The Alan Parsons Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1976)

Dan:

The Alan Parsons Project's recorded legacy begins here with the 1976 release of Tales of Mystery and Imagination. I had read more about this album than actually hearing it. I vaguely remember acquiring a copy of the 1976 release as well as a vinyl copy of the 1987 remastered version. The earlier version was spooky and dramatic; the 1987 remix was even more so. The difference maker was the inclusion of Orson Welles' narration on two key tracks: the opening instrumental "A Dream Within a Dream" and the prelude to "The Fall of the House of Usher." Those few lines alter the whole experience of the album, making it darker and more dramatic. Great touch.

The adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's gruesome stories to music makes perfect sense in the world of progressive rock. Since most people are at least partially familiar with Poe's works, having the stories realized in the prog genre makes them all the more compelling. The extravagant musical arrangements and gaudy packaging for Tales set a high bar for rockers with similar ambitions. Parsons and company worked on the album for six months in London's Abbey Road studios, enlisting dozens of musicians including the English Chorale choir.

The most impressive tracks are on side 2 of the LP, which includes the 15:13 minute suite "The Fall of the House of Usher." Eerie sounds begin the suite behind Welles' narration, followed by a continuous buildup of tension, culminating in loud door knocks, thunderclaps and a chaotic crash signifying the fall. This track illustrates most accurately what I like to refer to as cinematic rock. I can see the storm clouds and lightning flashes, fear the impending doom, and watch as the ancient House of Usher crumbles before me. 

This epic piece is poignantly followed by a simple song lasting a mere 4:21 to close the album. "To One in Paradise" is a reflection using part of a Poe poem and part new lyrics. I feel both hope and despair listening to this song, which captures much of the ambiguity typical of Poe's works. Composers Parsons and Woolfson prove themselves to be masterful songwriters based on this song alone.

Steve:

The only version of this album I've heard is the 1987 remix with Orson Welles' narration, and it's hard for me to imagine the album without it. If the production on the original release is as spacious as on the newer version (which I can totally believe, given the awesome sonics of I Robot from just a year later), then I am once again impressed by the studio skills of Parsons and his gang.  

The most memorable moments for me include the opening instrumental "Dream Within a Dream", which set the template for future Parsons instrumentals, often the highlights of their respective albums. Also, being an Arthur Brown fan, I derive much enjoyment out of his vocal feature on "The Tell-Tale Heart". His recording career (which continues to this day) has so many interesting twists and turns, I encourage you "weird music fans" to check him out.  

The real meal, though, is the "Fall of the House of Usher", which frightened me so much the first time I heard it that I avoided it for a long time afterwards. Listening again now, it's not all that scary. Its orchestral approach really nails the mood of loneliness and hopelessness that Poe's short story evokes. "To One in Paradise" serves as a welcome comforting hand upon one's shoulder following this tense despair, even though its comfort is laced with a certain resignation to the inherent horrors of the human condition.