Alan Parsons Project album-by-album thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by RickH, Feb 11, 2019.

  1. Bill007

    Bill007 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boynton Beach, Fla
    Someone once sent me this cd by mistake but told me to keep it. I’m an APP fan ( I even love AP’s last studio album) but never listened to the cd and still have it. I wonder if it has any $ value.
     
    JulesRules likes this.
  2. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    If you're a fan, why did you never listen to it? :shh:
    Depending on its condition and version, it might have some value. (I'm on the lookout for a copy myself.)
    Freudiana - Freudiana (CDs) For Sale at Discogs Marketplace
     
    COBill likes this.
  3. Bill007

    Bill007 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boynton Beach, Fla
    Great question! I guess I just never thought of it as a proper APP album since I never heard of it plus whoever gave it to me didn’t even care about it. If I recall correctly ( I haven’t looked at it in last few years) the jewel case is cracked but otherwise it may even be sealed. I’d have to find it in my collection. Thx for sending me the link.
     
    JulesRules likes this.
  4. MrCJF

    MrCJF Best served with coffee and cake.

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Hadn't realised you had a spat with Paul S. I think there was a lot of disappointment and anger on this forum about how limited the SDE 5.1 mixes are, but I take the view it's a 'baby steps' project, and hopefully numbers will grow as the series builds a reputation. Adding Alan Parsons to the list with Steven Wilson and Stephen Lipson could only add to it's reputation.

    All this is pure speculation and wishful thinking, of course.
     
    JulesRules likes this.
  5. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    That was an issue that he at least rectified by changing the preorder model from a certain amount of copies to a limited time period. I went into the other issues a bit at the end of my blog entry here. My frustration was over the monopoly coupled with the results of Brexit. And as you can see in the Go West thread, he seems very sensitive to criticism (even if mine was mainly aimed at the label, who seemed OK with fans having to pay so much just because they couldn't release a decent special edition themselves). Now if he collaborated with Alan Parsons, it wouldn't be quite the same since there is the CD+DVD edition available from every retailer, but that would in turns make the 5.1 not "exclusive" to SDE.
    As I wrote in my review, it's the closest to a proper APP album there is outside the core catalog. It just happens to include a few "Broadway"-type numbers too. As a whole, I definitely find it stronger and more purposeful than Eve, Ammonia Avenue, Vulture Culture or Gaudi. And compared to Stereotomy it has far more of Eric's vocals.

    If you are unsure whether you want to keep it sealed, you can just check it out on YouTube before making a decision.
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2022
  6. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    While I realize that the Freudiana album is not an "official" A.P.P. album, it is still so heavily influenced by Alan and Eric, that it almost seems like their "Broadway" swan song, if you will? This is a fun album to listen to and sure, it has a real roller coaster ride as it moves forward, but for the few songs that are TOO Broadway, there are a LOT of little gems that demand to be heard.

    For this A.P.P. fan, the opening instrumental is classic A.P.P., followed by the equally slow building title track. Two tracks that soon follow are two of this albums best, the Beatlesque "Little Hans" and the beautiful Eric Woolfson lead "Dora", which were released as a single and of which I have in my 1954 Seeburg HF100R jukebox and play all the time!

    There are other worthy tracks on this album, especially the ultra wacky "Funny You Should Say That", where Eric found a wonderful way to use cartoon sound effects in one of the craziest songs you will ever hear, but it works!

    Another instrumental (Beyond The Pleasure Principle) that is not as good as the first one, but still interesting once it finally gets going.

    Frankie Howard's "Sects Therapy" which would easily fit as a musical number in a Monty Python movie, is pure fun.

    And there are two female lead beauties by Kiki Dee and Marti Webb, "No One Can Love You Better Than Me" and "Don't Let The Moment Pass". That second song is VERY ABBA sounding and could easily be from the pen of Benny Anderson, instead of Woolfson's.

    There are some other surprises to be found on this album and any true fan of A.P.P. should give this a proper chance. I personally find it better than ANY of Alan's solo albums, to be honest!

    Here is Eric's beautiful "Dora" for those who have never heard it ...

     
  7. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Here is that wacky and funny cartoon sounding song that I mentioned above "Funny You Should Say That". I can't even imagine the layers of tracks that Alan had to use to get this one completed, but I'm sure that computer screen had to look very intimidating!!!

     
    MikeManaic61 and JulesRules like this.
  8. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    Having listened to all of them at least once now to prepare myself for the future of this thread, I think you're correct...
     
  9. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I so wanted to enjoy Alan's solo outings and there are some great tunes to be found on those, especially when the likes of David Pack, Eric Stewart, Colin Blunstone and Christopher Cross are involved, but for the most part the one true thing missing on all of those, is Eric Woolfson. Woolfson just had the songs and a way to make them more than a "sonic" marvel and Alan truly needed him for just that.
     
