Alan Parsons

It's easy to confuse this triple-disc Essential Alan Parsons Project with the double-disc Essential Alan Parsons Project. After all, it not only has the same name, it has the same cover art and a sequencing so similar to the double that it takes some close inspection to realize that they are two different beasts -- and that's even with a whole extra disc here! That extra disc worth of material, of course, is what really separates the two compilations, and it's what makes the three-CD set the province of serious listeners since it digs deeper and presents plenty of album tracks, instrumentals, even suites. So, for the fan who wants an exhaustive Alan Parsons Project compilation, this three-disc set is surely the one to get even though it must be asked, if you're such a big fan of the Project that you need three jam-packed discs worth of music, why not just choose the original concept albums which, after all, were meant to be listened to in their entirety? ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide