Search - Symphonic Rock Project :: Songs of Alan Parsons

Worthy Treatments of Great Parsons Tunes

Michael Butts | Martinsburg, WV USA | 06/17/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you can get by the obvious Spanish accents on some of the vocals, you have a really nice 19 song tribute to one of our premiere writers/arrangers/engineers, the great Alan Parsons. I've had all his albums ever since his first, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, released in early 1976. Getting this CD is nothing like having the original recordings, of course, but what is fun about this collection is that the Symphonic Rock Orchestra has remained true to Mr. Parsons' arrangements, almost to a fault. However, they have added punchier drums and percussion, and "modernized" them a little bit, which just proves what good songs they were to begin with. Nothing on this album is better than the original, but it's a fun way to spend 70 minutes listening to some really great tunes: "Pipeline," "Don't Answer Me," "The Raven," "Time," "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You," etc. I was sad they didn't include two of my real favorites: "Stereotomy" and "Damned If I Do." I'll just have to stick with the original ARP on those. Overall, though, a nice departure from the usual fare offered by these symphonic rock compilations."

A little uneven...This *could* have been a *lot* worse.

William R. Warren | Tacoma, WA USA | 09/26/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There are a lot of tracks in this that are very faithful to the originals and well done. There are a *few* that might make an APP purist cringe, and while most of the time the Spanish accents (or Portugese, this is Brazilian after all) are only slightly intrusive, there are other cuts that sound like they're vocalized by "Fez" from "That 70's Show" -- not quite outright funny, but amusing. There are enough good interpretations that I can't be sorry I got the album, and it will see its share of playtime, but purists should note: it's a tribute album, it has a few spots that it gets a little cheesy around the edges, but for the most part it's reasonably well done and not completely objectionable. At least the vocalists (uncredited, same as everyone else connected with the album) not only carry the tunes well, a couple of them are in excellent voice and do real justice to the range and lyrics. Some reasonable (if largely uninspired) instrumental riffs here and there as well. It was worth the price...barely. (But hey, that's better than "Almost".)"