    JulesRules, Bill007 and Hawkeye like this.
  10. Hawkeye

    Hawkeye Senior Member

    Apologies for the interruption but I thought this may be of interest to those who participate here.

    Here’s the first song released from the upcoming Alan Parsons album, “From the New World,” with vocals by Tommy Shaw (STYX). To my ears it sounds like more of a STYX song with an Alan Parsons production.

     
    PTgraphics likes this.
  11. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Thanks for sharing @Hawkeye, I didn't even know that he had another new album coming so soon? Pretty lackluster song once again and Shaw doesn't bring much to it, to be honest. I really enjoyed the title track to The Neverending Show album, it was easily one of his best songs in a long, long time!
     
  12. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    We now have a dedicated thread thanks to @beartrackrecords: New Alan Parsons - From the New World - July 2022
     
    Hawkeye likes this.
  13. MikeManaic61

    MikeManaic61 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    Had no idea that this album existed until now. This not being officially available streaming, CD & digital release is a crime.
     
    Jeff McParsons and JulesRules like this.
  14. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    I fully agree. I didn't even really know the album beyond a bit of the title track and "Little Hans" until I "had" to check it out for this thread. Now I'm glad I did.

    It's probably not far off to assume that the album's non-availability has something to do with the legal dispute that broke out between Brian Brolly and Eric Woolfson, which I don't really know too much about.

    Edit: The only tracks that are on streaming are these three (well, four to be exact) - one being the German version of "No One Can Love You Better Than Me" and one being a karaoke version of "I Am A Mirror"! Freudiana

    Edit 2: Plus two instrumental covers on this album: The Alan Parsons Project Cover Reworks (Best of Playlist)
     
    Last edited: May 27, 2022
  15. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    While doing my research for the next post, I came across this review of Freudiana that once again underlines how we all hear things differently - as this reviewer thinks the first half is weaker than the second! Original Soundtrack: | Daily Vault
     
    Jeff McParsons likes this.
  16. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    JulesRules likes this.
  17. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
  18. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    Freudiana (stage production)

    Freudiana - Deutsche Originalaufnahme
    [​IMG]
    Cast recording by
    Freudiana
    Released
    1991
    Genre Rock
    Length 67:47
    Label EMI
    Producer Herwig Ursin

    Track listing, Deutsche Originalaufnahme (the "Black Album")
    1. "Freudiana" (Instrumental) - 3:07
    2. "Kleiner Hans" - 3:08
    3. "Ich bin dein Spiegel" - 4:00
    4. "Es ist durchaus nicht erwiesen" - 4:42
    5. "Dora" - 3:55
    6. "Du bist allein" - 4:24
    7. "Ausgestossen" - 3:58
    8. "Doctor Charcot" - 4:54
    9. "Frau Schmetterling" - 4:11
    10. "Der Ring" - 3:06
    11. "Vision Dora" (Instrumental) - 3:00
    12. "Nie war das Glück so nah" - 3:20
    13. "U-Bahn" - 3:45
    14. "Wer ging den Weg" - 5:04
    15. "Oedipus - Terzett" - 6:25
    16. "Chorus" - 0:58
    17. "Freudiana" - 4:58
    Personnel
    • Herwig Ursin - production manager, post-processing and mixing
    • Fritz Staudinger, Gernot Ursin, Peter Naumann - recording engineers
    • Recorded with the HEY-U-Studiomobil at the Theater an der Wien
    Freudiana | Archiv | Musical Vienna - VBW Official

    From Eric Woolfson’s website:

    Background
    Eric Woolfson hit upon the idea of researching the life and works of Sigmund Freud with a view to their musical potential after he finished the last and tenth contracted APP album ‘Gaudi’.

    He retraced Freud’s footsteps and explored his realms through his homes in London and Vienna (both now museums) as well as literary sources including Freud’s classic cases whose real identities he concealed by use of names such as Wolfman, Ratman, Dora, Little Hans and Schreber, the Judge. In addition, Freud’s writings on his discovery of the ‘unconscious’, his well known theories such as the ‘Oedipus Complex’, the ‘Ego’ and the ‘Id’ and perhaps his best known masterpiece, ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’ all served as springboards for musical ideas. Also enlightening were Freud’s own influences such as the French hypnotist Maitre Jean-Martin Charcot and Freud’s group of followers in Vienna who became known as “The Wednesday Club”.

    After the initial research and development of the songs, Eric went into the studio with Alan Parsons and for three years they worked on this recording with the help of literally hundreds of musicians and vocalists. The resulting album ‘FREUDIANA’ was released in 1990 through EMI records and has been available until recently. The album includes 18 tracks with lead vocal performances from Leo Sayer, Graham Dye, The Flying Pickets, Kiki Dee, Marti Webb, Eric Steward, Frankie Howard as well as Project regulars Chris Rainbow, John Miles and Eric Woolfson.

    About halfway through the recording process, Eric was approached to develop the concept still further into a musical.

