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{{EngvarB|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox album
{{Infobox album
| name = Pyramid
|name = Pyramid
| type = Album
|type = Album
| artist = [[The Alan Parsons Project]]
|artist = [[The Alan Parsons Project]]
| cover = The Alan Parsons Project - Pyramid.jpg
|cover = The Alan Parsons Project - Pyramid.jpg
| alt =
|alt =
| released = May 1978
|released = May 1978
| recorded = September 1977 – February 1978
|recorded = September 1977 – February 1978
| venue =
|venue =
| studio = [[Abbey Road Studios]], London, England
|studio = [[Abbey Road Studios]], London, England
| genre = {{hlist|[[Progressive rock]]|[[art rock]]|[[symphonic rock]]|[[New wave music|new wave]]}}
|genre = {{hlist|[[Progressive rock]]|[[art rock]]|[[symphonic rock]]|[[New wave music|new wave]]}}
| length = 37:46
|length = 37:46
| label = [[Arista Records|Arista]]
|label = [[Arista Records|Arista]]
| producer = [[Alan Parsons]]
|producer = [[Alan Parsons]]
| prev_title = [[I Robot (album)|I Robot]]
|prev_title = [[I Robot (album)|I Robot]]
| prev_year = 1977
|prev_year = 1977
| next_title = [[Eve (The Alan Parsons Project album)|Eve]]
|next_title = [[Eve (The Alan Parsons Project album)|Eve]]
| next_year = 1979
|next_year = 1979
| misc = {{Singles
|misc = {{Singles
| name = Pyramid
|name = Pyramid
| type = studio
|type = studio
| single1 = Pyramania
|single1 = Pyramania
| single1date = June 1978 (UK)
|single1date = June 1978 (UK)
| single2 = What Goes Up
|single2 = What Goes Up
| single2date = September 1978
|single2date = September 1978
| single3 = Hyper-Gamma-Spaces
|single3 = Hyper-Gamma-Spaces
| single3date = January 1979 (EU)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Alan+Parsons+Project&titel=Hyper-Gamma-Spaces|title=Alan Parsons singles}}</ref>
|single3date = January 1979 (EU)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Alan+Parsons+Project&titel=Hyper-Gamma-Spaces|title=Alan Parsons Hyper Gamma Spaces|website=Dutch Charts}}</ref>
}}
}}
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r14903|first=Mike|last=DeGagne}}</ref>
|rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r14903|first=Mike|last=DeGagne}}</ref>
| rev2 =
|rev2 =
| rev2Score =
|rev2Score =
| noprose = yes
|noprose = yes
}}
}}
⚫
'''''Pyramid''''' (stylized as '''''Pyr△mid''''') is the third album by [[progressive rock]] band [[The Alan Parsons Project]], released in May 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/616/mode/2up|author=M.C. Strong|date=1995|title=Great Rock Discography|publisher=Edinburgh: Canongate|page=616}}</ref> It is a concept album centred on the [[pyramids of Giza]]. At the time the album was conceived, interest in [[pyramid power]] and [[Exhibitions of artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun#The Treasures of Tutankhamun (1972–1981)|Tutankhamun]] was widespread in the US and the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-alan-parsons-project.com/pyramid|title=Pyramid|website=alan Parsons Project Official Website}}</ref> ''Pyramid'' was nominated for the 1978 [[Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/alan-parsons|title=Grammy nominations – Alan Parsons|publisher=National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences|access-date=16 August 2019}}</ref>

