EYE – Anthology [3-CD Box Set / Pride & Joy Music remaster] (2023) HQ

Pride & Joy Music has released a 3-CD Box Set of San Francisco based AOR rockers EYE called ”Anthology”. The limited to 500 copies worldwide box includes 50 tracks from the band’s archive digitally remastered with a very good sound quality, including rare picture material, a 24 pages booklet featuring liner notes written by Mike Varney.
Formed in 1975 by John Harrison, Donny McLeod and Peter Penhallow, The band was originally named TIMMY. The starting sound was more Progressive in nature and eventually developed into more Harder Rock AOR stylings by the time they redeveloped and renamed the band to EYE in 1988.
”Anthology” features material from Eye’s 1989 album “It Might Rain”, Timmy’s “The Atlanta Project” (1984), “The Damn Thing Is Still Alive!”, and unreleased material from archives.

For the Timmy 1984 album the band recorded the 4 songs along with guest bassist Andy West of Dixie Dregs fame, and producer Eddy Offord (YES, POLICE, ELP). Although their musical influences also come from these bands, I can’t hear much of a similarity, because this Timmy was pure early 80s AOR/Pomprock recalling The SYNCH, LE ROUX, RATHSKELLER, THRILLS…
So basically you get a lot of wonderful keyboards (the band has two members who playing keyboards and singing), big melodic harmony vocals, catchy hooklines all over the place, superb memorable choruses, sharp guitar riffs and this is all packed in a radio-format early ’80s typed rock sound.

The songs from the album released under the name EYE recorded 1988-89 have the polished sheen production from the era, AOR with pop-rock feeling at places yet still retaining the pomp sound.
These songs are more refined, radio-ready than the previous material, with elegant arrangements.
Kudos to Pride & Joy Music for releasing this excellent box set from a band that deserved better promotion and a good recording deal.
Highly Recommended

Disk ONE
[1] Backup Slowdown
[2] Broadway Hollywood
[3] Taylor Made
[4] Lost And Confused
[5] Romance
[6] Just A Game
[7] You Got Nerve
[8] Don’t Wait
[9] Backup Slowdown (Alternative Version)
[10] All I Need
[11] Need Somebody
[12] Presence
[13] In A Hole
[14] Eye Will Watch You
[15] All Too Well
[16] You Got Nerve (Alternative Version)

Disk TWO
[1] I’m After You
[2] The Hero Is Dead
[3] Big Boy
[4] Under The Weather
[5] Baby/Lady
[6] Honestly Lovely
[7] It Might Rain
[8] Nuclear Affair
[9] You Don’t Know Me
[10] Right Time
[11] Reddi Freddi
[12] Baby/Lady (Alternative Version)
[13] Honestly Lovely (Alternative Version)
[14] Times Got A Way
[15] Baby/Lady (Unplugged)
[16] Reddi Freddi (Alternative Version)

Disk THREE
[1] Don’t Cry
[2] Rumble
[3] No Man’s Land
[4] Witchin’ Time
[5] Night Scope
[6] Eye 4 An Eye
[7] You’ve Gotta Have It
[8] Partyin’ Angel
[9] Change The Channel/MPH
[10] Chase The Blues Away
[11] Here I Am
[12] I Know What I Am Looking For
[13] Ready Or Not
[14] I Can’t Complain
[15] I Know A Way
[16] Happy Birthday (Part One)

Electric Guitar, Vocals – Donny McLeod
Keyboards, Bass, Vocals – John Harrison
Keyboards, Electric Guitar, Vocals – Peter Penhallow
Bass – Andy West
Drums – Andy Bishop, Charlie Tapp, Paul Chatterton, Uncle Woofy

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