REVIEW: Alan Parsons Live Project a mixed bag of magic in Edmonton
To be more famous for a throwaway joke in an Austin Powers movie than for recent music must be galling to such titans of progressive pop as … The Alan Parsons Project!
Mwa, ha, ha, ha!
Besides, it’s the Alan Parsons Live Project now – so named to distance itself from the original British 1980s phenomenon that featured the late Eric Woolfson, who was as much a part of the “Project” as Alan Parsons himself. Just to clear that up.
As advertised, it was indeed “live” for a full house at the Winspear Centre on Tuesday night. There was no tracking save for the occasional and obvious sequencer, especially needed for the key line in Eye In the Sky – that massive 1982 hit that closed the show proper. The important bits were real. Warts and all. Production was basic. No special effects to speak of. The music was its own special effect.
Fans were treated to a night of melodious memories from a competent seven-piece backing band – with Jeff Kollman on guitar and Tom Brooks on keyboards standing out. Pulling lead vocal duties was a trade-off between several band members, notably P.J. Olsson and also Todd Cooper, who played sax. Later came a guest vocalist, “My future son-in-law, Jordan Huffman!” Parsons said, on a new ballad more reminiscent of Billy Joel than Tales of Mystery and Imagination. The future son-in-law wore a cheesy sparkly lounge suit jacket to cap the effect, too.
The 70-year-old bandleader, meanwhile, came off like a sideman in his own band – playing the part of the ringmaster in the background, actually in control of everything. Which of course he is. Parsons mainly strummed his acoustic guitar, played his synth, and did a little lead vocals from time to time. He’s not the greatest singer in the world, nor the greatest guitarist, nor did it matter. Like any good producer, he left the heavy lifting to his band.
The Alan Parsons Project occupies a strange and unique place in the pop music canon. They’re almost in the same league as Steely Dan, Supertramp, maybe even Pink Floyd, but also bands like Air Supply or Mr. Mister. They’re proud purveyors of pure pop perfection, while indulging in more discordant – and more interesting – art rock tendencies as it pleases them.
Hey, getting plugged by Mike Myers – a bonafide music freak – is high praise. Alan Parsons already made his millions back when people bought records. Nowadays, he urged the crowd in Edmonton to go to YouTube to listen to the new singles.
“You can buy them, too,” he said. “Nobody does – but you can!”
Cynical much? These sold-out shows pay the bills now, as we all know, and maintain these British art rockers of yore in the lifestyle to which they’ve become accustomed. So cut them some slack.
Music from the new album, The Secret (out April 26), said to be a concept album on the subject of magic, was generously sprinkled into a hit ‘n’ miss set – in fact two sets with an intermission. Only the song Miracle managed to evoke the spacey harmonic vibe and groove of the old times. The rest of the new stuff came off like filler.
As for the old? Now some of that was magic. Lush chords, clever arrangements, classical pop overtones, and impressive displays of musicianship punctuated the evening. People clapped after solos as if attending a jazz concert. Chaotic synth meltdowns in The Raven – one of the best pieces of the concert – contrasted with surprisingly sappy pop ballads from more future times.
Best were songs like Don’t Let It Show – bad advice, interesting song from I, Robot; and Psychobabble turned into a mass singalong. The fans stood in appreciation at regular intervals – and it takes a lot to get Baby Boomers to stand up. Even for a mixed bag of art rock nostalgia – and they didn’t even have any frickin’ laser beams!
