Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Freudiana
Label: EMI Records
Release: 1990
Running time: 75:32
Rating: 4.5/5
In 1989, two musical and production masterminds, Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, started writing music for the eleventh album by the cult art-rock outfit The Alan Parsons Project (TAPP for short). »Freudiana« was supposed to carry on TAPP’s long-running concept-album tradition, conceived as a concept record about the life and work of the famous Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. But then Alan and Eric suddenly fell out, and the original plans changed drastically.
Woolfson, fed up with living in the shadow of Alan’s name, suddenly wanted to create a conceptual rock opera that would also become his first solo album, which meant the end of The Alan Parsons Project story before »Freudiana« was even finished. Alan had no choice but to stick it out to the end of the recording process, but on the condition that »Freudiana« be the title of the album/rock opera and a joint project. Sadly, the Scottish singer and keyboardist, who has since passed away, did agree to that in the end, even though he later counted this ambitious rock opera about Sigmund Freud as the start of his own solo discography, while some people (wrongly) counted »Freudiana« as the eleventh The Alan Parsons Project album, despite Alan always firmly insisting it wasn’t.
The decision not to release »Freudiana« under the TAPP name was both good and bad. Good, because despite a similar stylistic direction to the last TAPP album, »Gaudi« (1987), this concept project sounded noticeably different from Alan and Eric’s earlier undertakings. For the first time they used spoken monologues to tie the concept together, plus female vocals and world-music elements, to crank up the (prog) rock opera effect even further. On the other hand, it wasn’t all that different from their earlier concept efforts, since it had quite a few stylistic similarities and songs with different singers that had real hit potential. From that commercial angle, choosing the Freudiana project over continuing down the TAPP road was a bad call, and with it they also let down plenty of fans who had loyally backed the cult art-rock band throughout the seventies and eighties.
Woolfson threw himself completely into the Freud concept. He even traveled to Vienna to dig through historical archives on Freud’s life, where he came across the names and titles of some of Freud’s patients, who then became the characters in individual »Freudiana« songs (Little Hans, Dora, Wolfman, Ratman and Judge Schreber). Alan and Eric’s backing crew was the same as on »Gaudi«, with the Scottish guitarist Ian Bairnson in the lead role, while the guest singers who stood out included Eric Stewart (ex-10cc), Leo Sayer, John Miles and Chris Rainbow (ex-Camel). The main vocal role naturally went to Woolfson, who sang on four »Freudiana« tracks. Parsons worked on the album as producer and additional keyboardist. Longtime TAPP collaborator Andrew Powell, the composer, arranger and conductor, took care of directing the individual arrangements.
In the best TAPP tradition, »Freudiana« opens with an instrumental. »The Nirvana Principle« was actually one of the better instrumentals from the days when Mr. Parsons was still working with Woolfson. Electronic rhythmic touches are interwoven with pompous orchestral arrangements, with dramatic sax passages standing out, and together they make for a majestic opening mood. On the title track, a mighty power ballad with a few world-music elements, Woolfson shines in the lead role with his distinctive voice and melodic-melancholic vocal approach. Behind him there’s a string of subtle synthesizer textures and ‘weeping’ guitar passages that keep the nostalgic atmosphere going beautifully. In the golden TAPP days, this excellent power ballad would most likely have become at least a minor radio hit.
The punchy »I’m a Mirror«, where the ambitious rock opera temporarily detours into melodic rock/AOR territory with orchestral arrangements thrown in, features Leo Sayer on vocals. He does a superb job with his energetic approach, while Bairnson, with razor-sharp guitar passages, demonstrates why he worked with Mr. Parsons longer than any of his other musical collaborators. The playful, almost childlike »Little Hans«, with lead singer Graham Dye (ex-Scarlet Party), a sort of vocal cross between John Lennon and Paul McCartney, sounds like some lost The Beatles song. »Dora« is yet another nostalgic power ballad, with an excellent, emotionally charged vocal performance from Woolfson and a majestic orchestral backdrop, which strongly recalls some of TAPP’s earlier ballads.
On the fun burlesque »Funny You Should Say That«, the British a cappella group The Flying Pickets shine with their comic vocal bits. With typically English vocal mannerisms they conjure up an authentic Victorian atmosphere, even though they were supposed to evoke Vienna at the turn of the 20th century. The comic, at times almost operetta-like vocal lines build a therapy session between Freud and one of his traumatized patients, while majestic orchestral curtains flow in the background. »You’re On Your Own« is pure pop-rock, and in terms of instrumentation and ambience it would count among the ‘purebred’ TAPP creations, if it weren’t for a woman, singer Kiki Dee, taking part for the first time. She’s best known for her hit collaboration with Elton John.
