The Essential Alan Parsons Project

The Essential Alan Parsons Project is a compilation album released by English progressive rock musician Alan Parsons and the Alan Parsons Project on 6 February 2007.[3] It was released through Sony BMG as part of The Essential album series. The album featured some of the band's best known songs as well as some rare tracks.

The Essential Alan Parsons Project
Greatest hits album by
Released6 February 2007
GenreProgressive rock
Length153:17 (2-disc version)
220:29 (3-disc version)
Label
Producer
The Alan Parsons Project chronology
The Best of The Alan Parsons Project
(2002)
The Essential Alan Parsons Project
(2007)
The Sicilian Defence
(2014)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic (2-disc version)[1]
AllMusic (3-disc version)[2]

The Essential Alan Parsons Project is a double-disc album that contains all the band's hits and some of their lesser-known songs, spanning their 10-year career. Disc 1 contains the hits and well-known songs, while Disc 2 contains the rarer and more obscure selections. The album includes songs from all their studio albums, from Tales of Mystery and Imagination to Gaudi, with the exception of the band's final album, Freudiana.

The album includes some of the band's biggest hits such as "Eye in the Sky", "Time", "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" and "Games People Play", as well as some lesser-known songs such as "Paseo de Gracia".

Track listing

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All songs written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, except where noted.

Two-disc version

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Disc 1
No.TitleOriginally fromLength
1."The Raven"Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1976)4:06
2."(The System of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether"Tales of Mystery and Imagination4:16
3."To One in Paradise"Tales of Mystery and Imagination4:38
4."I Robot" (edit)I Robot (1977)5:15
5."I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You"I Robot3:23
6."Some Other Time"I Robot4:02
7."Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)"I Robot3:43
8."What Goes Up..."Pyramid (1978)3:30
9."The Eagle Will Rise Again"Pyramid4:19
10."In the Lap of the Gods"Pyramid5:25
11."Lucifer" (edit)Eve (1979)4:18
12."Damned If I Do"Eve4:52
13."Games People Play"The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980)4:24
14."Time"The Turn of a Friendly Card5:05
15."The Turn of a Friendly Card (Part 1)"The Turn of a Friendly Card2:45
16."The Turn of a Friendly Card: Snake Eyes"The Turn of a Friendly Card3:15
17."The Turn of a Friendly Card: The Ace of Swords"The Turn of a Friendly Card2:58
18."The Turn of a Friendly Card: Nothing Left to Lose"The Turn of a Friendly Card4:06
19."The Turn of a Friendly Card (Part 2)"The Turn of a Friendly Card3:21
Total length:77:50
Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Originally fromLength
1."Sirius" Eye in the Sky (1982)1:54
2."Eye in the Sky" Eye in the Sky4:36
3."Silence and I" Eye in the Sky7:20
4."Old and Wise" Eye in the Sky4:55
5."Mammagamma" Eye in the Sky3:35
6."Prime Time" Ammonia Avenue (1984)5:03
7."Ammonia Avenue" Ammonia Avenue6:33
8."Don't Answer Me" Ammonia Avenue4:04
9."Let's Talk About Me" Vulture Culture (1984)4:29
10."Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)" Vulture Culture4:27
11."No Answers Only Questions[Note 1]"Eric WoolfsonVulture Culture2:10
12."Stereotomy" Stereotomy (1985)7:15
13."Limelight" Stereotomy4:39
14."La Sagrada Familia" Gaudi (1987)8:47
15."Standing on Higher Ground" Gaudi5:48
Total length:75:43

Three-disc version

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Disc 1
No.TitleOriginally fromLength
1."The Raven" 4:06
2."The Tell-Tale Heart"Tales of Mystery and Imagination4:39
3."The Cask of Amontillado"Tales of Mystery and Imagination4:27
4."To One in Paradise" 4:38
5."I Robot (Edit)" 5:15
6."I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" 3:23
7."Some Other Time" 4:02
8."Don't Let It Show"I Robot4:20
9."Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)" 3:43
10."What Goes Up..." 3:30
11."The Eagle Will Rise Again" 4:19
12."Can't Take It with You"Pyramid5:06
13."In the Lap of the Gods" 5:25
14."Shadow of a Lonely Man"Pyramid5:34
15."Lucifer" (edit) 4:18
16."Damned If I Do" 4:52
17."If I Could Change Your Mind"Eve5:50
Total length:77:27
Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Originally fromLength
1."Games People Play"  4:24
2."Time"  5:05
3."The Gold Bug" The Turn of a Friendly Card4:34
4."The Turn of a Friendly Card (Part 1)"  2:45
5."The Turn of a Friendly Card: Snake Eyes"  3:15
6."The Turn of a Friendly Card: The Ace of Swords"  2:58
7."The Turn of a Friendly Card: Nothing Left to Lose"  4:06
8."The Turn of a Friendly Card (Part 2)"  3:21
9."Sirius"  1:54
10."Eye in the Sky"  4:36
11."Silence and I"  7:20
12."Psychobabble" Eye in the Sky4:53
13."Mammagamma"  3:35
14."Old and Wise"  4:55
15."Pipeline" Ammonia Avenue3:58
16."Ammonia Avenue"  6:32
17."No Answers Only Questions[Note 1]"Woolfson 2:10
Total length:70:21
Disc 3
No.TitleOriginally fromLength
1."Don't Answer Me" 4:04
2."Prime Time" 5:03
3."Let's Talk About Me" 4:27
4."Separate Lives" (alternate mix)Vulture Culture4:19
5."Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)" 4:27
6."Sooner or Later"Vulture Culture4:27
7."Hawkeye"Vulture Culture3:48
8."Stereotomy" 6:49
9."Limelight" 4:39
10."Where's the Walrus?"Stereotomy7:25
11."La Sagrada Familia" (edit) 7:29
12."Closer to Heaven"Gaudi5:55
13."Standing on Higher Ground" 5:48
14."Paseo de Gracia"Gaudi3:40
Total length:72:20

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart performance for The Essential Alan Parsons Project
Chart (2017) Peak
position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[4] 5

Release history

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Release history and formats for The Essential Alan Parsons Project
Country Date Label Format Catalog
Australia 2007 Sony BMG Music Entertainment[5] CD, Music download 88697043372

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Released as "No Answers Only Questions (Final Version)" only as a bonus track on the expanded edition of Vulture Culture.

References

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