GAUDI

The Alan Parsons Project

Crossover Prog

3.05 | 270 ratings

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ClemofNazareth
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Researcher

Another technically precise offering under the label Alan Parsons Project that, like most of the latter albums from the Project, is rather tepid and soulless.

The formula was well-known by the time this one released: a pop-driven opening track ("La Sagrada Familia") that once again tries to recreate the magic of "Games People Play" and "Eye in the Sky" that falls a bit short; a danceable but lackluster following track "Too Late" that sounds suspiciously like Corey Hart's "Sunglasses at Night"; a couple tepid and forgettable filler tracks ("Inside Looking Out", "Money Talks"); an Eric Woolfson ballad "Closer to Heaven"; and the obligatory instrumental "Paseo De Gracia".

And of course a radio-friendly potential single ("Standing on Higher Ground"), this one from Vitamin Z vocalist Geoff Barradale.

The magic was unfortunately long-gone by 1987, and Parsons probably should have packed it in by this time. He pretty much had, since this is largely an Eric Woolfson project with the Parsons name and production work to give it the semblance (but not the spirit) of legitimacy. The good parts here are Woolfson's vocals and Parsons' excellent studio skills. The bad part is the predictable and tired formula that didn't really vary from the start of the eighties until this final nail in the coffin. This album sounded pretty good when it had a light green cover and was entitled "Eye in the Sky" in 1982, but after five more album covers with different names but the exact same music it had become almost embarrassing.

I would give this one star except that "Standing on Higher Ground" is a pretty decent tune. Other than that this is completely forgettable and only of interest to Parsons collectors and possibly to mildly curious fans of Gaudi's architecture. So two stars may be generous, but is a respectful concession to a once-great producer who had reached his creative end.

peace

ClemofNazareth | 2/5 | 2007-1-8

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