    The Story
    A man visits the Freud museum in London with a group of tourists. He accidentally gets locked in when it closes and eventually falls asleep on Freud’s couch reading one of his books. Through his dreams he meets many of Freud’s patients on his journey to self-discovery.

    Theatre Production History
    The first stage production of FREUDIANA had its world premiere in 1990 in Vienna at the historic ‘Theater an der Wien’. Freudiana had an initial run of 19 months.


    From The Avenue Online:

    "Gaudi" was released in 1987 and "Try Anything Once" in 1992, between this there was another album called "Freudiana". "Freudiana" was originally meant to be the eleventh APP album. While recording the album, Brian Brolly entered the picture and he helped steer the album in a new direction. Brolly, for those who don't know him, was previously a partner with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and together they created such musicals as "Cats". With Brolly's help, Eric was able to turn "Fruediana" into a stage musical.

    The double-length studio album was released in 1990. Shortly after, the stage production opened in Vienna, Austria. The musical had a successful run, and it was hoped that the show would open in other cities. Further plans were put on hold when a lawsuit broke out between Brolly and Woolfson, each fighting for control of the project. In the end, Brolly won. For more information on "Fruediana" and the lawsuit, see issue one of The Avenue.

    The studio disk (the "white" album) was quite difficult to get for a while, but is now available through various dealers, including Thoughtscape Sounds. There was also a double-length cast disc (the "black" album) and that is currently out of print.


    The story according to the flyer, translated with DeepL:

    "Erik, a young man from Chicago, is at home everywhere: his sufferings are universal. - Who doesn't sometimes feel disregarded, unsuccessful, unloved? However: if this condition persists, good advice is expensive. Erik books a group trip ('Europe in 14 days'), determined to make friends. The fact that he falls hopelessly in love as soon as he takes off is part of his well-known, compulsive loser program.

    A visit to the Freud Museum in London on the penultimate day, Freud's home in exile in England. The visitors are almost too late. The 'FREUDIANA' are hurriedly shown - Freud's study including couch, mementos, books, utensils, pictures, famous medical histories - and Erik, inconspicuous as always, missed by no one, is mistakenly locked up.

    On the legendary couch. Night. - Erik spends it between waking dream and sleep, fantasy and obsession, memory and horror, he encounters the harmless travel companions strangely transformed, what he saw the day before comes to life - frighteningly therapeutic, he discovers familiar traits in Freud's most famous patients, he understands why no girl gives him what he hopes for.

    Waking up. The bright morning does not find a changed Erik, but a man who has recognized that he himself must make the beginning, he himself must express himself, only then will the others do it."

    Source: Freudiana — Musicallexikon


    The album was released on October 11, 1990, and two months later (December 9) the stage show was premiered. It was the first big original production by the Vienna United Stages.

    In spite of Alan’s issues with the musical theatre direction, he was actually on hand to mix the live sound, which again shows that the split between Parsons and Woolfson was not clear at that point. Not sure if he continued to do it for every performance (I somehow doubt that) but it would help explain the long gap until the next Project project.

    Here is a little recap by a journalist who was on hand to cover the premiere and also got to meet many of the protagonists.

    https://christianjob.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/the-alan-parsons-project-oder-‚kurzer-ruhm-und-die-halbwertszeit-des-vergessens/

    The reviews were pretty much all negative.

    Doktorspiele mit Kakteen

    Now having said that... this one is bewildering. I grew up learning German, I speak it every day, and yet some of this review goes over my head. I think this is one of those smartypants reviewers who's got his head lodged way too high up his behind and prefers to just shred things in order to show how "cultured" he is.

    ZEIT ONLINE | Lesen Sie zeit.de mit Werbung oder im PUR-Abo. Sie haben die Wahl.

    This one at least seems to be more well-mannered and less snarky-snobbish, but I shake my head at the statement that there are “two somewhat catchy songs” in the whole musical. What? :wtf: Since it’s free but locked behind a registration, I’ll give you a full DeepL translation:

    A more benign review (translated by DeepL):

    "Freudiana' was by no means intended to be a musical about Sigmund Freud or a didactic play about psychoanalysis, and it wasn't - but it is a musical that requires prior knowledge of the subject. It is therefore advisable to arrive at the theater at least early enough to be able to take more than a cursory glance at the program.

    Whoever - and there is nothing wrong with that - is after mere entertainment, who wants to be spoiled visually and acoustically during a visit to the theater, is in the right place with 'Freudiana'.

    [...] With 'Freudiana' Peter Weck delivers a colorfully illustrated series of individual scenes that are not necessarily connected. But that is primarily the fault of the author team. The idea of having Sherlock Holmes ask Erik the penetrating and continuing questions was inventive: after all, the master detective is regarded as an investigator of criminal motives, and in his own way is not unlike Siegmund Freud, the sure-footed explorer of the soul. All you see of Freud in 'Freudiana' is a silhouette and a cloud of cigar smoke. But his spirit is everywhere."

