Ammonia Avenue

Ammonia Avenue
Studio album by The Alan Parsons Project
Released	7 February 1984
Recorded	Mid 1982 – Late 1983
Studio	Abbey Road Studios, London, England
Genre	Progressive rock pop rock
Length	39:58
Label	Arista
Producer	Alan Parsons
The Alan Parsons Project chronology
Eye in the Sky (1982) Ammonia Avenue (1984) Vulture Culture (1984)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]

Ammonia Avenue is the seventh studio album by the British progressive rock band The Alan Parsons Project, released on 7 February 1984 by Arista Records. The Phil Spector-influenced "Don't Answer Me" was the album's lead single, and reached the Top 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, as well as the fourth position on the Adult Contemporary chart. The single also reached the Top 20 in several countries^[3] and represents the last big hit for the Alan Parsons Project. "Prime Time" was a follow-up release that fared well in the top 40. "Since The Last Goodbye" was a minor hit.

Ammonia Avenue is one of the band's biggest-selling albums, carrying an RIAA certification of gold and reaching the Top 10 in a number of countries.^[4]

Background and release

The title of the album was inspired by Eric Woolfson's visit to Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in Billingham, England, where the first thing he saw was a street with miles of pipes, no people, no trees and a sign that read 'Ammonia Avenue'. The album focuses on the possible misunderstanding of industrial scientific developments from a public perspective and a lack of understanding of the public from a scientific perspective.^[5] This album was the second of three recorded on analogue equipment and mixed directly to the digital master tape.

"You Don't Believe" had already been released as both a single and a new song on 1983's "The Best Of The Alan Parsons Project" compilation.

Promotion

Music videos for "Don't Answer Me" and "Prime Time" were produced in 1984, the former with art and animation by MW Kaluta. The latter video is inspired by John Collier's story "Evening Primrose".

Reissue

Ammonia Avenue was remastered and reissued in 2008 with bonus tracks.

In popular culture

The album's title track was sampled by Kanye West in his track Heartless.^[6]

Track listing

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

Side One

1. "Prime Time" (lead vocal Eric Woolfson) – 5:03
2. "Let Me Go Home" (lead vocal Lenny Zakatek) – 3:20
3. "One Good Reason" (lead vocal Eric Woolfson) – 3:36
4. "Since the Last Goodbye" (lead vocal Chris Rainbow) – 4:34
5. "Don't Answer Me" (lead vocal Eric Woolfson) – 4:11

Side Two

1. "Dancing on a Highwire" (lead vocal Colin Blunstone) – 4:22
2. "You Don't Believe" (lead vocal Lenny Zakatek) – 4:26
3. "Pipeline" (instrumental) – 3:56
4. "Ammonia Avenue" (lead vocal Eric Woolfson) – 6:30

2008 Bonus Tracks

10. "Don't Answer Me" (Early Rough Mix)
11. "You Don't Believe" (Demo)
12. "Since the Last Goodbye" (Chris Rainbow Vocal Overdubs)
13. "Since the Last Goodbye" (Eric Guide Vocal – Rough Mix)
14. "You Don't Believe" (Instrumental Tribute to The Shadows)
15. "Dancing on a Highwire/Spotlight" (Work in Progress)
16. "Ammonia Avenue Part 1" (Eric Demo Vocal – Rough Mix)
17. "Ammonia Avenue" (Orchestral Overdub)

Personnel

• Ian Bairnson – acoustic guitar, guitar, electric guitar
• Colin Blunstone – vocals
• Mel Collins – synthesizer, saxophone
• Stuart Elliott – percussion, drums
• Alan Parsons – keyboards, programming, vocals
• David Paton – bass, guitar, vocals
• Chris Rainbow – vocals
• Eric Woolfson – keyboards, vocals
• Lenny Zakatek – vocals
• Ken Zidar - bass, vocals
• The Philharmonia Orchestra leader – Christopher Warren-Green
• Storm Thorgerson - album cover design

Charts

References