Released 23rd August via Cooking Vinyl, ‘Pyramid’ will be available on various formats including a Super Deluxe Box Set which contains 4CDS, 1 audio Blu-ray disc and a 45rpm 180g heavyweight 2LP vinyl edition – half speed remastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios which comes in a gatefold sleeve. With an additional 67 bonus tracks (54 previously unreleased) taken from Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diaries and studio session out-takes, the Box Set also features a breathtaking first ever Dolby Atmos mix of an Alan Parsons Project album along with a striking 5.1 Surround Sound mix from the original multi-track master tapes by Parsons along with a new stereo HD and CD remaster of the original album by Showell. Also included is a fully illustrated 12” x 12” casebound book featuring interviews with Parsons, the Woolfson family and the musicians, as well as full lyrics and commentary on the bonus tracks and an A1 size poster and reproduction press kit folder.
The Expanded CD release features Showell’s 2024 remaster of the original album alongside 4 additional bonus tracks and a fully illustrated 12-booklet containing a sleevenote featuring quotes from Parsons as well as full lyrics. The album is also available as 180 gm clear vinyl LP plus a D2C exclusive, limited edition 180gm gold nugget vinyl LP – both featuring Showell’s half speed remasters of the original album at Abbey Road Studios, alongside sleevenotes featuring quotes from Parsons, the Woolfson family and musicians.
A concept album focussed on the pyramids of Giza, when ‘Pyramid’ was originally conceived, interest in pyramid power and Tutankhamun was widespread in the US and the UK. A pyramid could be found on the back of a dollar bill, and there were stories in the national media about the supposed magical properties of pyramids and there was of course the cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ (1973). With songs like the provocative instrumental ‘Voyager’ which underlines the album’s supernatural mood and the glowing ‘What Goes Up’, to the symphonic and bombastic ‘In the Lap of the Gods’ and anxiety-ridden ‘Pyramania’, the focus on ‘Pyramid’ was high-quality studio sound production which would become The Alan Parsons Project trademark.
The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios as were the majority of The Alan Parsons Project albums, with a variety of different lead vocalists employed including John Miles, Colin Blunstone, Lenny Zakatek, David Paton, Jack Harris and Dean Ford, alongside a selection of session musicians including guitarist Ian Bairnson and drummer Stuart Elliott. The album was a worldwide hit selling well in excess of two million copies, achieving platinum and gold status in numerous territories including the USA, Germany and Canada. The album was also nominated for the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
Super Deluxe Box Set includes 4CDs, an audio blu-ray disc, a 45rpm 180g 2LP vinyl edition – half speed remastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios in a gatefold sleeve, 67 bonus tracks (54 previously unreleased) taken from Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diaries and studio session out-takes, a first ever Dolby Atmos mix of an Alan Parsons Project album, a 5.1 Surround Sound mix from the original multi-track master tapes by Alan Parsons, a new stereo HD and CD remaster of the original album by Miles Showell, a fully illustrated, 12” x 12” 60-page casebound book and a replica press folder
Expanded CD release includes 2024 remaster of the original album, 4 additional bonus tracks + 12-page booklet including Alan Parsons quotes as well as full lyrics
Vinyl LP formats include a 180gm clear vinyl plus a limited edition D2C exclusive 180gm gold nugget vinyl – both featuring Showell’s half speed remasters of the original album at Abbey Road Studios, with sleevenotes featuring quotes from Alan Parsons, the Woolfson family and musicians
Setting the standard in progressive rock during its active period between 1975 and 1987, The Alan Parsons Project comprised of engineer/producer Alan Parsons and songwriter, musician and manager Eric Woolfson. Together, they released 10 albums and focussed on subject matters including science fiction, supernatural, literary and sociological themes. They have sold in excess of 55 million albums world-wide, maintaining a devoted cult audience.
Parsons and Woolfson first met in the canteen of Abbey Road Studios in the summer of 1974. Parsons was Assistant Engineer on the Beatles’ albums ‘Abbey Road’ (1969) and ‘Let It Be (1970)’ and was also engineer on Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ (1973). Woolfson, a songwriter and composer, was working as a session pianist while composing material for a concept album based on the work of American writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe. Forging a longstanding working and business relationship, Woolfson felt the music business might well become a producer’s medium and he saw a way to combine his and Parsons’s talents. Parsons began to produce and engineer songs written and composed by Eric, and The Alan Parsons Project was formed.
