Library Schools Getting Sirius

I was meeting with some younger colleagues today and I attempted to make an Alan Parsons Project joke based around Sirius and Games People Play. None of them had any idea what I was talking about. After rolling this around in my brain for some time today I came to two conclusions. First, the things that I take for granted as cultural knowledge between my friends and I do not necessarily translate to the rest of the world. Second, it is essential that library schools bring Alan Parsons Project into whatever curriculum they're currently offering. I will outline the reasons in a minute.

Alan Parsons got his start engineering a number of classic rock bands, notably The Beatles (on Abbey Road) and Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon). He launched his own band with Eric Woolfson, who apparently was not important enough to name the band after, since they went with Alan Parsons Project. Clearly, as you can tell, this was much more than a band.

I wonder what this knob does...

The Alan Parsons Project had a pretty good run on the US charts, hitting #3 with Eye in the Sky, #15 with both Time and Don't Answer Me and #16 with Games People Play. The Eye in the Sky album made it to #7 and I Robot hit #9 on the US album charts. From 1976 to 1986 they had 9 albums in the top 50, despite having a rotating lineup of singers and never touring.

They can't walk down the street without being mobbed

The APP's sound comes off a slightly antiseptic now but for a while they were the type of band that you could show off your sound system with. Of course, they achieved later success after the Chicago Bulls adopted their song Sirius as the song that plays when the announcer says "And now the lineup for YOUR Chicago Bulls..."

Still waiting to hear the lyrics of that damn song!

So why is it essential that librarians have at least some basic knowledge of Alan Parsons Project?

Reason #1: They are literary.
Their first album (Tales of Mystery and Imagination) is based on the writings of Edgar Allan Poe (and the album Stereotomy is named after an element of The Murders in the Rue Morgue). The second album I Robot was originally intended to be about Isaac Asimov's book, and the band even consulted with him, though they eventually moved it away from being specifically about Asimov.

Reason #2: They wrote an album based on female empowerment.
As a female heavy field, we should acknowledge the album Eve which was "...originally intended to be an album inspired by great women in history. It evolved into an appreciation of the strengths and characteristics of women in general and the problems they faced in the world of men" according to their website.

Reason #3: They wrote an album based around risk.
The Turn of a Friendly Card uses the concept of gambling, which we need to tackle as a profession.

Reason #4: They are concerned with technology.
Not only does the Alan Parsons Project have at least two albums concerned with technology and its relationship to humans (I Robot and Ammonia Avenue) their studio based sound was also using the most cutting edge technology available at the time.

Reason #5: They are cultured.
They wrote an album about Antonio Gaudi called Gaudi while Eye in the Sky deals with ancient belief systems.

Reason #6: They have a bunch of great songs
I've assembled a playlist of songs that I particularly enjoy by Alan Parsons Project. They were an important band to me in high school and while I don't listen to them a whole lot anymore they certainly can reel me back in with the right tunes. Eye in the Sky is probably their best album overall and their Ammonia Avenue album had some really enjoyable early videos. Here's the Spotify playlist.


So, library schools get your butts in gear and add Alan Parsons to your curriculum. The future of the profession depends upon it.