- I Robot (album)
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I Robot Studio album by The Alan Parsons Project Released June 1977 Recorded January – March 1977 at Abbey Road Studios Genre Progressive rock, pop rock Length 41:05 Label Arista Producer Alan Parsons The Alan Parsons Project chronology Tales of Mystery and Imagination
(1976)I Robot
(1977)Pyramid
(1978)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1]
Robert Christgau (C)[2] I Robot is a progressive rock album recorded by The Alan Parsons Project, engineered by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson in 1977. It was released by Arista Records in 1977 and re-released on CD in 1984 and 2007. It was intended to be based on the I, Robot stories written by Isaac Asimov, and Woolfson actually spoke with Asimov, who was enthusiastic about the idea. As the rights already had been granted to a TV/movie company, the album's title was altered slightly by removing the comma, and the theme and lyrics were made to be more generically about robots rather than specific to the Asimov universe.[3][4]
The cover inlay reads: "I ROBOT...THE STORY OF THE RISE OF THE MACHINE AND THE DECLINE OF MAN, WHICH PARADOXICALLY COINCIDED WITH HIS DISCOVERY OF THE WHEEL...AND A WARNING THAT HIS BRIEF DOMINANCE OF THIS PLANET WILL PROBABLY END, BECAUSE MAN TRIED TO CREATE ROBOT IN HIS OWN IMAGE."
The title of the final track, "Genesis Ch.1 v.32," follows this theme by implying a continuation to the story of Creation, since the first chapter of Genesis only has 31 verses.
The album cover photo of the band members is of the criss-crossing escalator tubes in the circular Terminal 1 building of Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris.
Contents
Reissues and Remastering
I Robot has been reissued multiple times in various formats since its initial release on vinyl, including numerous audiophile releases.
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) released the album on standard vinyl (MFSL 1-084), UHQR vinyl (MFQR 1-084), and on aluminum CD (MFCD-1-804). Classic Records has released the album in analog form on 180 Gram Vinyl, as well as digitally on HDAD (24bit/192 kHz & 24bit/96 kHz DVD-Audio).
In 2007, as part of a larger campaign, Sony released a remastered version along with bonus tracks on CD.
Musical style
This album has strong influences from soul, funk and disco music, especially in tracks like "I Robot", "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" and "The Voice", mixed with some influences from early electro and synth-pop music. It also sounds very close to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Animals" albums, with a more commercial pop oriented sound.
Songs
Three singles were released from this album: "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You;" "Don't Let it Show;" and "Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)." The LP track "Breakdown" went into heavy rotation on AOR stations and continues to be played on classic rock radio.
Don't Let It Show was covered by Pat Benatar for her In the Heat of the Night LP.[5][6] Gail Godwin describes it as "much more sentimental than the usual Alan Parsons."[7]
Track listing
All tracks written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson; except "Total Eclipse" written by Andrew Powell
- "I Robot" (instrumental) – 6:02
- "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" (lead vocal: Lenny Zakatek) – 3:22
- "Some Other Time" (lead vocals: Peter Straker & Jaki Whitren) – 4:06
- "Breakdown" (lead vocal: Allan Clarke) – 3:50
- "Don't Let It Show" (lead vocal: Dave Townsend) – 4:24
- "The Voice" (lead vocal: Steve Harley) – 5:24
- "Nucleus" (instrumental) – 3:31
- "Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)" (lead vocal: Jack Harris) – 3:49
- "Total Eclipse" (instrumental) – 3:09
- "Genesis Ch.1. V.32" (instrumental) – 3:28
I Robot was remastered and reissued in 2007 with the following bonus tracks:
- "Boules" (I Robot experiment) – 1:59
- "Breakdown" (early demo of backing riff) – 2:09
- "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" (backing track rough mix) – 3:28
- "Day After Day" (early stage rough mix) – 3:40
- "The Naked Robot" – 10:19
Personnel
- David Paton – bass, acoustic guitars
- Stuart Tosh – drums, percussion
- Ian Bairnson – electric and acoustic guitars
- Eric Woolfson, Alan Parsons, Duncan Mackay – keyboards
- B.J. Cole – steel guitar
- John Leach – cimbalom and kantele
- Lenny Zakatek, Allan Clarke, Steve Harley, Jack Harris, Peter Straker, Jaki Whitren, Steve Davies and Dave Townsend – vocals
- Produced and engineered by Alan Parsons
Charts
Year Chart Position 1977 The Billboard 200 9 UK Albums Chart 30 Canada 11 References
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r14912
- ^ Christgau, Robert (October 31, 1977). "Consumer Guide: I Robot". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2010-09-19.
- ^ Official Alan Parsons Project website
- ^ http://www.the-alan-parsons-project.com/irobot.php
- ^ "Benatar's music creates yearning for life on edge". Deseret News. May 25, 2006. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,635210345,00.html. Retrieved 2009-04-29. "Songs such as the title track, "If You Think You Know How to Love Me," "We Live for Love," "Heartbreaker," "So Sincere," a remake of Alan Parsons' "Don't Let It Show" ..."
- ^ "Pat Benatar". Billboard. 1979. http://books.google.com/books?id=AyUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT68&dq=%22Don%27t+Let+It+Show%22+Alan+PArsons&ei=avj4SZj9O5KSzgTBgM2TBQ. Retrieved 2009-04-29. ""Don't Let It Show" is an Alan Parsons song and this tune perhaps ..."
- ^ A mother and two daughters. 1982. p. 292. http://books.google.com/books?id=36NaAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Don%27t+Let+It+Show%22+Alan+PArsons&dq=%22Don%27t+Let+It+Show%22+Alan+PArsons&ei=avj4SZj9O5KSzgTBgM2TBQ&pgis=1.
The Alan Parsons Project Studio albums Tales of Mystery and Imagination · I Robot · Pyramid · Eve · The Sicilian Defence (unreleased) · The Turn of a Friendly Card · Eye in the Sky · Ammonia Avenue · Vulture Culture · Stereotomy · GaudiAlan Parsons solo Try Anything Once · On Air · The Time Machine · A Valid Path · Eye 2 Eye: Live In Madrid
Eric Woolfson solo Compilations The Best of The Alan Parsons Project (1983 album) · The Best of the Alan Parsons Project, Vol. 2 · The Best of The Alan Parsons Project (2002 album) · The Definitive Collection · The Essential Alan Parsons Project · The Instrumental WorksSingles "(The System of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether" · "The Raven" · "I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You" · "Don't Let It Show" · "Pyramania" · "What Goes Up" · "Lucifer" · "Damned If I Do" · "Games People Play" · "Time" · "Snake Eyes" · "The Turn of a Friendly Card" (single-version) · "Eye in the Sky" · "Psychobabble" · "Old and Wise" · "You Don't Believe" · "Don't Answer Me" · "Prime Time" · "Let's Talk About Me" · "Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)" · "Stereotomy" · "Limelight" · "Standing on Higher Ground"Related articles Categories:- The Alan Parsons Project albums
- 1977 albums
- Albums with cover art by Hipgnosis
- Concept albums
- Albums produced by Alan Parsons
- Albums released on DVD-Audio
- Arista Records albums
- Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab albums
- Albums recorded at Abbey Road Studios
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