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Vulture Culture

Alan Parsons Project - Vulture Culture Audio CD

A fair review of the Alan Parsons Project "Vulture Culture" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Alan Parsons Project reviews here, or go back to the Alan Parsons Project tabs.

Band: Alan Parsons Project
Title: Vulture Culture
Rating:

Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Let's Talk About Me 2: Separate Lives 3: Days Are Numbers (The Traveller) 4: Sooner or Later 5: Vulture Culture 6: Hawkeye 7: Somebody Out There - The Alan Parsons Project, The Alan Parsons Project, The Alan Parsons Project 8: Same Old Sun - The Alan Parsons Project, The Alan Parsons Project, The Alan Parsons Project

Choose It Or You'll Lose It
But there are more than two songs alone that make this album kind of interesting,especially if your a fan of the unexpected. For someone like me it might come as a surprise I have any interest in the Alan Parsons Project. . Alan Parson's sound could very easily represent the whole concept of what I call "soft prog". One thing to consider in the case of this album was that this particular band had already been there,done that. Even if a lot of it even still was really good that's not where it's at here. Sure it's true that "Let's Talk About Me","Somebody Out There" and "Sooner Or Later" are pretty typical "soft prog" tunes really,not all that different from the type of songs Chicago were making during this period,if in fact a bit more cerebral. And that leads into my main point about this album. During the mid 80's there was definately a pervading attitude in the record industry that heavy subjects required heavy music. At least in the R&B world any song that had a poppish conotation was refered to as a "fun" record. And. . . well the same thing was happening with rock oriented pop too. This album sure is one of those I imagine everyone might call "fun" because much of it is either soft or frothy. Fact is this album tackles a lyrical subject matter that was generally being ignored. While any message pop in the 80's seemed to revolve around concepts such as technological overkill and totalitarian societies this one deals with the concept of capitalism vs. communism and. . . . neither concept holds up 100% in the end at all,looking at it from a first person basis as it does here. And considering how the concepts of "fun" pop message records seemed to begin with R&B there's no irony that two of this albums standout songs have a very strong R&B subtext. "Seperate Lives" actually has a lite funk flavor,not all that dissimilar to the pop/R&B experiments Level 42 and Culture Club were coming up with,only with a somewhat darker tone than either. The title track is my favorite. It's actually a very good balance between pop/rock and pop/R&B;the jazzy moodiness and sax solo at the beginning leading into a hookey rock refrain in the middle. Saying a little something about the scism between the genres at that time were they? Just maybe they were. There's an instrumental here "Hawkeye";the lead synthesizer part is very dated but it's still pretty haunting. "Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)" and "The Same Old Sun" are again more typical of their sound but also have a pretty nice build to them. Based soley on the conceptualization surrounding this albums theme and two of it's songs this certainly doesn't resemble a whole lot of other music in Alan Parson's catalog. But it will,among other things break open the idea of what "fun pop" is.

'The same old sun'
It is full of accessible ballads, mainly sung by Eric Woolfson, which is definitely part of the appeal. I will go out on a limb and call this my fave APP album. When you throw in Colin Blunstone and Chris Rainbow with their ethereal voices, you have a fantastic album. I will mention one track, 'the same old sun'. I cannot shis is not praised see why it is not praised more. It is one of the best songs they have EVER done, period, and is the most melodic and beautiful with great vocals, instrumentation and lyrics. This is an excellent album, no matter what anyone says. .

Let's talk about It for a minute...
Its regarded as the last of TAPP trillogy of well sold albums, having the greatest number of vocal contributions provided by his partner Eric Woolfson, just because of that fact, the album is valuable and really enjoyable for me. Luis Mejia (son) - After the release of the comprehensible and more soft but consistent Ammonia Avenue, Vulture Culture followed up with a more commercially adaptable, soft but heartful pop basis. Still, Vulture Culture keeps some memorable, 80's style compositions with very comprehensible and easy to listen moods, if you lived in the 80's you'll find yourself nostalgic with Days Are Numbers (The Traveller) or Lets Talk About Me, but still is one of their least efforts, it may sound scary for TAPP early fans, and its lack of remarkable compositions and possessing no trace of intelligent prog, it may result a dissapointment for early fans, specially if you hated Ammonia Avenue.

