The Turn Of A Friendly Card

If someone were to ask me what album from the Alan Parsons Project catalogue is my favorite, I would say "The Turn of a Friendly Card." Part of that has to do with sentimental value as it's the first album of the Project that I heard all the way through as a kid, but also because I remember that I loved how this album was arranged and I really loved every single song. I remember at the time I had a particular fondness for "Nothing Left to Lose." I guess I just loved the way Eric Woolfson sang it. It was his first song as lead vocalist. I also like the opening track "May Be A Price to Pay." I like the opening and Elmer Gantry's vocal. It's also interesting to note that up until this album, every Project album opened with an instrumental. As the first Project album of the '80s, "Turn of a Friendly Card," was able to forge ahead into a new decade by switching things up a bit. The Project's hit "Eye in the Sky," which followed this album, was their only album from the '80s that opened with an instrumental ("Sirius"). "Games People Play" and "Time" are the songs that became hits from this album. Those are great songs, but I also like "I Don't Wanna Go Home." I remember first hearing this song. My brother recorded this album on cassette off of a friend's vinyl record and he switched the order of some of the songs, putting "Games People Play," "Time," and "I Don't Wanna Go Home" as the last three songs on the tape. For some reason, I discovered "I Don't Wanna Go Home" much later because we had a tendency to stop the tape after "Games People Play, " and I never really got to hear that song. Once I heard it, I really fell in love with it. Just the way it opens with the piano and then gets faster and transitions to the guitar is one of my favorite openings to a Project song. I also love Iain Bairnson's guitar on this. "The Gold Bug" is a great instrumental that I've always loved. There's a bit of jazziness to it that I like with that saxophone. I also love those finger clicks that Parsons contributes at the beginning. I also love Chris Rainbow's vocals. Makes me want to sing along every time. It's a song I'll gladly have stuck in my head any day. I really enjoy "The Turn of a Friendly Card" suite, which I think is one of the Project's greatest achievements. Chris Rainbow sings lead on this and every song after (except "Nothing Left to Lose" and the instrumental "The Ace of Swords.") and his voice just really adds to the piece. It's very calm and soothing. I just love the way he sings part two of the suite and the Iain Bairnson's guitar at the end along with the brass and orchestra by Andrew Powell. Just classic. This issue is a 2008 re - release and comes with seven bonus tracks, which are demos and early versions of "May Be A Price to Pay," "Nothing Left to Lose," "Time," "Games People Play," and "The Gold Bug." It also has a booklet with an essay on the album and information on the bonus tracks. I bought this to replace the cassette tape that my brother had recorded for me back in the late eighties. The cd sounds clear and crisp. I'm glad I have a copy of this that will stand the test of time. I highly recommend this album to anyone who is interested in The Alan Parsons Project. It's classic.

If much of Peter Gabriel's lasting artistic legacy will be the principled stands he has taken for the cause of human rights, then a similar legacy should linger long after Eric Woolfson for his insights into the human tragedies of gambling addiction. While many superficial songs have been written on the subject, The Turn of a Friendly Card explores the excitement and disappointment, the folly and the wisdom that can sometimes come when there is Nothing Left To Lose . That song, in particular, embodies an uplifting melody around starkly somber lyrics that together create a sense of quiet resignation, a singularly unique emotion not heard in many songs. But as deeply as this concept album delves into these themes of mental addiction and the power of choice versus the unconscious, Woolfson delves even deeper in his musical GAMBLER where additionally the primal male fantasies of heroism are turned against the hero. This album benefits from not only the stellar production and engineering of Alan Parsons, but also from two of the finest instrumentals Parsons has ever composed: The Gold Bug and The Ace Of Swords . If asked just what was The Alan Parsons Project, the simple answer would be a couple of musical geniuses who had the good sense to surround themselves with a bunch of other musical geniuses. Even a casual interest in the liner notes will reveal the unique talents of Andrew Powell who was solely responsible for all of the Project's orchestral arrangements. But far less obvious would be the tremendous contributions that guitarist Ian Bairnson made throughout the life of the Project in terms of arrangement and, all too often, extremely complicated key changes. On I Don't Wanna Go Home in particular, Bairnson places a single sheet of paper between the strings and the pickup of his guitar in order to achieve an almost unheard organic quality to his playing. Even Chris Rainbow deserves much more praise for his "rainbow effect" vocal harmonies laden throughout The Project catalog and showcased on the bonus material Nothing Left To Lose (Chris Rainbow Overdub Vocal Compilation) . (Please be aware that there are three distinct versions of this album before making your purchase. There is the recent SONY/BMG remaster that I personally recommend as it sounds the best to my ear, the inferior compact disc that ARISTA released in the mid-1980s, and the HDAD released by CLASSIC RECORDS. Normally, CLASSIC RECORDS releases superior products, but I would only recommend the HDAD to those whose chief concern is dynamic range as this particular rendering has an enormous amount of tape hiss. For the money, you simply cannot beat the sound quality of the SONY's direct stream digital remaster!) While I have heard some refer to The Alan Parsons Project as a poor man's Pink Floyd, I contend strongly that The Turn of a Friendly Card stands toe to toe with the best efforts Pink Floyd ever put forth. The range of styles, tempos, and moods are as diverse as those on The Floyd's most successful album Dark Side of the Moon , but that should come as no surprise considering Parsons' substantial involvement in recording and engineering that masterpiece. While this album's influence may not go as deep and wide as Dark Side despite the success of the singles Time and Games People Play , it certainly should given the relevance of the subject matter in modern societies where gambling is more widely sanctioned than ever.

