Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Stereotomy, April 24, 2008
I've never owned a version of this album until now, so I don't have a clue if this is an improvement regarding the audio. I have been a fan of the Alan Parsons Project since I Robot & owned everything through Eye in the Sky. It was about that time, for various reasons, that I quit purchasing albums. Stereotomy managed to get to #43 on the charts. The song "Sterotomy" made it to #82 on the singles chart.
The Project has always used a rotating group of vocalists but at the core of this were Lenny Zakatek, Chris Rainbow & Eric Woolfson. For the first time on any Project album up to this point there isn't a Zakatek lead vocal. Eric Woolfson doesn't do a lead vocal either for the first time since The Turn of a Friendly Card. This is further evidence that the Project was taking a different tack.
The first thing I noticed with this album is there a definite eighties influence in the music, dance rhythms have been incorporated into the music of APP. Stereotomy isn't a bad album; I know it's not considered to be the best in his catalog, no, not even close, yet there isn't a weak moment in it. Unlike most of the Project's albums this one didn't open with an instrumental. It definitely makes one feel as if the Project was making a conscious effort to go into another direction. Also, unlike most of the Project's earlier efforts, there isn't a standout song here. The songs that immediately struck me as good were "Stereotomy", "Urbania" & "Where's the Walrus?", the latter two being instrumentals. Instrumentals have been one of the greatest strengths of the Project.
There are four bonus tracks here which show the evolution of some of the songs that are here. One of the bonus cuts is a song that wasn't included on the original album. Let me add one more thing: Ian Bairnson is an excellent guitarist who hasn't received all the credit he's due. He's one of the most tasteful of lead players always giving exactly what the songs required. He's well known in the circle of musicians but the public, in general, doesn't give this man the proper credit. My hats off to you, Ian Bairnson!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alan Parsons' near-favorite Project, second only to "Tales", September 25, 2008
Even for the ardent fan of The Project, the virtues of Stereotomy may not be as readily accessible as their earlier releases. While the last two albums had a somewhat softer feel and Eric Woolfson's lead vocals throughout, Alan took the ninth project in a distinctly differenent direction after Lee Abrams, a prominent spoken word contributor to their preceeding album Vulture Culture, complained of the direction their recent work had taken by exclaiming, "Where's The Wulrus"? Thus was born the title to one of the finest group efforts The Project has ever performed, one that earned yet another Grammy nomination for the group.
For those fans who took a liking to the softer approach with Eric Woolfson's lead vocals, Stereotomy may have been a bit of a shock. While the title track, In The Real World, and Where's The Wulrus all had a harder edge, each also deserves a close listening, especially the former and the latter which are laden with ornate and ambient depth. Not to mention it was here John Miles made his triumphant return to The Project after last appearing on PYRAMID.
However, it should also be noted that the softer side of The Project was alive and well in songs like Light of the World, Chinese Whispers, and the astounding Limelight featuring the vocals of Procol Harem's Gary Brooker.
This new remaster has a warmth that, while present on the original vinyl, was somewhat lacking on the compact disc released by Arista. Of the bonus material, the two standout tracks are the instrumental version of Light of the World and the brand new song Rumor Goin' Round. My personal view parallels those of both Alan and Lee Abrams: this departure from the softer approach of Ammonia Avenue and Vulture Culture, while good albums in their own right, was well overdue as The Project had become a little too conventional by the mid-eighties. Stereotomy, on the other hand, is anything but conventional.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Project's 9th Album - Recommended, January 30, 2009
This album was released in 1985 after "Vulture Culture," and sounds somewhat edgier than previous Project albums. I purchased this CD in 1995 during a time when I had first "discovered" The Alan Parsons Project. Of course I had heard "Eye in the Sky" on the radio years before, but it wasn't until 1994 and 1995 that I began diving deep into the Project's catalog.
I don't try to overanalyze artists and albums, and I would hesitate to venture a guess as to the "direction" Alan Parsons took with this album. I just know it's great, the songs here have a more classic rock sound, while still maintaining the wonderful Project sound. Eric Woolfson takes a break from lead vocals on this album.
Here are my ratings for each song, on the Amazon 5-star scale.
1. Stereotomy ****1/2
2. Beaujolais ****
3. Urbania ****
4. Limelight ****
5. In The Real World ****1/2
6. Where's The Walrus? (Instrumental) ****
7. Light Of The World ****
8. Chinese Whispers ***1/2
9. Stereotomy Two ****1/2
I discovered The Alan Parsons Project during a pivotal period in my life (my late twenties - guys I know some of you can relate). This music is inspirational, and stirs up emotions beyond belief. Good music can really move you, and Alan Parsons' material helped me "grow up and get on with it." By the time I picked up Stereotomy, I had collected the previous 8 Project albums, and they were absolutely phenomenal. Highly recommended.
My review is for the original album with 9 songs, not the newer one with 4 bonus tracks.
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