Sonically, that album is very different from its predecessor, and perhaps more of an acquired taste as a result. After Parsons and Woolfson parted ways in the late '80s, Woolfson's work shifted in a more musical theater-inspired direction, culminating in 2003's Poe: More Tales of Mystery and Imagination. That's best reflected in the dreamlike, uplifting final track, 'To One in Paradise,' which plays like a validation of Poe's short, tragedy-plagued life.ĩ Images Casual Project fans may not be aware that there's even a sequel to the original album. True to its title, Tales of Mystery and Imagination is more a celebration of Poe's imagination and the incredible work he conjured even while battling his many personal demons. Ignoring the fact that horror is a difficult genre to convey solely through music, horror is never really the goal here. Critics tend to dismiss Tales for not fully replicating the unsettling quality of Poe's writing.

Then you have more haunting tracks like 'The Raven' and 'The Cask of Amontillado' that tap into the creeping dread of Poe's work while still giving listeners something to rock out to. '(The System of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether' is a campy romp that wouldn't be out of place in a performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The multi-part 'The Fall of the House of Usher' suite features a lush, orchestral series of compositions from Powell mixed with a bit of Parsons' signature looping, proto-electronica beats. The 1987 remaster even features narration from cinematic icon Orson Welles, who was firmly in the 'I'll do pretty much anything for a paycheck' phase of his career.You can really hear that diversity of artistic sensibilities in the tracks themselves. It's really a mid-'70s progressive rock super-group lineup. In addition to core Project members Parsons and Eric Woolfson, Tales features contributions from composer Andrew Powell, guitarist Ian Bairnson, singer/actor Leonard Whiting (of 1968's Romeo & Juliet fame), vocalists Arthur Brown, John Miles, Jack Harris and Terry Sylvester and the full rosters of both Ambrosia and Pilot.

The musical approach in Tales is as diverse as Poe's stories themselves, reflected in the staggeringly long list of artists who contributed to the album. Tales of Mystery and Imagination is a musical adaptation of some of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poems and stories, with tracks like 'The Raven,' 'The Tell-Tale Heart' and 'The Cask of Amontillado.' Binge It! Band of Brothers Remains a Compelling WWII StoryMost APP works are framed as concept albums built around a clear, unifying theme, whether it's gambling and addiction in 1980's The Turn of a Friendly Card or the way 1987's Gaudi acts as a sort of musical biography of the famous Catalan Spanish architect.

Poe tales of mystery and imagination