badplay156 He was in fact, the producer of the trio of Al Stewart's most successful albums (Modern Times, YOTC, and Time Passages, all masterpieces of varying degrees, BTW).
I went to see Yes in 1998. I was lucky enough to get front row seats. I thought it was just them, I didn't know there was an opening act. So we're sitting there before the show listening to the recorded music playing, gradually growing louder as showtime got closer, and watching the people as they filed in and settled in their seats. It was finally showtime and the lights went down, and this song started. We looked at each other, "Here we go! It's about to begin!" At the first crescendo, all the stage lights suddenly blazed on and it was the real Alan Parsons (and his band) standing right in front of us playing this song! We had no idea Alan Parsons was going to be there; we thought it was just Yes. What a wonderful evening, and a great concert, by A.P. and by Yes.
@@jefff3886 I didn’t have the money for concerts, so I only saw a few. I saw the Relayer tour. Donavan opened for them, what a great show. I saw the dead in the late 70’s, no opening act, they played from 8pm till after midnight!! There truly was nothing like a Greatful Dead concert!!
@@WinemasterSkye Almost. I was in Dallas, at the Starplex, an outdoor venue. You were there in 1998? You probably saw the show the night before or the night after I did. You remember the young keyboardist they had at the time, Igor Khoroshev I think his name was. I thought he did a great job, filling the giant shoes of Rick Wakeman.
I bought the "I Robot" album on the day it hit the record stores...because it had a cool album cover. By evening all my friends were hooked too. Alan Parsons is a genius.
Had never heard of them until I met my sweet husband in 1987. His favorite group. He passed away in 2010 but I listen to these guys and remember driving around in his Brat truck listening to them when we were dating. Love the line "the sun in your eyes made some of the lies worth believing". Great lyrics. Another great song is Don't Answer Me and the video is fun. Also Time is another good song. Very talented man.
I were borned in 1956, right in the middle of the baby boomer generation. We boomers were so blessed to grow up with the greatest 25 years of music ever written, performed, and recorded, truly the golden age of rock n roll, 1955-1980!! Most everything post 1990 pales in comparison to the golden age of rock n roll!! Post 2020 you can’t be sure you’re getting true talent, or machine adjusted!!
For me, 1964 (Beatles) to1994 (End of Grunge) was the best stretch of music ever. Post 1994 is wasteland until the Lady Rockers like Lzzy Hale showed up, at least they play old school rock.
Alan Parsons Project is INCREDIBLE !!!!! This particular song influenced my purchases of stereo equipment on base while serving in the Air Force in Europe !!!!!!
Alan Parsons has the most top tier fidelity in all of his productions. Alan Parsons said the idea of the song came from how cameras, satellites, etc and privacy were all disappearing in the modern age.
Thank you for reacting to this song, please consider listening to Al Stewart’s song “ Year of the Cat”. Just not the live version please. Alan Parsons engineered this amazing song and I really believe you’ll enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your time with us.
Discovered Alan Parsons in the ‘70’s. Picked up the I Robot album having just finished reading the collection of short stories by Issac Asimov in a book of the same name. I still follow Alan to this day. My family is under instructions to play “Old and Wise” at my funeral.
I bought this album on vinyl when it came out, it's great to see that you guys like this, too. He is one of the most underrated artists because so many know his songs and many are influenced, but only a few know what's behind this.
And that ladies and gentlemen, is why the 80s rule. Supposedly the inspiration was from noticing the cameras in the ceiling of a casino watching for card counters. Also about relationships. The sun in your eyes made some of the lies worth believing gets me every time. And it sounded just like this in 1982.
Ah, I thought always it was about satellite surveillance, maybe because of the word sky and heaving read many scifi novels (remember The Anarchistic Colossus by A.E. Van Vogt?)
They have a fairly recent concert album Alan Parsons Project live in Columbia. It was really good and it's on UA-cam. "Don't Answer Me" is actually sung by Alan himself. Two other song I really love are "Time" and "Old and Wise".
One of my favorite songs when i was a kid. One of those songs that instantly transports you back to 80's. The bass player and guitarist on this song were in the band Pilot that a hit with the song It's Magic. Ian Bairnson the guitarist played the guitar solo on Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights too.
I remember in high school when this came out, the book "1984" was quite popular and many people thought that the eye in the sky was referring to Big Brother from the book.