Vulture Culture remains with an uncompromising, commercial popcraft basis, but the problem is that its an unmemorable or least popcraft, it isn't thoughtful or remarkable pop like Chicago's Chicago II or Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and although its tough to compare in pop matters The Alan Parsons Project with these dedicated artists, Alan Parsons should have thought it twice before releasing this kind of material, but anyway I find it very enjoyable and delicate, but not a memorable one. In this structure, there are still heartful ballads and emotional compositions, and there is also to find an adult contempo effort, plus the instrumental Hawkeye and a slight trace of originality in Let's Talk About Me. Vulture Culture keeps emotional, sentimental, mellow, enjoyable and beautiful moods. There is also the society critisizing theme, yet a typical theme from the band, regarding just the famous vulture culture. A highlight in the album is that among with Ammonia Avenue, is their only one wich isn't a concept album, plus the unconventional but interesting way they like to put a bunch of people talking at the very backing vocals.

This album is maybe the shortest one they've ever released, unnecessary to claim that they seemed to go lazy, plus the fact that it only contains one instrumental piece. Almost every song is a touchy and delicate ballad, no surprises in this aspect, but still they're some which are slightly nostalgic and memorable, and certainly the best, like the memorable, emotional and powerful Let's Talk About Me, the only song which keeps a more thoughtful and remarkable composition, its my best recommendation in this album, while the sentimental, mellow and heartful ballad Days Are Numbers (The Traveller) stays as a top selection, among with the upbeat urban style of the tilte track, Vulture Culture. The other songs are also enjoyable and very mellodic, you'll enjoy Separate Lives, The Same Old Sun and Sooner Or Later, the last one Parsons admitted that he thought it would be as great as Eye In The Sky, the three songs are fine ballads all sang by Woolfson. Also the paranoic but still delicate Somebody Out There, and the desert like, interlude instrumental Hawkeye are great. Track pick: Let's Talk About Me, Days Are Numbers, Vulture Culture.

Among the artists' performance its obvious their interest for synthesized sounds and drum machines, leaving not a great originality. Eric Woolfson's big vocal contributions are also the main reason of Vulture Culture success, as Woolfson's voice is higly commercial. Its the only TAPP album not to feature Andrew Powell majestic orchestration, a little bit dissapointing in this aspect.

In conclussion Vulture Culture remains at the top of The Alan Parsons Project commercial, pop and sofisticated inclinnations, until their rock breakthrough with Stereotomy. Vulture Culture is their third best sold album, and a very enjoyable one, but I may say this because there's nothing I love more than listening to heartful pop, but within I've heard every TAPP album, this is one that may dissapoint and cause discomfort, draw your conclussions!.

Days are Numbers is a ballad par none
The harmonies (like when they hit 'Some-day' in this song, are just drop dead gorgeous. I must say that "Days Are Numbers" is an incredible ballad. The lead is soft and perfect, the lyrics hauntingly true to my own life, and this is one of the most played slow songs of my iTunes these days. Call it perfect pop, but it's just a smooth beautiful song in my opinion. Tell me true, if a great friend asked you to slow dance to this song, in a darkened hall with lights above, wouldn't you just go on and on ?
.

Not my favorite Project album, but it's not my least favorite either
This is a much softer Project album than many that came before, but that doesn't mean it's bad by a long shot. I just listened to this the other day after not hearing it for maybe eight years or so, and I appreciate it now more than ever. There are five or six Project albums that are worse than this. This is just a beautiful album and I use to return to VULTURE CULTURE more than some of the other Project albums. The album closer "The Same Old Sun" is probably tied with "Silence and I" and "Old and Wise" as my favorite Parson's song. Don't listen to the reviewer who said that this is the worst Parson's album because it isn't, and even if it was the worst one it's still a great album. Don't hesitate in buying this gem.

You can see a complete list of all Alan Parsons Project discography, or go back to the Alan Parsons Project tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.