⚫
'''''Pyramid''''' (stylized as '''''Pyr△mid''''') is the third album by [[progressive rock]] band [[The Alan Parsons Project]], released in May 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/616/mode/2up|title=Great Rock Discography|page=616}}</ref> It is a concept album centred on the [[pyramids of Giza]]. At the time the album was conceived, interest in [[pyramid power]] and [[Exhibitions of artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun#The Treasures of Tutankhamun (1972–1981)|Tutankhamun]] was widespread in the US and the UK.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} ''Pyramid'' was nominated for the 1978 [[Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/alan-parsons|title=Grammy nominations – Alan Parsons|publisher=National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences|access-date=16 August 2019}}</ref>
The book visible in the cover design is G. Patrick Flanagan – Pyramid Power: The Millennium Science (1973).<ref>The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid. CD Remaster liner notes (2008)</ref>
The book visible in the cover design is G. Patrick Flanagan – Pyramid Power: The Millennium Science (1973).<ref>The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid. CD Remaster liner notes (2008)</ref>
Line 46: Line 42:
All songs written and composed by [[Alan Parsons]] and [[Eric Woolfson]].
All songs written and composed by [[Alan Parsons]] and [[Eric Woolfson]].
{{Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
|headline = Side one
| extra_column = Vocals
|extra_column = Vocals
| title1 = Voyager
|title1 = Voyager
| extra1 = Instrumental
|extra1 = Instrumental
| length1 = 2:24
|length1 = 2:24
| title2 = What Goes Up…
|title2 = What Goes Up…
| extra2 = [[David Paton]], additional vocals by [[Dean Ford]]
|extra2 = [[David Paton]], additional vocals by [[Dean Ford]]
| length2 = 3:31
|length2 = 3:31
| title3 = The Eagle Will Rise Again
|title3 = The Eagle Will Rise Again
| extra3 = [[Colin Blunstone]]
|extra3 = [[Colin Blunstone]]
| length3 = 4:20
|length3 = 4:20
| title4 = One More River
|title4 = One More River
| extra4 = [[Lenny Zakatek]]
|extra4 = [[Lenny Zakatek]]
| length4 = 4:15
|length4 = 4:15
| title5 = Can't Take It with You
|title5 = Can't Take It with You
| extra5 = Dean Ford
|extra5 = Dean Ford
| length5 = 5:06
| length5 = 5:06
}}
}}

{{Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
|headline = Side two
| extra_column = Vocals
|extra_column = Vocals
| title1 = In the Lap of the Gods
|title1 = In the Lap of the Gods
| extra1 = Instrumental
|extra1 = Instrumental
| length1 = 5:27
|length1 = 5:27
| title2 = Pyramania
|title2 = Pyramania
| extra2 = [[Jack Harris (musician)|Jack Harris]]
|extra2 = [[Jack Harris (musician)|Jack Harris]]
| length2 = 2:45
|length2 = 2:45
| title3 = Hyper-Gamma-Spaces
|title3 = Hyper-Gamma-Spaces
| extra3 = Instrumental
|extra3 = Instrumental
| length3 = 4:19
|length3 = 4:19
| title4 = Shadow of a Lonely Man
|title4 = Shadow of a Lonely Man
| extra4 = [[John Miles (musician)|John Miles]]; additional vocals by Colin Blunstone
|extra4 = [[John Miles (musician)|John Miles]]; additional vocals by Colin Blunstone
| length4 = 5:34
|length4 = 5:34
}}
}}


Revision as of 23:55, 14 March 2024

Pyramid
Studio album by
The Alan Parsons Project
ReleasedMay 1978
RecordedSeptember 1977 – February 1978
StudioAbbey Road Studios, London, England
Genre
Length37:46
LabelArista
ProducerAlan Parsons
The Alan Parsons Project chronology
I Robot
(1977) 		Pyramid
(1978) 		Eve
(1979)
Singles from Pyramid
  1. "Pyramania"
    Released: June 1978 (UK)
  2. "What Goes Up"
    Released: September 1978
  3. "Hyper-Gamma-Spaces"
    Released: January 1979 (EU)[1]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

Pyramid (stylized as Pyr△mid) is the third album by progressive rock band The Alan Parsons Project, released in May 1978.[3] It is a concept album centred on the pyramids of Giza. At the time the album was conceived, interest in pyramid power and Tutankhamun was widespread in the US and the UK.[4] Pyramid was nominated for the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.[5]

The book visible in the cover design is G. Patrick Flanagan – Pyramid Power: The Millennium Science (1973).[6]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson.

