Al Stewart: 24 Carrots – 40th Anniversary 3CD Edition

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Jerryb, Sep 11, 2020.

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  1. Jerryb

    Jerryb Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    New Jersey
  2. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Weird. Not exactly his most treasured album. Surprised they'd do a deluxe of this one over some of the others without a deluxe issue already.
     
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  3. Juggsnelson

    Juggsnelson Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island
  4. George P

    George P Notable Member

    Location:
    NYC
    How has Cherry Red's mastering been?
     
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  5. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    seems like an odd choice from such a wonderful catalog...................
     
  6. Juggsnelson

    Juggsnelson Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island
    Much better in tbe past few years than earlier releases IMHO. I just got the Andrew Gold box and the recent Howard Jones drkuxe and they sound great. Great booklets too.
     
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  7. George P

    George P Notable Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Thanks. Looks like the two Howard Jones DE from them are DR9 each.
     
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  8. Juggsnelson

    Juggsnelson Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island
    The most recent Jones reissue was One to One and I liked the sound of that a bit better. The DR on that might be better. I havent received the Cross That Line reissue yet so I can't comment on that one.
     
  9. George P

    George P Notable Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Thanks again. :wave:
     
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  10. sherrill50

    sherrill50 Well-adapted Melomaniac

    Location:
    Mukilteo, WA
    If you're looking for finished but unreleased studio takes, there's not much here; almost all of that has been released in earlier reissues. Also, although announced by Cherry Red, it appears this will be on Esoteric, which has released remasters of several earlier albums (Orange, Past Present & Future, and Modern Times) by Al within the last couple of years.

    Here's the blurb from the Cherry Red website:

    • A NEWLY REMASTERED & EXPANDED 40th ANNIVERSARY 3CD EDITION OF THE CLASSIC AL STEWART ALBUM
    • FEATURING TWO CDs OF PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED MATERIAL, INCLUDING THE DEMO SESSIONS AT DAVLEN STUDIOS, LOS ANGELES IN AUGUST 1979 AND A PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED LIVE RECORDING MADE AT HAMMERSMITH ODEON, LONDON IN DECEMBER 1980
    • WITH AN ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET WITH A NEW ESSAY AND EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AL STEWART
    Esoteric Recordings is proud to announce the release of a newly re-mastered and expanded 3 CD 40th Anniversary edition of the classic album 24 CARROTS by AL STEWART. Released in 1980, the album came on the heels of a series of highly successful albums YEAR OF THE CAT and TIME PASSAGES, which saw the legendary folk-rock musician reach a wider audience and, after adopting a more rock orientated approach, gain top ten success in the USA where he had relocated.

    For the album 24 CARROTS he worked with the musicians in the band SHOT IN THE DARK featuring his musical collaborator PETER WHITE (keyboards, guitar), ADAM YURMAN (electric guitar), ROBIN LAMBLE (bass, guitar), KRYSIA KRISTIANNE (backing vocals), BRIAN SAVAGE (saxophone, flute), ROBIN MARLETTE (keyboards) and various drummers including Steve Chapman and Jeff Porcaro. It also featured a guest appearance by ROBIN WILLIAMSON (Incredible String Band). Sessions for the album began at Davlen studios in Los Angeles in August 1979 where Al worked with Shot in the Dark on a series of demos of some compositions that would make up the album, and others which would remain consigned to the vaults. When completed in May 1980 the album would feature classic tracks such as ‘Running Man’, ‘Merlin’s Time’, ‘Murmansk Run – Ellis Island’ and the US top thirty hit single ‘Midnight Rocks’. Upon its release in August 1980, 24 CARROTS would be another American Top Forty hit and would also be a success in other European countries.

    This 40th anniversary edition of 24 CARROTS has been newly expanded from the original first-generation master tapes and includes two rare single mixes previously unreleased on CD and two additional CDs featuring the August 1979 Davlen studios demo sessions (including an early studio version of The World Goes to Riyadh) and a CD of live recordings made at Hammersmith Odeon in London in December 1980 on the 24 CARROTS tour. The release also includes an illustrated booklet with an exclusive new interview with Al Stewart. This 40th anniversary edition serves as a fine tribute to a fine album and a consummate songwriter and performer.​
     
  11. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    An underappreciated gem, Glad it's getting the big treatment.
     
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  12. slipkid

    slipkid Senior Member

    Al lost me with the smooth jazz stylings of Time Passages and I remember nothing about this album oddly enough (not a good sign) so I'll pass.
     
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  13. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    It one of my favourites. Every song a winner. Happily, it doesn't have the smooth sound of Time Passages (my least favourite Al record, though I still like it) and it rocks a little less gently than Year Of The Cat.

    There are plenty of nuggets in Al's later catalogue that are even better that the classic albums. If you've ever got a spare couple of hours, it might be worth dipping a toe in.
     
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  14. slipkid

    slipkid Senior Member

    I have bought many of his albums the past 20 years or so, Rhymes in Rooms (live acoustic) is the only one I liked enough to keep (strike that, I also kept Famous Last Words but I can't remember anything about it). The others just didn't do much for me. I still love Past PF, Modern Times and Year of the Cat though. And seeing him play live (solo acoustic mostly) is always great.
     
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  15. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Fair enough! :righton:
     
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  16. jibbers

    jibbers Forum Resident

    Location:
    toronto
    Badly need the first four albums given the deluxe treatment like this - "bedsitter images","love chronicles", "zero she flies" and the fantastic "orange". For me after these four it all starts to go downhill.
     
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  17. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Orange is underappreciated, I feel. Even fellow Al fans rarely mention it in dispatches.
     
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  18. DrAftershave

    DrAftershave A Wizard, A True Star

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Oh I'll be buying this with no hesitation.
     
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  19. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    Looking forward to giving this a listen. Odd place to drop in a big deluxe edition, but no complaints.
     
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  20. fra_pe

    fra_pe Forum Resident

    A nice surprise! But I still have to keep the EMI release (including the 5 studio tracks from „Indian Summer“) and the Collector‘s Choice release with 3 different bonus tracks :shh:
     
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  21. fra_pe

    fra_pe Forum Resident

    But will buy nevertheless :)
     
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  22. therunner

    therunner Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    I wonder why only 8 songs from the Hammersmith concert are included, there is plenty of spare room on a CD.
     
  23. Houston_Music_Fan

    Houston_Music_Fan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, Texas
    I've never been into pure folk, but I loved the albums Al made with my other favorite, Alan Parsons, especially YOTC and Time Passages. This album, 24 Carrots, has some good tracks (every one of Al's albums does), but it was the album where he began losing mainstream support. Still, he came back strong, writing-wise, in later years. Between the Wars (1995), Down in the Cellar (2000), and A Beach Full of Shells (2005), are all criminally underlooked, IMO. They're each full of gems.

    I hope Al isn't done with recording. In fact, he and Alan Parsons remain friends and I let Alan know when I got to interview him not long ago that I hoped they'd collaborate again. Cellar was an album where every song was about wine. Only Al Stewart could do that!

     
  24. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    Agree that every "recent"album you mention is a 5/5 classic. In fact, I think that there's a serious argument to be made that his best five studio albums are the ones from Famous Last Words onward, which is a remarkable late career run, but then, I don't think he's released anything that's dropped below 4/5. What a catalogue he has!

    I'm sure I read somewhere that he was back in the studio but that was before covid. Fingers crossed that the pandemic hasn't scuppered his plans.
     
  25. Alan2

    Alan2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I rate this highly in ASs catalogue. Dont know if I need to buy it, as I have more than one version already, but it's tempting.
     
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