Artist: THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT
Album: STEREOTOMY EXPANDED EDIT. (CD)

Year: 1985/ 2008
Media type: CD

Stereotomy is the next to last regular album by The Alan Parsons Project. Although generally considered better musically than its predecessor, Vulture Culture, it was not as successful commercially, perhaps due to much fewer vocals from Eric Woolfson (he only appears on a small section of the title track). The album is structured differently from earlier Project albums, containing three lengthy tracks (one the longest instrumental the Project ever made) and two minute-long songs at the end. It is a full digital production and the CD release was encoded using the two-channel Ambisonic UHJ format.

The original vinyl packaging of the album was different from all the reissues: it featured somewhat more elaborate artwork of the paper sleeve supplied with a special color-filter oversleeve. When inserted, the oversleeve filtered some of the colors of the sleeve artwork, allowing four different variations (2 per side) of it. That was supposed to symbolize visual stereotomy. In the reissues, only one variant remained.

The word 'stereotomy' is taken from the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. It refers to the cutting of existing solid shapes into different forms; it is used as a metaphor for the way that famous people (singers, actors. etc.) are often 'shaped' by the demands of fame.

All tracks written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson.

TRACKLIST:

"Stereotomy" (lead vocal John Miles backing vocal Eric Woolfson) – 7:18
"Beaujolais" (lead vocal Chris Rainbow) – 4:27
"Urbania" (instrumental) – 4:59
"Limelight" (lead vocal Gary Brooker) – 4:39
"In The Real World" (lead vocal John Miles) – 4:20
"Where's The Walrus?" (instrumental) – 7:31
"Light Of The World" (lead vocal Graham Dye, backing vocal Steven Dye) – 6:19
"Chinese Whispers" (instrumental) – 1:01
"Stereotomy Two" (lead vocal John Miles) – 1:21

Stereotomy was remastered and reissued in 2008 with the following bonus tracks:

"Light Of The World" (Backing Track)
"Rumour Goin' Round" (Demo)
"Stereotomy" (Eric Woolfson guide vocal)
"Stereotomy" (backing rough mix)