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The Alan Parson's Project

Category: Music

APP wasn't my favorite group in the 1970s, but maybe it was because I couldn't hear it this way.

I listened in two-channel 24/192 and was blown away by the sonics. Close your eyes closed and the sound stage is 180-degrees wide. The fade at the end of "Genisis Ch.1V.32" slowly moves from covering and surrounding you to fading into a very distant ball of sound that covers only about 5-degrees. Only in that final fade do you hear the tape hiss from the original master.

Musically this is very good, but variable. The best is very, very good ("The Voice", "Day After Day" and all the instrumentals). A couple of cuts stray too near mid-1970s pop, but what the heck...

There's thick layering of chorus, orchestra, rock instruments, etc. The clarity of it all is astounding. Really it's a masterpiece from this era.

Boy, I hope one day that the entire Beattles songbook will get this 24/192 treatment. Abbey Road studios evidently had great equipment.

Dave

dcstep
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,348 posts
 
I've been building a near complete APP collection on used vinyl of late. Also own "Best Of" CDs vol 1 and 2.

The sound on all are very good and many compositions are sterling classics.

I did pick up a used vinyl copy of the first APP album "Tales of Mystery and Suspense" but discovered that there were some quality issues with that particular copy despite looking clean. Working on replacing it...

Spun my only MFSL APP vinyl recording of " I Robot" the other week for the first time in years. It was mesmerizing, the best I recall ever hearing that title sound.
mtkhl567
157 posts
 
Mapman,
Great that you have a MFSL copy of I Robot, have you compared it to a pristine original pressing? IMHO the original is fantastic for 140 gr, quiet, full scale dynamics. I love it!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,348 posts
 
I think I do have another standard issure copy of IR. I'll give it a spin sometime and report back.

I had listened to a very good standard issue copy of "Pyramid" prior to IR on MFSL. The IR of MFSL was just a tad more dynamic and quiet and I would say better overall.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
If you like I Robot then you must get Jean Michel Jarre Oxygen - similar synth extravaganza type stuff. Turn the lights and enjoy :-)
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,820 posts
 
Tales of Mystery & Imagination ,(MOFI) isn't the quitisential record of his most fans turn to but I think true fans should. Next in line, The Turn of a Freindly Card, Then I Robot. The true fan in me starts with Tales always if I haven't listened in a while.
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