All Seeing I is the working name of three U.K.-based DJs: Parrot, Buckel, and Honer. Their first full-length release,
Pickled Eggs & Sherbet, is a collaborative effort between
the "I" -- as they call themselves -- and a series of guest vocalists, including
Jarvis Cocker,
Philip Oakey,
Simon Boswell,
Babybird, and
Tony Christie. The album produced two hits, "Walk Like a Panther" and "The Beat Goes On," but failed to match the success of those songs. Most of the tracks sound entirely appropriate for the chosen vocalist -- "1st Man in Space" features
Philip Oakey and sounds like
the Human League -- which is good, but not all that interesting.
Jarvis Cocker is the major player on the album, responsible for most of the songwriting. Again, that can work well, but too much of the material sounds like quirky
Pulp efforts. Despite being given an opportunity to explore other avenues,
Cocker has stuck with his familiar theme of life amongst the poor and the disenfranchised. It's interesting in places, and "Walk Like a Panther" is a fine song, but most of
Pickled Eggs & Sherbet is simply nondescript. ~ Jim Harper