ALAN PARSONS WITH THE ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA : ONE NOTE SYMPHONY - LIVE IN TEL AVIV

Disc One (52:46)

1. One Note Symphony
2. Damned If I Do
3. Don't Answer Me
4. Time
5. Breakdown / The Raven
6. Miracle
7. Luciferama
8. Silence And I
9. I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You
10. Don't Let It Show

Disc Two (49:42)

1. The Sorcerer's Apprentice
2. Standing On Higher Ground
3. As Lights Fall
4. I Can't Get There From Here
5. Prime Time
6. Sirius / Eye In The Sky
7. Old And Wise
8. (The System Of) Dr. Tarr And Professor Fether
9. Games People Play

Label : Ward Records

Venue : Charles Bronfman Auditorium, Tel Aviv, Israel

Recording Date : June 3-4, 2019

Release Date : February 11, 2022

Review (Spill Magazine) : Alan Parsons recently released a live album on November 5, 2021 (The Never Ending Show: Live In The Netherlands), and has followed that album with another yet another. One Note Symphony: Live In Tel Aviv, is special however, not because it was recorded in Tel Aviv, but rather due to the addition of the wonderful and world renown Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. This particular concert was recorded in June, 2019 while Parsons was promoting his then new album The Secret. At this point, two live albums, three months apart may seem excessive, and in some ways it is, but Parsons is smart and aware that fans will want to own these shows, and that they also serve as a documentation of his lengthy 2019 tour. The Alan Parsons Project was formed as a studio band and never toured, but since he has gone solo, Alan Parsons has not only toured extensively but has released a number of outstanding live albums. As it is Alan Parsons, these live records are going to sound fantastic, and One Note Symphony: Live In Tel Aviv is no exception. I One Note Symphony: Live In Tel Aviv opens with "One Note Symphony", originally from The Secret. Quite frankly, the live versions from that album stand out in this collection. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is absolutely vibrant with the orchestra backing, and "As Lights Fall" is majestic while maintaining its gentleness. Parsons's vocals are particularly engaging as well. It is a beautiful performance of one of his best ever songs. Elsewhere, the orchestra proves very useful for Parsons. His music has a touch of classical tones, so utilizing an orchestra makes sense. This is not the first time he has released a live recording with an orchestra. However, in this show, the orchestra is used sparingly at times such as in "I Can't Get There From Here", which is also from The Secret, while in other songs they are pretty much the focal point, for example "Breakdown - The Raven", where it is really works. However, at other times it loses something in the translation, such as "Don't Answer Me". The best is left to the last, with a fantastic, rocking version of "Games People Play", which features a strong and melodic guitar solo and a pretty big bang for an ending. It comes alive and is well worth the admission alone Overall, One Note Symphony: Live In Tel Aviv is a great live release. A DVD/Blu-ray of the concert is also included, and it is also available on vinyl. The video is professionally shot and, again, in 5.1 cannot help but sound great. However, I think it is time for Mr. Parsons to write some new material and go back into the studio. The Secret was great, but as fun as these are, some new music would be welcome. Fans will enjoy this, but I am not so sure that it will draw many new members to his flock.

Review (The Progressive Aspect) : One Note Symphony: Live in Tel Aviv is the latest live album from Alan Parsons, on CD/DVD and Blu-ray. Coming only a few months after The Neverending Story: Live in the Netherlands and with a large number of live releases before that, the question needs to be asked about whether fans - let alone the world - really need another live recording so soon? Well, after listening to it, I think the answer could well be a 'Yes' from me. As many TPA readers may well know, The Alan Parsons Project (APP) began in 1975, after producer and singer-songwriter Eric Woolfson met engineer and producer Alan Parsons and decided to work on the musical project, that eventually became the wonderful Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1976). Using an ever-changing roster of guest musicians, they defined a signature progressive and symphonic rock/soft rock/AOR sound through a series of well-received albums from I Robot (1977) through to Gaudi (1987) before musical differences over the planned Freudiana album/musical led to their split in 1990. Both followed their separate paths, with Eric increasingly focused on musical theatre projects before his death in 2009. Alan released a number of solo releases during this time in the APP-style and has continued to keep the project's legacy alive in concert since 1999 via the Alan Parsons Live Project - with a notable release of the Alan Parsons Symphonic Project: Live in Columbia in 2016, which featured a collaboration between the live band and a full orchestra from almost three years earlier. Surprisingly, in 2019 Alan Parsons released his first solo studio release in fifteen years with The Secret, following A Valid Path from 2004. It is fair to say that in general the reaction from fans and critics was rather mixed, but there were still some tracks which did echo of that golden APP period amongst the less successful compositions. It was the subsequent 2019 band tour, featuring this new material alongside the classic hits from the past that saw The Neverending Story: Live in the Netherlands band-orientated live release, and now this latest collaboration with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The two reasons why I feel One Note Symphony: Live in Tel Aviv is recommended for fans old and new is, firstly, the inclusion of four new pieces from The Secret (five if you include the track Miracle, which is only on the DVD and Blu-ray), and secondly, the extra dimension this particular orchestral recording brings to the sound quality. The new material is really enhanced compared to the studio versions. Compared to the Live in Columbia orchestration, where the orchestra's contribution was rather held back by the need to hear the band, the Live in Tel Aviv approach means the music is really integrated and enhanced and takes the compositions to somewhere fresh and vibrant. So much of the classic APP material was always predestined to benefit from a real symphonic adaptation, and here the orchestra is not held back. Even the band benefit from this synergy and overall the music, both old and new, gets a nice polish up! As a result, the robotic vocals of Todd Cooper on the sci-fi One Note Symphony benefit from the lushness of the orchestra surrounding them, whilst Paul Dukas's The Sorcerer's Apprentice gains stature in the live setting and loses some of its 'Disney Fantasia' baggage. As Light Falls and I Can't Get There from Here both have their emotional spirit enhanced by the vibrant strings surrounding them, with Alan's son-in-law, Jordan Huffman guesting on vocals on the latter. Of the older, classic material, tracks like Damned if I Do, Breakdown - The Raven, Silence and I, Don't Let it Show, Sirius / Eye in the Sky, (The System of) Dr Tarr and Professor Fether and Games People Play all benefit well from the orchestral treatment. However, that is not without the band flexing their muscles where necessary. Jeff Kollman delivers some nice guitar playing throughout and Tom Brook's keyboards add sparkle, whilst conducting the orchestra. The extended Prime Time, with a playful piano solo from Tom and some guitar shredding from Jeff is a real album highlight, whilst I Wouldn't Want to be Like You retains its funky charm. The fact that, with the best will in the world, the live band vocals of P.J. Olsson, Todd Cooper and even Alan Parsons amongst others cannot replicate the iconic vocals on the studio versions of many of these songs, the orchestral arrangements do go some way to distance these live versions from them. I'm always going to want to hear Colin Blunstone on Old and Wise, but credit to P.J. Olsson for at least getting into the neighbourhood, as it were. Don't Answer Me and Time are a touch lethargic to my ears, not helped by a rather plodding drumbeat, but overall, this is a professional and enjoyable concert for APP fans - although with the emphasis on AOR/soft rock than prog rock these days. The DVD/Blu-ray disc obviously enhances the performances considerably. All the onstage activity makes it a nicely immersive experience and it is nicely filmed - with a few animated, space-themed video inclusions sprinkled here and there. So, if you want to relive the memories you had of hearing these classic songs as you remembered them, then stick to the studio albums and numerous 'best of' compilations. However, if you are willing to hear them with a fresh new twist and enjoy how a talented orchestra can add a certain 'je nais c'est quoi' to them - then an evening listening to, or watching, this concert is not a bad way to pass the time - until Mr Parsons finally makes it back to the UK: fingers crossed!

