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The Abbey Road recording studios, as we know, have produced many beautiful masterpieces. The Beatles recorded there first, and the Pink Floyd didn't want to be outdone (just to mention a couple of bands...). Alan Parsons also passed through there, first as a sound engineer for Pink Floyd in 1973 on the legendary "The Dark Side of the Moon" and then as a musician.
In those very studios, 11 years after Floyd, he would record the album "Culture Vulture".
With these premises, confidently, I set out in search of the album. I find it and, curious as ever, I purchase it. However, listening to it leaves me a bit disappointed; I imagined a Pink Floyd-esque sound and instead I find myself immersed in the typical 80s soundscapes. The moment I listen to the first track, "Let's Talk About Me," the situation worsens. Indeed, the second track of the album begins, "Separate Lives," which is, in my opinion, the essence of the 1980s. The bass dominates with the usual insignificant riff. The electronic drums then deliver the final blow, making the song aseptic, distant, cold—in a few words, hateful and unlistenable.
Disappointed, I resign myself to an album typical of those years that, in my opinion, contributed little in terms of quality to music. The third track, "Day Are Numbers," strangely departs from the path set by the first two and proves to be a beautiful ballad, quite listenable and engaging. Sure, though, if instead of the usual electronic drums Alan had used instruments with less silicone and more wood, it wouldn't have been bad, but you can't have everything. The track ends, and the album resumes its original sound.
The track that gives the album its name immediately reminds the listener that we are in the full 80s, and one cannot escape the cultural and musical influences of that era, so back comes the hateful bass.
Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that, apart from "Separate Lives" and "Vulture Culture," the album is very atmospheric and relaxing if you listen to it without too many expectations, knowing what it offers. Then, the last track, "The Same Old Sun," is very beautiful, rediscovering preludes to sounds that would later be revisited in the early 90s. The little guitar solo at the end is engaging and pleasant; if you will, you can even find a distant relation to some Floyd tracks, but it all ends there.
Ultimately, the album is not to be thrown away, but it's highly recommended for those who love the classic love ballads that were all the rage twenty years ago. For those who are not crazy about them, well then, it's better to look for another title.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 Days Are Numbers (The Traveller) (04:31)
Chris Rainbow - Lead Vocals
The traveller is always leaving town
He never has the time to turn around
And if the road he's taken isn't leading anywhere
He seems to be completely unaware
The traveller is always leaving home
The only kind of life he's ever known
When every moment seems to be
A race against the time
There's always one more mountain left to climb
Days are numbers
Watch the stars
We can only see so far
Someday, you'll know where you are
Remember
Days are numbers
Count the stars
We can only go so far
One day, you'll know where you are
The traveller awaits the morning tide
He doesn't know what's on the other side
But something deep inside of him
Keeps telling him to go
He hasn't found a reason to say no
The traveller is only passing through
He cannot understand your point of view
Abandoning reality, unsure of what he'll find
The traveller in me is close behind
Days are numbers
Watch the stars
We can only see so far
Someday, you'll know where you are
Remember
Days are numbers
Count the stars
We can only go so far
One day, you'll know where you are
04 Sooner or Later (04:25)
Eric Woolfson - Lead Vocal
Oh what a price we pay
For the things we say
And the closer I get to you
The further you move away
All the lies we tell
In the games we play
And the longer I think it over
The harder it is to stay
Sooner or later I'll be free
To leave the past behind
Sooner or later you're gonna be
The last thing on my mind
Little by little I'm finding out
The truth behind your eyes
Maybe if I don't show
I thought you might like to know
You're gonna be the last thing on my mind
You didn't want to know
I could have told you so
But the moment I think it's over
The further there is to go
Just a little word
Such an easy way
But the longer I think about it
The harder it is to say
Sooner or later I'll be free
To leave the past behind
Sooner or later you're gonna be
The last thing on my mind
Little by little I'm finding out
The truth behind your eyes
Maybe if I don't show
I thought you might like to know
You're gonna be the last thing on my mind
05 Vulture Culture (05:22)
Lenny Zakatek - Lead Vocal
Somehow you made it in the big wide world
And you're absolutely home and dry
You got away from a one horse town
And the only way out was to fly
You heard a lot about an easy street
And it seems like the place to be
You heard some talk about a slippery slope
But you think "it can't happen to me"
Vulture culture
Use it or you lose it
Vulture culture
Choose it or refuse it
Hollywood is calling won't you join the dance
Moving onto Wall Street why not take a chance
It's a vulture culture
Never lend a loser a hand
Just a vulture culture
Living off the fat of the land
Nowhere to turn around and catch your breath
It's all relatively trouble free
No need to bother with the bottom line
Or a money back guarantee
You sign a deal that's been etched in stone
It's absolutely cut and dry
That's when they got you in the danger zone
And the only way out is to die
Vulture culture
Use it or you lose it
Vulture culture
Choose it or refuse it
Hollywood is waiting striking up the band
Everyone on Wall Street shakes you by the hand
Such a vulture culture
Never lend a loser a hand
Just a vulture culture
Living off the fat of the land
Use it or you lose it
Choose it or refuse it
Hollywood's a no go not a second chance
Nobody on Wall Street gives a second glance
It's a vulture culture
Moving to the beat of the band
It's a vulture culture
Never lend a loser a hand
It's just a vulture culture
Living off the fat of the land
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