Vulture Culture
Vulture Culture is the eighth studio album by The Alan Parsons Project, released in 1984 (early 1985 in some countries) via the Arista label.[3]
| Vulture Culture | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 1984 | |||
| Recorded | May – July 1984 Abbey Road Studios, London | |||
| Genre |
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| Length | 37:59 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Producer | Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson | |||
| The Alan Parsons Project chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Rolling Stone | |
Overview
The first side of the LP (CD tracks 1–4) consists entirely of four-minute pop songs, and the second side varies widely, from the subdued funk of the title track to the bouncing instrumental "Hawkeye".
At the beginning of 1985, the lead single "Let's Talk About Me" reached the Top 40 in Germany (where the album was No. 1[4]), in Switzerland (where Vulture Culture was No. 2) and in the Netherlands.[5] The song features voice-over commentary from Lee Abrams, credited on the album as "Mr. Laser Beam" (an anagram of his name).
Originally, the album was intended to be the second LP of a double album, with Ammonia Avenue being the first. After the discs were split into separate albums, Vulture Culture was given a more modern (for the time) studio treatment with harder-hitting drums and dynamics. "Sooner or Later" was described by Parsons himself as "the third attempt to try and get another hit with the "Eye in the Sky"-esque chugging guitar line – "Prime Time" from Ammonia Avenue was the second, which I thought was a little more successful in that respect."
In the charts, Vulture Culture was a success in continental Europe, often reaching the Top 10,[6] and in Oceania; whereas it was less successful in North America. It was the last album by the band to be certified Gold.
The song "Hawkeye" is an instrumental but does contain a line from Monica, a woman working at the canteen in Abbey Road Studios. The line she says is: "Only what's on the menu".
This is the only Project album that does not feature the orchestration of Andrew Powell.
Vulture Culture was the last Project album recorded on analogue equipment, and as with the previous two, mixed directly to the digital master tape.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson.
| No. | Title | Lead Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Let's Talk About Me" | David Paton | 4:29 |
| 2. | "Separate Lives" | Eric Woolfson | 4:59 |
| 3. | "Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)" | Chris Rainbow | 4:31 |
| 4. | "Sooner or Later" | Eric Woolfson | 4:25 |
| No. | Title | Lead Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vulture Culture" | Lenny Zakatek | 5:22 |
| 2. | "Hawkeye" | Instrumental | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Somebody Out There" | Colin Blunstone | 4:55 |
| 4. | "The Same Old Sun" | Eric Woolfson | 5:25 |
Vulture Culture was remastered and reissued in 2007 with the following bonus tracks:
- "No Answers Only Questions (final version)" (Woolfson) – 2:12
- "Separate Lives (alternative mix)" – 4:18
- "Hawkeye (demo)" – 3:18
- "The Naked Vulture" – 10:43
- "No Answers Only Questions (the first attempt)" (Woolfson) – 2:56
Personnel
- Ian Bairnson – guitar
- Colin Blunstone – vocals
- Richard Cottle – synthesizer, keyboards, saxophone
- Stuart Elliott – percussion, drums
- Mr. Laser Beam – vocals, speech/speaker/speaking part
- Alan Parsons – keyboards, programming, vocals
- David Paton – bass, guitar, vocals
- Chris Rainbow – vocals
- Eric Woolfson – piano, keyboards, vocals
- Lenny Zakatek – vocals
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Billboard 200 | 46 |
| 1985 | UK Albums Chart | 40 |
| 1985 | Canada | 25 |
| 1985 | Norway | 9 |
| 1985 | Spain (AFYVE) | 2 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[7] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Germany (BVMI)[8] | Gold | 250,000^ |
|
*sales figures based on certification alone | ||
References
- "allmusic ((( Vulture Culture > Overview )))". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
- Rolling Stone Music | Album Reviews. Rollingstone.com.
- Alan Parsons Project, The – Vulture Culture at Discogs. Discogs.com (03 February 2018).
- charts.de. charts.de.
- The Alan Parsons Project – Let's Talk About Me. hitparade.ch.
- The Alan Parsons Project – Vulture Culture. dutchcharts.nl.
- "Canadian album certifications – Alan Parsons Project – Vulture Culture". Music Canada.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alan Parsons Project; 'Vulture Culture')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.