Who is Alan Parsons Project

Tales of Mystery and Imagination

Concept: Based on stories by the writer Edgar Allan Poe. The later reissue on CD (in 1987) was remixed from the original master tapes, enhancing some of the tracks and restoring the Orson Welles narration.

Click song title or album to hear the music.

1. "A Dream Within A Dream" [instrumental] - 3:43
2. "The Raven" - 4:01 (ft. Alan Parsons lead vocal through an EMI vocoder)
3. " The Tell-Tale Heart" - 4:40 (ft. Arthur Brown)
4. "The Cask Of Amontillado" - 4:29 (ft. John Miles)
5. "(The System Of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether" - 4:15 (ft. John Miles)
6. "The Fall of the House of Usher: Prelude" [instrumental] - 5:51
7. "The Fall of the House of Usher: Arrival" [instrumental] - 2:36
8. "The Fall of the House of Usher: Intermezzo" [instrumental] - 1:06
9. "The Fall of the House of Usher: Pavane" [instrumental] - 4:44
10. "The Fall of the House of Usher: Fall" [instrumental] - 1:07
11. "To One in Paradise" - 4:14 (ft. Terry Sylvester)

I Robot

Concept: The title quotes Isaac Asimov's work, "a view of tomorrow through the eyes of today". Includes minor hits "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" and "Breakdown," as well as the title track, a short instrumental popular among APP fans.

1. "I Robot"* - 6:02
2. "I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You" - 3:22
3. "Some Other Time" - 4:06
4. "Breakdown" - 3:50
5. "Don't Let It Show" - 4:24
6. "The Voice" - 5:24
7. "Nucleus"* - 3:31
8. "Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)" - 3:49
9. "Total Eclipse"* - 3:09
10. "Genesis Ch.1 v.32"* - 3:28
11. "Boules (I Robot Experiment)"** - 1:59
12. "Breakdown (Early Demo of Backing Riff)"** - 2:09
13. "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You (Backing Track Rough Mix)"** - 3:28
14. "Day After Day (Early Stage Rough Mix)"** - 3:40
15. "The Naked Robot"** - 10:19

Alan Parsons Pyramid

Concept: References to pyramid power and ancient Egypt surface repeatedly, the album is called "a view of yesterday through the eyes of today". The theme of rise and fall is prominent throughout.

1. "Voyager" (instrumental) - 2:15
2. "What Goes Up..." - 3:56
3. "The Eagle Will Rise Again" - 4:03
4. "One More River" - 4:16
5. "Can't Take It With You" - 5:02
6. "In the Lap of the Gods" (instrumental) - 5:29
7. "Pyramania" - 2:43
8. "Hyper-Gamma-Spaces" (instrumental) - 4:20
9. "Shadow Of A Lonely Man" - 5:34

Alan Parsons' Eve

Concept: Women; this is the only Project album to feature female lead vocalists - and even then only on two tracks. Don't Hold Back was sung by Clare Torry, famed for her swooping vocals on Pink Floyd's song The Great Gig In The Sky.

1. "Lucifer" (instrumental) - 5:06
2. "You Lie Down with Dogs" - 3:47
3. "I'd Rather Be a Man" - 3:53
4. "You Won't Be There" - 3:34
5. "Winding Me Up" - 4:04
6. "Damned If I Do" - 4:48
7. "Don't Hold Back" - 4:37
8. "Secret Garden" (instrumental) - 4:41
9. "If I Could Change Your Mind" - 5:43

The Turn of a Friendly Card

Concept: Gambling, literally and figuratively. Influenced by the Philip K. Dick novel The Game-Players of Titan. Includes their hits "Time" and "Games People Play."

1. "May Be a Price to Pay" - 4:58
2. "Games People Play" - 4:22
3. "Time" - 5:04
4. "I Don't Wanna Go Home" - 5:03
5. "The Gold Bug" (instrumental) - 4:34
6. "Turn Of A Friendly Card, The (Part One) (I)" (Part One)" - 2:44
7. "Snake Eyes" - 3:14
8. "The Ace of Swords" (instrumental) - 2:57
9. "Nothing Left To Lose (IV)" - 4:07
10. "The Turn of a Friendly Card (Part Two)" - 3:22

Eye in the Sky

Concept: Surveillance, with the album title inspired by the Eye in the sky cameras used in casinos. Also explores Life and the Universe, but some insist the album is about "forgotten and lost values". Album contains their most famous single, "Eye in the Sky," the ballad "Old and Wise", and their best-known instrumental, "Sirius." The album also features the song "Silence and I," a sweeping epic song that runs for more than eight minutes and features a whole symphonic orchestra, with brass playing the melody in many parts, and a central section featuring highly virtousic xylophone playing.

1. "Sirius" (instrumental) - 1:54
2. "Eye In The Sky" - 4:36
3. "Children of the Moon" - 4:51
4. "Gemini" - 2:11
5. "Silence And I" - 7:19
6. "You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned" - 4:22
7. "Psychobabble" - 4:51
8. "Mammagamma" (instrumental) - 3:34
9. "Step By Step" - 3:54
10. "Old And Wise" - 4:55

Additional tracks on the 2007 remastered version:

11. "Sirius" (demo) - 1:56
12. "Old And Wise" (Eric Woolfson vocal) - 4:43
13. "Any Other Day" (studio demo) - 1:42
14. "Silence And I" (Eric Woolfson vocal) - 7:33
15. "The Naked Eye" - 10:49
16. "Eye Pieces" (Classical Naked Eye) - 7:51

Concept: "The album focused on the possible misunderstanding of industrial scientific developments from a public perspective and a lack of understanding of the public from a scientific perspective" (Eric Woolfson, May 1983). It is their most "radio-friendly" album. Includes "Don't Answer Me", "Prime Time", and "You Don't Believe".

Concept: A critique of consumerism and, in particular, American popular culture. Includes "Let's Talk About Me."

Concept: The effect of fame and fortune on various people - singers, actors, etc.

Concept: Songs inspired by the life and work of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.