Side one
No.TitleVocalsLength
1."Voyager"Instrumental2:24
2."What Goes Up…"David Paton, additional vocals by Dean Ford3:31
3."The Eagle Will Rise Again"Colin Blunstone4:20
4."One More River"Lenny Zakatek4:15
5."Can't Take It with You"Dean Ford5:06
Side two
No.TitleVocalsLength
1."In the Lap of the Gods"Instrumental5:27
2."Pyramania"Jack Harris2:45
3."Hyper-Gamma-Spaces"Instrumental4:19
4."Shadow of a Lonely Man"John Miles; additional vocals by Colin Blunstone5:34

Bonus tracks

Pyramid was remastered and reissued in 2008 with the following bonus tracks:

  1. "Voyager/What Goes Up/The Eagle Will Rise Again" (instrumental) – 8:55
  2. "What Goes Up/Little Voice" (early version demo) – 4:07
  3. "Can't Take It with You" (early version demo) – 1:45
  4. "Hyper-Gamma-Spaces" (demo) – 2:21
  5. "The Eagle Will Rise Again" (alternate version – backing track) – 3:20
  6. "In the Lap of the Gods" (Part I – demo) – 3:14
  7. "In the Lap of the Gods" (Part II – backing track rough mix) – 1:56

Bonus tracks details

  • What Goes Up/Little Voice – Another song called, at the time, Little Voice was included in this demo but was not used in the final album.[7]
  • Can't Take It With You (early version demo) – Alan Parsons (unusually) played all the instruments.[8]
  • Hyper-Gamma Spaces – The name came from Eric Woolfson's brother Richard, whose Mathematics Doctorial Thesis carried the title Hyper-Gamma Spaces.[9]
  • The Eagle Will Rise Again (alternative version-backing track) – Intended as a Reprise Rock Band version demo attempt. This was abandoned as there was already enough material for the album.[10]

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1978–79) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] 16
Canada (RPM Magazine)[12] 34
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[13] 23
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] 3
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[15] 4
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[16] 13
Spanish Albums (AFE)[17] 4
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 22
UK Albums (OCC)[19] 49

Year-end charts

Chart (1978) Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[20] 8
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[21] 18
Chart (1979) Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] 2

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[23] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Germany (BVMI)[24] Platinum 500,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[25] Gold 7,500^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[26] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[27] Gold 500,000^
Summaries
Worldwide — 2,000,000+[28]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Alan Parsons Hyper Gamma Spaces". Dutch Charts.
  2. ^ DeGagne, Mike. Pyramid at AllMusic
  3. ^ M.C. Strong (1995). "Great Rock Discography". Edinburgh: Canongate. p. 616.
  4. ^ "Pyramid". alan Parsons Project Official Website.
  5. ^ "Grammy nominations – Alan Parsons". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  6. ^ The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid. CD Remaster liner notes (2008)
  7. ^ The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid. CD Remaster liner notes (2008)
  8. ^ The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid. CD Remaster liner notes (2008)
  9. ^ The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid. CD Remaster liner notes (2008)
  10. ^ The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid. CD Remaster liner notes (2008)
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums – September 30, 1978 (page 35)" (PDF).
  13. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  15. ^ "Charts.nz – The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  16. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  17. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  18. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  19. ^ "The Alan Parsons Project | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1978. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  21. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1978 – The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  22. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  23. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Alan Parsons Project – Pyramids". Music Canada.
  24. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alan Parsons Project; 'Pyramids')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  25. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Alan Parsons Project – Pyramids". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  26. ^ Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392.
  27. ^ "American album certifications – Alan Parsons Project – Pyramids". Recording Industry Association of America.
  28. ^ "Top Sales – Arista Records". Billboard. 27 January 1979. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  • Pyramid, Alan Parsons Project. Arista Records AB 4180, 1978 (Vinyl LP)
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