    From "Freudiana: A musical world premiere with a sensational flood of images". In: musicals, das Musicalmagazin, issue 27, February/March 1991

    Source: Freudiana — Musicallexikon

    News agency dpa stated (same source):

    Although the plot is not comprehensible in all its details if you know nothing about Freud, the visual effects are overwhelming. The production with international partners should prove that Vienna has not only become a nurturing place of the musical, but can also export new works.

    Eric Woolfson, who is responsible for the music, the lyrics and the plot idea, teamed up with his musical-experienced partners Brian Brolly and Alan Parsons. This team should be a guarantee that the production will go out into the world in the form it was devised in Vienna.


    Unlike the professional reviewers, a lot of “ordinary” visitors seem to have enjoyed the show, as you can see e.g. by the comments here or on the few YouTube videos. Until April 18, 1992, 320.000 people had seen the show at 380 performances. On the ProgressiveEars forum I’ve seen a post by @Kim Olesen saying he saw the musical.

    The CD, recorded at a performance without an audience, wasn’t produced in any great quantity, but thankfully someone has put it on YouTube, with high-quality scans of the booklet to boot, so anyone who understands German can read along. (You may have to manually select HD quality though, otherwise it could be unreadable.)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bgSuPskqao

    There are also some filmed bits on YouTube - according to the comments, a video of the whole show exists.

    If you have the studio album and want to hear it in the order of the stage production, you have to program it like this:

    16
    4
    3
    6
    5
    7
    8
    9
    12
    11
    10
    14
    15
    18
    1
    13
    17
    2

    I don't know enough about musicals to judge how much of the music was actually played live. The more I listen to this recording, the more I felt that all the instrumental stuff was pre-recorded and only the vocals are live. According to the reviews, the orchestra was playing live in the pit, which is confirmed by this site saying that there were 38 musicians in the orchestra. Anyway, there are many distinctions between the album and stage version, as you'll see in my detailed review.

    Credits from the CD:

    Idea: Eric Woolfson
    Original concept: Brian Brolly
    Libretto: Eric Woolfson, Brian Brolly, Lida Winiewicz
    Music and lyrics: Eric Woolfson
    Musical contributions: Alan Parsons
    German lyrics: Lida Winiewicz
    Stage set: Hans Schavernoch
    Costumes: Annette Beaufays & Susanne Schmögner
    Light design: Rick Belzer
    Sound: Alan Parsons
    Arrangements: Andrew Powell
    Musical director: Caspar Richter
    Choreography: Heinz Spoerli
    Director: Peter Weck

    Erik: KAI PETERSON
    Susan (museum manager) ISABELLA FRITDUM
    Kate (tourist guide, nanny) SUSANNE ALTSCHUL
    Erik's mother, nightclub singer DAGMAR HELLBERG
    Mr. Adams, Professor Clown FELIX MARTIN
    Mrs. Adams, Cirus director REGINA LEMNITZ
    Girl, nurse MARY ILLES
    Dora KARIN ZWIRNER
    Dora's father, Charcot NORBERT LAMLA
    Man with pipe, Erik's father, member of the Wednesdays Society, Sherlock Holmes WOLFGANG PAMPEL
    Card player, Wofman VIKTOR GERNOT
    Card player, Ratman LEOPOLD KERN
    Card player, Judge LUDWIG ITGENSHORST
    Scout, Wednesdays society ERIC MUNSK / MARIO STELLER / DEAN WELTERLEN / JAMES CLARK / ANTHONY D'ARTAGNAN / THOMAS NESTLER / SAM COLE
    Scout, postman MAX POLLAK
    Girl ELIN CARLSON / VASILIKI ROUSSI
    Madame Butterfly GRAHAM PUSHEE
    Vocalists DANUTA JAQUET / FUMIE KIKUCHI / SUE ANN ROSENBERG / NIKI BOLEN / PATRICK BRUNNER / BRIAN CARMACK / MIKE KNOSPE

    Artistic director and producer of the German cast recording: Peter Weck

    Exec. producer: Freudiana Records Ltd.

    Assistant artistic director: Elmar Ottenthal

    Musical director: Caspar Richter

    Choir leader: Walter Lochmann


    SYNOPSIS

    Good as the Freudiana album is, it doesn't really have a narrative to speak of, beyond some hints of a “coming of age” (“You’re On Your Own”, “No One Can Love You Better Than Me”, “Destiny”). If you are putting on a stage production, you had better have a narrative, and that’s what we get here. There is a plot. And the main character is called Erik. Well isn't that curious. The full story is told like this in the CD booklet, I just translated it “on the fly” to English - some inaccuracies included.

    Of course, after I translate all that, I find out that there’s already a translation on this site. Sigh.

