The Alan Parsons Project
Pyramid

THE REVIEW

Sunday Morning

Wake up early: just a coffee to keep it light.

The early bird catches the worm...

I put on the tracksuit from Decathlon. Matching shoes, the smartphone with Runkeeper and – new addition - the Bluetooth headphones ordered from Amazon just for running.

Connection successful! I put on the Roma cap and I'm ready. I even send a challenging message to my old buddy BlueDream… let's see if I wake him up. Peppa Pig! It's 7:00 AM, but damn, I'm too pumped! And the message is urgent: Watch out BlueDream, I'm coming for you (metaphorically, of course)! I attach a selfie with a pointing finger. Ouzzapp what a move! Well, I turn on the radio to MC2 and off I go.

Silence

Mmmh. The radio is on…

But it doesn't play.

Think, think, think…until a little light bulb turns on in my mind.

Now: what were those Samsung scientists thinking when they decided that the radio wouldn't work if you don’t plug in the headphones jack?

I'm flabbergasted! But I won't give up. I can't give up on the Bluetooth headphones. Going back to earbuds would be too bitter a defeat. I won’t be the one throwing in the towel.

Not this morning!

I turn on the player and look at what I have on the device to accompany my victorious run.

And among the albums in memory, a long forgotten file emerges:

The Alan Parsons Project – Pyramid

I go out. Alone with my mission.

Run.

The street is at my feet.

Here comes Voyager. No title was ever more fitting. A lightning bolt of four notes. It propels me into the metropolitan space to conquer. I have adrenaline; I have breath. And then it's downhill. I'm going like a spaceship!

What Goes Up… is its natural sequel. It's as if it tells you: well done, now keep the pace. You will be rewarded. And the reward comes halfway through the track, when the guitar solo is interspersed with a fanfare of horns. A triumphant parade! I'm not just running now. I’m flying over the asphalt.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t last long.

The Eagle Will Rise Again might be a beautiful song. Full of pathos and hope. But the eagle has to fly now. Or never again!

I must say that with One More River and Can’t Take It With You I recover a bit. The driving riffs, the syncopated rhythm. Yes, I'm still in the race.

But you can feel the fatigue.

The funeral bell of In The Lap Of The Gods sounds like a gunshot to my athletic ambitions. Then the gong sounds and here comes the majesty of the circle of the gods. I feel tiny. And I am, because my strength is leaving me. I need to slow down. Too bad. The music truly deserved it now.

The searing notes that introduce Pyromania hurt my ego. My legs are like wood. I believe my revenge on my friend Bluedream will have to be at least postponed.

I'm at the end, I know it. The moment of departure draws near.

Here comes Hyper-Gamma-Spaces. It's the cornerstone of the whole album. I think it's the most famous track. It deserves a burst of pride. I try but it’s not great. I know the pyramids aren't for me. I'm the shadow of a solitary man. I identify with the words of the last song. And I give in to the allure. I abandon the run to the sad notes of Shadow Of A Lonely Man.

I press the Galaxy button to end the RunKeeper activity.

The result is a modest 6.53 Km; in 37min.59 seconds. 703 calories burned.

And my wounded pride

But what a great album Pyramid!