Gaudi (The Alan Parsons Project album)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2009) |
| Gaudi | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1987 | |||
| Recorded | October 1985 – August 1986 | |||
| Studio | The Grange Mayfair Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:47 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Producer | Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson | |||
| The Alan Parsons Project chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone | [2] |
Gaudi is the tenth album by The Alan Parsons Project, released in 1987. Gaudi refers to Antoni Gaudí,[3] the Catalan Spanish architect, and the opening track references what is probably Gaudí's best known building, the Sagrada Família.
Project regular David Paton was unable to undertake bass duties on this recording due to a prior touring commitment with Elton John.[4] Saxophonist-keyboardist Richard Cottle's brother, Laurie, was recruited to play bass. The album was recorded at the Grange in Norfolk and Mayfair Studios in London using a pair of Sony 3324 DASH digital tape recorders and mixed to a digital master.
This was the final canonical Alan Parsons Project studio album, as well as vocalist Lenny Zakatek's final contribution to any Parsons album. Although the album The Sicilian Defence was released in 2014, it was originally recorded in 1979 and was never intended to be heard by the public.
During the writing of what would have been the follow-up, Eric Woolfson turned that album into a rock opera, eventually released as Freudiana in 1990. Alan Parsons continued as a solo artist in 1993 with Try Anything Once, an album which completes the musical evolution that started with this album.[citation needed]
A musical by Woolfson with the same name, and based on the songs of this album, was released in 1993 in Germany with the songs sung in English.
Use on television[edit]
The songs "Closer to Heaven" and "Money Talks" were used in an episode of the third season of the TV series Miami Vice; an instrumental version of "Standing on Higher Ground" was used as background music in some scenes of an episode of the sitcom "Roomies."
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Alan Parsons & Eric Woolfson.
| No. | Title | Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "La Sagrada Familia" | John Miles (lead) Eric Woolfson (backing) Chris Rainbow (backing) | 8:46 |
| 2. | "Too Late" | Lenny Zakatek | 4:31 |
| 3. | "Closer to Heaven" | Eric Woolfson | 5:52 |
| No. | Title | Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. | "Standing on Higher Ground" (extended to 5:48 on 2008 remaster) | Geoff Barradale (lead) Rainbow (backing) | 5:03 |
| 5. | "Money Talks" | Miles | 4:26 |
| 6. | "Inside Looking Out" | Woolfson | 6:22 |
| 7. | "Paseo de Gracia" | Instrumental | 3:47 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Too Late (Eric Woolfson rough guide vocal)" | 4:13 |
| 9. | "Standing on Higher Ground/Losing Proposition (vocal experiments)" | 3:58 |
| 10. | "Money Talks (Chris Rainbow/percussion overdubs)" | 0:37 |
| 11. | "Money Talks (rough mix backing track)" | 4:28 |
| 12. | "Closer to Heaven (sax/Chris Rainbow overdub section)" | 0:50 |
| 13. | "Paseo de Gracia (rough mix)" | 3:46 |
| 14. | "La Sagrada Familia (rough mix)" | 7:25 |
| Total length: | 38:47 | |
Personnel[edit]
- Eric Woolfson – pianos, keyboards, vocals
- Alan Parsons – synthesizer, programming, producer, engineer
- Ian Bairnson – guitars
- Laurie Cottle – bass
- Stuart Elliott – drums, percussion
- Richard Cottle – synthesizers, saxophones
- John Miles - vocals
- Lenny Zakatek - vocals
- Geoff Barradale – vocals
- Chris Rainbow – backing vocals
- Andrew Powell – orchestral arrangements
- John Heley – cello on "La Sagrada Familia"
- David Cripp – horns conductor on "La Sagrada Familia" and "Paseo de Gracia"
- Bob Howes – The English Chorale conductor, timpani on "La Sagrada Familia" and "Paseo de Gracia"
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 61 |
| Canada RPM Top 100[6] | 52 |
| Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)[7] | 24 |
| Norway | 8 |
| Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[8] | 1 |