When CDs first appeared, I think this was the go-to track in HiFi stores when they wanted to demonstrate the clarity of sound. That contributed to the success of the CD album
I'm a 72 female and this is one of my favorite songs. Production is fantastic and what great lyrics and comeback to this girl who screwed over him. He now knows, and she can't fool him anymore because he knows her so well. He's over it and looking at it all, he is now the eye in the sky, finally taking the reins and feeling great about it❤
I saw APP in 1997 with Kansas which is one of my favorite bands. They (APP) put on the most perfect concert I’ve ever heard. No mistakes at all it was flawless. I was blown away. Chris Thompson of Manfred Mann was singing. At 56 years old he was incredible
So many great songs. Breakdown, I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You, The Raven, Damned If I Do, Games People Play, Psychobabble, Prime Time, Don't Answer Me, You Don't Believe, Let's Talk About Me, Stereotomy, Freudiana, You're On Your Own, Upper Me.
Alan Parsons Project was one of my favorite ‘bands’ for years. Turn of a Friendly Card is great all the way through. We used it to test stereo systems in the 80s. Try Anything Once is another great album with Three of Me, Turn It Up, Jigue, and Mr Time. They are not well known but still great tunes. Don’t forget Silence & I and Psychobabble from this album.
According to Alan Parsons, it’s about the ubiquity of surveillance cameras (even more relevant now), along referring to the surveillance cameras in casinos, commonly referred to as the “Eye in the Sky”. The lyrics “I am the Eye in the Sky”/Looking at you/I can read your mind/The maker of rules/Dealing with fools/I can cheat you blind…” is the best description of a casino I’ve ever heard.
It's also the goal of any surveillance state, the like of which can bee seen in the CCP, in China and it's the hopes of the UN's 15 minute city program.
Even so, many of the same musicians and singers performed on many of the albums. For example vocalist Lenny Zakatek and guitarist Ian Bairnson appeared on most if not all albums.
Stuart Elliott on drums was there for much of time. Elliott played drums on The Alan Parsons Project third album, Pyramid,which would be the first of ten albums where he became part of the rhythm section, and he continued playing and contributed in the songwriting for the next three solo albums of Parsons.
Alan Parsons did work with the Beatles. You can see him in the concert the Beatles had on a rooftop. He was running power cords in an Orange suit. If you react to Don't Awnser Me. See the viedo. That is pretty interesting.
ANYTHING from masterpiece APP album The Turn of a Friendly Card is brilliant. Also a deep cut called “Prime Time” where the guitar is perfect. Deep rabbit hole this.
I spent 18+ years in AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) in the US Air Force as a software engineer. This was the theme song for our squadron. One of the most appropriate theme songs in military history in my opinion. A friend of mine currently uses this as my ring tone on his phone.
I remember hearing this on the radio when I was younger, realizing it was really cool but not totally understanding it until I hadn't heard it for 20 years.
You asked what part of Pink Floyd he engineered. He did ALL of Darkside of the Moon. He knew it was going to be special so took the shifts of the other engineers just so he could work on it
That is not entirely true. Alan had already worked on Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother. studio management decides (most likely together with the artists) which engineer is to work on a given project. And he was chosen to work on DSOTM.
Alan Parsons sound was so unique when I first saw the movie Ladyhawke as soon as the opening song to the film came on I was like cool alan parsons produced the score for this movie! Sure enough.
You should hear "Tales of Mystery and Imagination", The Alan Parson's Project's first album. That is absolutely crisp, Orchestral, Poetry and EPIC Rock-Opera plus chorus all in one. It was produced in 1973. You'd swear that audio quality was impossible to record at that time. It is well worth listening to an original album of it. IMO it contained Alan Parson's greatest musical and production achievements. It also formed the basis for the sound track to a B-grade British horror movie called, "The Fall of the House of Usher", which was apparently seen by almost no one. But the soundtrack was awesome.
The story I've heard about this song was the singer Eric Wolfson was spending a lot of time in casino's during this era and a lot of their songs have theme's around gambling. Especially the album: Turn of a Friendly Card.
Check out "(The System of) Dr. Tarr And Professor Fether" from The Alan Parsons Project's 1976 debut album "Tales of Mystery And Imagination: Edgar Allan Poe", which has a more progressive vibe than heard in their later work. The lyrical and musical themes of this album are retellings of horror stories and poetry by Edgar Allan Poe. An impressive listen!
You played "Sirius" first - a famous instrumental track - "Eye In The Sky" is the second track on the album of the same name. I really like "Silence And I" from the same APP "Eye In The Sky" album - the orchestration in the middle of that track is arguably the best APP ever did, hardly surprising considering Andrew Powell had a 100-strong orchestra to deal with!
"Turn of a Friendly Card" is an amazing album. So many good tracks on side one. Side 2 is basically one long song, broken into several movements with the track "Turn of a Friendly Card" as the introduction and resolution.
I bought this album when it came out in '82 and the engineering and overall sound quality is absolutely top shelf for its time, and STILL is outstanding 40+ years later. Some speculate that the "eye in the sky" is the security apparatus of the same name in casinos, watching over gamblers. APP has an entire concept album called Turn of a Friendly Card that' definiteliy hits that subject, so maybe there's something to it. That's an OUTSTANDING album btw, highly suggested for a headphone session from start to finish in one sitting.
Fun fact: The intro to Eye in the Sky, also known as Sirius, was the entrance music for the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan era. Also, Eye in the Sky was the biggest hit for The Alan Parsons Project, spending 3 weeks at #3 and 17 weeks in the BILLBOARD Top Forty in 1982.
@oskarobit I know what you're saying. It's just like Eruption and then the remake of You Really Got Me from the debut album by Van Halen. Even though they are separate song titles, many people consider them intro songs because the intro is an instrumental, unlike We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions by Queen from the album News of the World.
I remember that from growing up in the Chicagoland area (yes, we say Chicagoland), and it was amazing.....the intros at the start of the Bulls games gave chills and were so inspiring.
When I was in my late teens early 20s I would often sit in the dark and listen to the entire "turn of a friendly card" album from APP. Also all fire. I woukd chill to that AJA, or dark side of the moon.
"The Sun in your eyes made some of the lies worth believing".
Love that line, genius.
Greatest line!!
It’s about the Devil. Literally.
Alan Parsons was an engineer for the Beatles at Abbey Road studio and worked extensively with Pink Floyd. He came up with lots of major innovations including forms of multi-tracking with older equipment. He is a technical genius (as well as so many other plaudits.
He was the only engineer on Dark Side of the Moon. Ge was also the engineer on Al Stewart's 2 hits, Year of the Cat and Time Passages
Yep
He was too young to be the engineer for the Beatles
@@BabbleBebble He started working as an assistant at Abbey Road in 1967, age 18
@@badplay156 He was in fact, the producer of the trio of Al Stewart's most successful albums (Modern Times, YOTC, and Time Passages, all masterpieces of varying degrees, BTW).
The "intro" is actually a separate song called "Sirius", but it also serves as an intro to "Eye in the Sky".
And Alan Parsons has himself called the 2 songs inextricably linked.
Yeah Sirius and Mammagama!
“Wouldn’t want to be like you” is another great song from APP.
@douglasg.9271 Absolutely! Wouldn't Want To Be Like You is one of my favs.
absolutely
I wouldn't Want to Be Like You is the flip Side to Atlanta Rhythm Section's " So into You".
and not forgetting Mamma Gamme.... that bass
"Games People Play" is another great track from this group.
I went to see Yes in 1998. I was lucky enough to get front row seats. I thought it was just them, I didn't know there was an opening act.
So we're sitting there before the show listening to the recorded music playing, gradually growing louder as showtime got closer, and watching the people as they filed in and settled in their seats.
It was finally showtime and the lights went down, and this song started. We looked at each other, "Here we go! It's about to begin!"
At the first crescendo, all the stage lights suddenly blazed on and it was the real Alan Parsons (and his band) standing right in front of us playing this song! We had no idea Alan Parsons was going to be there; we thought it was just Yes. What a wonderful evening, and a great concert, by A.P. and by Yes.
💥💥💥💥💥🤘🤪
@@jefff3886
I didn’t have the money for concerts, so I only saw a few.
I saw the Relayer tour. Donavan opened for them, what a great show.
I saw the dead in the late 70’s, no opening act, they played from 8pm till after midnight!!
There truly was nothing like a Greatful Dead concert!!