The ballad »Far Away From Home« has solemn orchestral arrangements, while the a cappella collective The Flying Pickets once again do a great job on the vocal harmonies. »Let Yourself Go«, where we could once more talk about a ‘full-blooded’ TAPP song, has minimalist bass lines from Laurence Cottle and nostalgic ambient curtains, while Woolfson again does a great job on vocals. The woodwind interludes nicely spice up the whole thing and add an extra whiff of refined artistry. »Beyond the Pleasure Principle« is another excellent instrumental with pompous orchestral arrangements, which at times sounds like some forgotten track from the TAPP classic »The Turn Of A Friendly Card« (1980).
»The Ring«, with the ever-excellent Eric Stewart in the lead vocal role, ranks among the artistic and atmospheric highlights of »Freudiana«, as at times it sounds like a very interesting cross between TAPP and 10cc, in other words the styles of both legendary art-rock bands. With its melodic, perfectly arranged chorus, plus no shortage of dramatic harmonies and fun guitar variations, it would undoubtedly have deserved hit status. »Sects Therapy« is another fun Victorian burlesque, with the renowned English comedian Frankie Howerd showing off his theatrical vocal performance.
On the love ballad »No One Can Love You Better Than Me«, no fewer than four different singers shine: Woolfson, Kiki Dee, Marti Webb and Gary Howard. They trade off beautifully and deliver some fascinating vocal harmonies, while wonderful orchestral curtains flow in the background, backed by melancholic guitar variations. »Don’t Let The Moment Pass« is the next love ballad, rich in orchestral grandeur, with Marti Webb leaving her vocal mark. Alongside Dee, she’s another singer with a wonderful voice and an enviable range. Eric Stewart returns as lead singer on the excellent »Upper Me«, which in ambience and arrangement structure recalls the golden TAPP days. Bairnson’s fantastic guitar solo cranks up the electrified, romantic mood even more. Not only is it one of the best songs on »Freudiana«, this ‘prog pop’ gem would surely have landed hit status just a few years earlier.
The instrumental »Freudiana«, which reprises the main motif from the vocal song of the same name, is stuffed with pompous arrangements, and the guest orchestral section especially stands out. »Destiny« is marked by a cappella vocal harmonies courtesy of longtime collaborator Chris Rainbow. The closing power ballad »There But For the Grace of God« boasts an almost religious mood and a brilliant vocal performance from John Miles, who, it’s worth noting, has a voice somewhat similar to Gary Brooker’s (Procol Harum). Miles’s emotionally superb vocal is backed by subtle piano arrangements and female backing harmonies, and the combination wraps up the album (and its concept) in the best possible way.
The rock opera »Freudiana« was an incredibly ambitious project from the dream team of Parsons and Woolfson, and it would rank pretty high even next to the rest of The Alan Parsons Project discography. On one hand, it’s a real shame that Alan and Eric, over this project, into which Woolfson poured an enormous amount of intellectual and artistic effort, broke up the legendary band and each went their own way. On the other hand, it was clear they could no longer work together the way they used to, as their views on the musical future were drifting further and further apart, while Eric was getting pulled more and more toward the theater. Interestingly, »Freudiana«, which marked the end of a very successful era, was originally released in two versions, a ‘white’ and a ‘black’ one. The ‘white’ version, the one this review covers, is still relatively easy to find on the market, while the ‘black’ version came out as a double and had rare recordings from the stage version of the same-named rock opera on the extra disc. That ‘black’ version of »Freudiana«, which Woolfson counted as the start of his solo path, has long been out of print and is considered a big rarity among collectors.
Line-up
Alan Parsons – producer, additional keyboards, sound engineer
Eric Woolfson – keyboards, lead vocals on tracks 2, 5, 9 and 13
Laurie Cottle – bass guitar
Stuart Elliott – drums, percussion
Ian Bairnson – guitar
Richard Cottle – synthesizer, saxophone
Leo Sayer – lead vocals on 3
Graham Dye – lead vocals on 4
The Flying Pickets – lead vocals on 6 and 8
Kiki Dee – lead vocals on 7 and 13
Eric Stewart – lead vocals on 11 and 15
Frankie Howerd – lead vocals on 12
Marti Webb – lead vocals on 13 and 14
Gary Howard – lead vocals on 13
Chris Rainbow – lead vocals on 17
John Miles – lead vocals on 18
Andrew Powell – arrangements, conductor
Production
Alan Parsons
Track list
1. The Nirvana Principle instrumental (3:45)
2. Freudiana (6:21)
3. I Am A Mirror (4:07)
4. Little Hans (3:15)
5. Dora (3:51)
6. Funny You Should Say That (4:36)
7. You’re On Your Own (3:54)
8. Far Away From Home (3:12)
9. Let Yourself Go (5:26)
10. Beyond The Pleasure Principle instrumental (3:14)
11. The Ring (4:23)
12. Sects Therapy (3:40)
13. No One Can Love You Better Than Me (5:41)
14. Don’t Let The Moment Pass (3:41)
15. Upper Me (5:16)
16. Freudiana instrumental (3:43)
17. Destiny (0:51)
18. There But For The Grace Of God (5:56)
