EYE IN THE SKY

I count "Sirius," "Eye in the Sky," and "Silence and I," among my favorites from this group, as all three exhibit three different sides about what makes The Alan Parsons Project a remarkable band, especially in the context of their time. Eye in the Sky is an incredibly uneven collection of songs that fortunately leans toward the side of good progressive pop music.

"Sirius" This introductory instrumental offers an immediate feeling of anticipation, and as such, became a staple of sporting arenas, perhaps most notably the famous championship era of the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s during which Michael Jordan was in his prime. The piece utilizes a simple clean guitar riff and powerful drums.

"Eye in the Sky" Perhaps the most popular song from The Alan Parsons Project, "Eye in the Sky" is one of my favorites from them. It is completely catchy, and has lyrics reminiscent of Big Brother from George Orwell's 1984, a very popular subject for many progressive rock bands. It follows seamlessly from the previous instrumental, with clean guitars bringing out the soft rhythm and delicate electric piano filling out the sound. The vocal melody throughout is amazing.

"Children of the Moon" To my ears, this is somewhat similar to the 1980s John Elefante-led Kansas. It is a decent song with a somewhat quirky introduction.

"Gemini" Soft vocals drift over a sleepy electric piano.

"Silence and I" Gentle piano, subtly blending classical and jazz influences, begins the lengthiest and most progressive work on the album. After a brooding string passage, a Renaissance-like bit takes over, featuring cheerful brass and a charging rhythm. The electric guitar solo is a fitting climax for this stirring movement

"You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned" Whereas the previous track was a glorious symphonic pop song, this one is straight-up 1980s rock and roll. While the song is decent, it's quite generic, with only a fantastic guitar solo to salvage it from complete cheesiness.

"Psychobabble" Sparse bass and piano open this one. It's a cheesy rocker, way more so than the previous one because it attempts to add a bit of white-boy funk here, as well as a questionable keyboard theme.

"Mammagamma" This second instrumental keeps a straightforward beat and a sound. It's similar to "Sirius," but has a real disco groove.

"Step by Step" "Step by Step" is a pleasant song with further disco sensibilities. The counterpoint vocals are the highlight, however.

"Old and Wise" The orchestral opening is stunning, as is the piano and vocal section that follows- very lovely. The album closes with an appropriate saxophone solo.