Alan Parsons Project: Eve (remaster)

Released in 1979, Eve proved another commercial success for the Project taking them as high as # 13 on Billboard although struggling to make any impact on the UK scene dominated at the time by New Wave and the onset of the NWOBHM. The theme of the album was Women, hence Eve is notable for being the only Project album to feature female lead vocalists, Claire Torry of Dark Side of the Moon fame on "Don't Hold Back" and Lesley Duncan on "If I Could Change Your Mind" which closes out the album. Elsewhere, usual suspects Lenny Zakatek, David Paton and Dave Townsend were joined by Project newcomer Chris Rainbow meaning Eve included no less than six different vocalists. And even though vocal rotation was always a trademark of the Project this time around it interrupts the flow and Eve ends up coming across as something of a mixed bag.

"Lucifer" offers the usual instrumental opening before the biting "You Lay Down With Dogs" and the wrongdoings of womankind as seen through the eyes of Parsons and Woolfson continues with the somewhat direct "I'd Rather Be A Man". The limp ballad "You Won't Be There" is easily forgotten and the album takes a further downward turn with the below par "Winding Me Up". Fortunately things start to pick up with the bouncy rhythms of the catchy hit single "Damned If I Do" and Torry sparkles on the aforementioned "Don't Hold Back". Synth heavy instrumental "Secret Garden" is mediocre but Duncan impresses on lighters in the air ballad "If I Could Change Your Mind". Most interesting amongst the slew of bonus cuts is material from the unreleased The Sicilian Defence which was the Projects attempt to deliver an all instrumental album in order to exit their record deal with negotiations having stalled. In the end all parties worked to an agreement and the album never saw the light of day.

If you're looking for an introduction to the Project then Eve is not the best place to start, lacking the consistency of much of their other output.

Track Listing

1. "Lucifer" (instrumental)
2. "You Lie Down with Dogs"
3. "I'd Rather Be a Man"
4. "You Won't Be There"
5. "Winding Me Up"
6. "Damned If I Do"
7. "Don't Hold Back"
8. "Secret Garden"
9. "If I Could Change Your Mind"
10. "Elsie's Theme from The Sicilian Defence" (the Project that never was)-bonus track
11. "Lucifer" (demo) -bonus track
12. "Secret Garden" (early rough mix) -bonus track
13. "Damned If I Do" (rough mix) -bonus track
14. "Don't Hold Back" (vocal rehearsal rough mix) -bonus track
15. "Lucifer" (early rough mix) -bonus track
16. "If I Could Change Your Mind" (rough mix) -bonus track

Added: March 6th 2009
Reviewer: Dean Pedley
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 3232
Language: english

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