Label: Frontiers Music Srl.
Release date: July 15, 2022
Production: Alan Parsons
Album length: 45:05 min
Genre: Art Rock / Progressive Rock / Pop Rock
Rating: 8.0/10
Cult musician, producer and sound engineer Alan Parsons was never among the most innovative prog rock creators, but he was one of the most consistently high-quality ones. In the seventies and eighties, back when he was still part of the unforgettable lineup of The Alan Parsons Project, he cooked up a heap of timeless tunes like “Eye In The Sky,” “Sirius,” “Don’t Answer Me,” “Games People Play” and “Time,” to name just the most famous. After The Alan Parsons Project fell apart in 1990, Alan struck out on his own and has made five solo albums so far, which have continued the style of the famous project with more or less success.
“From The New World” is his sixth studio effort and the follow-up to 2019’s “The Secret,” which marked Alan’s successful comeback after a creative break of almost fifteen years. In keeping with a tradition that goes back decades, “From The New World” also packs in a few famous guests, such as guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa, singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw (Styx) and vocalists David Pack (ex-Ambrosia) and James Durbin (ex-Quiet Riot). That means “From The New World” features no fewer than nine different singers across eleven compositions.
Opening track “Fare Thee Well,” built entirely in the style of The Alan Parsons Project’s golden age and packed with lyrical references to Alan’s past creations, kicks the album off in exceptional fashion. It has all the ingredients that thrilled legions of art rock gourmets in the seventies and eighties: gorgeous vocal harmonies, a standout chorus, lush symphonic arrangements and a solid guitar line. The title track, which is somewhat reminiscent of the evergreen “Children of the Moon,” moves at a mid-tempo pace. As a whole, it comes off very solid. The same goes for the dramatic “Uroboros,” with Tommy Shaw on lead vocals, which has quite a few things in common with Styx. “Don’t Fade Now” is a dreamy ballad where Mr. Parsons himself steps up as lead vocalist and guitarist. It has just enough stylistic overlap with some classic The Alan Parsons Project ballads to avoid being boring.
“Give ’em My Love” is spiced up mainly by the superbly in-form Durbin on vocals and by Bonamassa, who serves up a lively guitar solo that makes things a lot more dynamic. The piano-driven “Obstacles” is a nostalgic power ballad starring longtime singer P.J. Olsson. “I Won’t Be Led Astray,” with Pack on lead vocals, is a solid but unexciting AOR ballad that Bonamassa saves from mediocrity with a recognizable guitar solo. The mid-tempo “You Are the Light” is built in a familiar, ’retro’ style and, thanks mostly to its tasteful vocal harmonies and nostalgic chorus, will please most longtime fans. The slightly electronic “Halos” is, along with the opening “Fare Thee Well,” the closest thing to an attempt at a classic The Alan Parsons Project standard. Alan has often (and unsuccessfully) tried to craft a successor to his biggest hit “Eye in the Sky” and the cult instrumental “Sirius,” and this time, too, you can’t shake that feeling.
Sadly, the good energy and relatively consistent quality nearly fall apart toward the end of the album, with the last two tracks, both of them covers. You can’t help but wonder, ’why was that necessary?’ “Goin’ Home” is a cover of a hundred-year-old original by a student of Antonín Dvořák. In Alan’s hands it turns into a somewhat sleepy ballad, while “Be My Baby” is a rather anachronistic take on the hit by ancient girl group The Ronettes. Even though it’s one of the few tracks with a female lead vocalist in Alan’s body of work so far, it doesn’t leave a good impression and feels completely superfluous and cheap on the album.
“From The New World” will please most of Alan’s longtime fans, since it’s full of nostalgic moments that recall the ’good old days.’ But it runs out of its initial steam toward the end, so it can’t be ranked among the very best progressive rock or art rock releases of the year. Alan’s production on “From The New World” could serve as a model for plenty of similar bands, which won’t surprise anyone who knows the man and his work in the slightest. With “From The New World,” the seasoned master of music and production has made a very solid album that’s up to the expected standard and has plenty of thrilling moments. But it lacks that ’finishing touch’ in the ’home stretch’ that would put it among his best work, especially when you factor in The Alan Parsons Project legacy.
Author: Peter “Dr. ProgRock” Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
1. Fare Thee Well
2. The Secret
3. Uroboros (featuring Tommy Shaw of STYX)
4. Don’t Fade Now
5. Give ‘Em My Love (featuring James Durbin, Joe Bonamassa)
6. Obstacles
7. I Won’t Be Led Astray (featuring David Pack, Joe Bonamassa)
8. You Are The Light
9. Halo
10. Goin’ Home
11. Be My Baby
Lineup:
lead vocals – Alan Parsons, Tommy Shaw, David Pack, James Durbin, P.J. Olsson, Todd Cooper, Dan Tracey, Mark Mikel, Tabitha Fair
backing vocals – Alan Parsons, Tommy Shaw, P.J. Olsson, Todd Cooper, Dan Tracey, Doug Powell, Mark Mikel, Chris Shutters, Scott Hunt
guitars – Alan Parsons, Jeff Kollman, Dan Tracey, Doug Powell, Jeff Marshall, James Durbin, Tim Pierce
bass – Guy Erez
drums – Danny Thompson
keyboards – Tom Brooks, Doug Powell, Matt McCarrin, Kim Bullard
saxophone – Todd Cooper
cello on “I Won’t Be Led Astray” – Mika Larson
guitar solos on “Give ‘Em My Love” and “I Won’t Be Led Astray” – Joe Bonamassa
