Alan Parsons Project - Tales Of Mystery & Imagination: Edgar Allan Poe / I, Robot / Eye In The Sky / Vulture Culture

First batch of expanded Austin Powers-approved APP reissues

Alan Parsons’ engineering/ production work with the likes of The Beatles and Pink Floyd set him up for his own albums, and these reissues start with the concept album dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe. It’s a superb minimusical, with themes of love, death and madness encapsulated by sweet prog-leaning melodic rock songs. Disc One adds four bonuses, including a perky take on The Raven, with spoken excerpts from narrator Orson Welles. Disc Two is a 1987 remix of the whole, with more additions including tofade excerpts and sound effects.

Isaac Asimov’s sci-fi dystopia, I, Robot, is superbly captured by APP’s 10-song effort. Five additions include an experimental synth take on the title track and a funked-up I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You. APP’s biggest chart success, Eye In The Sky, is packed with more AOR gems and bolstered by half a dozen extras. The 11-minute The Naked Eye compendium throws themes and motifs together in the best possible taste.

Vulture Culture saw the band on fiery form. The extras include an acoustic No Answers Only Questions and the 10-minute AOR amalgam of The Naked Vulture, with spoken word interludes. It’s a fine selection of additional material and a box set waiting to happen.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Mercury/Universal Music Catalogue / SonyBMG | cat no tbc (2-CD) / 82876

Reviewed by Tim Jones
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