Softer Parsons, But Still Very Good

Review Score: (8/10)
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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