As I'm sure you already know, I Robot has been a staple in the playlists of stereo shops around the globe since its release in 1977. You could always count on an Alan Parsons album when you wanted to test a stereo system. Parsons is a true master of the studio, and to many, this album was (and still is) his finest hour. Well, now it's even better. Classic Records just released I Robot in D.A.D. format and the sound is even more spectacular than before. The CD version pales in comparison.

The album only produced one hit single, "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You," a major success during the disco craze of the late 70's. Fortunately, the song gave the album the sales boost it needed, exposing Parsons and the rest of the Project to the masses. Naturally, the rest of the album is nothing like the single, ranging from the pulsing instrumental electronics of the title track, to songs that should've been hits but weren't ("Breakdown," which featured Hollies vocalist Allan Clarke on lead vocals), to the quieter songs like "Some Other Time" and "Don't Let it Show."

Where the D.A.D. really shines is on "The Voice." There are an unbelievable number of subtle nuances going on in this song, and you can hear each of them (plus several things that you couldn't hear before) with breathtaking clarity. The low end on this track in particular will literally shake the room. As the song segued into "Nucleus" and then "Day After Day," I was taken back to the days of Laserium; only I don't ever remember it sounding this good inside the planetarium. Maybe it was just the 70's...

Classic has done a consistently excellent job with their D.A.D. line, and I Robot surpasses all expectations. Turn down the lights, turn up the volume, and get ready to be blown away.

(note: You must have a DVD player to listen to this disc. It will not play in CD players.)

"I Robot", originally released in 1977, was the second release from the Alan Parsons Project. Today it stands as an emblem of what music can and SHOULD be...if all the major record companies were not more interested in image than artistry! I would really love to see Alan Parsons gain more notoriety for all of his hard work, and I believe that his albums would apeal to those who love the classic melodic rock such as The Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, Barclay James Harvest, E.L.O., or latter day-Beatles. In my opinion Alan Parsons has never released a bad album. Like everyone I have my favorites that hold special meaning for me (and in fact I find his 3 most recent albums to be some of his best work ever), but Parsons has never released anything that he will have to be embarrassed over a few years down the road! (I can't say the same for all classic rock acts, can you?) Well, "I Robot" is no different by Parsons standards of quality, it is an album that I can play from start to finish with not one bit of filler or fluff to be found. Of course this is a "concept" album, based on the struggle of man against machine, and this only helps to make the album more deeply interesting as a listening experience. The production, as you would expect, is pristine throughout. Eventhough this album was recorded in the mid-70's, it still sounds extremely full-bodied and clear on CD. There are plenty of melodic rock gems to be found here, such as "Breakdown", "Some Other Time" "The Voice", and "Don't Let it Show". There is a touch of funky rock with "I Woudn't Want To Be Like You", and a liberal dose of what would come to be known as 'new age music' on instrumental tracks like "I Robot", "Nucleus" and "Genesis Ch.1 V. 32". Come on music lovers! Hear what a real artist can do in the recording studio, pick up "I Robot", you won't regret it!

NO whining about it not being "as advertised". Amazon is the party not being clear about this, other retail sites make it very clear as to the product you're purchasing. It's a DAD version, not DVD-A, which means no 5:1. Also, to hear it fully, you'll need a DVD player that handles 24bit/96khz. Older DVD players will play it but at 48khz.

And this version is significantly better than any of the MFSL versions out there. The MFSL version doesn't have the bass depth of even the regular Arista CD version although it is obviously cleaner sounding. This DAD version makes up for that problem and really shines when on songs like "Don't Let It Show", "The Voice", and "Total Eclipse" where you get some of the cleanest sound keyboards to be heard on stereo. If you sit down and listen to the MFSL version to this side-by-side with the DAD version, you'll hear all kinds of differences and be able to hear some of the layers that just got lost in the past.

This version is well worth purchasing even if you have various other versions of the album. And if you haven't purchased it, if you like prog rock, this album is one of the best.

A musical meditation of the "Rise Of Machine and The Decline Of Man," the second Alan Parsons Project album hit all the notes that "Tales Of Mystery and Imagination" missed. For starters, this was a straight forward rock album, without the debut's classical pretensions. It was also where Parsons perfected his atmospheric instrumentals, opening the album with the (precursor to electronica) title track and then ending with the moody "Genesis Ch 1 V 32." You do get the jarring soundtrack climax of "Total Eclipse," which I always guessed was where man got terminated from the scene.

For an album that dealt with the fall of the human race, "I Robot" is a surprisingly human affair. The slow beat disco of "I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You" and the dance floor paranoia of "The Voice" are anything but mechanical. The ballads of loss, "Don't Let It Show" and "Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)" could be about any typical heartbreak. Even Pat Benatar could spot the drama inherent to "Don't Let It Show," including it on her debut.

It wasn't just the drama and the sci-fi that made "I Robot" so interesting. It was the musicianship. Not as pretentious as ELP and bringing the acrobatics of Yes down to bite size nuggets, Parsons had no difficulty in constructing pop that was progressive, meticulously produced and built up like the studio architect that he is. The Alan Parsons Project recording an album in the period of the seventies this pristine when disco's big boom was steamrollering everything in its path was a pretty bold statement then. Because of Parsons' attention to detail overriding any urge to make music of the moment, "I Robot" still holds up almost 25 years later.

So hey Arista, how about remastering Parsons' catalog?

The sound on this new remaster blows away the original Arista cd release, but still can't touch the MFSL version (which is no longer available, and used copies go for $100+). Probably the second best APP album (after Tales Of Mystery and Imagination) this should appeal to fans of Pink Floyd and science fiction.