Vulture Culture ranks easily in my top three favorite Alan Parsons Project albums, right up there with Eye in the Sky and Ammonia Avenue. Like many Alan Parsons Project albums, Vulture Culture has a theme -- modern society and its failings -- but though it sounds like a cold, impersonal theme, the album manages to be filled with feeling.
I love music that just about begs you to just close your eyes and listen to the music -- music that you can feel in your bloodstream and in your bones.
Vulture Culture is filled with songs like that. From the driving beat of Let's Talk About Me to the wistfully-sung Days are Numbers, this album begs you to stop what you're doing and just listen.
There are no bad songs on this album, which is remarkable considering the range of styles included in it and the fact that most songs feature their own, unique vocalist. Unlike many bands with one lead singer, The Alan Parsons Project has a multitude of talented vocalists, and many of them are featured on Vulture Culture.
The lyrics on the album are intelligent and clever, though not so clever as to be trite or phony. The melodies are complex and enchanting.
This may be the least mystical of The Project's albums (with the exception of the little-known Freudiana), with the meaning evident in most of the songs. Still, songs such as Days are Numbers and The Same Old Sun give it that old Alan Parsons Project flair.
One of my favorite songs ever, The Same Old Sun is melodic and sweet. It's a touching, haunting song made perfect by Eric Wolfson's melancholy vocals and the song's intricately parallel lyrics. For ballad lovers, this song will speak to you.
Vulture Culture is a vital album in The Alan Parsons Project's discography, and a must-have for fans of the group. Though Eye In the Sky might be a better introduction for newcomers to The Project's style, Vulture Culture will find a prominent place in any Alan Parsons Project lover's collection.
