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I have loved the Alan Parsons Project since I was 15, when a copy of Eye in the Sky showed up at my door because I forgot to return the Columbia House card stating that I did not want any album that month. Several albums (really every album) later, I had a collection of AP's fantastic eclectic rock. However, I always had the sense that the musical creation was sort of fake somehow (think Toto), because it was all an artificial, sequentially-tracked amalgam of session players-- not a real "band." This was accentuated by my perspective as a gigging musician (saxophonist), where music was REAL when it was live.
I was thus pleased by AP's first live album in the early 90s. It showed that with slick keyboard patches and sequencing, that a live band could essentially capture much of the polished production of the albums. I had the pleasure of seeing AP and his band in person at the Ram's Head Tavern in Annapolis MD in April of 2009. I was spellbound. It was a spendy ticket in a small room, but it was apparent that AP's sidemen had polished chops, and approached the songs with pinache and showmanship. The only superfluous contribution was the hulking presence of Alan himself, whose acoustic guitar could not be heard in the mix all night long, and whose lead vocals on "Eye in the Sky" was a sentimental gesture, but functional at best. I was nonetheless glad I was there to see him and his fantastic band.
I was therefore stoked to see this new live album come out that featured all the players I had seen and heard a few meters away. This new album did not disappoint! I have to say that I like this live album even better than "The Very Best- LIVE."
This live Madrid album IMO strikes a very nice balance between offering spontaneity and an alternative flavor to familiar songs, while still retaining the essentials of the song. To use an analogy, the band uses some different colors here in there to give each song a different flavor from what you remember from the studio albums, but still colors within the lines to place the key licks, hits and turnarounds where your brain expects them. This is most apparent in the more ad-libbed lead vocals, as well as in more assertive guitar licks from Godfrey Townsend. The Madrid renditions also sprinkle in some motifs and riffs from other classic rock songs, where one track ends with the same ending as "Let it be"- a shout-out to AP's background from Abbey Road Studios.
I don't agree with the previous review that the crowd was apathetic. They were enthusiastic, but their cheers and applause were relatively quiet and DISTANT in the mix-- in other words right where I like it. The crowd presence was sufficient to lend an air of festivity without getting in the way of the sonic creation of the music itself- AP's wheelhouse. If you're expecting prominent crowd presence from a live recording, like Peter Frampton's "Do you feel like we do?" or you really need to hear it for you to feel "live," this album may disappoint you.
With regard to musical execution, the band segued fluently from song to song essentially without interruption, adding to the live feel and urgency. The keyboard and sequencing work of Manny Focarazzo was fluid in this regard. The drumming of Steve Murphy was potent but tasteful and restrained. I even liked the tone color and attack of John Montagna's bass guitar. However, it was Godfrey Townsend's soaring, lyrical guitar (with occasional and judicious bursts of dexterity for effect) that really made the album for me. P. J. Olsson's lead vocals were polished and pleasing, but didn't particularly grab me. In all, the band rocked out, and offered a punchy alternative to versions I've had in my collection for decades.
I also liked the choices in songs-- which included not only the most rock-out-friendly tunes, but also one song from AP's post-Woolfson era. My only disappointment from the live performance I saw was that AP didn't do any songs from his "solo" albums. There were some fine candidates from "Try Anything Once," for example.
Since I still think they could have stretched out a little more musically while keeping the songs essentially intact, I was going to give this compilation only four stars. However, I'm going with five considering the polished professional performances, superb mix, and frankly, how you can get 14 tracks and over an hour of AP tunage for $8.99. Even if you dismiss a few tracks as "meh," it's still a great value. Having seen them live, I can understand why the extra expense of a DVD isn't worth the more mundane visuals of a bunch of stationary guys playing their axes without acrobatics or pyrotechnics. For me, picking up this collection of mp3 tracks was a no-brainer, and the best nine bucks I've spent in quite a while.
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