@@kevinmcconnell3641 i saw donovan at the edmonton folk fest sometime in the early to mid 1980s i even got his autograph
That wouldn't have been at the Cynthia Mitchell Woods Pavilion In Houston . by any chance. cuz if it was. I was there
@@WinemasterSkye Almost. I was in Dallas, at the Starplex, an outdoor venue. You were there in 1998? You probably saw the show the night before or the night after I did. You remember the young keyboardist they had at the time, Igor Khoroshev I think his name was. I thought he did a great job, filling the giant shoes of Rick Wakeman.
Old and Wise has a special place in my heart
Same here
@@stefanpetursson6067 agreed me too I have lined this up for my end of days Party its perfect..
Might be played at my funeral.
And me ! Sometimes makes me cry though !
I bought the "I Robot" album on the day it hit the record stores...because it had a cool album cover. By evening all my friends were hooked too. Alan Parsons is a genius.
As was Eric Woolfson, the Project's co-creator and main songwriter.
LOL! This song was playing only about 15 minutes ago at the local supermarket (in Wellington, NZ)! 😄
All his music has had that crispness you talked about. There is so much to choose from. "Old and Wise" is my standout piece. Emotional.
Yes, I totally agree. "Old and Wise" gets me every time. Beautifully sung by Colin Blunstone.
"I wouldn't want to be like you" and "Games people play" are great songs too but different again to this.
Love the song "Games People Play", good video too!
If you were on an NBA team in the 90s and you were playing at Chicago, and you heard this song, it meant that you were about to lose
It was the Bulls anthem for years! I miss those days.
The death toll for many an NBA team's season
At the Chicago Stadium or the United Center, this song signaled the beginning of a work day for my father. RIP "Johnny Red Kerr"
Truth
And now the starting lineup for your world champion Chicago Bulls!
Don‘t forget Eric Woolfson. He was the composer and arranger of the music from APP. A real genius. RIP Eric
Wow! I haven't heard this in too long! Thank you for sharing this and reacting to this!
Had never heard of them until I met my sweet husband in 1987. His favorite group. He passed away in 2010 but I listen to these guys and remember driving around in his Brat truck listening to them when we were dating. Love the line "the sun in your eyes made some of the lies worth believing". Great lyrics. Another great song is Don't Answer Me and the video is fun. Also Time is another good song. Very talented man.
When this came out in 1982 I played it continuously on my drive to work and back. One of my most favourite ever tracks by anybody.
I were borned in 1956, right in the middle of the baby boomer generation. We boomers were so blessed to grow up with the greatest 25 years of music ever written, performed, and recorded, truly the golden age of rock n roll, 1955-1980!!
Most everything post 1990 pales in comparison to the golden age of rock n roll!!
Post 2020 you can’t be sure you’re getting true talent, or machine adjusted!!
For me, 1964 (Beatles) to1994 (End of Grunge) was the best stretch of music ever. Post 1994 is wasteland until the Lady Rockers like Lzzy Hale showed up, at least they play old school rock.
@@vicprovost2561 Rock and roll isn't dead! There are kids to keep it alive...
ua-cam.com/video/2-U3C2fiAL8/v-deo.htmlsi=MBec5vx1r4uXZg5v
As a boomer myself I agree 100%.
I agree, although a broader range, from the beginning of the 60's to 2000
Alan Parsons Project is INCREDIBLE !!!!! This particular song influenced my purchases of stereo equipment on base while serving in the Air Force in Europe !!!!!!
Alan Parson project was done by studio musicians and what a fantastic job they did.
Most were from the band Pilot but yes, had become session muso's for Parsons and Woolfson.
One of my favorite Alan Parsons Project songs is "Old and Wise"...
At last somebody mentioned this wonderful song, thank you!
One of my favorite songs! Great reaction!
Absolutely fantastic song & band. That intro always had a spooky feel to that intro. Great song!!!
Aaah! I love this song - it’s been on my playlist forever! I’m sure you’ll both love it! ❤
The whole LP is amazing, believe me!
Hauntingly mellow vibe.
Such a hypnotizing song
Talent and perfection at all levels . "Time" is a great song also. Emphasizes the relentless and inevitable flow of time.
My favorite by them
@@keithcessna1 I bought my first APP album, Turn of a Friendly Card, because I heard Time on the radio. They became my favorite band.
