Eve (Alan Parsons Project album)

Eve is the fourth studio album by British rock band The Alan Parsons Project, released on 27 August 1979 by Arista Records. The album's focus is on the strengths and characteristics of women, and the problems they face in the world of men.[6] It had originally been intended to focus on "great women in history", but evolved into a wider concept.[6]

Eve
Studio album by
Released27 August 1979
RecordedDecember 1978–June 1979
StudioSuper Bear Studios
Genre
Length39:23
LabelArista
ProducerAlan Parsons
The Alan Parsons Project chronology
Pyramid
(1978)
Eve
(1979)
The Turn of a Friendly Card
(1980)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideD[2]
Rolling Stone[3]
Smash Hits8/10[4]
The Village VoiceD[5]

Eve is The Alan Parsons Project's first album with singer Chris Rainbow. The album's opening instrumental "Lucifer" was a major hit in Europe, and "Damned If I Do" reached the US Top 40, peaking at No. 27. "Lucifer" also is used as title track for the German political TV show Monitor.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson.

Side one
No.TitleLead VocalsLength
1."Lucifer"instrumental5:09
2."You Lie Down with Dogs"Lenny Zakatek3:47
3."I'd Rather Be a Man"David Paton3:53
4."You Won't Be There"Dave Townsend3:34
5."Winding Me Up"Chris Rainbow4:04
Total length:20:27
Side two
No.TitleLead VocalsLength
1."Damned If I Do"Lenny Zakatek4:50
2."Don't Hold Back"Clare Torry3:37
3."Secret Garden"Chris Rainbow4:41
4."If I Could Change Your Mind"Lesley Duncan5:49
Total length:18:57

Eve was remastered and reissued in 2008 with the following bonus tracks:

  1. "Elsie's Theme from 'The Sicilian Defence' (the Project that never was)"
  2. "Lucifer" (demo)
  3. "Secret Garden" (early rough mix)
  4. "Damned If I Do" (rough mix)
  5. "Don't Hold Back" (vocal rehearsal rough mix)
  6. "Lucifer" (early rough mix)
  7. "If I Could Change Your Mind" (rough mix)

Personnel

Two of the lead singers on the album, Clare Torry and Lesley Duncan, previously performed on Alan Parsons' signature production work, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. In fact, it was on Parsons' recommendation that Torry was hired to record the iconic "The Great Gig in the Sky" vocal.

Cover art

The gatefold cover art for Eve by Hipgnosis features three women wearing veils (two on the front, one on the reverse), with their faces partially in shadow. On initial observation, the women appear beautiful, but on the shaded part of each woman's face, the shadows and veils partially conceal disfiguring scars and sores (the lesions were not real, however[7]).

Charts

Chart (1979/80) Peak
Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 14
Austria[9] 2
Canada 10
Germany[10] 1
Norway 6
Spanish Albums Chart 4
UK Albums Chart 74
USA (Billboard 200) 13

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[11] Platinum 100,000^
Germany (BVMI)[12] Gold 400,000[13]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[14] Gold 7,500^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[15] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: P". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 10 March 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  3. Rolling Stone review
  4. Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (20 September – 3 October 1979): 25.
  5. Christgau, Robert (3 December 1979). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  6. Official Alan Parsons Project web site, page title "Eve | The Alan Parsons Project"
  7. "Interview: Alan Parsons: The Artist and Scientist of Sound Recording". BlogSpot. 24 April 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2018.
  8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 229. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. "The Alan Parsons Project – Eve" (in German). austriancharts.at. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  10. "Album – The Alan Parsons Project, Eve" (in German). charts.de. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  11. "Canadian album certifications – Alan Parsons Project – Eve". Music Canada.
  12. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Alan Parsons Project; 'Eve')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  13. The German Hit: Alan's Eve. Billboard. 22 September 1979. p. 75.
  14. "New Zealand album certifications – Alan Parsons Project – Eve". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  15. Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392.
  16. "American album certifications – Alan Parsons Project – Eve". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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