Super Deluxe Box Set Tracklisting
2 x 45RPM LPs:
Side 1
1. ‘Voyager’
2. ‘What Goes Up…’
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’
Side 2
1. ‘One More River’
2. ‘Can’t Take It With You’
Side 3
1. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’
2. ‘Pyramania’
Side 4
1. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’
2. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’
CD1 – Original Album 2024 Remaster Plus Expanded Bonus Tracks
1. ‘Voyager’
2. ‘What Goes Up…’
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’
4. ‘One More River’
5. ‘Can’t Take It With You’
6. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’
7. ‘Pyramania’
8. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’
9. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’
Bonus Tracks
10. ‘Voyager/ What Goes Up…/ The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Instrumental Version)
11. ‘What Goes Up…/ Little Voice’ (Early Version Demo)
12. ‘Can’t Take It With You’ (Early Version Demo)
13. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’ (Demo)
14. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Alternative Version Backing Track)
15. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods Part 1’ (Demo)
16. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods Part 2’ (Backing Track Rough Mix)
CD2 – Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diaries
1. ‘Pyramid Structure Talking’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
2. ‘Little Voice/ What Goes Up…’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
4. ‘One More River’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
5. ‘In The Lap of the Gods’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
6. ‘Pyramania’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
7. ‘Broken/Pyramania’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
8. ‘Shadow of a Lonely Man’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
9. ‘Start of writing Gemini for Eye in the Sky’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
10. ‘Start of writing Nothing Left to Lose for TOFC’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
11. ‘Start of writing Snake Eyes for TOFC’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
Previously Unreleased Songs
12. ‘Pyramid Instrumental’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
13. ‘Pyramid Clavichord’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
14. ‘Little Voice’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
15. ‘Broken’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
16. ‘On It Goes’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
17. ‘Open Your Eyes’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
18. ‘If I Could Do It All Again’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
19. ‘We Can Do It’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
20. ‘Taking It All Away’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
21. ‘Elsie’s Theme’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
22. ‘Hazel’s Theme’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
23. ‘My Name Is Lorna’ (Eric Woolfson’s Songwriting Diary)
CD3 – Bonus Studio Recordings Vol.1
1. ‘Voyager’ (Backing Track Out Take)
2. ‘Voyager’ (Early Stage)
3. ‘Voyager’ (Vocal Experiment)
4. ‘Voyager’ (Light Relief Jam)
5. ‘Voyager’ (Early Mix)
6. ‘Voyager’ (John Leach Kantele Take)
7. ‘What Goes Up…/ Little Voice’ (Demo)
8. ‘What Goes Up…’ (Dean Ford Vocal Take)
9. ‘What Goes Up…’ (Isolated Choir Take)
10. ‘What Goes Up…’ (Early Rough Mix)
11. ‘What Goes Up…’ (Choir)
12. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Colin Blunstone Vocal Take Excerpts)
13. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Rough Mix Featuring Backing Vocals)
14. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Orchestral Strings)
15. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Rough Mix Backing Track)
CD4 – Bonus Studio Recordings Vol. 2
1. ‘One More River’ (Intro Takes)
2. ‘One More River’ (Lenny Zakatek Lead Vocal Takes)
3. ‘One More River’ (Lenny Zakatek Vocal Gymnastic Takes)
4. ‘One More River’ (Experimental Break)
5. ‘Can’t Take It With You’ (Rough Mix)
6. ‘In The Lap of the Gods’ (John Leach Cimbalom Takes)
7. ‘In The Lap of the Gods’ (Choir Takes)
8. ‘In the Lap of the Gods’ (Backing Track Takes)
9. ‘In The Lap of the Gods’ (Orchestral Strings)
10. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’ (Hail To The King Choir)
11. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’ (Projectron)
12. ‘Shadow of a Lonely Man’ (Eric Woolfson’s Piano Take)
13. ‘Shadow of a Lonely Man’ (Alan Parsons’ Experimental Demo Vocal)
14. ‘Shadow of a Lonely Man’ (Eric Woolfson’s Demo Vocal)
15. ‘Shadow of a Lonely Man’ (Orchestral Woodwind)
16. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’ (Olive Simpson Backing Vocals)
Miscellaneous
17. ‘Pyramid’ US Radio Advert 1
18. ‘Pyramid’ US Radio Advert 2
19. ‘Pyramid’ Bob Harris Cinema Playback Introduction
20. ‘Pyramid Audio Guide’ Alan Parsons Commentary
21. ‘Pyramid Audio Guide’ Eric Woolfson Commentary 1
22. ‘Pyramid Audio Guide’ Eric Woolfson Commentary 2
Blu-ray Dolby Atmos/5.1 Surround Sound remixed by Alan Parsons 2024 – Original album remastered in Stereo 2024
1. ‘Voyager’
2. ‘What Goes Up…’
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’
4. ‘One More River’
5. ‘Can’t Take It With You’
6. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’
7. ‘Pyramania’
8. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’
9. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’
Expanded CD Tracklisting
1. ‘Voyager’
2. ‘What Goes Up…’
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’
4. ‘One More River’
5. ‘Can’t Take It With You’
6. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’
7. ‘Pyramania’
8. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’
9. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’
Bonus Tracks
10. ‘Voyager’ (Early Mix)
11. ‘What Goes Up…’ (Early Rough Mix)
12. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’ (Rough Mix Featuring Backing Vocals)
13. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’ (Eric Woolfson Demo Vocal)
Vinyl LP Tracklisting
Side 1
1. ‘Voyager’
2. ‘What Goes Up…’
3. ‘The Eagle Will Rise Again’
4. ‘One More River’
5. ‘Can’t Take It With You’
Side 2
1. ‘In The Lap Of The Gods’
2. ‘Pyramania’
3. ‘Hyper-Gamma-Spaces’
4. ‘Shadow Of A Lonely Man’
About Author
