Ammonia Avenue
	Produced by Alan Parsons
	Released on February 1984
	UK CHART POSITION #24 . . . US CHART POSITION #15 . . . GOLD RECORD
	Find it at GEMM
AL8-8204 cover [high resolution photo]

I bought Marcal tissues because they were on sale, and I was thinking they were the flimsiest things I’d ever seen, but they’re looking pretty thick and fluffy next to the concept of Ammonia Avenue. This album is about a future where oxygen is scarce and scientists come to our rescue by building a place where we can all live safely. I think. I really don’t have any idea. The Alan Parsons Project writes love songs, and why they feel compelled to cast them in some kind of high-minded concept every time is beyond me. The same goes (more or less) for The Moody Blues and Supertramp and even 10cc too sometimes. Brilliant balladeers who insist on being taken seriously. I don’t have any gripe with the music on Ammonia Avenue: “Don’t Answer Me” (okay, so it’s essentially a re-write of “Eye in the Sky”), “Ammonia Avenue,” “Prime Time,” “Since the Last Goodbye.” Only Eye and Turn have so many good tunes on them. Also included here is the earlier single, “You Don’t Believe,” which on the surface seems to be Woolfson griping about his relationship with Parsons. (I don’t believe it was part of the original plot, but maybe not enough oxygen was getting into his brain, I dunno.) If the concepts trip me up, I’m finally getting the idea behind their covers, since they’re optical illusions after a sort. (Look at this cover and it appears to bulge out at both sides. I’m also pretty sure the idea behind Stereotomy is to stare at it for a while and then look at a blank wall and blink.) If the smooth and somnolent Eye caught yours, then take a stroll down Ammonia Avenue. Just ignore the plot holes.

AL8-8204 back cover	AL8-8204 lyric sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. PRIME TIME    5:03
2. LET ME GO HOME    3:20
3. ONE GOOD REASON    3:36
4. SINCE THE LAST GOODBYE    4:34
5. DON'T ANSWER ME    4:11
6. DANCING ON A HIGH WIRE    4:22
7. YOU DON'T BELIEVE    4:26
8. PIPELINE    3:56
9. AMMONIA AVENUE    6:30
   
   All tracks written by Eric Woolfson and Alan Parsons

CREDITS

IAN BAIRNSON -- acoustic and electric guitars
COLIN BLUNSTONE -- vocals
MEL COLLINS -- sax
STUART ELLIOTT -- drums and percussion
ALAN PARSONS -- Fairlight programming, engineer
DAVID PATON -- bass
CHRIS RAINBOW -- vocals
ERIC WOOLFSON -- vocals, keyboards, executive producer
LENNY ZAKATEK -- vocals
The Philharmonia Orchestra -- orchestra
Andrew Powell -- orchestral arrangements & conductor
Nigel Warren-Green - orchestra leader
STd -- sleeve design, photography
Fell/Hurworth -- photography

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