SPILL ALBUM REVIEWS: THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT – THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD | EYE IN THE SKY | AMMONIA AVENUE (REISSUES)

THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT
THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD | EYE IN THE SKY | AMMONIA AVENUE (REISSUES)
COOKING VINYL

Once, when FM radio mattered and was a little underground, The Alan Parsons Project dominated the airwaves with their concept albums. It is easy to forget just how big they were, and this was long before Alan Parsons (as a solo performer) began touring. For the record, The Alan Parsons Project was not so much a group, as it was a collective. The core of the band was Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, with various musicians joining them on each album. They were a studio band. These three albums, The Turn Of A Friendly Card (1980), Eye In The Sky (1982), and Ammonia Avenue (1984) were big albums (Eye In The Sky being The Alan Parsons Project’s biggest selling album) and were not only played on FM radio but each one had hit singles for the AM dial. These three albums have recently been re-released on various formats for fans and newcomers to enjoy again. They sound and look fantastic and any time The Alan Parsons Project wishes to re-release their albums, it is always welcomed by me.

The Turn Of A Friendly Card, was their first album of the decade. It is a concept album about gambling and the life of a gambler. It featured two hit singles for the band, “Games People Play” and “Time” (the first song they released featuring Woolfson on lead vocals). The album opens with the majestic “May Be A Price To Pay”, which establishes that this is not going to be a happy story. “Something’s wrong in the house today…” is not a happy start of any album. This song blends into the wonderful “Games People Play”, featuring a brilliant guitar solo from Ian Bairnson. There is even a tip of the hat to their debut album, Tales of Mystery and Imagination (an album based on works by Edgar Alan Poe) with the instrumental “The Gold Bug”, which takes its name from the short story by Poe. The album ends with “The Turn Of A Friendly Card (Part Two)” with the concluding line “And the game never ends/When your whole world depends/On the turn of a friendly card.”

Side two of The Turn Of A Friendly Card really adheres to the overall concept, but the whole album works musically and lyrically. It is beautifully produced with lush, yet understated arrangements and songs full of melancholy melodies. There are four bonus tracks on the CD version, all of which have been released on previous re-releases, and for those who don’t have the previous expanded versions, they are nice to have, especially the early version of “Snake Eyes”.

Eye In The Sky was their Dark Side of The Moon. The album was a massive hit around the world, thanks to the success of the title track as a single and the song “Sirius,” which has been used for televised sporting events for decades. The album is softer rock than the progressive rock of their previous albums, but it works. The melodies are strong, the lyrics fit perfectly, and the production is immaculate.

While it is softer rock, that does not mean that the songs do not have some bite to them.  There are some very stellar songs on it such as “Silence and I” and “Old and Wise” (featuring lead vocals by The Zombies’ Colin Blunstone). These songs are perfection and are the cornerstones of the album. It is no wonder each song closes off each side. Again, the CD version of the re-release features four bonus tracks, including a brilliant demo of “Sirius”. Again, all of the bonus tracks were released on previous expanded editions of Eye In The Sky.

With Ammonia Avenue, The Alan Parsons Project attempted to combine the soft rock of Eye In The Sky and the more progressive sounds from their earlier albums. And they succeed. Ammonia Avenue is a futuristic tale of machinery and technology. The twist for this album is the public’s misunderstanding of technology and the unnecessary fear. “And who are we to criticize/

Or scorn the things that they do?” sings Woolfson on the title track of Ammonia Avenue, which ends the album. It is possibly the most hopeful of The Alan Parsons Project catalogue. Ammonia Avenue may seemingly not be as strong as the other two albums, it is still jammed full of great songs and imagery.

Again, this re-release features four bonus songs that were included on a previous release, and the tracks provide a small glimpse behind the curtain. It is always interesting to hear early demos and rough sketches of songs. And these do not disappoint.

The Turn Of A Friendly Card, Eye In The Sky, and Ammonia Avenue represent an interesting time period in The Alan Parsons Project history. This was their peak commercially, and some would argue creatively. While it is true that this was their most successful three albums, the following three albums, though not as successful, are brilliant and I hope they will receive the same re-release treatment. The two behind The Alan Parsons Project split in 1988 following the release of Gaudi (well worth looking up), and of course we lost Woolfson in 2009. Alan Parsons continues to tour and record, and so fans can still enjoy his work. But these three albums, quite rightfully, hold a special place in their fans hearts and are the most well known of their impressive catalogue. It is time, again, for The Alan Parsons Project.

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