Alan Parsons Project
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The roots of the Alan Parsons Project, an English progressive "rock" band, can be traced back to 1974, when then lawyer and part time musician/composer Eric Woolfson met keyboardist Alan Parsons. Parsons, by that time, already had quite the resume for engineering and producing big band acts like Pink Floyd and The Beatles. Parson hired Woolfson to help him manage his production career, but after Parson became disenchanted with some of the bands he worked with, Woolfson came up with the idea to start a new group. Parsons would engineer and produce the songs the two of them composed. They decided to use session musicians, vocalists, and other artists they had worked with in the past to help where needed. For this reason, The Alan Parsons Project was essentially a studio act, and there was really never a proper tour (although in later years, Alan Parsons did tour as a band called The Alan Parsons Live Project).
The Alan Parsons Project released their first album in 1976 (Tales of Mystery and Imagination). The album reached the Top 40 and featured the hit song "The Raven". They continued cranking out the hits in the 1970's and early 1980's. Other songs you may remember include "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" (from I Robot, 1977), "Games People Play" (from The Turn of a Friendly Card, 1980), "Damned If I Do" (from Eve, 1974), "Time" and "Eye in the Sky" (from Eye in the Sky, 1982) and "Don't Answer Me" (from Ammonia Avenue, 1984). The band is probably best known for "Eye in the Sky", as song they did not care of at first and considering not releasing.
As the 80's rolled on, the band's popularity did not. The Alan Parsons Project had never really discovered the same success at home (the UK) as they did in the USA and other European countries. They continued releasing a few more albums as the years rolled on, but after a disagreement between the two, both Parsons and Woolfson went on to solo careers. Woolfson passed away in 2009. At the time of this writing, The Alan Parsons Project Discography was as follows:
Listen for free or download any Alan Parsons Project track for just 12 cents per song!
- 1976: Tales of Mystery and Imagination
- 1977: I Robot
- 1978: Pyramid
- 1979: Eve
- 1980: The Turn of a Friendly Card
- 1982: Eye in the Sky
- 1983: The Best of the Alan Parsons Project
- 1984: Ammonia Avenue
- 1985: Vulture Culture
- 1986: Stereotomy
- 1987: Gaudi
- 1988: The Best of the Alan Parsons Project vol. 2
- 1988: The Instrumental Works
- 1989: Pop classics
- 1991: Anthology
- 1995: The Very Best of Live
- 1997: The Definitive Collection
- 1998: Gold Collection
- 1999: Master Hits: The Alan Parsons Project
- 2002: Love Songs
- 2004: Ultimate The Alan Parsons Project
- 2005: Silence and I: The Very Best of the Alan Parsons Project
- 2007: The Essential Alan Parsons Project