The Sicilian Defence (found The Alan Parsons Project album; 1979): Difference between revisions

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{{NeedingWork|informal writing and lack of references|Alan Parsons Project Sicilian Defence}}
{{InfoboxFound
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|title=<center>The Sicilian Defense</center>
|title=<center>The Sicilian Defense</center>
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|status=<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''</span>
|datefound=31 Mar '14
|datefound=31 Mar '14
|foundby=[https://mobile.twitter.com/alanparsons?lang=en Alan Parsons]
|foundby=[https://twitter.com/alanparsons Alan Parsons]
}}
}}


''The Alan Parsons Project'' is a British Progressive Rock band that has been around for over 40 years, enjoying moderate success throughout the mid to late 70s. In 1979, the band was exhausted from constant touring and studio work and wanted a break. Their label, Arista Records, however, heavily disagreed and decided to set due dates for the band's 3rd and 4th albums. Wanting to get everything over and done with, the band decided to record both albums at once.
The Alan Parsons Project was the term used for a lineup of a British progressive rock band between 1975 and 1990. The band consisted of producer Alan Parsons and songwriter Eric Woolfson along with various session musicians, with members such as guitarist Ian Bairnson and drummer Stuart Elliot showing up more regularly.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20091212053638/http://www.alanparsonsmusic.com/bio.php Alan Parsons FAQ/Biography.] Retrieved 6 May '18.</ref>


The first of the two albums, ''Eve'', was released as scheduled. The second, titled '''''The Sicilian Defence''''' (named after a move in chess) was a different story altogether. Every track was produced rather lazily and poorly written on purpose as to figuratively raise the middle finger to Arista. The music was allegedly atonal, inaccessible, and virtually unlistenable. Arista Records were so horrified by the results that they stashed it away in their vaults, never to be released.
In 1981, during contract renegotiations with their label, Arista Records, the group gave them an album titled '''''The Sicilian Defence''''' (named after an aggressive opening chess move). The record deemed the album "unmarketable" and ended up suing the group $45 million US dollars for breaching their contract and deliberately making a bad album in order to renegotiate sooner. In the end, they renegotiated and made another album, ''The Turn of a Friendly Card'', in place of ''The Sicilian Defence'', which went unreleased at the time. When asked about the scrapped album, Parsons made it clear that the album would never be released if it were up to him.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928225514/http://www.roadkill.com/~ajy/scrapbook/001.html Roadkill article on the lawsuit.] Retrieved 6 May '18.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120118030234/http://www.alanparsonsmusic.com/interviews.php Alan Parsons interview referencing ''The Sicilian Defence''.] Retrieved 6 May '18.</ref>


The Sicilian Defence was officially made available as a part of The Complete Albums Collection, an Alan Parsons Project boxset, as released on the 31st of March; said the album has since (inevitably) found its way to YouTube. Alan Parsons himself has stated on several occasions that the album was created with very little effort or enthusiasm, as the result of a contractual dispute between the band and Arista Records, (resulting in the album being shelved in the first place), so don't expect too much from this. Having said that, it's certainly a fascinating listen given its history and the fact that it has not been heard by the general public in the 30+ years since its initial recording.
==Availability==
In 2009, before his death, Woolfson had plans to release one of the tracks from the album, and eventually did in the CD re-release of ''Eve''.


Thanks and respect to The Alan Parsons Project for finally releasing the controversial and mysterious album (despite the circumstances surrounding it)! The 40-minute album can be listened to in its entirety via the below video.
After relocating the original tapes, Parsons had evidently changed his mind on releasing the album, as ''The Sicilian Defence'' was officially included in ''The Complete Albums Collection'' box set released on March 31, 2014.  


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
{{Video|perrow  =1
{{Video|perrow  =1
  |service1    =youtube
|service1    =youtube
  |id1          =Mmft_YU3j08
|id1          =Mmft_YU3j08
  |description1 =The album.
|description1 =The album.
}}
}}
 
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Found media|Alan Parsons Project Sicilian Defence]]
[[Category:Found media|Alan Parsons Project Sicilian Defence]]

Revision as of 22:10, 6 May 2018

File:Alan TSD.PNG

The album cover

Status: Found

Date found: 31 Mar '14

Found by: Alan Parsons


The Alan Parsons Project was the term used for a lineup of a British progressive rock band between 1975 and 1990. The band consisted of producer Alan Parsons and songwriter Eric Woolfson along with various session musicians, with members such as guitarist Ian Bairnson and drummer Stuart Elliot showing up more regularly.[1]

In 1981, during contract renegotiations with their label, Arista Records, the group gave them an album titled The Sicilian Defence (named after an aggressive opening chess move). The record deemed the album "unmarketable" and ended up suing the group $45 million US dollars for breaching their contract and deliberately making a bad album in order to renegotiate sooner. In the end, they renegotiated and made another album, The Turn of a Friendly Card, in place of The Sicilian Defence, which went unreleased at the time. When asked about the scrapped album, Parsons made it clear that the album would never be released if it were up to him.[2][3]

Availability

In 2009, before his death, Woolfson had plans to release one of the tracks from the album, and eventually did in the CD re-release of Eve.

After relocating the original tapes, Parsons had evidently changed his mind on releasing the album, as The Sicilian Defence was officially included in The Complete Albums Collection box set released on March 31, 2014.

Gallery

The album.

  1. ↑ Alan Parsons FAQ/Biography. Retrieved 6 May '18.
  2. ↑ Roadkill article on the lawsuit. Retrieved 6 May '18.
  3. ↑ Alan Parsons interview referencing The Sicilian Defence. Retrieved 6 May '18.
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