EYE 2 EYE: LIVE IN MADRID (E)

For most fans of progressive and symphonic rock, The Alan Parsons Project (APP) must have been an enlightened name. The producer of Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd is a legend in this genre. When after ten studio albums the band seemed to have ended and singer Eric Woolfson decided to try his luck with musicals, it was quiet for about six years. Until 1993, when Alan Parsons came 'out of nowhere' with the release of Try Anyting Once and he began to take his project on the road. Finally all that great symphonic pop music could be heard and seen live! This tour resulted in the only other live album by Parsons and dates from 1994. Since then a few more albums by Parsons were released. Eye 2 Eye was recorded in 2004 and from 2006 onwards all original APP-albums were released, fully remastered with numerous interesting bonus tracks, thus creating a newly triggered interest in the band's music. Now that Eric Woolfson is sadly no longer with us - he passed away in December 2009 - there's no chance of hearing songs like Don't Answer Me again, at least not sung by him. From an interview I had with Woolfson several years ago, I know he intended to go on stage himself and perform the songs his way and maybe even as he would have liked to have them sound in the first place. My interpretation of this extensive live album is, that it's a tribute to the great songwriter that Woolfson was. There's only one 'new' song on the album and that, in my opinion, is the only mediocre song. This one can be found on Parson's solo album A Valid Path (2004). The line-up on this live album consists of Alan Parsons (acoustic guitar, keyboards, vocals), P.J. Olsson (acoustic guitar, vocals), Godfrey Townshend (lead guitar, vocals), Steve Murphy (drums, vocals), Manny Focarazzo (keyboards, vocals) and John Montagna (bass guitar, vocals). Although Olsson is the lead singer for Alan Parsons' solo works, Parsons carefully selected the members of his band and made sure each one of them was able to sing too. Thus, without big names like Colin Blunstone, John MIles, Chris Rainbow, David Paton or Lenny Zakatek he managed to bring The Alan Parsons Project to stage in a way that will appeal to many lovers of this kind of symphonic pop with progressive edges. The instrumental songs I Robot and Sirius really sound great and most of the renditions of the other songs are more than worthwhile. Most harmonies are quite okay and everyone in the band is in great shape. Still I prefer the original recordings, but since the situation is as it is this live project is the closest to those original recordings you will ever be able to hear.Alan Parsons sings the lead vocal in three tunes, the last one being Games People Play. The album is packed with nice artwork by Storm Thorgerson, because the woman in the water is - together with her reflection - created in the shape of an eye. You really must have an 'eye' to see these kind of things and transform them into art!  It's hard to say if the visual content of the also available DVD would contribute to the appreciation of the music, but the fact is that Eye 2 Eye is a good and solid live album. Why it had to take six years before this concert is finally released, is not clear to me.