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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful, and tragic, tale of a man far ahead of his time, July 6, 1998
As most of Alan Parsons' albums are, this is a concept album constructed around a central theme. As ALL Alan Parsons albums are, it is also far more than that: it is the tale of a man named Antonio Gaudi. Don't bother; you've probably never heard of him. Antonio Gaudi was an architect who was AT LEAST a century ahead of his time. He did not simply create buildings; his buildings were ART. Go look up La Sagrada Familia, his most famous work, and the inspiration for the first track on the album. You'll see what I mean.The first track, called "La Sagrada Familia" (which translated from Spanish means "The Sacred (or Holy) Family" is a lush, intricately constructed anthem which is also stirringly beautiful, just like the cathedral which inspired it. It should be Antonio Gaudis' epitaph. The nearly heart-breaking song "Inside Looking Out" speaks poignantly of the hideous irony and tragedy that befell the genius Gaudi. For all his unmatched talent and vision, he is remembered, when he is remembered at all, not for his fantastic art but as the first man to be hit and killed by a bus. The song makes you know what true bitter irony is. The second song, "Too Late", tells us of the hardships Antonio Gaudi suffered in trying to find patrons for his works. It also tells of the anger and bitterness Gaudi must have felt when, again and again, his patrons stabbed him in the back. This is an edgy, hard song that captures the mood of betrayal perfectly. It also is, I think, the perfect break-up song. In "Closer To Heaven", you can get a feel for what it must be like to be a genius driven by visions that cannot be truly realised because the technology, the tools, and the methods don't exist yet. This song is slow and beautiful, and the frustration of a dream limited by the world is a subtle but rich undertone. There is so much more to this album than I have room to say here. There is not, to my mind, one "candy" song on the entire album. If you have! ever wondered why the brilliant are nearly always desperately unhappy, or what drives them to try to change the world anyway, this album will explain it to you. Listen to the music, and hear the heart of a man, and the spirit of an age.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alan Parsons' "Project" Goes Out In Style, April 12, 2004
1987's "Gaudi" was the last collaboration between Alan Parsons and his musical partner Eric Woolfson under the "Alan Parsons Project" name. An album inspired by the life and works of architect Antonio Gaudi, "Gaudi" is a very rich, elegant, powerful album for the Project to go out with. "La Sagrada Familia" is a beautiful orchestral rock epic, with a great lead vocal by John Miles. Longtime Project vocalist Lenny Zakatek takes the mike on "Too Late," an awesome pop-rocker that could've been (and should've been) a huge hit for the group, though it wasn't released as a single. Eric Woolfson sings on "Closer To Heaven," a very beautiful, heavenly Project number. The lone single release from the album, "Standing On Higher Ground," is a very cool, catchy tune, sung by Geoff Barradale of the mid-80's group Vitamin Z (remember them?). John Miles returns for another lead vocal on "Money Talks," which is a great, down & dirty rocker. Woolfson then returns once more for the lovely "Inside Looking Out," and the album concludes on a very high note with a short instrumental reprise of "La Sagrada Familia," featuring excellent spanish guitar by Project veteran Ian Bairnson. As always on a Project album, the performances, production and sound quality are sharp & superior, and the outstanding orchestral touches by Andrew Powell is the icing on an already delicious musical cake.Alan Parsons did, in fact, work with Eric Woolfson one last time on Woolfson's 1990 concept album, "Freudiana," before the duo finally went their separate ways ("Freudiana" is only available on import, but it's an absolutely brilliant, MUST-buy CD for diehard Project fans). Parsons has since gone solo (though he's retained the services of several Project members for his latest albums), while Woolfson has since gone into the world of musical theater, writing & producing several musicals that have been performed throughout Europe. But these two men have created together some of the most fantastic music I've ever heard (and are STILL making fantastic music on their own these days), and "Gaudi" is a gorgeous, dazzling, memorable album to close out the Alan Parsons Project with. Thank you Alan, Eric, and the rest of the Project gang---long live the Project!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Gaudi !, October 13, 2003
I have never really cared for musical categories myself; I know what I like and that's what counts ! I don't care if this is "conceptual prog rock" or "anthemic/dramatic rock"---It's just awesome music (and it rocks) ! Not even Meatloaf music writer Jim Steinman has anything over these guys from the APP...Alan Parsons and crew take the listener on quite a journey with this production. I have to say that it is one of the better "updated" projects (though many will argue that his first 3 albums from the 70's were the pinnacle or real classics---and they are, but for that era). Though Gaudi was released in the late 80's and may have that 80's rock sound, it still holds up so damn well in 2003. All vocals are strong and powerful and only convey that much more of a musical force for the theme of the album. It's also an ingenious touch to add the soothing sound of a wailing saxophone in some tracks without turning the whole event into mush muzak; it works very well indeed! In whole, got the impression I was in Barcelona, Spain on an actual tour of Gaudi's Cathedral !
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