Al Stewart: Where Did You Come in?

That's just fantastic. To run a metaphor off your report, I often think of Al as being out there on the sea of rock in his own boat. Love that he's still hobknobbing among two of the all-time great contributors to the rock canon.

 

Thanks for those great personal insights. According to his bio Al shared a flat for a short time in London just as his career was getting up and running. I too spent a night with Al -- and Lawrence Juber and Robert Pondiscio. An entire evening. I came away from it thinking he revered Simon. No hint of any acrimony on that occasion.

 

I attended that show as well. Last Days of the Century, the album he was touring, was weak and glossy in that awful 80s way, but the show was wonderful as you say.

I actually came to Al late, in the mid 80s, through a friend's collection. The albums from Past Present and Future through Time Passages got a ton of play with me during college, and I really liked the new material on Indian Summer. Not so much for what came after.

 

I discovered Al Stewart with "Times Passages" then "Year of the Cat". Those albums really capture the zeitgeist of the mid-to-late '70s for me in a number of different ways. I'm glad that I discovered Al Stewart all those years ago. Love that music to this day!

 

I too have some fond memories of hearing Al Stewart both on radio (Year of the Cat, Time Passages..even hearing Song on the radio (an oddity considering it was over a 6 minute song!) and having some of those songs on 45's in a jukebox. I was fortunate enough over the past year or so, to find VG to near mint copies of the Mo-Fi Year of the Cat, and Time Passages vinyl. A side by side comparison from normal pressings of the same albums is like night and day. I really happen to like Song on the Radio from Time Passages---especially cranked way up on the MFSL vinyl! Amazing details, rich bass, and textures that come out of that song from the Mo-Fi vinyl. The song Lord Grenville is another stunning song on the Mo-Fi vinyl. Even though many of the albums/songs mentioned on this thread are from the 70's his music resonates and grabs listeners from recent times! I also felt he never really got the credit and accolades he deserved for his variety of styles and songs!

 

I actually came in late, having seen my first Al show in ’98 at the House of Blues in Chicago, where he was co-headliner along with Mason & Capaldi. I had been intrigued by YOTC & Time Passages; after that first show I was a fan for life. One funny thing I remember is that at the show, there were some rowdy frat boy types down front making a lot of noise, and at one point Al commented, “Apparently literacy is not a requirement for tonight’s audience.” Lol

One album I haven’t seen mentioned here is Down in the Cellar from around 2000 or so. It is so good, my third favorite along with YOTC & Time Passages. Only Al Stewart would think to do an entire album based on wine – and have it be so good! It also marked a bit of a departure for him, as much of it was piano rather than guitar driven. Cellar and its follow up, A Beach Full of Shells, are both strong and highly recommended to those who liked him in the 70s and then maybe fell out of touch with him.

 

Year Of The Cat, which my dad had on vinyl. Later on I heard Live - Indian Summer on one of my dad's tapes, which made me check out later albums like Time Passages and 24 Carrots.

 

Thanks, yes I spotted that and the venue looks good.
I'm dithering to be honest but the tickets are nearly gone with only a few back row ones left, so I'd better make up my mind soon.

 

Good to know that Al is selling a lot of tickets seven months in advance.

I'm hoping to go to Sheffield or Pocklington but I haven't booked yet either. Better get my skates on.

 

Only one I got into is Modern Times. No year of the cat,or any of that.And Modern times. What a ride. Coke holiday and all.Carol.Incredibke.Came into it when it came out in 75.

 

He is touring west coast USA now and East coast in May 2019.

 

Past, Present and Future was the first album I bought after hearing Roads to Moscow and Nostradamus a lot on FM.

 

Definitely is on it's own. It's just that good. 70's had a lot of bands like that back then.

 

Same here. A Seattle FM station used to play them very regularly when the album came out.

 

Year Of The Cat, which I bought on vinyl in '76. By coincidence I found a second hand CD today and I bought it. First time listening to this since the 1970s. I love Stewart's voice, and he's a fine lyricist. I'll have to pick up a couple more albums.

 

This is Al Stewart's best kept secret ! The cd is readily available from Amazon and is cheap. This is the complete 'live blue album' plus SIRENS OF TITAN. Incredible performance and excellent recording. (Agree has cheesy package art. Ignore it.)

 

This one?

 

The "Carol" single in 1975... it convinced me to pick up Modern Times, then work backwards. Side one of Love Chronicles remains among my all-time favourite halves of an album.

I lost interest again with Time Passages, and never really recovered - just the occasional track here and there. Saw him live a couple of years back, though, and he was great.

 

Yes ! (Cheesy cover and all !) The music does not disappoint. Everyone needs to own this.

 

I came in at the Best of Al Stewart that came out in 1985, purchased used on CD circa 1992. Absolutely adored Year of the Cat, Running Man, Merlin's Time, and Time Passages. Purchased many others, including Love Chronicles, Modern Times, Past Present & Future, 24 Carrots, and Famous Last Words. Al Stewart remains one of my favorite musicians, and my favorites are still on the mentioned albums. Honorable mention to Indian Summer.

 

I started with Past/Present/Future but Modern Times was already out. I still love both albums dearly. I think his run of PPF through Year of the Cat stands up there with any rock artist's three album highlight run out there.

 

Time Passages on the AM radio in the Vista Cruiser

 

“Year of the Cat” and “Time Passages”. Pick one.

 

Yes you will indeed. And by the looks of your appreciation of Al, you're in for a good 45-50 years of music to never get tired of.