@@aaronb.2177Times lyrics always get me…
Alan Parsons has the most top tier fidelity in all of his productions. Alan Parsons said the idea of the song came from how cameras, satellites, etc and privacy were all disappearing in the modern age.
Thank you for reacting to this song, please consider listening to Al Stewart’s song “ Year of the Cat”. Just not the live version please. Alan Parsons engineered this amazing song and I really believe you’ll enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your time with us.
He also produced and engineered Time Passages. That may be even better than Year of the Cat. And that's saying something.
Both were masterpieces
The album version 👍
The Old Grey Whistle Test live version of Year of the Cat is awesome.
@@jameswilson7790 Also Modern Times in 1975.
Favorite memory-I was a teenager babysitting a little 4 year old for the summer. She would sing Eye in the Sky and she was so cute!!
This was our song for a girl and I that was dating at the time. Have been married to each other for 41yrs on July 16th.
I bought the Album when it first came out and later the CD, and it was always this clear.
At guard, from North Carolina, 6'6''.... Michael Jordan!!!
ANNNNND NOOOOW.....THE STARTING LINEUP FOR YOUR.....CHICAGO BULLS!!!!!!
I still have this on vinyl & a turntable. Still great.
Discovered Alan Parsons in the ‘70’s. Picked up the I Robot album having just finished reading the collection of short stories by Issac Asimov in a book of the same name. I still follow Alan to this day. My family is under instructions to play “Old and Wise” at my funeral.
Oh...and Time. Such a moving song that hits hard!
I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You is another Great song from them.
I play this in the classroom before the start of the first class of term in college chemistry!
The intro became famous as the intro for the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan era.
I bought this album on vinyl when it came out, it's great to see that you guys like this, too. He is one of the most underrated artists because so many know his songs and many are influenced, but only a few know what's behind this.
It starts out with Sirius and then melds to Eye In The Sky.
And that ladies and gentlemen, is why the 80s rule. Supposedly the inspiration was from noticing the cameras in the ceiling of a casino watching for card counters. Also about relationships. The sun in your eyes made some of the lies worth believing gets me every time. And it sounded just like this in 1982.
Ah, I thought always it was about satellite surveillance, maybe because of the word sky and heaving read many scifi novels (remember The Anarchistic Colossus by A.E. Van Vogt?)
I bought the album in 1982 and to my memory it has always been crisp.
Breakdown and Don't Answer Me are two must reactions from The Alan Parsons Project
Both are great. Also "Time" from Turn of a Friendly Card is a great song.
"You cant take it with You"is a must listen too by this Band
They have a fairly recent concert album Alan Parsons Project live in Columbia. It was really good and it's on UA-cam. "Don't Answer Me" is actually sung by Alan himself. Two other song I really love are "Time" and "Old and Wise".
Omg hadn't heard this song in forever, nice! Great classic good job guys yall are the best reactors on youtube no cap.
One of my favorite songs when i was a kid. One of those songs that instantly transports you back to 80's. The bass player and guitarist on this song were in the band Pilot that a hit with the song It's Magic. Ian Bairnson the guitarist played the guitar solo on Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights too.
That whole album was great
I loved this song in high school and was then hyped when the Chicago Bulls with MJ and Co. started using it.
I so glad you played the Sirius intro. I heard the song for years on the radio not knowing it was supposed to segue from Sirius.
Love This Song Seen Alan Parsons project live at the California State Fair They were Awesome 😊
MIXING MASTER in the studio
The old saying was "Fool me once - shame on you. Fool me twice - shame on me." This song reminds me of this.
I remember in high school when this came out, the book "1984" was quite popular and many people thought that the eye in the sky was referring to Big Brother from the book.
When CDs first appeared, I think this was the go-to track in HiFi stores when they wanted to demonstrate the clarity of sound. That contributed to the success of the CD album
I'm a 72 female and this is one of my favorite songs. Production is fantastic and what great lyrics and comeback to this girl who screwed over him. He now knows, and she can't fool him anymore because he knows her so well. He's over it and looking at it all, he is now the eye in the sky, finally taking the reins and feeling great about it❤
I saw APP in 1997 with Kansas which is one of my favorite bands. They (APP) put on the most perfect concert I’ve ever heard. No mistakes at all it was flawless. I was blown away. Chris Thompson of Manfred Mann was singing. At 56 years old he was incredible
Glad Phil recognized the music right off the bat. 👍🏀
Sounds just as good now as when I first heard it on the radio in high school. Parsons is a master at sound crafting with his audio mixes.
