Eleven-time Grammy-nominated, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Alan Parsons presents From The New World, the follow-up to his 2019 The Secret album. Since the end of the 1980s and Alan Parsons Project, there have been a few album and tours with Parsons as a soloist, with backing band for support. For From The New World, his sixth solo album, special guests like Joe Bonamassa, Tommy Shaw, David Pack and James Durbin add wonderful touches to the stunning performances by Parsons and his incredible band.
From the big dramatic sweep of the slightly overlong “Fare Thee Well,” to those stabs from his famous guests, the 11 songs run the gambit. Aside from Shaw rocking good and hard on “Uroboros,” it’s the ballads that work best for me on From The New World. Parsons manages his breathy singing over an acoustic guitar backing on “Don’t Fade Now,” while Durbin and Bonamassa help out on the bluesy “Give ‘Em My Love.” Bonamassa joins Pack and Mike Larson for a string-laden “I Won’t Be Led Astray.” <
The collection ends with a perfect recreation of the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.” As odd a choice as I found it to be, it does feature a spot-on vocal from Tabitha Fair and has the lush feel of a Parsons’ production. No longer part of a project, out and about playing live with a great band, and offering a solo release every few years, Alan Parsons is an icon still to be reckoned with. From The New World makes this plain and simple.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
