Product Description
The Complete Collection of albums from the forward thinking duo The Alan Parsons Project features 11 discs including the previously unreleased album, The Sicilian Defence. The set also includes a new booklet with brand new liner notes with the discs featuring the original track lists and mini-replica covers. The set features:

1976 - Tales Of Mystery and Imagination: Edgar Allan Poe
1977 - I, Robot
1978 - Pyramid
1979 - Eve
1980 - The Turn of a Friendly Card
1982 - Eye In The Sky
1984 - Ammonia Avenue
1985 - Vulture Culture
1985 - Stereotomy
1987 - Gaudi
*Unreleased The Sicilian Defence

Amazon USA
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H7EV49S/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon Canada
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00H7EV49S/?tag=imwanca-20

Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00H7EV49S/?tag=imwan-21

pre-orders can be made through most of your favorite online dealers,
but please do your homework:
amazon.com is charging $146 whilst amazon.co.uk is charging only 54 pounds,
(INCLUDING shipping from the UK to the US),
which converts to only about $89!

Oh man, that's pretty tempting...

I'm in. All I have is a 2-disc best of compilation.

I hope they include the bonus tracks (meager though they be) from the current reissues, or else I'll have to keep those too.

I have all the remasters and they're not getting me with this for the Sicilian Defense.

It doesn't seem the 2 CD version of Tales And Mystery is even included, but I'm not sure.

Lots of remastering and bonus track questions need to be answered before I spring for these yet again.

OBI strips?

OBI strips?

how do you call something complete when there are albums missing?

and its irrelevant whether it's "alan parsons" or the "alan parsons project", the last few albums by alan parsons are not included in this "complete" set.

and i say this because all of the players are still same, whether there is "project' at the end or not.

and where is "freudonia"? it should be there too

and i agree with IP, the 'siciilian defense" is not going to get me to buy all these again.

and.....while i'm at it, will the "sicilian defense" be released separately down the road?

another fleecing...........it's bull shit!

I would have been interested in this but in the last year I picked up the first four remasters. I think I'd be better off just continuing to pick up jewel cased versions of the CDs and passing on The Sicilian Defense (I didn't like the track from it that was included as a bonus cut on the Eve remaster).

I'm assuming that since the label is listed as Legacy in the Amazon listing that this will be a typical Sony Complete Albums Collection set (the white boarders on the sleeves is another indication). If so this is overpriced.

I'm going to assume that they will include both CDs of the Tales of Mystery and Imagination reissue because Sony generally has included the bonus material in these collections...that would push it to a 12 disc set:
Amazon UK price = $100.79 (at current exchange rate minus $19.15 VAT = $81.64 / 12 discs = $6.80 per disc
The BOC set at Amazon UK = $4.98 per disc
The Cheap Trick set at Amazon UK = $3.89 per disc
The Kansas set at Amazon UK = $4.85 per disc
The recently issued Paul Simon set is overpriced for this type of collection too but at least that one included a booklet. I know that prices tend to drop before the release date but if I was interested in this I might wait until it's out a few months to see if the price drops a bit further. This should be in a $60 range IMO.

Man, I was hoping for Hi-res or maybe even 5.1. Like IP I have all the remasters w/bonus tracks. Therefore I'll pass.

Rick A.

They stated 11 discs including the rare disc (which might sound like crap if its just a demo), so I don't think the 2 CD of the debut is included and that was another label, so I'd bank on that being the case by the wording.

Not sure of course.

And like someone said, the bonus tracks were garbage-just unfinished ideas or guide vocal tracks-nothing worth hearing.

I am fine with the remasters as is.

well, damnit!...
i'm the proud owner of a complete japanese mini-lp set of the remasters
(which includes all the bonus tracks and a 2CD edition of the first release),
and it's a sweet little set - gold-foil, red/green mylar sleeve, etc.

i'd love a copy of "The Sicilian Defence" to complete the set.
(not to mention a 2CD english/german "Freudiana" set WITH bonus track(s)?).

so...
my plan is to purchase the box (as i already have it pre-ordered for $89 from amazon.co.uk),
and then NOT open it unless i'm sure the the aforementioned TSD isn't going
to be released separately. heaven help me keep my paws off the damn thing!

Even as an APP completist, I'm not sure I'm too excited about 'The Sicilian Defense'. Here's what Wikipedia has to say, including a direct quote from Parsons himself:

In 1981, Parsons, Woolfson and their record label Arista, were stalled in contract renegotiations when on 5 March the two submitted an all-instrumental atonal album tentatively titled 'The Sicilian Defence' (the name of an aggressive opening move in chess), arguably to get out of their recording contract. Arista's refusal to release the album had two known effects: the negotiations led to a renewed contract and the album was not released at that time.

"The Sicilian Defence was our attempt at quickly fulfilling our contractual obligation after I Robot, Pyramid and Eve had been delivered. The album was rejected by Arista, not surprisingly, and we then renegotiated our deal for the future and the next album, The Turn of a Friendly Card. The Sicilian Defence album was never released and never will be, if I have anything to do with it. I have not heard it since it was finished. I hope the tapes no longer exist."
—Alan Parsons

Maybe if they wind up selling it by itself...

Yeah, and if I remember some of this is on one of the remasters (I forget which) and it wasn't much to speak of.

As a completist, I'm going to have to get The Sicilian Defence, but would prefer not to have to buy the rest of the albums again, especially since I doubt seriously they'll sound any better than prior versions. What are the odds that just that album will get a separate release, even in Japan?

i checked for a Japanese release of "The Sicilian Defence" just yesterday.
as of yet, no such luck.

Looks like I was right about the deluxe of the debut NOT appearing here. Also, no bonus cuts will be repeated from the remasters.

So, what you have is an overpriced ripoff for one CD that Parsons himself never wanted issued! You do get new mastering but why was that even needed?

This quote comes from the seconddisc.com:

All of the albums in the box set are presented in their original track listings, with no additional bonus tracks. Alas, that means fans will have to hold onto Arista/Legacy’s past reissues along with Universal’s deluxe release of Tales of Mystery and Imagination. The masters used for The Alan Parsons Project – The Complete Albums Collection were overseen by Alan Parsons (likely for previous remastered editions, though that hasn’t yet been confirmed) and each of the albums is presented in facsimile vinyl replica wallet sleeves reminiscent of those used in Legacy’s similar complete box sets. A 28-page booklet includes notes by Parsons and numerous rare and previously unpublished photographs.

The box looks nice.

Thanks, IP. This is not for me, then. "Sicilian Defense" will likely appear on its own at some point.

Side note: A few years back, after a concert, Mr. Parsons was kind enough to sign my "Dutch Collection" 3 CD set. He seemed quite surprised that he had never heard of that compilation before, and he examined it closely. He also signed "I Robot" for my wife. BTW, it was at a signing table, we didn't pester him for autographs

And of course Alan Parsons was the engineer for Steven Wilson's last album The Raven That Refused To Sing.