| United Kingdom (Official Charts Company) | 66 |
| US Billboard 200[9] | 57 |
Certifications[edit]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[10] | Gold | 50,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Musical[edit]
| Gaudi | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album (Cast recording) by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1993/1994 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Eric Woolfson chronology | ||||
| ||||
Gaudi was Eric Woolfson's second foray into the world of musical theater. It debuted in Aachen in June 1993.[11] In 1995, a musical cast album was released on CD which, however, omitted a few tracks.[12][13]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What Are You Going To Do Now?" | 5:42 |
| 2. | "Money Talks" | 5:57 |
| 3. | "Closer to Heaven" | 4:40 |
| 4. | "Standing on Higher Ground" | 3:48 |
| 5. | "Tango Güell" (instrumental) | 3:37 |
| 6. | "Parca Güell" | 5:54 |
| 7. | "Puppet Master" | 6:14 |
| 8. | "Inside Looking Out" | 4:26 |
| 9. | "Work Song" | 2:55 |
| 10. | "Too Late" | 5:19 |
| 11. | "Forbidden Fruit" | 6:52 |
| 12. | "Lonely Song (Love Can Be Lonely Too)" | 6:19 |
| 13. | "La Sagrada Familia" | 8:19 |
In 2021, a download version of the musical has been released featuring differing versions to the CD release and three more tracks.[14]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What Are You Going To Do Now?" | 5:44 |
| 2. | "Money Talks" | 7:53 |
| 3. | "Closer to Heaven" | 4:42 |
| 4. | "Standing on Higher Ground" | 3:45 |
| 5. | "Tango Güell" (instrumental) | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Parca Güell" | 5:56 |
| 7. | "Puppet Master" | 6:42 |
| 8. | "Inside Looking Out" | 4:28 |
| 9. | "Work Song" | 4:21 |
| 10. | "Too Late" | 5:21 |
| 11. | "Forbidden Fruit" | 6:56 |
| 12. | "Lonely Song (Love Can Be Lonely Too)" | 6:21 |
| 13. | "La Sagrada Familia" | 8:21 |
| 14. | "Las Ramblas/It Isn't Funny If It Happens To You" | 4:59 |
| 15. | "Garden of the Warriors" | 4:21 |
| 16. | "Gaudi Visions" | 6:04 |
The three bonus tracks, which are all instrumental, were originally played between the vocal numbers. Due to a mastering error, the first note of "Standing on Higher Ground" is actually at the end of "Las Ramblas/It Isn't Funny If It Happens To You", indicating that this track, which incorporates "Paseo de Gracia" from the original Alan Parsons Project album, originally preceded "Standing on Higher Ground". A vocal version of "It Isn't Funny...", again preceding "Standing on Higher Ground", was performed during the ZDF broadcast,[15] but isn't on any audio release. The same broadcast also includes "Garden of the Warriors" following "Closer to Heaven".[16] According to the Scene by Scene overview, "Gaudi Visions" (which is not included in the broadcast) opened the second act, preceding "Inside Looking Out".
References[edit]
- ^ DeGagne, Mike. Gaudi at AllMusic
- ^ "Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 March 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ The album refers to Antonio, rather than Antoni. The Alan Parsons Project Gaudi, The Avenue, 1997.
- ^ "Magic – The David Paton Story", David Paton 2022
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 229. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums – 28 March 1987" (PDF).
- ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 28 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Alan Parsons Project".
- ^ Salaverri, Fernando (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "The Alan Parsons Project Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 8480486392.
- ^ "Gaudi | Musical | Eric Woolfson". www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- ^ Eric Woolfson – Gaudi, retrieved 9 December 2022
- ^ "Gaudi (The Musical; Original Release)". roadkeel.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- ^ "Gaudi Musical Cast Album (Live)". Amazon. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- ^ Eric Woolfson - Gaudi the Musical complete (part 4), retrieved 25 January 2024
- ^ Eric Woolfson - Gaudi the Musical complete (part 3), retrieved 25 January 2024