Review (ProgWereld) : Hè verdikkeme, meneer Parsons. Weer een live album? Collega Wouter Bessels heeft nog geen half jaar geleden je vorige concertregistratie voor zijn kiezen gehad. Had deze dan niet nog even kunnen wachten? Of was één live-album niet gewoon genoeg geweest? Nee? Zie ik dat verkeerd? Oh. Maar wat onderscheidt dit album dan van de vorige? Ah. Oké. Ik snap het. Nou, vooruit dan maar. Ik zal onze lezers proberen te overtuigen, maar ik beloof niks. Goed. Tot zover mijn fictieve onderonsje met ons aller Alan. Laten we nu maar ter zake komen. "One Note Symphony - Live In Tel Aviv" is wederom een registratie van de concertreeksen waarmee Alan Parsons zijn laatste (en tevens vrij matig ontvangen) album, "The Secret" probeerde te promoten. Het album verschijnt nog geen half jaar na het in ons eigen TivoliVredenburg opgenomen "The Neverending Show: Live in the Netherlands". Hoewel de setlist niet sterk afwijkt van het voorgaande live-album hebben enkele tracks het veld moeten ruimen voor klassiekers die ze volgens Alan Parsons anders niet zouden kunnen spelen. De reden voor deze subtiele verschillen in de setlist is de medewerking van The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Deze samenwerking is direct het 'unique selling point' van dit live-album en hoewel dat dit album bestaansrecht geeft, ben ikzelf van mening dat dit afbreuk doet aan de voorgaande release. De toevoeging van het orkest geeft de inmiddels grijsgedraaide progpop-pareltjes net dat glansrandje dat het de reguliere concerten doet overstijgen. Buiten dat nummers als Silence And I weer een plek in de set hebben weten te bemachtigen, was er tijdens deze concerten meer ruimte om "The Secret" te promoten. Dat album begon immers met een adaptatie van het welbekende symfonische gedicht The Sorcerer's Apprentice (oorspronkelijk van Paul Dukas en bekend van de Disney-klassieker "Fantasia"), als je dan toch een orkest tot je beschikking hebt is één plus één als snel twee. De uitvoeringen van Parsons' band in samenwerking met het orkest brengen de nummers van het lauwtjes ontvangen album toch naar een niet eerder bereikte hoogte. Daarmee mag "One Note Symphony - Live In Tel Aviv" wel de definitieve uiting worden genoemd van Parsons' laatste wapenfeit. Fijn, want dan kan dat hoofdstuk nu eindelijk worden gesloten en kan de beste man zich focussen op zijn nog uit te komen nieuwe album. Een kleine kanttekening bij deze recensie is dat ten tijde van schrijven de dvd/blu-ray met de volledige registratie niet voor handen was. Misschien maar beter ook, want afgaande op de clips bij de singles Don't Answer Me en As Lights Fall lijkt het energiepijl een stuk lager te liggen dan tijdens het concert in Utrecht. Dit doet toch wat afbreuk aan de totaalervaring, dus dan maar liever zonder beeld. "One Note Symphony - Live In Tel Aviv" is een prima live-album van een man die zichzelf niet meer hoeft te bewijzen. De aanschaf van dit album zal dan ook zeker geen miskoop zijn. Wel mag worden afgevraagd of dit album echt iets toe weet te voegen aan het oeuvre van de man in kwestie, en met name ook of het vorige live-album nu überhaupt nog wel bestaansrecht heeft. Nou, meneer Parsons, ik heb mijn best gedaan. Het eindoordeel laat ik bij onze lezers. Zeg, hoe staat het eigenlijk met dat nieuwe album?