The Turn Of A Friendly Card Atlanta GA

The Turn Of A Friendly Card

The Alan Parsons Project

Arista Records, 1980

REVIEW BY: Jason Warburg

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/13/2004

Unlike my colleague Duke, I was never a huge fan of the AlanParsons Project. I heard the singles on the radio and a few of thealbum tracks here and there, yes, but I didn't really track theband the way I did someone like, say, Yes. With one notableexception…

From 1980-82, I shared various living spaces in the college townof Davis, CA with a buddy named Doug. If there was one thing Dougand I were notorious for (well, one thing I'll admit to thesedays), it was playing certain albums TO DEATH. As in, we've justheard it for the fourth time that evening and we'd say, sure, letit roll again. Thus my mixture of loyal affection and existentialdread for the album The Turn Of A Friendly Card (a.k.a. TOAFC).

By then well-known for their concept albums, in 1980 the Projectturned its sights to the subject of gambling. It was a reasonablyoriginal theme for a concept album, having rarely been addressed byanyone with more intellectual wattage than Kenny Rogers (insertcutting remark here). Parsons and lyricist/occasional lead vocalistEric Woolfson co-composed the album with imagination and flair.

Of course, one of the APP's hallmarks was stretching the idea ofa concept album to its logical limits; truth be told, the five-parttitle suite is the only part of the album that squarely addressesgambling. The rest of the songs either suggest or simply featuretitles suggesting a thematic connection.