The Alan Parsons Project has enjoyed a lengthy and recognized career firmly entrenched within the warm and inviting confines of Billboard’s venerable Top 40 albums beginning with 1976’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination. The collective’s second album, I Robot followed a year later and set the stage for future successes.
The Alan Parsons Project was primarily the creative flow of Eric Woolfson, and multi-instrumentalist, Alan Parsons. This nucleus was surrounded by a strong collection of musicians to make the memorable albums that bore the Alan Parsons Project moniker.
The I Robot album was a musical reimagination of Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot series. It generated three hit singles in the US that included “I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You”, “Don’t Let It Show”, and “Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)”, all with different vocalists. I Robot still remains as one of The Alan Parsons Project‘s strongest releases.
In 2007, all of the Project’s albums were remastered and expanded with previously unreleased tracks. I Robot arrived with a new remaster and five bonus pieces, mostly demos and rough mixes. However, 2013 represents the album’s 35th anniversary and Legacy Recordings have decided to up the ante by delivering a Legacy Edition of I Robot with a completely new remaster, and a wider expansion of 14 bonus tracks that include nine previously unreleased pieces. Those features rough mixes, early parts, demos, and extracts of familiar songs (see track-listing below).
The included 20-page booklet will include not only photos, memorabilia, and extensive credits, but also new liner notes from Alan Parsons, and complete lyrics. Alan Parsons and Sally Woolfson (daughter of the late Eric Woolfson) oversaw the work done for this Legacy Edition. This reissue also features new cover art.
On September 17, Legacy Recordings will release the 35th Anniversary Legacy Edition of I Robot.
Track-listing of I Robot
Disc: 1
1. I Robot
2. I Wouldn t Want To Be Like You
3. Some Other Time
4. Breakdown
5. Don’t Let It Show
6. The Voice
7. Nucleus
8. Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)
9. Total Eclipse
10. Genesis Ch1 v32
Disc: 2
1. U.S Radio Commercial for I Robot
2. Boules (I Robot Experiment)
3. Hilary Western Soprano Vocal Rehearsal
4. Extract 1 from The Alan Parsons Project Audio Guide
5. Extract 2 from The Alan Parsons Project Audio Guide
6. I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You (Backing Track Rough)
7. Some Other Time – Complete vocal by Jaki Whitren
8. Breakdown (Early demo of backing riff)
9. Extract 3 from The Alan Parsons Project Audio Guide
10. Breakdown – The Choir
11. Don’t Let It Show Demo
12. Day After Day (Early Stage Rough Mix)
13. Genesis Ch. 1 V. 32 – Choir Session
14. The Naked Robot
Bah! No 5.1
Greg, I wouldn’t want 5.1 unless Parsons remixed it.
My bad. Though it would go without saying that it would be Parsons’ work.
I doubt that he would allow anyone else to touch it.
However, it would be Parson’s “mixing” it in surround as it appears that there was no quad or 5.1 mix of this title officially released.
It would of been nice if he could have done the 5.1 mix of dark side of the moon
It would certainly be interesting to compare his to Guthrie, huh
You can compare it. Both are included on the The Dark Side Of The Moon – Immersion Box Set. Alternatively, you can hear Guthrie’s on the 30th Anniversary Edition [Hybrid SACD – DSD] and you can pretty easily search cyber space for a copy of Parson’s. A reputed file of the mix appeared on the net around the same time as 30th release. This file was somewhat authenticated by a number of members of a regarded Quad Forum.
And if you don’t want to spend the cash on the Immersion set, check out your local libraries. No joke! There was one a few towns over from me that had it for loan. No marbles or scarf though.
I’d Love to see Steven Wilson do a 5.1 Remaster of the first 3 Albums, Steven did get Alan out of retirement for his latest, so who knows…
I have this album on pretty much every US/Japan release including UHQR MFSL (vinyl lp), MFCD (early MFSL CD), 24/96 – 24/192 HDAD (Classic Records), Japan CD remaster (1993), and the 2007 Sony/BMG. The orig. magnetic analog master has been magnetically deteriorating due to a little-discussed phenomenon in physics called permenance.
I think I like the 2007 version the best, tho’ UHQR is better in many ways.
If the AP himself were to REMIX from the orig. multi-channel, that would be best IMO. He did that in 1987 with the first Project album (Tales …) and, the ’87 improved in every way.