Not the new 2008 remastered version
Tull Addict | Denver, CO USA | 02/09/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Great album, but had to spend $2 shipping to discover this is NOT part of the new remaster series that the first 10 Alan Parsons albums have been going through. The remaster of this album is currently scheduled for June '08."
Good Songs
P. Zeller | Vincent, OH | 08/29/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Having (foolishly) lost interest in APP around the time this album was originally released, I had never really considered purchasing it. That changed when La Segrada cycled through a couple of times for me on pandora.com. That one song was enough reason for me to order this CD.
Overall, I would consider this an average APP album. Not their best ( I am personally very fond of Ammonia Ave., Turn of a Friendly Card, and Tales of Mystery), but most certainly able to hold my interest and cause me to hit the "repeat" button. If for no other reason, La Segrada Familia is worth the purchase price all on its own. This song brings with it alot of energy and emotion, much more than I have been accustomed to from APP. Very few APP songs have grabbed my attention and stuck in my mind as well as this one does. It brings very well into focus for me what that structure must have meant and does mean for the people of Spain. It takes a very well written and performed piece of music to accomplish that type of transfer of empathy. This song does that very well!
As far as the rest of the album is concerned, again, the songs are average or above in general. I think the single that was released with this album originally, Standing on Higher Ground, has grown on me now far more than it did back then. Of course, the ending instrumental is more of a reprise of La Segrada and carries much of the same, catchy melodic passage. There are no bad songs on this album. Unlike many groups plodding along during the late 80s, APP never really "lost their way" (with the notable exception of Vulture Culture) or blended in with the music scene at the time. So, I think, APP's work has more musical validity now than it did even back then and does seem to be aging very well.
All-in-all, you won't go wrong with this album, especially considering that it was the last for the duo of Parsons and Wolfson."