    Freudiana (The Musical)

    So, it’s not the greatest storyline ever, but it makes at least some amount of sense. And if you squint, you'll notice that it's mostly extracted from the original version of the title track.

    Freudiana | Photos of Production in Vienna | Eric Woolfson

    So let's get to the songs then!

    [​IMG]

    Freudiana (Instrumental):

    Sounds pretty much like the original. Works as an overture too. The chorus melody doesn’t show up as early here, as the top line is missing at first.

    Kleiner Hans / Little Hans:

    Interesting to basically start things with this song. Unlike the original, here the song is sung from several different perspectives, mostly from the female circus director. This, coupled with the typically dramatic singing (phrasing), makes all the difference to the "rock" version.

    Musically, it's mostly a carbon copy of the original arrangement, right down to the guitar solo. However, in the second verse, the rhythm is more jerky. The ending is also a bit different - more bombastic instead of the gradual fading away. And without a Lennon-like voice, it doesn't remind me of The Beatles so much anymore.

    Lyrics are pretty much along the lines of the original.

    Ich bin dein Spiegel / I Am A Mirror:

    The professor clown explaining psychotherapy. This is musically close to the original but the arrangement is more orchestral - the synth parts taken up by strings. Felix Martin is hamming it up more than I'd like but the increased heaviness makes up for that. Great guitar solo.

    The lyrics are almost a literal translation of the original.


    “Ich bin dein Spiegel” uploaded by none other than Kai Peterson himself

    Es ist durchaus nicht erwiesen (“It is by no means proven”) / Funny You Should Say That:

    Well, this isn't devoid of synths. But it doesn't have the distortion of the original. And given how lyrically heavy it is, I think I enjoy this version more than the original. It's structured a bit differently than the original too, if I'm not mistaken - I'll have to compare them side by side. I like how the three voices/roles keep overlaying.

    The side-by-side comparison is indeed interesting. Musically I don't hear much difference, but the lyrics differ greatly from the original. Pretty much the only thing the lyrics have in common is the wolfman part and the judge saying "I'm going to be a mother". The German version instead takes more of a Freud-critical stance and extols the virtues of the hypnotizing Doctor Charcot, who appears to be man of miracles (he can cure anyone, even from being deaf and blind or not being able to walk). This also serves to introduce the idea of a rivalry, although I think that is historically inaccurate.

    Both sets of lyrics are hilarious, but the German one may even be the funnier one, what with the lines about a guy who told the doctor he saw twenty nude girls every night (turned out to have an overactive imagination). It ends with “Careful, psychoanalysis!”

    Dora:

    Pretty straight reading of the original. As a German, it's always a bit hard for me to hear a pop song with German lyrics because the line separating pop music and Schlager music can be really permeable. (See an earlier discussion on "Don't Answer Me".) But this is still working for me. Even if Kai Peterson’s voice doesn’t have the warmth of Eric Woolfson’s.

    The lyrics are quite different. Where the original seems to obliquely reference the scandalous, illicit constellation of Freud’s case study, the German version is more vague and in line with the musical’s overall plot.

    Du bist allein / You're On Your Own:

    Again, maybe I should do a side by side comparison but I still think this sounds heavier and rockier than the original. Brass abounds in the middle. The sax player is at least as good as Richard Cottle. I notice a brass motif near the end that will appear again in "Let Yourself Go" ("Doctor Charcot").

    And yes, the side-by-side comparison confirms my impression. Lyrics are virtually identical to the English but the track has more power.

    Ausgestoßen (“Outcast”) / Far Away From Home:

    The opera trio makes another excellent appearance. Pretty much on a par with the original. The lyrics are mostly the same, except for the additional parts of Erik and his mother.

    Doctor Charcot / Let Yourself Go:

    In a supreme twist, the name "Doctor Charcot" fits perfectly to the syllables of "Let Yourself Go". This means the lyrics are pretty close to the original.

    The synth of the original is there, the fretless bass is, too. Hm, I wonder. Is this section just copied from the original? Norbert Lamla sings a great baritone and I like how the other voices add hysteric echoes. The lyrics get more sarcastic as they progress. The "dragging" part (which I hear hinted at in “Du bist allein”, not so much on “You’re On Your Own”) works just as well as on the original. The ending (mixing both main motifs) is impressively bombastic. The original fizzled out in comparison.

    Frau Schmetterling (“Madame Butterfly”) / Sects Therapy:

    Graham Pushee does this song just as much justice as Frankie Howerd did. In fact, I think this interpretation fits the lyrics with their gender ambiguity even better, as Pushee is a counter-tenor and very well capable of sounding like a woman. The plot is virtually identical except for the Baghwan not throwing our protagonist out for refusing to cut their hair, but by putting a spell on them out of envy. The analyst in the German version is even more untrustworthy than in the original, as he doesn't ask about the mother wearing stiletto heels and rubber, but rather puts his hand on the patient's knee!

