EYE IN THE SKY

A wondrous wilting over Egyptology, astrology and psychology. With punk's fifteen seconds past, '80s audiences were actually returning to the calm sounds of APP, THE MOODY BLUES and STYX. "Eye in the Sky" is a remarkably soothing record, floating on a suffusion of warm currents like some intergalactic glider. As usual, THE PROJECT rouses itself from its own sleepiness for a few funkier tracks like "Psychobabble" and "Step By Step," but generally the album stays within the title track's field of vision. The first side of music surrounds the listener like a warm cocoon, directed by the airy vocals of ERIC WOOLFSON and CHRIS RAINBOW (only DAVID PATOn's twangy voice on "Children of the Moon" breaks ranks). The second side is funkier by design, featuring LENNY ZAKATEK and ELMER GANTRY. The opening "You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned" is pedestrian, but "Psychobabble" and "Step By Step" are brisk-paced and pleasant. COLIN BLUNSTONE closes the album out with the orchestrated "Old And Wise," returning the record to its gentle beginnings. Like THE MOODY BLUES (whose Long Distance Voyager was equally masterful), THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT were now writing spaced-out concept albums for people whose recreational drug of choice was a wine cooler. And like wine coolers, symphonic pop soon fell out of vogue.

"Eye in the Sky" was the band's last platinum record, and after Ammonia Avenue they wouldn't see precious metal again. Thus this is seen as something of a last hurrah, the final in a string of well conceived and well received records that served as a sort of decompression chamber connecting prog rock and pop music.