Excellent remix of this excellent album! One of my fondest memories as a young boy was the day I was home alone with my father's stereo system at my disposal. I distinctly remember putting the LP of Alan Parson's Project Turn of a Friendly Card on my father's record player and turning up the volume to levels that my mom would not have approved. When The Gold Bug began to play it transported me to another world. My own musical heaven. Fast forward nearly 35 years and I still enjoy this album tremendously. I purchased the HDAD version years ago, and there are times when I'll play it at ludicrous volume levels when I get the chance to be home alone in my own house. Pure joy! It is a very well mixed and recorded album in HDAD, which far surpasses the original cd version in sound quality/dynamics. That being said, I haven't been able to copy the HDAD version to my phone. The usual version I was listening to in my car was a copy of my original red book CD in FLAC from my phone, and that is the version I first played for my own son a few years ago who was the same age I was when I was spinning my dad's records. The Gold Bug quickly became the number one request for me to play when he was in my car, and this was without biasing his opinion prior to playing it. Alan Parsons is cross-generationally great stuff. I was reading about classic albums online recently when I came across a thread on a different remix of TOAFC which Alan Parsons helped remix himself in 2007 as part of a reissue effort for several albums. This version was supposed to be better than the old redbook cd version, and better for some than the HDAD version. In my quest to get all of my favorite albums in the best possible formats and resolutions I ordered this CD from Amazon. I can say without a doubt that even on my car stereo which is not by any means high-end, this version is much, much better than the original cd version. I still prefer the HDAD, but my home stereo probably has something to do with that. If you don't have this album yet, buy this version if you can't play or find the HDAD. If you have the original release on cd, and want a better sounding mix with some extra work-in-progress tracks thrown in, buy this album. My daughter, who is 6, is now a fan, and that makes me smile!

This CD is fantastic! Alan Parsons Project really shines on The Turn of a Friendly Card. The production quality is excellent, and the music feels just as fresh and intricate as when it was first released. Every track has that signature melodic depth and clever instrumentation that makes you want to listen from start to finish. The CD itself is well-made, plays perfectly, and the album art is great for collectors. Whether you’re a long-time fan or discovering it for the first time, this album is a must-have addition to any classic rock or prog-rock collection. Highly recommend it for anyone who appreciates timeless music with clever storytelling and lush arrangements.

