Search - The Alan Parsons Project :: Pyramid

The single most underrated "Project" by Eric Woolfson & Alan

Parrish A. Highley | Somewhere I've Never Travelled | 09/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I Robot and Eye in the Sky generally enjoy their fair share of accolades, The Project's third release has always struggled for the recognition it so richly deserves. Given its cohesion both conceptually and musically, that somewhat low regard seems every bit as mysterious as the theme of the album itself. But, then, if ever there was a complex theme cleverly shrouded in nuance and subtlety, it would be that of Pyramid!



The opening instrumental staggers the listener with an atmospheric ambience one would hope is destined for a proper quadraphonic presentation while the following "What Goes Up..." asks why, if nothing is lasting, even build a pyramid at all. Colin Blunstone of The Zombies made his first appearance with The Project singing "The Eagle Will Rise Again" - a stunning ballad where a very young Pharaoh struggles to reconcile the deity he is proclaimed to be with the gnawing insecurities from which every child suffers. (Curiously, this thought-provoking ballad was a favorite of the prodigious Kate Bush who would listen to it repeatedly in the late seventies.) Of One More River Alan, himself, has gone on written record saying, "this was better than anything we did on I Robot." Wow...that's a tall order for a shuffle to achieve, but "One More River" more than lives up to that assessment with its ambient bridge alone. The radio hit Can't Take It With You explains, in stark terms, how all the earthly treasures Tutankhamen accumulated throughout his short life won't be joining him in the next. In The Lap Of The Gods is arguably the finest piece of experimental music that Parsons and Woolfson ever composed, not the least of which is due to some of the best orchestral arrangements Andrew Powell has ever crafted, but it also marks a turning point on the album where the deceased pharoah lay entombed in his singular mausoleum while the multitudes who built it rejoice over the fruits of their life's singular task. Given all the heaviness of melancholy thought throughout PYRAMID, Woolfson and Parsons wisely saw the need for bit of humor. At the much deserved expense of G. Patrick Flanagan and his, shall we say, questionable claims of pyramid power, Pyramania is a send-up in the proud tradition Rodgers & Hammerstein. Hyper-Gamma-Spaces is another ambient instrumental by Alan Parsons that makes me pine for a quadraphonic surround mix on Sony's SACD. Lastly, Shadow Of A Lonely Man closes in epic, albeit somber, proportions with the spirit of the dead pharoah hovering quietly over his earthly treasures in a museum exhibit as passersby examine them with varying degrees of interest.



Ardent fans will revel in the bonus material. I was particularly intrigued with What Goes Up/Little Voice (Early Version Demo) and the two demo versions of "In The Lap Of The Gods." The vast improvement in sound quality from the original Arista disc is directly attributed to Sony's Direct Stream Digital sampling from the best source tapes available. My only complaint is that this masterpiece is not available in surround on SACD. I am pleased with this remaster for moderate volume listenings, but find myself wishing I could crank the volume from time to time without the subsequent signal clipping from my receiver.



In any case, I do hope this missive helps to elucidate Pyramid's elusive liner note:



"From the rise and fall of an ancient dynasty, to the quest for a key to unlock the secrets of the universe, this album seeks to amplify the haunting echoes of the past and explore the unsolved mysteries of the present. Pyramid...the last remaining wonder of the ancient world.""

A stunning Remaster of Pyramid

David Mosher | Orlando, Fl | 04/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've waited for years for a quality digital remastering of any Alan Parons Project CD. I must ad to the other reviews that this Pyramid remaster just wipes out the US issue Arista CD. Finally, the sound is now completely fleshed out and uncompressed even beyond my best vinyl pressings more like hearing a master tape! This is one my favorite Alan Parons Project works, great production and music that stands the test of time. Now I hope Turn of a Friendly Card and I Robot gets the same level of remastering."

Pyramid Power

rannman | Knoxville, TN USA | 04/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My favorite Alan Parsons Project recording. It is in my top 10 recordings for all artists. This release has a feeling of mystery or a theme of a mission. Recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London between September 1977 and February 1978. The theme is based on the book, Pyramid Power, by G. Patrick Flanagan, released in 1973. My favorite songs are One More River, Can't Take It With You, and The Eagle Will Rise Again. Remastered with bonus material - the bonus material is fair - mainly instrumentals, demos, and backing tracks."