Album Club, December 2019: Alan Parsons Project - 'I Robot'

[Album Club]

The Album Club choice for December comes courtesy of Adrian (AJSki2fly) with the Alan Parsons Project - 'I Robot'. As always, please listen to the album in its entirety before you comment and vote.



Alan Parsons Project - I Robot



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Robot_(album)

So this is Alan Parsons second album, I have chosen it as I purchased it just after it was released when I was 19, I knew nothing about him and it was the cover that caught me. I took it home put it on and thought wow, what a record, what super production and great music. I then rushed round to my best friend and said you have to hear this, we sat and listened and we both became hooked buying virtually every subsequent Alan Parson Project album.

I suspect some of you may know it or maybe not, if not I hope it gives you a similar experience I had the first time I heard it. It is quite well known in the HiFi listening world as a LP to go to, to listen to a system due to its range of dynamics and mixture of textures a superb recording. I have had it over the years in many media forms, I believe the best experience for it is a good vinyl copy of it, but if you are a digital listener then I would advise as hi-res as possible.

I think all the tracks shine and find it difficult to highlight any, I will let you be the judge of that.

On TIDAL there are 3 versions, the original, the expanded, and the Legacy edition. You may want to listen to some of the additional legacy tracks as it give an idea how some were built up.

Happy listening, Adrian

I Robot - Spotify

I Robot - youtube

If you are into Digital then its available to buy here or stream you have an account:-

the-alan-parsons-project-i-robot-remastered on High Res Audio

[YNWaN]

I see that nobody, other (disappointingly) than myself, has responded to this but it does, for me, raise the whole question of the ‘point’ of this thread. So, if we look at the last three suggestions we have (I think) one by Eddie Brickell, one by Thomas Dolby and now one from the Alan Parson’s Project. Now the first two are from classic 80’s audiophile artists. Anyone around at that time would likely have found both artists in many audio demo rooms (I certainly did). Turning to the APP recording; well although my own heyday of prog enjoyment has largely passed (though I still enjoy bits of King Crimson and Peter Hammill) I can’t say I was ever particularly keen on the APP and found their work rather derivative and a bit ‘prog lite’ in nature - but, rather like Thomas Dolby and Eddie Brickell, I would expect most readers to be familiar with their work. So my point is, rather than revisiting past ‘glories’, should we not be looking at music that experienced music lovers/audiophiles are unfamiliar with? On the other hand I realise that some previous suggestions have been so ‘left field’ as to almost guarantee exclusion of most musical tastes.

[Barry]

I see that nobody, other (disappointingly) than myself, has responded to this but it does, for me, raise the whole question of the ‘point’ of this thread. So, if we look at the last three suggestions we have (I think) one by Eddie Brickell, one by Thomas Dolby and now one from the Alan Parson’s Project. Now the first two are from classic 80’s audiophile artists. Anyone around at that time would likely have found both artists in many audio demo rooms (I certainly did). Turning to the APP recording; well although my own heyday of prog enjoyment has largely passed (though I still enjoy bits of King Crimson and Peter Hammill) I can’t say I was ever particularly keen on the APP and found their work rather derivative and a bit ‘prog lite’ in nature - but, rather like Thomas Dolby and Eddie Brickell, I would expect most readers to be familiar with their work. So my point is, rather than revisiting past ‘glories’, should we not be looking at music that experienced music lovers/audiophiles are unfamiliar with? On the other hand I realise that some previous suggestions have been so ‘left field’ as to almost guarantee exclusion of most musical tastes.

This Album Club choice suggestion has only been up for one day, so it is not surprising that there has not been much of a response as yet. The poll is open for 30 days, which gives those interested plenty of time to comment and vote.

The whole 'point' of the Album Club is to either introduce music that although popular, might have passed Members by, or to introduce them to new music; something that is, as you say, 'left field' and perhaps challenging.

You say you have responded, but as of this post no vote has been registered. If you think little of this month's Album Club choice, say so and vote.

We look forward to your Album Club choice in February 2020. From your comments so far I'm expecting it to be something unfamiliar to Members, and something to shake us out of our stupor and lack of imagination.

[AJSki2fly]

This Album Club choice suggestion has only been up for one day, so it is not surprising that there has not been much of a response as yet. The poll is open for 30 days, which gives those interested plenty of time to comment and vote.

The whole 'point' of the Album Club is to either introduce music that although popular, might have passed Members by, or to introduce them to new music; something that is, as you say, 'left field' and perhaps challenging.

You say you have responded, but as of this post no vote has been registered. If you think little of this month's Album Club choice, say so and vote.

We look forward to your Album Club choice in February 2020. From your comments so far I'm expecting it to be something unfamiliar to Members, and something to shake us out of our stupor and lack of imagination.

I quite agree Barry.

I could have easily chosen something completely new, challenging or otherwise, but I decided after some careful thought to choose a record that stands on its own merits and has done not only for me but many others, and hopefully will give those that have not heard it before some listening pleasure. As for Mark(WYNaN) classifying Alan Parson Project as Prog Rock I would urge others to disregard that unsympathetic classification, there are some excellent songs on the album and a couple of very good instrumentals on it. It would be nice if people just participated, listened, and made comments on what they heard and refrained from being negative about what has been chosen just because it is not this or that, or what they would choose.

[YNWaN]

I quite agree Barry.

I could have easily chosen something completely new, challenging or otherwise, but I decided after some careful thought to choose a record that stands on its own merits and has done not only for me but many others, and hopefully will give those that have not heard it before some listening pleasure. As for Mark(WYNaN) classifying Alan Parson Project as Prog Rock I would urge others to disregard that unsympathetic classification, there are some excellent songs on the album and a couple of very good instrumentals on it. It would be nice if people just participated, listened, and made comments on what they heard and refrained from being negative about what has been chosen just because it is not this or that, or what they would choose.

Apologies Adrian if APP do not fit within the descriptor of ‘Prog’, I have always thought of them in that manner. However, earlier requests for ‘Album Club’ comments have been for more contentious posts and my comments were posted with that in mind - no personal slur was intended (and I quite agree that the musicianship is first rate).

[AJSki2fly]

Apologies Barry if APP do not fit within the descriptor of ‘Prog’, I have always thought of them in that manner. However, earlier requests for ‘Album Club’ comments have been for more contentious posts and my comments were posted with that in mind - no personal slur was intended (and I quite agree that the musicianship is first rate).

Mark, you are muddling me with Barry, I am Adrian. Anyway the point I was trying to make is that in my view or understanding is the Album Club is for anyone to put up any album for others to listen to that they think is worth hearing, and it really shouldn't matter if it is old or new, and can be from and genre, to be honest there is so much out there no one is going to know everything that is put up.

By the way I like Hawkwind as well, I have most of their albums and have seen them 4 times, and met Stacia about 3 years, which was interesting.

[Lawrence001]

This Album Club choice suggestion has only been up for one day, so it is not surprising that there has not been much of a response as yet. The poll is open for 30 days, which gives those interested plenty of time to comment and vote.

The clue is in the title

Didn't see anything about a vote, I take it Tapatalk doesn't have that option?

[AJSki2fly]

The clue is in the title

Didn't see anything about a vote, I take it Tapatalk doesn't have that option?

Have to do vote accessing AoS from web browser

[YNWaN]

This Album Club choice suggestion has only been up for one day, so it is not surprising that there has not been much of a response as yet. The poll is open for 30 days, which gives those interested plenty of time to comment and vote.

The whole 'point' of the Album Club is to either introduce music that although popular, might have passed Members by, or to introduce them to new music; something that is, as you say, 'left field' and perhaps challenging.

You say you have responded, but as of this post no vote has been registered. If you think little of this month's Album Club choice, say so and vote.

We look forward to your Album Club choice in February 2020. From your comments so far I'm expecting it to be something unfamiliar to Members, and something to shake us out of our stupor and lack of imagination.

I can see my vote - it was a 4 (and I voted before I wrote my previous post). I didn’t realise the thread had only been up for a day though, so apologies for that.

I like the idea of an album club but I just don’t see the point of posting albums (or artists) that the majority probably already know (or should do). For example, I like a bit of Hawkwind* and the Velvet Underground**, but I wouldn’t post albums by either of those artists as they are really well known and I would expect most here to have already formed a view as to whether they are the sort of thing they like, or not.

* I haven’t listened to any Hawkwind in ages, I must give my copy of PXR5 a spin, also Hawklords .

**Although I recently requested Velvet Underground tracks at two different audio shows (I was asked what I would like them to play) and in both cases the people running the rooms had never heard of them!
——-

I note your sarcasm Barry, a bit low for a moderator don’t you think? It’s you who is referring to a ‘lack of imagination’, not me! However, if you wish to take umbrage at a comment not even referring to a post of yours then please feel free!

[Lawrence001]

I'm planning to have a listen on my next commute with Tidal.