EVE

Women's Liberation and the International Year of Women notwithstanding, this gal is, at least on the surface, a remarkably misogynist album, given its subject matter and songs like "Lucifer", "You Lie Down with Dogs", and "I'd Rather be a Man". I understand the likelihood of some irony here, but poorly handled in this way, you can set back rights movements for every minority a half decade or so. Were it not for the fact that "Eve" shows a marked musical improvement over "Pyramid", it would be in my circular file under "Incorrect", and not just politically.

Luckily, tracks like the aforementioned "Lucifer" and the dreamlike "Secret Garden" are probably among the best 5 instrumentals ever conveyed by APP, while "I'd Rather be a Man" is a TGV of a diatribe, culling some of the flippancy of "I Wouldn't Want to be Like You" and even borrowing its main lyric. "You Won't be there" portrays the sensitive new age guy who doesn't get that he's a chauvinist pig, but does it with charm and a bit of humility, and "Winding me Up" is simply Chris Rainbow at his quality pop best. Then there is the standout "Damned if I Do", which presaged "Games People Play" and gave APP a shot in the arm when they most needed it; without it, the project might have died right here. True, their best work was already behind them, but the future held a few gems, and in the 1980s we couldn't be too picky.

Dock a half star for sinful behaviour and pick up this apple for its quality pop with prog blossoms.