Freudiana
Freudiana | ||||
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Studio album by Eric Woolfson and Alan Parsons | ||||
Released | 11 October 1990 | |||
Recorded | 1989-1990 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 1:14:54 | |||
Label | EMI | |||
Producer | Alan Parsons | |||
The Alan Parsons Project albums chronology | ||||
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Alan Parsons albums chronology | ||||
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Freudiana /ˌfrɔɪdiˈænə/ was to be the 11th album by The Alan Parsons Project, but during its development, Eric Woolfson had creative differences with Alan Parsons, and decided to turn the album into a rock opera. It was released as simply "Freudiana", and is known as the "unofficial" Alan Parsons Project album. Alan Parsons later continued as a solo artist with his 1993 album Try Anything Once, which was musically in a direction more or less continued from that of 1987's Gaudi.
Woolfson hit upon the idea of researching the life and works of Sigmund Freud with a view to their musical potential after he finished the tenth Alan Parsons Project album Gaudi. He retraced Freud's footsteps and explored his realms through his homes in London and Vienna (both now museums) as well as literary sources including Freud's classic cases whose real identities he concealed by use of names such as Wolfman, Ratman, Dora, Little Hans, and Schreber, the Judge. In addition, Freud's writings on his discovery of the 'unconscious', his well-known theories such as the 'Oedipus Complex', the 'Ego' and the 'Id' and perhaps his best known masterpiece, 'The Interpretation of Dreams' all served as springboards for musical ideas. While recording the album, Brian Brolly entered the picture and he helped steer the album in a new direction. About halfway through the recording process, Eric was approached to develop the concept still further into a musical. With Brolly's help, Eric Woolfson was able to turn Freudiana into a stage musical. The musical had a successful run, and it was hoped that the show would open in other cities. Further plans were put on hold when a lawsuit broke out between Brolly and Woolfson, each fighting for control of the project. In the end, Brolly won, but the album remained attributed to Eric Woolfson and Alan Parsons.
This album was released in two versions: The "White Album" and the "Black Album". Additionally, while the "White Album" was originally released under the moniker "Freudiana" and not Eric Woolfson, Alan Parsons, nor the Alan Parsons Project, some re-releases have added "The Alan Parsons Project" at the top, making it look more like an official Project album than it really is.
The "White Album" was released in 1990 through EMI Records and is questionably still available. This album includes 18 tracks with lead vocal performances from Leo Sayer, The Flying Pickets, Kiki Dee, Marti Webb, Eric Stewart, Frankie Howerd, and Gary Howard, as well as Project regulars Chris Rainbow, John Miles, Graham Dye, and Woolfson. Alan Parsons wrote only one track, but he made musical contributions throughout the album as well as producing it, like he had with the Project albums.
The Deutsche Originalaufnahme ("German original recording"), also known as the "Black Album", features a double-length cast disc and is currently out of print. It contains material from the rock opera. The Black album was the first album credited to Eric Woolfson as a solo artist. Freudiana gave Eric a taste of musical theatre and he chose to continue in that end of the business.
Track listing (the "White Album")
All songs written and composed by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, except where noted.
- "The Nirvana Principle" (Instrumental) – 3:44
- "Freudiana" (lead vocal: Eric Woolfson) – 6:20
- "I Am a Mirror" (lead vocal: Leo Sayer) – 4:06
- "Little Hans" (lead vocal: Graham Dye) – 3:15
- "Dora" (lead vocal: Eric Woolfson) – 3:51
- "Funny You Should Say That" (lead vocal: The Flying Pickets) – 4:36
- "You're on Your Own" (lead vocal: Kiki Dee) – 3:54
- "Far Away from Here" (lead vocal: The Flying Pickets) – 3:11
- "Let Yourself Go" (lead vocal: Eric Woolfson) – 5:26
- "Beyond the Pleasure Principle" (Alan Parsons) (Instrumental) – 3:13
- "The Ring" (lead vocal: Eric Stewart) – 4:22
- "Sects Therapy" (lead vocal: Frankie Howerd) – 3:40
- "No One Can Love You Better Than Me" (lead vocal: Eric Woolfson, Gary Howard, Kiki Dee and Marti Webb) – 5:40
- "Don't Let the Moment Pass" (lead vocal: Marti Webb) – 3:40
- "Upper Me" (lead vocal: Eric Stewart) – 5:16
- "Freudiana" (Instrumental) – 3:43
- "Destiny" (lead vocal: Chris Rainbow and Eric Woolfson) – 0:51
- "There But for the Grace of God" (lead vocal: John Miles) – 5:56
Stage musical version
Freudiana - Deutsche Originalaufnahme | |
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Cast recording by Freudiana | |
Released | 1991 |
Genre | Rock |
Length | 67:47 |
Label | EMI |
Producer | Herwig Ursin |
Freudiana premiered at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, Austria on 19 December 1990. It was produced by Vereinigte Bühnen Wien. Until 18 April 1992 it played for 380 performances before 320,000 people.
The stage director was Peter Weck. The German song texts were by Lida Winiewicz. Erik was played by Ulrich Tukur.
Track listing, Deutsche Originalaufnahme (the "Black Album")
- "Freudiana" (Instrumental) - 3:07
- "Kleiner Hans" - 3:08
- "Ich bin dein Spiegel" - 4:00
- "Es ist durchaus nicht erwiesen" - 4:42
- "Dora" - 3:55
- "Du bist allein" - 4:24
- "Ausgestossen" - 3:58
- "Doctor Charcot" - 4:54
- "Frau Schmetterling" - 4:11
- "Der Ring" - 3:06
- "Vision Dora" (Instrumental) - 3:00
- "Nie war das Glück so nah" - 3:20
- "U-Bahn" - 3:45
- "Wer ging den Weg" - 5:04
- "Oedipus - Terzett" 6:25
- "Chorus" 0:58
- "Freudiana" - 4:58
Personnel
- Herwig Ursin - production manager, post-processing and mixing
- Fritz Staudinger, Gernot Ursin, Peter Naumann - recording engineers
- Recorded with the HEY-U-Studiomobil at the Theater an der Wien
References
- ↑ Alex S. Garcia. "Freudiana - Freudiana | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-07-16.