    Sadly the nudist colony is missing in the German version, but as a Tears for Fears fan, I find the allusion towards Arthur Janov's The Primal Scream hilarious. And Pushee’s vocal acrobatics are highly impressive.

    Der Ring / The Ring:

    And again I find these interpretations have more power than the original. The many different voices work well with the lyrics, and the chorus explodes with a fierceness I don't quite remember from the album. On the other hand, the intro is sadly shortened.

    The snatch of French lyrics (“Cher confrère cet individu est plein des chimères / C'est evidemment une historie de père) is as well decipherable to me as the German text to most forum members… (DeepL tells me it’s something like this: “Dear colleague, this individual is full of fantasies / It is obviously a father's tale”)

    Vision Dora / Beyond the Pleasure Principle:

    Even Parsons' instrumental finds its spot here. The way it sounds, though, I think this was simply played off the album. Naturally, the sound quality is a bit compromised.

    …Upon closer inspection, it doesn’t seem to be a 1:1 copy. The brass fanfare is played snappier, at least, and the main track is faster. So maybe a few things were taken from the original, but the drums and horns are definitely different. (As mentioned above, I later found out that the orchestra was definitely playing live.)

    Nie war das Glück so nah (“Never Was Happiness So Close”) / Don't Let The Moment Pass:

    Uh, I think the lyrics are skittering a bit too close to kitsch for me, and the overzealous interpretation of the vocals isn't really dispelling that impression for me. Then again, I wasn't a particularly big fan of the original either. Marti Webb basically made that song and without her, it's a bit pedestrian.

    It's always funny to spot the little poetic differences - in this case the taste of the wine and the scent of the rose get replaced with the scent of the rose and the song of the cricket!

    U-Bahn (“Subway”) / Upper Me:

    [​IMG]

    Probably one of the more radically changed tracks, and it's a positive change. The ensemble relentlessly shouting phrases visualizing the subway grind ("That was my foot!") throughout the song adds to a sense of disorientation and makes things entertaining. That gets even more enhanced by the mangled and recombined sayings / platitudes.

    For a laugh, I just tried translating bits of the ensemble parts:

    The jug goes to the well

    People who sit in glass houses can't learn new tricks
    Until it breaks, until it breaks

    An axe in the house who laughs last
    keeps the carpenter axe in the house
    The mightiest is who laughs last
    An eye for be noble, a bird in the hand

    The early bird in the hand
    Two in the bush

    The camel goes through the own house in order
    Everyone should put their
    Everyone should put their

    Eye of a needle


    There is almost no connection between the lyrical content of the two versions.

    Wer kennt den Weg (“Who Knows The Path”) / There But For The Grace Of God:

    Kai Peterson does his best, but he's no John Miles. (Actually, as we'll see when it comes to some future live albums, NOBODY is a John Miles. He was pretty much irreplaceable.)

    I didn't think this was the strongest closer ever, so I'm not mad it has been put a bit earlier in the tracklist here. It’s a good song though, and still affecting in this version. No sax solo. The lyrics are generally about the human condition too, but other than that it's quite different from Eric's original lyric. Marti Webb's parts are now sung by a low choir.

    For some reason, the title is ambiguous. The tracklist on the back of the CD says “Wer ging den Weg” (“Who Walked the path”) but the booklet calls it “Wer kennt den Weg”. More confusingly, the first two lines are “Wer kennt den Weg” but later, he sings “Wer ging den Weg” and it’s still printed as “Wer kennt den Weg” in the booklet. Schrödinger’s song title! :laugh:

    Ödipus-Terzett / The Nirvana Principle + No One Can Love You Better Than Me:

    This combines two different tracks from the original - the fanfare part of "The Nirvana Principle", which is funny hearing at such a late position. The atonal choir makes this version sound quite a bit more dramatic than the original. Then it becomes "No One Can Love You Better Than Me", one of the most theatrical tracks from the original. This interpretation is very, very close in terms of music, lyrics and vocal style. There is a difference though - the daughter part of the original is simply missing. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a "Terzett". (Oddly, her part was already missing from the CD booklet! The daughter doesn’t really fit in with the Oedipus constellation anyway.)

    While I found this track a bit jarring on the album, it fits in better with the theater production and marks the natural climax of the storyline.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6lTb9lHhnY
    A wonky video of “Ödipus-Terzett”

    Chorus / Destiny:

    A simple choir. However, it's no longer a direct reprise of "You're On Your Own".

    Freudiana:

    I'm hearing bits of the original arrangement (that drum machine). However, this is far faster than the original. And it makes sense, given that this has to be the big ending number.

    While the lyrics are a direct translation of parts (mostly the second verse), others are quite different, and instead of asking questions with trepidation, it basically answers the journey with a summary.

    The high voice answering "Freudiana" in the chorus is missing at first, but gets introduced later. Unfortunately the guitar solo had to be axed.


