The Alan Parsons Project "Gaudi"

Gaudi is the tenth album by The Alan Parsons Project, released in 1987. Gaudi refers to Antoni Gaudí, the Catalan Spanish architect, and the opening track references what is probably Gaudí's best known building, the Sagrada Família.

The songs Closer to Heaven and Money Talks were used in an episode of the third season of the TV series Miami Vice, with Paseo de Gracia (even though in Catalan – and officially – the exact name is "Passeig de Gràcia") appearing in an episode in the show's fifth season.

A musical by Eric Woolfson with the same name, and based on the songs of this album, was released in 1993 in Germany with the songs sung in English.

In the last change of core Project band members, saxophonist/keyboardist Richard Cottle's brother, Laurie, replaced David Paton on bass after he left to join Elton John's band. The album was recorded at the Grange in Norfolk and Mayfair Studios in London using a pair of Sony 3324 DASH digital tape recorders and mixed to a digital master.

This was the final canonical Alan Parsons Project studio album, as well as vocalist Lenny Zakatek's final contribution to any Parsons album. Although the album The Sicilian Defence was released in 2014, it was originally recorded in 1979 and was never intended to be heard by the public.

During the writing of what would have been the followup, Eric Woolfson turned that album into a rock opera, eventually released as Freudiana in 1990. Alan Parsons continued as a solo artist in 1993 with Try Anything Once, an album which completes the musical evolution that started with this album.

Track listing

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

Side One

1. "La Sagrada Familia" (lead vocal John Miles, backing vocal Eric Woolfson and Chris Rainbow) – 8:46
2. "Too Late" (lead vocal Lenny Zakatek) – 4:31
3. "Closer to Heaven" (lead vocal Eric Woolfson) – 5:52

Side Two

1. "Standing on Higher Ground" (lead vocal Geoff Barradale, backing vocal Chris Rainbow) – 5:03 original CD; 5:48 on 2008 Remaster
2. "Money Talks" (lead vocal John Miles) – 4:26
3. "Inside Looking Out" (lead vocal Eric Woolfson) – 6:22
4. "Paseo de Gracia" (Instrumental) – 3:47

Gaudi was remastered and reissued in 2008 with the following bonus tracks:

1. "Too Late" (Eric Woolfson rough guide vocal)
2. "Standing on Higher Ground/Losing Proposition" (vocal experiments)
3. "Money Talks" (Chris Rainbow/percussion overdubs)
4. "Money Talks" (rough mix backing track)
5. "Closer to Heaven" (sax/Chris Rainbow overdub section)
6. "Paseo de Gracia" (rough mix)
7. "La Sagrada Familia" (rough mix)