Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Alan Parsons Project, The
Label: Sony BMG
Release: 1977
Running time: 41:05
Rating: 4.5/5
“I Robot” is the second album by the legendary progressive rock institution The Alan Parsons Project. In many ways it built on the musical concept that the project’s two driving forces, Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, unveiled on the cult debut “Tales Of Mystery And Imagination” (1976), where they dug into the mysterious literary legacy of Edgar Allan Poe.
The concept of “I Robot” is loosely based on the message of the cult sci-fi novel I, Robot, written by the legendary American author Isaac Asimov. The original plan to build the concept entirely on Asimov’s writing sadly fell through, because the rights to his works had already been handed to a TV company. Asimov reportedly even met with Woolfson and was thrilled by the idea of his works coming to life in musical form, but for the reason above, the original concept was a no-go.
That means most of the lyrics draw less on Asimov’s stories and more on the broader themes of accelerating technological progress, especially robotics and artificial intelligence, with the potential danger that machines might one day push humans out of their spot as the dominant species on the planet. The concept was carefully chosen at a time when sci-fi was enjoying a fresh explosion of popularity thanks to movie hits like Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Thanks to the presence of the then hugely popular and innovative electronic synth lines and the use of numerous special sound effects, it works far better as a conceptual whole than the gothic-tinged debut.
The TAPP chiefs once again recruited key members of the excellent AOR band Pilot: guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Ian Bairnson, bassist and vocalist David Paton (later of Camel) and drummer Stuart Tosh, who they had become friends with back when Parsons was producing them. The bosses also laid down most of the keyboard lines themselves, with help from the cult keyboardist Duncan McKay (who later also worked with Camel and Budgie). Among the guest vocalists, Steve Harley (Cockney Rebel), Allan Clarke (The Hollies) and especially Lenny Zakatek (Gonzalez) stood out this time, the latter shining on the funk-rock-flavored hit “I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You”.
“I Robot” is built on the signature TAPP mix of mighty, at times almost pop-rock anthems, grand orchestral arrangements, seductive vocal harmonies and complex instrumental sections, all polished to a sheen with the perfectionist production that only Mr. Parsons could deliver. As on every TAPP album, there’s a strong emphasis on melody, which makes the record easy to get into for less demanding listeners, or for those who aren’t your typical progressive rock fans. In terms of song structure and ideas, it ranks among the best works in the project’s story. Among other things, it can boast being one of the few TAPP albums without a shred of pathos, since there’s not a single saccharine ballad on it, the kind that later, in the eighties, became practically their trademark.
The title instrumental that opens the album mainly serves as a testing ground for different synth textures. Repeating guitar phrases push their way through a penetrating bass line. Electronic sound patterns on the keyboards form a distinctive futuristic ambient backdrop, while sonically manipulated operatic vocal harmonies in the background add an effective dramatic touch. “I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You”, enriched with a funky rhythm, is without a doubt the pop-rock favorite of the album and one of the best songs of its kind in the project’s story, the one that flung the doors wide open to massive commercial success. Zakatek’s excellent singing is wrapped in melodic accompaniment, with a witty guitar riff and grooving bass lines that will have every gourmet licking their lips. The epic “Some Other Time” is one of the most beautiful power ballads in TAPP history. A mystical acoustic guitar intro is built up with pompous orchestral arrangements, emotionally rich vocals and melancholic guitar passages, carrying the song off toward enviable ambient dimensions.
On the prog rock treat “Breakdown,” Allan Clarke’s excellent vocal shines. Extra drama comes from Bairnson’s delicate slide guitar touches and the cleverly worked-in operatic vocals in the background. Another favorite is the unforgettable sentimental ballad “Don’t Let It Show”, where Dave Townsend brilliantly shows off his vocal chops. An ethereal organ intro is followed by a charming vocal section with mighty orchestral arrangements behind it, while the second part of the song is a sprawling instrumental section with plenty of witty keyboard moves.
“The Voice” boasts an interesting opening motif, where a pulsing bass line dictates the main tempo while numerous witty synth sounds wander through the background. The melodrama is delivered by Steve Harley’s unique, slightly frenetic vocal. The main charm of this track is its excellent instrumental section, with plenty of funky rhythmic flourishes and rich orchestral inserts. The instrumental “Nucleus”, noticeably inspired by some of the work of the legendary Brian Eno, builds on convincing ambient curtains created with charming synth sound patterns.
The outstanding “Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)” is another contender for the best songs in TAPP history. It’s one more track that uses distinctive ambient keyboard patterns to build an ethereal, melodramatic mood. Key to its ambient persuasiveness was the choice of Jack Harris as lead vocalist on this classic, since his highly emotional way of singing, which I’d best describe as “Gilmour meets Latimer,” brings incredible ambient warmth to the song. Another factor in building the ethereal atmosphere is the pedal steel contributed by B.J. Cole.
The album closes with two instrumentals. The dark “Total Eclipse” was used to try out various synth effects. With its chilling atmosphere, it could easily have sat on the previous album too. “Genesis Ch. 1 V. 32” is a dramatic extravaganza of pompous orchestral arrangements and subtle guitar passages. Its title refers to the central message of the first book of the Bible, that is, Genesis, which actually has 31 chapters. The new, 32nd chapter is supposed to represent the moment when man created a robot in his own image and later suffered bitter regret.
“I Robot” is a top-notch outing from a legendary art rock project, one that still charms all the eternal music romantics who swear by musical variety and exciting concepts. Unlike most of the later TAPP releases, it doesn’t have a single weak moment and contains a nice handful of classics, even though some of the songs, especially the instrumentals loaded with synth textures that have long since become anachronistic, haven’t exactly passed the test of time. In every respect, “I Robot” is a bold and no less worthy follow-up to the cult debut. At a time when the rise of punk delivered a destructive antithesis to everything positive that had happened in rock over the previous ten years, TAPP shone as one of the few solid, upright progressive rock collectives, whose popularity kept growing year after year, against the trends of the day.
Line-up
Alan Parsons – keyboards, production
Eric Woolfson – keyboards, concept
Ian Bairnson – electric and acoustic guitar
David Paton – bass guitar, acoustic guitar
Stuart Tosh – drums, percussion
Duncan Mackay – keyboards
B.J. Cole – pedal steel
John Leach – cimbalom and kantele
Lenny Zakatek – vocals
Allan Clarke – vocals
Steve Harley – vocals
Jack Harris – vocals
Peter Straker – vocals
Jaki Whitren – vocals
Dave Townsend – vocals
Production
Alan Parsons
Track list
1. I Robot
2. I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You
3. Some Other Time
4. Breakdown
5. Don’t Let It Show
6. Voice
7. Nucleus
8. Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)
9. Total Eclipse
10. Genesis Ch 1 V 32