So many great songs. Breakdown, I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You, The Raven, Damned If I Do, Games People Play, Psychobabble, Prime Time, Don't Answer Me, You Don't Believe, Let's Talk About Me, Stereotomy, Freudiana, You're On Your Own, Upper Me.
Alan Parsons Project was one of my favorite ‘bands’ for years. Turn of a Friendly Card is great all the way through. We used it to test stereo systems in the 80s. Try Anything Once is another great album with Three of Me, Turn It Up, Jigue, and Mr Time. They are not well known but still great tunes. Don’t forget Silence & I and Psychobabble from this album.
"Games People Play" is greatness!
Alan Parsons is one of the best sound engineers in the business.
Love all he is involved in
According to Alan Parsons, it’s about the ubiquity of surveillance cameras (even more relevant now), along referring to the surveillance cameras in casinos, commonly referred to as the “Eye in the Sky”. The lyrics “I am the Eye in the Sky”/Looking at you/I can read your mind/The maker of rules/Dealing with fools/I can cheat you blind…” is the best description of a casino I’ve ever heard.
It's also the goal of any surveillance state, the like of which can bee seen in the CCP, in China and it's the hopes of the UN's 15 minute city program.
@@ferdnerkel He was actually inspired by George Orwell's book, 1984, which is all about a surveillance state.
Parsons used different musicians and singers through different albums, so many great songs
Even so, many of the same musicians and singers performed on many of the albums. For example vocalist Lenny Zakatek and guitarist Ian Bairnson appeared on most if not all albums.
@@pjg58x Thanks for that good information!
Stuart Elliott on drums was there for much of time. Elliott played drums on The Alan Parsons Project third album, Pyramid,which would be the first of ten albums where he became part of the rhythm section, and he continued playing and contributed in the songwriting for the next three solo albums of Parsons.
Is the Most perfect pop rock song ever. Just flawless
Alan Parsons did work with the Beatles. You can see him in the concert the Beatles had on a rooftop. He was running power cords in an Orange suit.
If you react to Don't Awnser Me. See the viedo. That is pretty interesting.
ANYTHING from masterpiece APP album The Turn of a Friendly Card is brilliant.
Also a deep cut called “Prime Time” where the guitar is perfect.
Deep rabbit hole this.
👍 Agreed! The title track(s) and Games People Play are my favorite APP songs.
Side 2 in particular with the title suite is peak Parsons.
Love that album played the crap out of it .
There is a great live version of this that you two might want to check out. Great reaction to a great song!!! 👏👏👏👏✌️
I spent 18+ years in AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) in the US Air Force as a software engineer. This was the theme song for our squadron. One of the most appropriate theme songs in military history in my opinion. A friend of mine currently uses this as my ring tone on his phone.
How can you have gone through life without ever hearing this?
"Wouldn't Wamt To Be Like You" is another great one as well as "Games People Play".
I remember hearing this on the radio when I was younger, realizing it was really cool but not totally understanding it until I hadn't heard it for 20 years.
The insights and perception, with you two is amazing🙀👍🏻
Chicago Bulls
Sirius ❤
Starting Line up Intro Song
Jordan,Pippen,Rodman,Harper,Longley
🔥Cartwright, Paxson, Grant 🔥Armstrong, Kukoc, Kerr
The great guitarist Ian Bairnson died last year. Such a tasteful guitarist who knew just what to play. The ending solo on this track is just perfect.
Sorry to hear that. RIP Ian.
"The Eagle Will Rise Again", from APP's 1977 "Pyramid" is awesomely beautiful. Definitely worth checking out!
You asked what part of Pink Floyd he engineered. He did ALL of Darkside of the Moon. He knew it was going to be special so took the shifts of the other engineers just so he could work on it
That is not entirely true. Alan had already worked on Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother. studio management decides (most likely together with the artists) which engineer is to work on a given project. And he was chosen to work on DSOTM.
For a real treat check out the live versions from his concert in Columbia. The entire band is masterful!
