Nonostante quest'album non sia "targato" Alan Parsons Project (infatti proprio in concomitanza con questo lavoro Alan Parsons e il fido Eric Woolfson si separano) può essere comunque considerato un disco "non ufficiale" del gruppo: anche Parsons ha dato il suo contributo alle composizioni, e ritroviamo nel "cast" i classici musicisti del Projet, persino Andrew Powell- direttore della sezione orchestrale- che non era stato presente in alcuni album precedenti.
"Freudiana", anche se non ha avuto molto successo (forse perchè non accreditato al Project) e per di più abbastanza introvabile, può essere considerato ben più interessante di di dischi come "Vulture Culture" (1985), eccessivamente "soft" e a tratti melenso, come pure "Stereotomy" e "Gaudi", buoni lavori ma un tantino freddi. Il sound è quello tipico del Project: sonorità accattivanti che affascinano l'ascoltatore, brani orecchiabili ma di ottima fattura, studio accuratissimo di ogni particolare. Insomma un pop-rock di gran classe e raffinato, arrichito qua e là da spunti progressive oppure classici. A parte qualche momento un po' debole (come "Funny you should say that", canzone abbastanza folle), l'album è godibilissimo. Le strumentali sono ottime: "The Nirvana Principle" apre alla grande con sonorità un po' "spaziali"; la versione strumentale del brano Freudiana è anch'essa di ottimo livello, e qui entra in gioco l'orchestra di Powell; infine "Beyond the pleasure principle" è forse la migliore, un po' rock e un po' jazz, molto conturbante.
Tra i brani cantati si segnalano canzoni più rock come "The Ring", "I'm a mirror" e "You're in your own", brani molto "potenti" ed efficaci, decisamente coivolgenti. Non mancano brani più trasognati e lenti, come "Far away from home" e "Don't let the moment pass", come pure tipici pezzi "alla Alan Parsons" come la title track, che presenta un' ottima melodia e buon assolo finale di chitarra, e la suadente "Let yourself go". Questi sono i pezzi che brillano maggiormente, ma anche i restanti (in tutto le tracks sono diciotto) sono di buon livello.
Consiglio dunque il disco a tutti gli inguaribili fan degli Alan Parsons Project, che saranno ben più soddisfatti di quest'album che di alcune "debolezze" del gruppo durante la seconda metà degli anni Ottanta. Certo non vi è l'ambizione progressive dei primi dischi, il magico ciclo che va da "Tales of Mistery" a "The turn of a friendly card", però ormai siamo all'inzio degli anni Novanta e questo stuolo di musicisti sa ancora regalare tocchi di classe.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Freudiana (06:20)
Lead vocal: eric woolfson
I was alone in my room feeling sorry for myself.
Call me a prophet of doom, I could think of nothing else.
I found a freudian book gathering dust upon my shelf.
I thought I'll give it a look, would it hurt or would it help?
Freudiana, do you want to be somebody?
Freudiana, do you want to change the world?
I met the wolfman and the ratman, anna-o and little hans.
They were walking on a tightrope, I never thought they had a chance.
And then a hand reached out to hold them just before they tumbled down.
But I was standing in a quicksand and I could not feel the ground.
Freudiana, do you want to be somebody?
Freudiana, do you want to change the world?
I look back and try to find the part of me I don't know.
I won't stop till I see the truth. there's such a long way to go.
I saw a picture of a stranger but I don't understand.
He had a ring around his finger and something burning in his hand.
And I wanted him to teach me and I needed to believe.
But the shadows that he threw me were intended to deceive.
Freudiana, do you want to be somebody?
Freudiana, do you want to change the world?
04 Little Hans (03:15)
Lead vocal: Graham Dye
Little hans, little hans, what do you see?
The worlds is full of big surprises
Little hans, little hans, what can they be?
They come in many shapes and sizes
Little boys always love to play
But something is not quite right
Little hans wont come out today
Hes scared of a horse that might bite
Little hans, little hans, what can it be?
Your thoughts are filled with such confusion
Little hans, little hans when will you see?
Youre barking up the wrong conclusion
Professor man asks him oh so nicely
Why will you not come out?
Little hans tells him most politely
What he is thinking about
A ride in a tram, a lily white lamb, raspberry jam
Little hans, little hans, where will you go?
The world is full of compromises
Little hans, little hans, how will you know?
The come in many strange disguises
Professor man shakes his head and wonders
How will he work it out?