    I'm a bit surprised at how much I've come to enjoy this recording. The songs are good or great anyway, most of the lyrics are well translated (only “Funny You Should Say That” and “Upper Me” are seriously altered, but the new lyrics are a riot, so I won’t complain) and the musical differences are usually no turn for the worse.

    I have no clear preference for one of the two orders of events. Both are valid.

    According to the Roadkeel site, “Litigation ensued between the latter pair which resulted in all rights to the work and music of the "Freudiana" musical granted to Mr. Brolly, and consequently left Mr. Woolfson in a state of financial bankruptcy.”

    It really is a shame because the production would’ve deserved a chance to be played on other stages, and in other languages. And I don’t even understand how Brolly could end up getting the rights to the music, since it was all written by Woolfson!

    In 2005, Caspar Richter said this:

    As the rights issue probably only hinders full stagings of the show, singular tracks from the show have been performed over the years. Here are some I found. Unfortunately, Parsons' solo band has never done any of these songs, so we have to look at tribute bands for performances of the album versions.

    "Du bist allein" performed at a benefit concert for Haiti:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDz1va02KB8

    The english version performed:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKTue4j7sOY

    Nevermore tribute band playing "You're On Your Own":

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXuGV41DcY0

    A singer performing "Nie war das Glück so nah" at a wedding:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2JDFp67sMQ

    Projectronics tribute band playing "The Nirvana Principle":

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKC2hMa9f_c

    "Freudiana":

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDz1va02KB8

    "Dora":

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znta9xCAAe0

    "Upper Me":

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-wIqW8RU8s

    and "Don't Let The Moment Pass":

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrPz3e86dp4

    Orchestral version of "Freudiana" performed:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5R-nxdtYsg

    Somebody made a combination of the two versions of “There But For the Grace of God…”, basically replacing Marti Webb’s part with the German choir, which creates a nice biligual effect:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcIkiFvQo0E

    Finally here is the sheet music:

    Freudiana (Musical) von Woolfson E. | im Stretta Noten Shop kaufen
    Freudiana Vocal Selection | Eric Woolfson - Solo & Ensemble Noten & Partituren - HeBu Musikverlag GmbH

    [​IMG]

    This is probably the most extensive review I've done for this thread yet! And I hope it won't be surpassed. Though given I'm not overly familiar with any of the solo works to come, some amount of research will probably be necessary for those too.
     
    Jeff McParsons and Kim Olesen like this.
  19. COBill

    COBill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado, USA
    Freudiana and Try Anything Once made me feel that I was more of an Eric Woolfson fan than an Alan Parsons fan per se as I absolutely love the former and didn’t like the latter at all.

    I did like On Air and The Secret, though, so it may be that after Freudiana Alan was trying to distance himself from Eric’s sound somewhat.

    It became more of a mixed feeling later as I wasn’t really a fan of Eric’s Gambler.

    Regardless, Freudiana is just about perfect in my eyes, with Marti Webb’s Don’t Let the Moment Pass being (IMHO, of course) the most beautiful song to be found on any of the APP albums, though Eric’s Old and Wise comes very close.

    Time (no pun intended) is also strange, as for decades I didn’t care for Stereotomy at all except for the track Where’s the Walrus, but in the past few years I’ve become infatuated with Limelight.
     
    Pete Puma and JulesRules like this.
  20. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    German radio station HR1 just played (I think accidentally, since somebody requested those two tracks together) the rough mix of "Sirius/Eye in the Sky" from the Eye in the Sky box set :)
     
    iskiv likes this.
  21. bangkok19

    bangkok19 I drank to your health, but ruined mine!

    Location:
    SYDNEY
    PYRAMID for me!
    Side 1 - tracks 1 & 2... WHAT GOES UP with the great intro.

    Also TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD. I overlapped the end of Pt 1 over the intro to Pt 2 together to lengthen it. (title track)
     
  22. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    Probably fits better into this thread:
    Who Else Loves The Alan Parson's Project? - Discography Ranked: Top 3 Best
    By the way, I found this there:
    In absence of a new posting, I guess this will have to do :whistle:
     
    bangkok19 and Jeff McParsons like this.
  23. Jeff McParsons

    Jeff McParsons Forum Resident

    Location:
    Leipzig, Germany
    I'm back! Sorry for not replying earlier but I've been on a forum hiatus for about 2 months and just returned. A lot of things have happened here and I'm still digesting it. Thanks to @JulesRules for keeping this thread alive, I will give my thoughts on Freudiana (and probably more) in the next days.
     
    JulesRules likes this.
  24. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    Nice to see you again. :) @HitAndRun also said he was going to write something about Freudiana, so I'm in no rush to get to the solo albums (which I also need to hear more times - I've only heard Try Anything Once Twice :winkgrin:).
     
