Alan Parsons - I Robot (1 Viewer)

[LanceJ]

I also don't find DSOTM and Robot similar.

I'm not good with musical concepts, but as far as the stories involved on each album, they aren't even close.

And DSOTM has a lighter mood--relatively speaking --than Robot. To be honest, I don't usually play Robot's last track, it's just too depressing. And Robot definitely has a science-fictioney & aloof atmosphere to it while DSOTM is more......organic.....and has a feeling of autumn (the season) or a dark-but-comfortable-house feel to it. Me no have good vocabulary for this kind of thing! :b

Feisal: while lots of reveiwers don't seem to like it, I also like Pyramania quite a bit.

LJ

 

[Joel Fontenot]

I'm with Lance on this. I still find the fade-ins and endings very different in tone and structure. It's not like DSotM was the first to have sound-effects laden intro. And Robot only used a few synthesized layers for it's intro leading to a good strong beat instrumental and a near-rocker for the next track instead of a build-up of dialog leading to a more melodic piece. It's that kind of musical structure that I see as drastically separating these too. The fact that they were both recorded at Abbey Road on equipment that probably didn't change much in the four years between them would have a lot to do with the "sound" being similar.

Again, that's just me.

Joel

 

[Brian L]

Well, FWIW, I pulled the trigger on a purchase for the HDAD version of I ROBOT. Elusive disc has it on pre-order for $19.99, so I said WTF, why not.

As I have said ad nauseum, I don't expect the DVD-V side will sound any different than the DVD-A side, but it will be an interesting comparison to my mint LP, as well as to each other.

And I guess I too would say I am not hearing much similarity between ROBOT and DSOTM, but since I have not really listened to ROBOT for close to 15 years, I will give the premise that they are similar more serious consideration when the HDAD arrives.

BGL

 

[Alan_Horner]

Are you talking strictly about the song "Pyramania" or the album that the song is featured on, Pyramid?

But I agree: I'd welcome 5.1 remixes of Parsons' Arista catalog.

 

[LanceJ]

Alan: oops, I meant Pyramid. :b

I was totally into Parson's stuff in the 1980s and own all of his albums either on CD, vinyl or cassette. But when I got to On Air he became too much like soft rock and I stopped buying any more of his material (though I still would like to try out the DTS-CD version of it--the album wasn't that bad).

Anyhoo.........

Except for the upbeat song "Pyramania", most of that album has a mildly haunting & sort of lonely feel to it that I really like but I have to be in the right mood to listen to it.

And the Pyramania track let me know Alan has a sense of humor:

"And the Mayan panoramas
on my pyramid pajamas
haven't helped my little problem."



LJ

 

[FeisalK]

my mistake initially. I meant Pyramid the album, too.

 

[Brian L]

And here I was thinking you guys were comparing Parsons to Def Leppard.

BGL

 

[Philip Hamm]

I thought that we had shot off on a Def Leppard tangent also. Count me in as a fan of Pyramid also (I have the vinyl in mint condition), but those first two albums are the only ones I've ever heard other than the random hit single.

 

[gene c]

More than 25 posts to an Alan Parson's thread and not one mention of "The Eye In The Sky" album. This had to be his most successful release (I think?) and maybe my favorite. I'd like to hear this in m/c first. Gene

 

[Doug_B]

So how's the I Robot HDAD? I have only an old CD issue with a scratch that I haven't heard in ages.

Doug

 

[LanceJ]

Gene: I actually do like the Eye album (I still have the original LP with the cover that had gold-colored foil instead of just the goldish ink that came afterwards) but I am afraid that if we ask for this first, the label will take much longer to issue the other less popular albums. Turn Of A Friendly Card was also quite popular especially the single "Time" (unfortunately a whole generation has heard this pretty song out of context on--gulp--lite rock stations). One of my favorite tracks is "The Gold Bug".

After Eye..........

Ammonia Avenue is O.K.; Gaudi is kind of cool and Stereotomy is too (I liked side 1 much better than side 2 though); Try Anything Once is quite decent (its more serious and ominous feel, like on "Mr.Time", would be great in surround form with the lights dimmed. And "big" sounding tunes like "Turn It Up" would sound great this way also). On Air is as recent as I've gotten & to me its a rather boring album musically-speaking (I liked the lyrics though).

I think the only real stinker album from Parsons I flat out don't like was Vulture Culture. Maybe it was one of those contractual agreement things?

LJ

 

[gene c]

Lance, good point about the popular stuff released too soon. And you made me go look at my "Eye" album. Nope, it's paint. :frowning: I used to have four or five Parsons cd's but I can only find two now. The "Eye" and "Eve". Maybe I'll pick up a couple next time I'm out/on-line shopping. Anyway, just wanted the "Eye" album to get a little luvin' here. Didn't want it to feel left out! Gene

 

[DaveDickey]

Lance, I have that "On Air" DTS-CD you referred to. It was the first "Hi Rez" disk I bought, back when I thought DTS CD's were high resolution audio :b The sound of the disc is great - very clean and clear, but the music doesn't do much for me - too soft. Nice artwork though. Dave

 

[Brian L]

Well, here is my take on the HDAD, compared to a mint LP on my new Rega Planar P2.

At lunch I did an informal, unscientific comparison. I have a very good condition copy on vinyl, and the new Classic Records HDAD 24/192 DVD-A. I played the first 3 cuts on side A back to back with the DVD. Overall, I think I like the vinyl better. The tonal balance sounds similar, but the highs (the cymbals, specifically) sound smoother on the LP. I would say that they are a bit more laid back on the LP, but the DVD just has a certain brightness to the cymbals, bordering on slightly harsh, that I don't care for.

Had I not done an A/B, I would probably have not complained about the DVD, but in comparison, I think I like the LP better.

I will report back if/when I get a chance to compare the entire album, but thats my 1st impression.

BGL

 

[GordonL]

Did you listen via the digital or analog outputs of your DVD player?

 

[Brian L]

Analog.

I am not sure my player would pass a 24/192 bitstream, and I know my receiver (NAD 762) would not know what to do with it even if the player did pass it.

BGL

 

[FeisalK]

wait a minute... this isn't multichannel is it?

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Stereo only.

 

[FeisalK]

bummer :S thanx

 

[John Geelan]

I received I Robot on HDAD last week and the sound is stunning even in old plain Stereo.

I'm very impressed and very happy with the quality of the sound.

Well spent $20.