The Turn of a Friendly Card was Parsons fifth studio album, it peaked at #13 on the charts. The single "Snake Eyes" peaked at #47 & "Games People Play" was a Top 20 hit. The third single was "Time', it peaked at #15. The Turn of a Friendly Card has gambling as its central theme & it does this rather well. The album opens with "May Be a Price to Pay", unlike most Parsons albums up to this point, it's not an instrumental. It's probably the weakest song a Parsons had ever opened with. The song begins with a horn fanfare then gets into the proper part of it but it never rises above the ordinary. Next is "Games People Play", it borders on pop but nothing unique though it does have a catchy chorus. "Time" slows down the tempo, it's one of their prettier songs. "I Don't Wanna Go Home" has a syncopated feel but once again isn't anything special. Bairnson does give a pretty decent lead solo. "The Gold Bug" is an instrumental & is the easily the best song on the album. On previous albums Parsons would have opened the album with this song. Its beginning reminds me of music from a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western. The sax solo is a highlight of the song. Then we get what was on the original release a five part song that was called "The Turn of a Friendly Card", each section identified by a part, i.e., pt. 1, pt. 2, etc. The first part was entitled "The Turn of a Friendly Card, Pt. 1" , is a slow tempo song with a beautiful melody. It becomes a recurring theme through the remaining songs. Then comes the single "Snake Eyes" which has a prominent rhythm guitar. It solidifies the theme of the album. Then comes "The Ace of Swords" (a tarot reference), a harpsichord is one of the main instruments opening the song. It's an instrumental that has a jazz-like section. "Nothing Left to Lose" is another slow tempo song that features a memorable melody. It ends with a reggae sample then goes int a heavier rendition of previous theme. Ian Bairnson gives us one of his best solo efforts. "Nothing Left to Lose" repeats the melody of "The Turn of a Friendly Card". This ends the original album. Overall there isn't a bad song on this album & the five part song "The Turn of a Friendly Card" is the definite highlight of the album. "The Gold Bug" stands right above it. The remastering is excellent & features seven(!) bonus tracks. We get the demo version of "May Be a Price to Pay" Then there's three versions of "Nothing Left to Lose", the first one is only the instrument tracks, the second one is has a Chris Rainbow voval but incomplete, then the third version has Eric Woolfson doing a guide vocal (a common practice in those days). We get an early attempt at "Time", this song came a long way from this version. There's a rough mix of "Games People Play", which means it was a mix they knew they weren't going to use. Finally there's the demo version of "The Gold Bug" which is interesting because we see some of the genesis of the song. It's not near as good as the finished product, which is what makes it a demo, right? The Turn of a Friendly Card is another Parsons album I'm never quite sure about, my feelings go back & forth on it at times. It's a solid effort just not a spectacular one. I guess you could say I've been spoiled by some of their better efforts.

I once had some of the Project on cassette, but no idea where they went. Decided to add some to my vinyl collection. This was my first album. I also have the Eye, but have yet to listen to it yet. This master pressing is fantastic. Even though I channel my sound through a DBX3 and equalizer, this album comes alive with high quality response. Take the DBX and EQ out of the equation and the sound is still remarkable! A must have for your collection of 180g vinyl. Stand by for my feedback on the Eye. Spinning that album shortly.

Awesome cd

A great collection of songs performed by a very talented group of musicians. One of the best APP albums.

Liebe Leute, es handelt sich hier um eine Rarität auf höchstem Niveau! Lasst Euch vom Marketingbegriff HDAD bitte nicht verwirren: es ist eine DVD -Audio, aber was für eine! Hersteller ist: [...]%202006 Direkt vom Analog-Tonbandmaster Alan Parsons (minimales Grundrauschen am Anfang der Tracks) wurden zwei digitale Transfers auf höchstwertigem Equipment gemacht: a) einmal als Stereo DVD Audio Surround mit 96/24 Khz Sampling (kein Remix, nur Direktübertragung!) Dieses Sampling sollten alle DVD-Player abspielen können, die grundsätzlich laut Herstellerangaben DVD Audio beherrschen. Ich selbst hab's z.B. auf einem Denon BluRay-Player erfolgreich nachvollzogen. Es gibt im DVD Video Format auf der Scheibe ein simples grafisches DVD-Menü wie auf DVD Audios üblich. b) DVD -Audio mit maximaler Samplingrate und -Auflösung von 192khz/24-bit, natürlich auch Stereo, da mehr auf DVD Audio gar nicht geht. Die Datenmenge ist vierfach gegenüber normaler CD (44,1 khz/16-bit). Keine Kompression, kein MLP, wirklich pures High-End PCM! Achtung: diese Auflösung schaffen normale DVD-Player NICHT, auch wenn sie laut Hersteller DVD Audio können. Dass sie 192khz/24-Sampling wiedergeben können muss im Handbuch des Players drin stehen. Oder Trial and Error (eine Seite geht immer). Ein normaler CD-Player kann diese Scheibe NICHT abspielen. Die DVD Audio ist doppelt, d.h. eine Seite mit 96/24 und die andere mit 192/24, farbliche Ringe markieren die jeweilige Seite. Wer ein High-End Equipment hat, wo a) der Player 192khz/24-Wiedergabe beherrscht b) UND der Verstärker im analogen Ein- und Ausgang bis zu 150khz Bandbreite hat (wichtig, da die höchste Wiedergabefrequenz dieser DVD Audio bei 192khz/24 bei 95 khz liegt, also weit oberhalb der Hörgrenze, was aber durchaus zur enormen räumlichen Abbildung beiträgt, Obertöne). ausserdem belastet diese Bandbreite durchaus die Systeme, Überforderung nicht ausgeschlossen. c) Außerdem sollten die Boxen wirklich gut sein und die Höchtöner deutlich oberhalb 20khz wieder geben können. Billigboxen bringen es da nicht. Die Bäße haben's übrigens auch in sich. Wenn a) - c) gegeben sind, dann fasten your seatbelts! Denn der Klang, der Bühnenaufbau, der Detailreichtum, die Präzision in der räumlichen Abbildung, die unglaublich geschmeidigen Höhen und vor allem STIMMEN und knackigen Bässe, sowie die enorme Dynamik, einfach phantastisch, Suchtfaktor liegt bei 100%. Bitte vergesst jegliche noch so gut geremasterte CD, chancenlos. Wer wirklich einmal sein High-End-System zur Höchstform auflaufen lassen möchte, der kommt an diesen Scheiben nicht dran vorbei. Allerdings: bestürzt wird man kopfschüttelnd nach einer Hörsession dasitzen, warum es nicht mehr solcher Scheiben gibt. Und wer mal auf die Herstellerseite schaut, wird feststellen, dass der Preis sogar sehr fair ist, was schlicht leider damit zusammenhängt, dass a) ein sehr gutes Equipment nötig ist (die Dynamik hört man schon auch bei einfacheren Geräten, aber nicht die Luftigkeit und räumliche Tiefe) und b) wenig Nachfrage herrscht (mich ausgenommen). Zwischen der 96/24-Seite und der 192/24 liegt klanglich übrigens nochmal definitiv ein großer Sprung. Mund wässrig gemacht? Beispiel einer High-End-Konfiguration, die das mühelos abspielen kann: Classé CD-/DVD-Player+Verstärker, Boxen ab ca. 2500,- das Paar und natürlich eine wirklich gute Verkabelung. Aber: auch bei der 96/24-Seite, die ja in einem normalen DVD-Player abgespielt werden kann, ist der Klang naturgetreuer als bei einer CD. Ich kenne alle Parsons-Scheiben (CDs), auch die neuen (gut geremasterten). Allen Skeptikern folgendes etwas überspitzt mal so hingeworfen: wer schaut sich einen Bildschirm mit 256 Farben und 640x480 Auflösung an und verweigert den Upgrade auf 1280 und 32bit-Farbraum? Beinahe so krass ist der Sprung von CD auf diese 192/24 DVD Audio. Auch wichtig zu wissen: es handelt sich hier um die Originalbänder und nicht um eine digitale Kopie von der Kopie einer geremixten usw usf... Ich kenne übrigens auch die anderen beiden HDAD-Scheiben mit Alan Parsons, genau so sensationell. I Robot ist wohl das äußerste Machbare. Nucleus so zu hören, da bleibt die Spucke weg. Ich bitte um Verzeihung für die Werbung, stehe aber definitiv in keinem Verhältnis zum Hersteller. Nein, meine HDADs gebe ich nicht mehr her!

This will play on North American players

Alan Parsons Project - Turn of a friendly card. well packed and received.

Un excelente album. Compré el vinilo y la calidad de audio es muy buena.

Como buen fan de Alan Parsons, tengo los vinilos editados a finales de los 70 y principios de los 80 y los cd's de finales de los 80 y principios de los 90, todos ellos editados por Arista (antes de ser absorvida por Sony). La calidad de sonido de estas ediciones remasterizadas es infinitamente superior a ambas (que pena que no haya ediciciones económicas en sacd, como con Genesis o Dire Straits, porque deben de sonar espectaculares). Y encima de todo, todos los dicos llevan bonus tracks, que hace que escuches algo nuevo sobre las versiones que hemos escuchado cientos y cientos de veces. Y por el precio que tienen (entre 4-5 euros), me parecen bastante interesantes y me he quedado satisfecho al comprar por 3º vez su discografía (cualquier buen fan sobreentiende que me refiero a los discos editados entre "Historias de Misterio e Imaginación" y "Gaudí", el resto, salvando "Freudiana", con el abandono de Eric Woolfson, la cosa cambió mucho; aunque a los incondicinales, nos guste escuchar de vez en cuando los discos a partir de "On Air" y soltemos alguna lagrimita pensando quienes eran y quienes son. Aparte del otro "alma mater" del Project, como fué Eric Woolfson y su voz perfecta para el sonido "project", siempre añoraremos con nostalgia, otras grandes voces como Lenny Zakatek (vocalista perfecto para los temas más enérgicos), Chris Rainbow o Dave Townsend. Y si nunca has tenido el placer de escuchar a este grupo debido a tu juventud y consideras que tienes buen gusto y te gusta la buena música, es una manera ideal de escuchar música con mayúsculas. No saldrás defraudado.