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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Softer Parsons, But Still Very Good, October 4, 2003
1984's "Vulture Culture" finds the Alan Parsons Project simplifying & softening their musical approach. No real traces of the group's earlier progressive rock elements on "Vulture," and there's a stronger leaning towards pop, with more emphasis on synthesisers and synth drums (and no orchestrations by Andrew Powell, either). But Alan Parsons, songwriting partner Eric Woolfson, and their team of excellent singers (like Woolfson himself, Lenny Zakatek and Colin Blunstone) and studio musicians (like guitarist Ian Bairnson and drummer Stuart Elliott) still know how to craft music that's catchy and great-sounding. In the end, "Vulture Culture" is still a fine Project album. With it's theme about lack of communication, "Vulture" contains some sparkling Project gems, like the strong pop/rock of "Let's Talk About Me," the incredibly beautiful "Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)," the smooth-sounding title song, and the quirky instrumental, "Hawkeye." But the rest of the album is equally good.Okay, so if you had to rank all of the Alan Parsons Project's albums, "Vulture Culture" would probably come in last, but that still puts it in good company. "Vulture Culture" is the softest Project album of the bunch, but make no mistake, it's still very good.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Parsons attempts pop - does he succeed?, January 14, 1999
By A Customer
You'll have to decide. After reading an interview done shortly after this album was released, I was able to see the rift starting between Alan and Eric. I beleive it started with this album. For the first time Richard Cottle (sax, and keys) is made a permanent member of the band, and there is FAR less emphasis on orchestration, and no central theme. The was the last attempt by the Project to shoot for hit songs. Does it make it a bad album? Certainly not! There are some tracks that really shine, mainly: Days are Numbers / The Traveller (probably one of the all-time best APP songs), Let's Talk About Me, and Sooner or Later. Up until Eye in the Sky, an Alan Parsons album was meant to be listened to from beginning to end. You didn't just pick out a particular song, you listened for the THEME. Vulture is an example of how you become decreasingly tolerant of the lesser tracks. Overall, not a completely disapointing album, but not one of the best. Thankfully, he got better with age.. :>
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I believe there's a theme there, July 7, 1999
The Vulture Culture project, though lacking an obvious theme like the first 4 or 5 APP albums, does have a focus. It's all about getting ahead and getting along in the crazy get-ahead world. If you listen to the tracks and what they say, you'll find that it goes from "me first" to living, to the search people go on to find who and what they are (in "Days are Numbers" one of the all time best APP songs) to what we do to get ahead in "Vulture Culture" to the realization that we are all in this together in "Sombody Out There" and "The Same Old Sun" (another of my favorites on this album).The songs are great, this is a return to the kinds of sounds you can hear in "Turn of a Friendly Card." The song "The Traveller" is also a great song to use when you are shopping for a new car or home stereo to see what kind of response and range you can get from a music system. I highly recommend this album to anyone interested in insightful and thoughtful music in the style of APP.
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album Vulture Culture 
