Eve
	Produced by Alan Parsons
	Released on August 1979
	UK CHART POSITION #74 . . . US CHART POSITION #13 . . . GOLD RECORD
	Find it at GEMM
AL 9504 cover [high resolution scan]

K ronomyth 4.0: HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE VERSE/CHORUS/VERSE. Art-pop bands have occasionally demonized women for sport (ELO’s “Evil Woman,” for example), but Eve is consumed with the concept, and that’s Adam shame. The opening instrumental, “Lucifer,” would seem to introduce the idea of woman as the instrument of Satan, which is spelled out in the subsequent “You Lie Down With Dogs” and “I’d Rather Be A Man.” It’s a heavy burden to place on the shoulders of what basically amounts to an album of average pop songs, and for many Eve marks a rare misstep among Parsons projects. The album did produce a hit single, “Damned If I Do,” and a popular instrumental in “Lucifer” (personally, I prefer the Beach Boys-based “Secret Garden”), yet it remains one of their least essential albums. The concept of original sin is an interesting one; had Woolfson stuck to that rather than using it as an invitation to derogate women, Eve might have been more seductive. Instead, it comes off like a cuckold’s complaint, a misogynist’s musical manifesto. Ironically, its most sympathetic moments are delivered by Clare Torry and Lesley Duncan, who take the lead vocals for “Don’t Hold Back” and “If I Could Change Your Mind.” Christopher Rainbow also makes a positive first impression on the likeable “Winding Me Up.” While the music is in line with what you could expect from 10cc, Supertramp and ELO, the lyrics are out of line. Since you can get the best bits on Best of without the bitterness, Eve can wait for another day. For APP fans, there’s probably nothing I could say that would make this forbidden fruit, but it’s not the tastiest apple on the tree by a longshot. Incidentally, this would make my shortlist for ugliest album covers of all time.

AL 9504 lyric gatefold	AL 9504 back cover

TRACK LISTING

1. LUCIFER    5:09
2. YOU LIE DOWN WITH DOGS    3:45
3. I'D RATHER BE A MAN    3:52
4. YOU WON'T BE THERE    3:37
5. WINDING ME UP    4:00
6. DAMNED IF I DO    4:50
7. DON'T HOLD BACK    3:36
8. SECRET GARDEN    4:40
9. IF I COULD CHANGE YOUR MIND    5:49
   
   CD reissue bonus tracks
   
10. ELSIE'S THEME FROM THE SICILIAN DEFENSE (THE PROJECT THAT NEVER WAS)
11. LUCIFER (DEMO VERSION)
12. SECRET GARDEN (EARLY ROUGH MIX)
13. DAMNED IF I DO (ROUGH MIX)
14. DON'T HOLD BACK (VOCAL REHEARSAL ROUGH MIX)
15. LUCIFER (EARLY ROUGH MIX)
16. IF I COULD CHANGE YOUR MIND (ROUGH MIX)
    
    All songs written by Erc Woolfson and Alan Parsons

CREDITS

IAN BAIRNSON -- acoustic and electric guitars
STUART ELLIOTT -- drums and percussion
DUNCAN MACKAY -- keyboards
THE ORCHESTRA OF THE MUNICH CHAMBER OPERA -- orchestra
ALAN PARSONS -- miscellaneous instrumental contributions, engineer
DAVID PATON -- bass, lead vocal (3), backing vocals
ANDREW POWELL -- orchestral and choir arrangements, conductor
CHRIS RAINBOW -- backing vocals, lead vocal (5)
ERIC WOOLFSON -- keyboards, miscellaneous instrumental contributions, executive producer
Curtis Briggs - orchestra co-ordinator
Lesley Duncan -- lead vocals (9)
Sandor Farcas -- orchestra leader
Clare Torry -- lead vocals (7)
Dave Townsend -- lead vocals (4)
Lenny Zakatek -- lead vocals (2,6)
Hipgnosis -- cover design

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