  25. Jeff McParsons

    Jeff McParsons Forum Resident

    Location:
    Leipzig, Germany
    My comments on Freudiana (White album):

    Even though I already was a big APP fan then I had totally overlooked this album when it was released. How could this happen? The front of the CD case only says "Freudiana", as well as the 2 small sides, without mentioning any responsible artist(s). Only on the backside you can see a number of names in small print. Even though there could have been a sticker with more details (lost on my copy) this lead to some confusion even in the record stores at which letter to sort it in. I regularly checked for Alan Parsons Project (could be "A" or "P") but only years later I found out that it was sorted either at "W" (for Woolfson) or "F" for Freudiana. Fortunately a friend of mine told me there was a new album by "one of the people that had worked with Alan Parsons" (his words) and that was enough for me to listen to it and immediately buy it. That was in 1991 or 1992, 1 or 2 years after the release.

    What a great album! Excellent quality of music, even for APP standards, Eric Woolfsons voice at its best, a real concept album with intelligent, sometimes even funny lyrics. Concept not only in lyrics but also in repeating musical themes - I like this. And a lot of music to listen to, 75 minutes, cramped on one CD. There are also many musical references to other APP albums without simply copying them. The best thing they have done since Eye In The Sky, at least.
    Unfortunately there are these "musical tracks" (Funny You Should Say That, Far Away From Home, Sects Therapy and No One Can Love You Better Than Me). Technically they are of a high quality, with excellent singers and sophisticated lyrics but this is just not my kind of music. If you take those out you still have an excellent album with more than 57 minutes, much longer than any other APP album (and yes, for me this is an Alan Parsons Project work).

    @JulesRules has written an excellent review and even though I know this album for 30 years longer than him I agree in nearly 100% with his findings ;) . But here are some further comments on the other titles:

    The Nirvana Principle: Excellent instrumental, growing in volume and tension, a great opener, in this comparable to "I Robot".

    Freudiana: One of the best songs by APP, great singing by Eric, instrumentation, atmosphere, everything is perfect. And impressive lyrics, too: I was alone in my room, feeling sorry for myself. Call me a prophet of doom - I could think of nothing else. Just a few words that make clear why Freud and his findings were so desperately needed. Funny also the description of Freud's picture: "A stranger [with] a ring around his finger and something burning in his hand".
    I see "Freudiana" as a unity with the "Nirvana Principle" and together they form one of the best openings of any APP album.

    I Am A Mirror: I think this is the central song of the album, describing what a Psychoanalyst represents. Maybe that's why it was made such a powerful song which huge instrumentation in part even similar to "Silence And I". But for me it seems they wanted to put too much into just one song. So it is good, but not great.

    Little Hans: A Beatles resemblance you say... I have to admit that never occurred to me until I read it here. I thought for a while which Beatles song could be similar, and I think I found it: Getting Better (even though this is not a John song).
    Yes, I like this song, for the music and story. Just in general I think on this album are the best lyrics that Eric has made. And that leads me to...

    Dora: A fantastic "soft song", perfectly sung and arranged. The topic of the therapist secretly falling in love with the patient - very well told, and I remembered this (and other details from the album) when I watched the TV series "Freud" (see my comments at the end of this posting).

    You're On Your Own: A powerful song. Why are so few women singing songs for APP? Until then I knew Kiki Dee only from "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"...

    Let Yourself Go: Another great performance by Eric and the other musicians. Hypnosis explained without using the word.

    Beyond The Pleasure Principle: A great APP instrumental, they come in numbers on this album.

    The Ring: The next song I like very much, the arrangements are excellent again. Some resemblance to songs on Stereotomy, but somehow it feels warmer, with more soul (what I have always missed on Stereotomy). Lyrically I don't really understand the fuzz about the ring. This is not the One Ring to rule them all. Or is it :winkgrin: ?

    Don't Let The Moment Pass: Perfectly sung with great orchestra. But maybe a little bit cheesy...

    Upper Me: A very strong song with a lot of variation. Reminds me of the results of modern research that the "Upper Me" has not a lot to say on our decisions. Not sure what Freud's position was on this, though.

    Freudiana: Good instrumental but without new ideas.

    There But For The Grace Of God: Yes, John Miles was unique and cannot be replaced. The song reminds me a little bit of "Shadow Of A Lonely Man". A good ending for the album, but maybe a little bit too much of pathos...


    Some additional, a little bit off-topic thoughts:

    Sigmund Freud also was a collector of ancient egyptian artefacts, some were always on his desk. Probably an accidental connection with "Pyramid".

    Last year I have watched the TV series "Freud" on German TV (a Netflix coproduction from 2020). This is a fictional story of adventures of the young Sigmund Freud in Vienna, including crime (, sex) and mystery. It was very well made and showed an excellent picture of life in a 19th century town with a very clever story. A little bit dark and little bit too much blood for my liking but I still enjoyed it very much. And at many points I was reminded of the songs of the Freudiana album.
     
    MrCJF and JulesRules like this.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine