Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine So, what are you listening to?

Pet Sounds is one of those albums that I recognize as really good whenever I hear it, but I've never really gotten heavily invested in myself. It must have been pretty mindblowing in 1966, though.

Since this post, I've become certifiably obsessed with the Alan Parsons Project. I've listened to the compilation twice all the way through and have done some research about the group on the internet.

The APP was fairly unusual. The only 2 official members were Parsons and Eric Woolfson, and there was no actual band in the traditional sense. Parsons and Woolfson created and produced the songs and albums and had various sessions musicians perform them. Parsons had been a producer and engineer (the latter on the Beatles' "Abbey Road" and "Let It Be" and Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"). Woolfson had been a songwriter and sessions musician. They used talent they'd worked with in those capacities to perform their music, including members of Ambrosia and Pilot, among others. Each album had two or more lead singers on different tracks. Parsons and Woolford did perform on each album but mostly in supporting capacity, until Woolfson started singing lead more and more. It is Woolfson's lead vocals on their big hits "Time", "Eye in the Sky" and "Don't Answer Me". Even after those successes, he never sang lead throughout an album. Each album has some kind of theme or concept to it and all contain instrumental pieces. They never performed live on tour during the APP's existence.

After 11 albums, Parsons and Woolfson parted ways. Woolfson worked in musical theater to incorporate APP music into musicals. Parsons worked on solo albums created similarly to the APP style. Woolfson passed away in 2009.

Beginning in '93, Parsons, with Woolfson's blessing, formed the Alan Parsons Live Project to finally bring their music into live concerts. Parsons performs live with the band, contributing backing vocals, additional keyboards and synthesizer and backing guitars. He sings lead on "Eye in the Sky" and "Don't Answer Me" and has quite a lovely voice that is similar to Woolfson's. The band does not consist of APP contributors; presumably, many of those still surviving tour with their own bands. The current main vocalist is P.J. Olsson, but in true APP fashion, other band members sing lead, as well. You can find many of their performances on YouTube. I watched one made for German television all the way through. I thought it was awesome.

The APP has been described as progressive rock, but the overall effect is a soft rock sound. (I mean, there's even some '80s sax on several songs! ) I usually don't go for a lot of soft rock, but the sound is full and very lush. Lots of orchestration and complex arrangements. I think every track I've heard would still be a treat without vocals, but I don't want to imply the vocals are uninteresting. I prefer Woolfson's vocals the most, but all of them are terrific. I will definitely be getting individual albums of theirs, beginning in the near future.

I think what you had with the APP was a venue for two creatives, who had great success behind the scenes, to work through their desire to create their own music, while being reluctant to be front and center out of their comfort zones. Both of them eventually became more comfortable over time with Woolfson emerging as a vocalist and Parsons embracing live performance. I feel this was an unusual 'project' in many ways but one that produced some real magic over time. And I definitely "...believe in the power of magic"!

I'm loving your enthusiasm for APP!

Thanks! In addition to my growing obsession, I think of you when I wonder whom amongst my friends would enjoy them, which helps compel me to share what I'm discovering here. I could be very wrong, but I imagine you'd dig them.

Yeah, they're definitely in my wheelhouse, but I haven't spent a lot of time with them. I do own Parsons' first solo album, Try Anything Once, bought back when I was in high school, but I don't remember much about it.

Nice to know I know you that well, at least! I might eventually try Parsons' solo work. I'd be wary of it being inferior to his collaboration with Woolfson, though.

Apparently it didn't make much of an impression on teenage me. Looks like it has Eric Stewart (of 10cc and the Mindbenders) on it. I'm sure I had no idea who he was at the time, though.

For a long time, I didn't even know that Parsons produced three of Al Stewart's best-known LPs, including Year Of The Cat

I don't think I bothered to read liner notes in the 1970s.

And...um...Parsons also worked on two of Ambrosia's albums.

Oh, the trivia filling my head.



But...but...they were early Ambrosia, before they went totally middle-of-the-road.

Oh, what the heck, I'll own up to it -- "You're the Only Woman" is one of my favorite schlock ballads.

I never thought of Ambrosia as being all that schlocky, especially for the time.

But I still get a bit misty hearing The Doobie Brothers, so don't pay me any mind.

No worries, Cleome.

Michael McDonald's voice is one of my favorite white-boy soul instruments.

(Not to mention his backup vocals for Steely Dan and others.)

All of Ambrosia's original members played on the first Alan Parsons Project album Tales of Mystery and Imagination.

That I never knew! Thanks, Lardy. Yeah, all kidding aside, the early Ambrosia records are definitely well-crafted melodic prog. So I can see where they'd find common ground with Parsons.

I'm liking this one from Carly Rae Jepsen: Cut to the Feeling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD4kkeJv34o

and this one from Walk the Moon; TImebomb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOqjJkrywhU

I've fallen down The Sweet rabbit hole...It started with "Fox On The Run" on the Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 Soundtrack, but I'm currently listening to '74's SWEET FANNY ADAMS... Favorite songs are "No You Don't" and the title track...

The Vol. 2 soundtrack's inclusion of "Mr. Blue Sky" is what sent me on my ELO kick the past few years!

RIGHT??

Yay Pov! "No You Don't" is a favorite of mine. So are "Set Me Free" and "AC-DC." The Sweet recorded lots of great songs. Enjoy your discoveries.

The recent mentions of ELO in this thread got me to spin Out of the Blue. My favorite deep cut:

https://youtu.be/JlKrn5Pk_Bs

The whole "Concerto for a Rainy Day" side of that album is just brilliant.

Yeah, I agree. But what makes that one special to me is that it's arguably the most "arty" or the most "progressive" track on the album.

That sounds like a good album to listen to tonight!

me some "Out of the Blue"! Definitely my favorite ELO album (with the caveat that it and "Time" are the only ones I've listened to all the way thru sequentially--I'm a big fan of using shuffle on my iPhone). I think "Big Wheels" is my favorite track, even separate from the rest of the Concerto.

BTW, when I bought the recent "Live at Wembley" JL'sELO album, I was a bit perturbed to see that they performed both "Standin' in the Rain" and "Mr. Blue Sky" separately in different parts of the performance.. Why not just do the whole Concerto together? I know the concert-goers would appreciate and love it!

Oh wow, ELO's Time was the first cassette tape I ever owned and bought with my own money! I love the songs Twilight, Yours Truly 2095, and, uh, all of them, really!