Alan Parsons Interview, “Pink Floyd was always experimenting and pushing engineers”

Posted by On September 13, 2019 0 Comment

Guitar World: Alan Parsons looks back at his storied career – including that ill-fated Pink Floyd Household Objects album that just wasn’t to be…

An excerpt from the interview can be found below. You can read the entire interview @ this location.

You worked with The Beatles on their last two albums, Let It Be and Abbey Road. At the time, did you notice any evidence or tension that the band was going to dissolve? – Steve Topp

Alan Parsons:  “I remember seeing some pretty long faces during the Let It Be sessions. But I think a much-needed encouragement to their relationship came with the rooftop session and the excitement it generated.”

Imagine yourself engineering The Dark Side of the Moon with the same band members and crew, but in 2019. With all your experience, is there anything you would do differently? – Tatyana Casino

Alan:   “I think it could’ve been done in a quarter of the time [laughs]. Just compiling the effects loop and getting all of the rhythmic sounds for Money took all day. You literally had to measure, with a ruler, the length of tape between each effect. If you did that on Pro Tools now, it would take 10 minutes.

“Pink Floyd was always experimenting and pushing engineers and the studio to its limits. We knew it was their best work to date, but I don’t think anyone knew we’d still be talking about it all these years later.”

Do you know what amps and gear David Gilmour used to record The Dark Side of the Moon? – Carlos Arzate

Alan:   “He played Hiwatt amps at the time and always a Strat. He also used an EMS effects unit called the Hi-Fli.”

After The Dark Side of the Moon, did you have another chance to work with Pink Floyd? – Lucas Carioli

Alan:   “We did do some work on an album that was affectionately known as Household Objects. The idea was that we could make a record without using a single musical instrument. Just make sounds and notes with common household objects. After weeks of painstaking recording we decided it was going to take too long, so we abandoned the project.”

What sets a great producer apart from a mediocre producer? – Nick Simms

Alan:   “I think what sets them apart is the ability to communicate and have respect for the artist. I learned that from George Martin when he was universally respected by all the acts he worked with. It’s all about speaking the same language and understanding each other. Of course, there’s the musicality and engineering talent, but the ability to get along with your artist is extremely important.”