Little hans tells him quite precisely
What hes been dreaming about
I jump in the bath, I make myself laugh, I ride a giraffe
Little hans, little hans, I found a clue
I think Ive made the right connection
Little hans, little hans, all I can do
Is give a common sense injection
Little boys grow up just like daddy
Professor man has no doubt
Little hans goes to sleep and wonders
What he was talking about
05 Dora (03:51)
Lead vocal : Eric Woolfson
Dora, in the middle of the night
Will you wait for me
Till the morning sun shine bright
For it's all a dream
And it's only make believe
Dora, oh it hurts to hear you say
You're all alone
And the pain won't go away
But it's all a dream
And it's only make believe
Listening through the hours of the day
Waiting for the night to end
Thinking, though it's not for me to say
When will I see you again
When will I see you again
Forget the lies they whisper in your ear
And every superstitious word you hear
Dora, though the truth is hard to face
And the fantasy
Is not easy to replace
It's all a dream
And it's only make believe
Oh, I keep thinking
Of the words I shouldn't say
When will I see you again
When will I see you again
And every doubt they whisper in your ear
And all the half-forgotten past you fear
One day will fade away and disappear
Dora, in the middle of the night
Do you wait for me
Where the morning sun shine bright
Is it all a dream
Is it only make believe
Is it all a thread
Of the tangled web you weave
Is it all a dream
Is it only make believe
07 You're on Your Own (03:54)
Lead Vocal: Kiki Dee
Do you know who I am
Do you know where you are
Are you where you want to be
Do you see what you like
Do you like what you see
Do you think a need in you
Can fulfill a need in me
You're on your own, you're on your own
In a no man's land
In a danger zone
You're on your own, you're on your own
And you cant turn back
And you can't find your way home
Do you know who you are
Do you know what you want
Can you see me as I am
Do you think you're a lion
And I'm a lamb
That you came in here a boy
And you're going out a man
You're on your own, you're on your own
And there's no way out
Of the Danger zone
You're on your own, you're on your own
And your only friend
Is a heart of stone
And now you are alone my friend
And I must set you free
And you must face the world outside
And find your destiny
You're on your own, you're on your own
In a no man's land
In a danger zone
You're on your own, you're on your own
And your only friend has a heart of stone
You're on your own, you're on your own
And there's no way out
Of the Danger zone
You're on your own, you're on your own
Just a lonely child
And you can't find your way home
13 No One Can Love You Better Than Me (03:40)
Lead vocals: Kiki Dee, Marti Webb, Gary Howard, Eric Woolfson
I am the universal mother
The heart of the family
When you are born in your innocent world
You will depend on me
Mine are the arms to rock you
When you're scared of the dark of the night
But soft though the lips of a girl might be
No one can love you better than me
But somewhere in the dark there is a wall of silence
That hides the love away, that hides the love away
I am the universal father
The head of the family
When you imagine a man of the world
He will be just like me
I am the lord and master
My word is the royal decree
I stand by the side of the woman I love
No one can love her better than me
I am the universal son
The pride of the family
I shine like the stars in my mother's eyes
She can believe in me
I am the young pretender
With fire to bring to the fight
But strong as another's arms may be
No one can love her better than me
But somewhere in the dark there is a wall of silence
And sometimes in the night there is a wall of silence
Don't take the love away, don't take the love away
No one can love you better than me
No one can love you better than me
No one can love you
No one can love you better than me
16 Freudiana (00:51)
Lead vocal: eric woolfson
I was alone in my room feeling sorry for myself.
Call me a prophet of doom, I could think of nothing else.
I found a freudian book gathering dust upon my shelf.
I thought I'll give it a look, would it hurt or would it help?
Freudiana, do you want to be somebody?
Freudiana, do you want to change the world?
I met the wolfman and the ratman, anna-o and little hans.
They were walking on a tightrope, I never thought they had a chance.
And then a hand reached out to hold them just before they tumbled down.
But I was standing in a quicksand and I could not feel the ground.
Freudiana, do you want to be somebody?
Freudiana, do you want to change the world?
I look back and try to find the part of me I don't know.
I won't stop till I see the truth. there's such a long way to go.
I saw a picture of a stranger but I don't understand.
He had a ring around his finger and something burning in his hand.
And I wanted him to teach me and I needed to believe.
But the shadows that he threw me were intended to deceive.
Freudiana, do you want to be somebody?
Freudiana, do you want to change the world?
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