Search - Alan Parsons :: Dutch Collection (Anthology)

A GREAT SET WHEN IT WAS RELEASED, BUT DON'T WASTE THE $$'S N

BOB | LOS ANGELES, CA | 12/24/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"2009 UPDATE: I wrote this review in 2006 when this set was released. It is now OOP, and being sold by opportunistic Sellers for ridiculous prices in excess of $100. In 2007, 2008 & 2009, the entire APP ten studio album catalog was re-released, remastered by AP himself, who augmented each with additional tracks. The audio on this set is the same mastering of those individual albums. A check of Amazon reveals you could buy them all ten fabulously remastered/expanded titles (with free shipping) for far less than what these Sellers, who are capitalizing on my enthusiastic review below, are trying to gouge you for this set.



So, **PLEASE**, literally, don't spend twice as much, to get less than half of what you could get, by buying the new remasters!



Links to the expanded remasters:



Tales Of Mystery & Imagination

I, Robot

Pyramid

Eve

Turn Of A Friendly Card

Eye In The Sky

Ammonia Avenue

Vulture Culture

Stereotomy

Gaudi



There is also a new "Essential" APP compilation set, which I believe contains the new mastering, but which I have not heard or tested.



My original review of The Dutch Collection Set (which I re-edited and leave posted only for reference):



Spawned from the original ten studio albums, and starting with "The Best Of The Alan Parsons Project" disc in 1983, there have been over twenty-five Alan Parsons Project compilation CD's issued. From an audio standpoint, there is wide-ranging divergent quality between all those CD's, each being a result of the advance of mastering technology at the point in time it was compiled. In terms of content, however, with the majority of these compilations being single-disc, they all ultimately failed in an appropriate presentation of a catalog so rich in material.



With the release of this 3CD, 48-track set, "The Dutch Collection", the combination of the best standard-CD audio, along with the most comprehensive representation of the greatness of the Parsons/Woolfson partnership (46 of the 92 total studio album tracks, plus two previously unreleased songs), has finally been achieved.



Track-by-track, I have exhaustingly A/B'd the audio in this set against the former best of the "best of's". In the majority of the set, I would declare it the benchmark against all others, but there are a few curious exceptions. I found the sound of "Sirius/Eye In The Sky" on the now-defunct "Platinum & Gold Collection" to be superior. There also seems to be a few millisecond chop of the first piano chord off "Time" on this set: The piano, complete with intact first chord, is definitely more in the forefront on the "Platinum" disc. And, on "Sooner Or Later", the better audio nod, again, definitely goes to the "P&G" CD.



Other minor notes: The 2002 Japanese K2-mastered "Best Of" single-disc CD has the full versions of "I Robot", "Lucifer" and "La Sagrada Familia", where the long sound-effect intros to all of those tracks have been edited for this set. Also, there is no English in the enclosed booklet."

Magnificent collection for the Alan Parsons Project fan

William E. Warner | Norfolk, Virginia USA | 11/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This fan inspired collection of all the best music composed and produces by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson is simply spectacular. The re mastered quality of the CD is stunning. You can hear all the instruments all the voices in the background and it all comes in crystal clear. The new song "no answers, only questions" is a great addition that matches the best of the best of the already released material. The only downer, to me is the new version of "Separate Lives" which seems to be melded with the "Love Boat" theme. I guess it would be a hit at a retro 70's party. However; it still is a hoot to listen to. For those who were disappointed with Alan's solo efforts this is a definitive "Must" for any music collection ( Note: I really love his solos stuff too). Alan Parsons is and will always be the finder of the "Valid Path""

The Ideal Compilation for the Committed Fan

Parrish A. Highley | Somewhere I've Never Travelled | 11/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Because The Dutch Collection was compiled from the direct input of the worldwide fanbase, this triple disc collection is likely to impress any long term fan. However, the casual fan might feel a little overwhelmed because The Dutch Collection is so exhaustive. Every single track has been digitally remastered from the best available source tapes. The end result is a product that sounds very good on a moderately priced home system and stunning on audiophile-quality speakers and equipment. Best of all, SONY/BMG has included the once lost gemstone No Answers Only Questions (Final Version) that Eric Woolfson composed and guitarist Ian Bairnson arranged. While committed fans are seldom satisfied with compilations alone, this a very worthy effort by SONY/BMG to reach out to the worldwide fanbase by allowing them to assemble the songs in this thorough collection."