The Alan Parsons Project "Ammonia Avenue"

Ammonia Avenue is the seventh studio album by the British progressive rock band The Alan Parsons Project, released on 7 December 1983 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 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, reaching No. 34. "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.

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', whose portrait was used for the front cover. 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. 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.

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" and features two mannequins, a female and a male one, coming to life and falling in love with each other. About halfway through the video, a street sign for "Ammonia Ave." appears - a reference to the album title.

Ammonia Avenue was remastered and reissued in 2008 with bonus tracks, and in 2020 as well, on blu-ray audio format, including a high definition remaster in stereo and multichanel sound, and the two promotional videos of the album as a bonus.

Track listing

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

Side one

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

Side two

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

2008 Bonus Tracks

1. "Don't Answer Me" (Early Rough Mix)
2. "You Don't Believe" (Demo)
3. "Since the Last Goodbye" (Chris Rainbow Vocal Overdubs)
4. "Since the Last Goodbye" (Eric Guide Vocal – Rough Mix)
5. "You Don't Believe" (Instrumental Tribute to The Shadows)
6. "Dancing on a Highwire/Spotlight" (Work in Progress)
7. "Ammonia Avenue Part 1" (Eric Demo Vocal – Rough Mix)
8. "Ammonia Avenue" (Orchestral Overdub)