Alan Parsons sound was so unique when I first saw the movie Ladyhawke as soon as the opening song to the film came on I was like cool alan parsons produced the score for this movie! Sure enough.
You should hear "Tales of Mystery and Imagination", The Alan Parson's Project's first album. That is absolutely crisp, Orchestral, Poetry and EPIC Rock-Opera plus chorus all in one. It was produced in 1973. You'd swear that audio quality was impossible to record at that time. It is well worth listening to an original album of it. IMO it contained Alan Parson's greatest musical and production achievements. It also formed the basis for the sound track to a B-grade British horror movie called, "The Fall of the House of Usher", which was apparently seen by almost no one. But the soundtrack was awesome.
All of the songs on that album are based on Edgar Alan Poe works. I love that album.
My favorite song from them
The story I've heard about this song was the singer Eric Wolfson was spending a lot of time in casino's during this era and a lot of their songs have theme's around gambling. Especially the album: Turn of a Friendly Card.
Check out "(The System of) Dr. Tarr And Professor Fether" from The Alan Parsons Project's 1976 debut album "Tales of Mystery And Imagination: Edgar Allan Poe", which has a more progressive vibe than heard in their later work. The lyrical and musical themes of this album are retellings of horror stories and poetry by Edgar Allan Poe. An impressive listen!
Always loved The Raven from the same album, too
I concur
@@pjjayhawk Even better if preceded by "A Dream Within A Dream", with Orson Welles narrating.
"Do what you need to make you feel better. Do what you need to make you feel!" 🙂
@@bsquared3809
"Satisfaction altogether
Guaranteed by Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" 😊
You played "Sirius" first - a famous instrumental track - "Eye In The Sky" is the second track on the album of the same name. I really like "Silence And I" from the same APP "Eye In The Sky" album - the orchestration in the middle of that track is arguably the best APP ever did, hardly surprising considering Andrew Powell had a 100-strong orchestra to deal with!
The intro- "Sirius" (as in the star), is a piece unto itself. But it sets up Eye in the Sky, so it is natural to play them together.
Great song!
Games Ppl Play is another great song by Alan Parsons Project.
“Some Other Time”, “Turn of a Friendly Card”, “To One in Paradise” and “Time” are also great.
I've has this set since it first came out in the 80's. I still listen to it on the Turntable.
Every time I hear this one, I get the urge to sit down at my synth rack and create something.
"Turn of a Friendly Card" is an amazing album. So many good tracks on side one. Side 2 is basically one long song, broken into several movements with the track "Turn of a Friendly Card" as the introduction and resolution.
I'm working their show at the Ryman Auditorium in a couple hours..
He is just the best, and he is still putting out albums, and touring. He has a DVD of his concert in Colombia a few years back that is worth watching!
I bought this album when it came out in '82 and the engineering and overall sound quality is absolutely top shelf for its time, and STILL is outstanding 40+ years later. Some speculate that the "eye in the sky" is the security apparatus of the same name in casinos, watching over gamblers. APP has an entire concept album called Turn of a Friendly Card that' definiteliy hits that subject, so maybe there's something to it. That's an OUTSTANDING album btw, highly suggested for a headphone session from start to finish in one sitting.
“Damned if I Do” is an under appreciated song by The Alan Parsons Project IMHO
Fun fact: The intro to Eye in the Sky, also known as Sirius, was the entrance music for the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan era. Also, Eye in the Sky was the biggest hit for The Alan Parsons Project, spending 3 weeks at #3 and 17 weeks in the BILLBOARD Top Forty in 1982.
Yep. Whenever I hear this I can only hear "Michael Jorden!"
Not an intro but the first song in the album.
@oskarobit I know what you're saying. It's just like Eruption and then the remake of You Really Got Me from the debut album by Van Halen. Even though they are separate song titles, many people consider them intro songs because the intro is an instrumental, unlike We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions by Queen from the album News of the World.
And pro wrestling legend Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat!!!
I remember that from growing up in the Chicagoland area (yes, we say Chicagoland), and it was amazing.....the intros at the start of the Bulls games gave chills and were so inspiring.
One of the first albums i bought as a teenager. Fond memories.
When I was in my late teens early 20s I would often sit in the dark and listen to the entire "turn of a friendly card" album from APP. Also all fire. I woukd chill to that AJA, or dark side of the moon.