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I Robot (album)

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I Robot is a progressive rock album recorded by The Alan Parsons Project, engineered by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson in 1977. It was released by Arista Records in 1977 and re-released on CD in 1984 and 2007. It was intended to be based on the I, Robot stories written by Isaac Asimov, and Woolfson actually spoke with Asimov, who was enthusiastic about the idea. As the rights already had been granted to a TV/movie company, the album's title was altered slightly by removing the comma, and the theme and lyrics were made to be more generically about robots rather than specific to the Asimov universe.[2][3]

The cover inlay reads: "I ROBOT...THE STORY OF THE RISE OF THE MACHINE AND THE DECLINE OF MAN, WHICH PARADOXICALLY COINCIDED WITH HIS DISCOVERY OF THE WHEEL...AND A WARNING THAT HIS BRIEF DOMINANCE OF THIS PLANET WILL PROBABLY END, BECAUSE MAN TRIED TO CREATE ROBOT IN HIS OWN IMAGE."

The title of the final track, "Genesis Ch.1 v.32," follows this theme by implying a continuation to the story of Creation, since the first chapter of Genesis only has 31 verses. The track "Don't Let it Show" was later covered by Pat Benatar on her album In the Heat of the Night.

The album cover photo of the band members is of the criss-crossing escalator tubes in the circular Terminal 1 building of Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris.

Reissues and Remastering

I Robot has been reissued multiple times in various formats since its initial release on vinyl, including numerous audiophile releases.

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) released the album on standard vinyl (MFSL 1-084), UHQR vinyl (MFQR 1-084), and on aluminum CD (MFCD-1-804). Classic Records has released the album in analog form on 180 Gram Vinyl, as well as digitally on HDAD (24bit/192 kHz & 24bit/96 kHz DVD-Audio).

In 2007, as part of a larger campaign, Sony released a remastered version along with bonus tracks on CD.

Musical style

This album has strong influences from soul, funk and disco music, especially in tracks like "I Robot", "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" and "The Voice", mixed with some influences from early electro and synth-pop music. It also sounds very close to Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Animals" albums, with a more commercial pop oriented sound.

Songs

Three singles were released from this album: "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You;" "Don't Let it Show;" and "Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)." The LP track "Breakdown" went into heavy rotation on AOR stations and continues to be played on classic rock radio.

Don't Let It Show was covered by Pat Benatar for her In the Heat of the Night LP.[4][5] Gail Godwin describes it as "much more sentimental than the usual Alan Parsons."[6]

Track listing

All tracks written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson; except "Total Eclipse" written by Andrew Powell

  1. "I Robot" (instrumental) – 6:02
  2. "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" (lead vocal: Lenny Zakatek) – 3:22
  3. "Some Other Time" (lead vocals: Peter Straker & Jaki Whitren) – 4:06
  4. "Breakdown" (lead vocal: Allan Clarke) – 3:50
  5. "Don't Let It Show" (lead vocal: Dave Townsend) – 4:24
  6. "The Voice" (lead vocal: Steve Harley) – 5:24
  7. "Nucleus" (instrumental) – 3:31
  8. "Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)" (lead vocal: Jack Harris) – 3:49
  9. "Total Eclipse" (instrumental) – 3:09
  10. "Genesis Ch.1 v.32" (instrumental) – 3:28

I Robot was remastered and reissued in 2007 with the following bonus tracks:

  2. "Boules" (I Robot experiment) – 1:59
  3. "Breakdown" (early demo of backing riff) – 2:09
  4. "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" (backing track rough mix) – 3:28
  5. "Day After Day" (early stage rough mix) – 3:40
  6. "The Naked Robot" – 10:19

Personnel

Charts

Year Chart Position
1977 The Billboard 200 9
UK Albums Chart 30
Canada 11

References

  1. ^ Christgau, Robert (October 31, 1977). "Consumer Guide: I Robot". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2010-09-19.
  2. ^ Official Alan Parsons Project website
  3. ^ http://www.the-alan-parsons-project.com/irobot.php
  4. ^ "Benatar's music creates yearning for life on edge". Deseret News. May 25, 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-29. Songs such as the title track, "If You Think You Know How to Love Me," "We Live for Love," "Heartbreaker," "So Sincere," a remake of Alan Parsons' "Don't Let It Show" ... {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ "Pat Benatar". Billboard. 1979. Retrieved 2009-04-29. "Don't Let It Show" is an Alan Parsons song and this tune perhaps ... {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ A mother and two daughters. 1982. p. 292. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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