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View Full Version : Album Club Week 74: 03.01.2013: The Alan Parsons Project - Eye In The Sky (1982)



Alex_UK
02-01-2013, 22:22
Posted on behalf of Dave - (Synsei) :)

The Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky (1982)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZnhSI3ZrL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

http://open.spotify.com/album/3rdohna6oEL211dRStkmOw

"Alan Parsons Project's Eye in the Sky was almost guaranteed at least moderate success due to the hits that preceded it ("Games People Play" and "Time" from Turn of a Friendly Card). With Eye, Parsons returned in some ways to his more progressive, art-rock past and the album only had one major hit, the lush title track. Parsons' approach was a synthesis of studio wizardry with a symphonic, spacey interplay between keyboards, synthesizerss and basic rock instrumentation. Though never a hit, "Psychobabble" remains a favourite of fans. "Children of the Moon", "Sirius" and "Gemini" all have Parsons' love of the esoteric. "Mammagamma" also allowed Parsons to fully indulge his fondness for orchestration with its instrumental structure. --Steve Gdula"

Alex_UK
02-01-2013, 22:26
Thanks to Dave for the first Album Club choice of 2013. :)

For me personally, I have only really discovered APP in the last couple of years - completely passed me by at the time! :eek:

That said, I love this album especially - and Mammagamma is a personal favourite (must have been the old CD advert videos...) so a very worthy choice. :)

Beechwoods
02-01-2013, 22:41
I used to be very sniffy about Alan Parsons, hanging on the coat-tails of his Floydian engineering history, but this one does have merit, and Sirius, and 'Old And Wise' are particularly enjoyable. Good choice Dave!

The Grand Wazoo
02-01-2013, 23:05
'Old and Wise' was played at the funeral of my best mate who died far too young.
Quite apart from the feelings it brings back when I play that track, this is a great album.

morris_minor
03-01-2013, 13:52
I'm an AP(P) nut - can't get enough! A Valid Path was well worth persevering with, too. Mammagamma here makes Eye's version sound very tame.

I love APP's orchestral bits, and if you can find Andrew Powell's record "Andrew Powell plays the Best of Alan Parsons" it's well worth a listen - and very well recorded. Powell was the composer who did all the APP orchestral arrangements. His score to the (rather weird) film "Ladyhawke" sounds like an APP album.

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/39445881/Andrew+Powell+and+the+Philharmonia+Orchestra+Play+ +50084.jpg

http://vol3.music-bazaar.com/album-images/vol3/206/206338/1358334-292-292.jpg

DanJennings
03-01-2013, 14:49
Hmmm I have a few of his records, not this one though.... I will have a listen!

MartinT
03-01-2013, 15:58
I'm a real fan of this album, which sounds superb on vinyl. A solid 9/10 for me.

prestonchipfryer
03-01-2013, 16:00
Agreed, excellent on vinyl. 9/10 from me.

synsei
03-01-2013, 16:25
I have avoided playing any APP since my Dad died as they were his favourite outfit. Last week I was missing him loads and found Eye In The Sky on Spotify. Initially reticent to play it, eventually I decided it would bring back more pleasant memories than bad and the rest is history. Copious amounts of tears were shed. Regardless, I enjoyed it immensely :eyebrows:

Thank you for posting this up for me Alex :)

John
03-01-2013, 16:30
I quite like this one, its a bit 80s at times for me I give it a 7

Barry
03-01-2013, 18:24
Like most of Alan Parson's output, this is an example of style triumphing over substance. A great LP with which to show off your system!

7/10 from me.

DSJR
03-01-2013, 18:47
"A great LP with which to show off your system!"



At the time for me it wasn't.........

I first got to know the APP thanks to a certain John Oliver, who was about to start working at KJ Wigmore St back in 1977 or therabouts (many years later, he went on to co-found the Listening Rooms in London). Tales of Mystery and Imagination was like no other record I'd heard - quite unique - and I was hooked solid...

I bought Eye in the Sky in the high street record shop in Aylesbury very shortly after it came out, dashed home to play it on my then stereo - Fruitbox/Ittok/Asak/Naim 12S/160 and Isobariks and was VERY disappointed with the sound. Sort-of mechanical and "digital" sounding, this latter being what I mistakenly put it down to.

I've played this record since on other gear and it's fine, in a very "produced" kind of way though and thanks to friend Alex, I now have a modern Alan Parsons-remastered version to enjoy...

I like the music here, as on all APP albums. Not as ground-breaking as their first outing, now thankfully available in both original and 1987 mixes, but good IMO nonetheless. The current remasters done by the man himself do seem better sounding, either because the masters he used were a closer generation than the record company had, or because he knew what to listen for and dealt with it sympathetically.

So 10/10 from me and I'm happy to do that :)

Canetoad
03-01-2013, 20:28
I bought this on vinyl when it was first released. I love this album! Favourite track is Psychobabble.

9/10 for me! :)

Barry
04-01-2013, 00:54
I bought my copy in the early eighties when vinyl was being sold off cheaply. At one time it seemed as though every corner shop and newsagent were selling LPs for £1.99.

At the time I thought The Eye in the Sky was a well recorded, but largely pretentious load of twaddle. Certain tracks like 'Psychobabble' were enjoyable and if you wanted to impress friends with your system, the 'door slam' was useful! ;)

Perhaps I ought to listen to a remastered version - it might change my mind.

slate
04-01-2013, 01:01
Back around 1990 a friend of mine was/is a fan and had/have all the records; so I have heard it all. Back then it went on the list of Things to checkout and buy later.... and became forgotten.

Now it is back on the list.

Listening to "Eye in the sky"... the keyboard Work sounds a bit like Supertramp?!

Not in the same genre, but another group that made my "to buy" list today: "The Shins" thanks to Radio Paradise

DSJR
04-01-2013, 13:24
Old and Wise - a brilliant track.....

Bazil
08-01-2013, 14:25
The first track had me "wow how come I haven't got this" but then the singing started.
I do not like the guys voice , just too "Beach Boys" , totally ruined it for me. I liked the other instrumental track as well as the first. 5/10.

RichB
08-01-2013, 23:04
Yes I also kept forgetting this was APP and my brain was tricked into thinking it was Brian Wilson. I can also see why this could be considered an album to show off your system with the big dynamic sweeps and horns. Nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed it and gave it an 8. I've heard other Parsons stuff before but not this. It doesn't seem to take itself as seriously. I'll be using it to show off my system at point in the near future:lol: