Eye in the Sky

Alan Parsons Project

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: June 1982
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000002VC3
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #132,645 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Alan Parsons Project's Eye in the Sky was almost guaranteed at least moderate success due to the hits that preceded it ("Games People Play" and "Time" from Turn of a Friendly Card.) With Eye, Parsons returned in some ways to his more progressive, art-rock past and the album only had one major hit, the lush title track. Parsons's approach was a synthesis of studio wizardry with a symphonic, spacey interplay between keyboards, synthesizerss and basic rock instrumentation. Though never a hit, "Psychobabble" remains a favorite of fans. "Children of the Moon," "Sirius," and "Gemini" all have Parsons's love of the esoteric. "Mammagamma" also allowed Parsons to fully indulge his fondness for orchestration with its instrumental structure. --Steve Gdula

Product Description
Japanese-only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) paper sleeve pressing of this album. SHM-CDs can be played on any audio player and delivers unbelievably high-quality sound. You won't believe it's the same CD! Includes the same bonus tracks that appear on the EU/US expanded editions. Sony/BMG 2009. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The eye in the sky:a true masterpiece!, August 27, 1998

By A Customer

One of the best (and most commercial)CD's of the Alan Parsons Project. On this album one finds slow and up tempo songs. The one 's that stand out the most in my opinion are "Silence and I" and "Old and Wise". Silence and I has a very good orchestral arrangement and I think Colin Blunstone sings wonderfully on "Old and Wise". The only complaint I have is that the saxophone solo on Old and Wise should have been a lot longer than it now is (so, Alan if you read this: please change it!). Another favorite song is the titlesong: "Eye in the Sky". It really is a CD you will play on and on. It will never bore you! So, if you are an Alan Parsons addict and you don't have this CD: buy it as soon as possible; you are missing some of the best stuff the master has made. If you haven't heard of Alan Parsons before: try it and i think you will be buying more Alan Parsons CD's shortly.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lush and Multi-Textured - A Compulsory Toe-Tapper, July 17, 2000

By	dev1 (Baltimore) - See all my reviews

Producer/songwriter/musician Alan Parsons had a smart idea; that is, write and produce albums without a band. There is no Alan Parsons' Band proper, just a rotating group of musicians. Several are steady performers throughout Parsons' ten album Project. Eye In The Sky makes heavy use of an orchestra, choir and the "sounds like everything and anything" fairlight - hence the album is often tagged "art' and "progressive." Overall, Eye In The Sky is rhythm-driven light rock. Whether provided by the bass guitar (Eye In The Sky), rhythm guitar (You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned) or drums; most compositions are compulsory toe-tappers. "Psychobabble" is a bass guitar lover's dream - David Paton's work is brilliant and arousing.

Parsons' approach is highly structured, prim and proper; and his compositions often come-off as "calculated" rather than "loose." "Loose" is not in Alan Parsons' dictionary. With its fairlight programmed rhythm, the instrumental `Mammagamma' touches on disco. The fiery rocker `You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned' is a welcome change of pace to the band's normally reserved playing. The most tantalizing composition is the sentimental ballad `Old And Wise.' Zombie Colin Blunstone provides lead vocals. His smoky and hushed voice is one of the most provocative in popular music. Like all of The Eye In The Sky, `Old And Wise' is lush and multi-textured.

Technical Note: Eye In The Sky is one of the fist digital recordings (using the Sony PCM 1610 System). I suspect that the mix is analog; therefore, the result is also analog. Arista could have sought the first-generation recordings and produced a true DDD disc. Keep your fingers crossed for a digital remaster.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The most representative Project's album, September 17, 2003

By	Javier Navas "Hello amigos" (Los Boliches, Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain, Europe, the World) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Although Eye in the Sky is not the best album from the Project, it was the most succesful one and at the same time the most recommended for anybody who hasn't listened to a world record by this huge band.

This is the first album not having a common conceptual link including every song. But there's still a sense of unity between all of them. 'Sirius' opens it. A low synthesiser chord appears from nowhere, a delayed guitar plays a constant riff and the drums, bass and guitar burst together in a very grandious way until a rythm starts and fades away, leading to 'Eye in the Sky'. This famous song owes it success to its sensitive singing by Eric Woolfson and the catchy chorus in which the soothing voices of Chris Rainbow add beauty with these "looking at yooouu" phrases.

An abrupt drum and electric guitar rythm announce 'Children of the Moon', a song that shows how complex and interesting a song from the Project can be. This is a song that comes from nowhere to an exciting chorus full of voices, orchestra and a very medieval trumpet. The words speak about the disappointing politics and how vulnerable we feel in the hands of powerful dehumanised gents. The song disappears into 'Gemini', a beautiful demonstration of scottish Chris Rainbow's soft voice sung almost a-capella.

'Silence and I' is a rather serious song, a very sad one and a classic ballad from the Project sung by Eric Woolfson again. The words allude to some sad childhood memory and the gloomy feel they leave you with is abruptly interrupted by a gorgeous medieval-like orchestra section. Suddenly you get into an upbeat rythm that makes you feel you're in the middle of an adventurous medieval movie (Ladyhawke?). The arrangements from Andrew Powell are great, and this is like the sad boy takes refuge into a dream in which he is a powerful warrior... but we're back to reality and the song returns to its beginning and ends with a very melancholic cascade of orchestral notes.

The second side is much more shallow in its thematic and musically heavier as well. That's proved by the fine rocker 'You're Gonna Get You Fingers Burned'. Usually the most loosely and aggresive songs from the project are sung by the Pakistani-rooted Lenny Zakatek. 'Psychobabble' is a strange song full of eccentric lyrics, and has the feel of a scary movie.
'Mammagamma' is said by Alan Parsons to be a track almost only played by a computer. It's as famous as 'Lucifer' or 'I Robot'.
'Step by Step' is a remarkable song although hidden in the structure of the album. It's got an original 12-string guitar solo from which the strange sound comes from the idea from Ian Bairnson to plug the guitar directly on the mixing desk not on the amp. The last song, Old and Wise, is apparently sad but Eric Woolfson said its lyrics have a very positive mean. The song is poetic and soft, almost a soft lament, and the oboe in the beginning leads you to a melodramatic romantic film soundtrack feeling. The ending of the song is very strongly emotional, with a great saxophone solo.

This is a remarkable album. If you never listened to any Alan Parsons Project album, start with this one.