The Alan Parsons Project-Stereotomy (1985)

The Alan Parsons Project's ninth album practically marked the end of the project, even though they would release the epitaph "Gaudi" a few years later. For many, this release saw Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson recapture the energetic sound they had showcased in their early years, although they still strayed from the progressive style of their more classic albums. As was typical throughout the project's career, the duo once again enlisted a stellar lineup of musicians for the album's creation, from vocalists John Miles, Chris Rainbow, Gary Brooker, and Graham Dye, to bassist David Patton, guitarist Ian Bairnson, drummer Stuart Elliott, and arranger Andrew Powell, while Parsons and Woolfson handled the synthesizers and production. From the optimistic title track to the enjoyable instrumental "Where's The Walrus". and other noteworthy pieces like the elaborate "Limelight" or the brilliant "Beaujolais" and "Urbania", the album is harder-edged than the project's later releases, though always under the lens of sophisticated pop-rock, making it one of their most highly regarded works of the eighties.