Anyone remember Al Stewart?.

He was popular from the mid to late 70's his most well known song was "Year of the Cat". Some others were Roads to Moscow, The Eyes of Nostradamus and Time Passages

Anyhow I saw him perform last night at of all places Moses Lake WA. It was very a good show and I guess I'm sorry he hasn't been more successful lately because he's quite a talent.

Possibly due to economic reasons he performed solo, just him and his guitar. In spite of that he put out a pretty good sound. He's quite a guitar player. I think it's a true measure of an artist's talent when they can sound good without any special effects.

He seemed to enjoy performing perhaps because it was a more intimate setting than a large concert hall.

Anyone who's listened to Al Stewart knows his songs reflect an intellectual depth that's rarely seen these days.

Wouldn't think Al would be a big hit over in the Freep side of the state. Not actually a big fan myself, but a friend of mine used to worship the guy, so I've heard a lot of his stuff. Gotta admit though that the acoustic album he did with his longtime collaborator Peter White a few years back was pretty good.

I imagine most people in Eastern Washington will vote for the dim son but I saw an awful lot of Kerry/ Edwards signs driving through that part of the state.

"She came out of the sun in a
silk dress running
like a watercolor
in the rain..."


And on tv now it's

lean back
lean back
lean back
lean back...

how come nobody writes real songs anymore????

the title song and one of my absolute favorites of all time!!! I also like "Song on the Radio" which is on this album.

Time Passages

It was late in December, the sky turned to snow
All 'round the day was goin down slow
Night like a river, beginning to flow
I felt the beat of my mind go
Drifting into time passages
Years go falling in the fading light
Time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight.......


more

PS...the date on the album........1978

I only remember the radio singles, but that one was the one I liked more than 'Year of The Cat' or 'Time Passages.' Lyrically, he was in the pocket.

He's the one I remember reading in one of the British pop music magazines had semi-retired to devote his time and effort to wine collecting. Seems appropriate, somehow, doesn't it?

He was of the same era as Cat Stevens-- who despite all the disparagement of his reputation in the past decade just released a concert DVD (Majikat), which I'd like to have. I liked Stewart back then a lot and will have to see if I still have a copy of "Year of the Cat" in my collection, now that you remind me.

Right now, I'm hooked on old CSNY-- probably because of the protests.

and has a daughter named Violet.

Just hearing his name has his songs playing in my head. Glad to hear he's still performing.

Always wondered what became of him.

that was a good show....in Mankato, Mn.
my first job out of college was way down in sw. mn.
we worked like dogs, all night, and there was only one decent radio station in range. we'd plug it into the intercom system and "Year of the Cat" was played two or three times a night.
Weird how songs evoke a memory like that. I hadn't really thought of that place & job for a long time, but this post dragged it from my memory.
loved the song; hated the job. we were making huge amounts of money for our slave=masters but we saw very little of it.
one morning the boss came in and bitched at us for running up the electric bill.
he was a true asshole.

What songs did he do? Name some and it'll probably come back to me.

More here: http://www.shawnphillips.com

I would bet he did it intentionally. I don't know if you like CSN&Y but listen to "4 Way Street"...there is a part where Neil Young comes out by himself with just his guitar...Neil's voice was still good back in those days. He plays Don't Let it Bring Ya Down and Cowgirl in the Sand...its awesome!!
If you remember Al then you got to remember Cat Stevens...how about this classic:

Now that I've lost everything to you,
you say you want to start something new,
and it's breaking my heart you're leaving,
baby I'm grieving.

But if you wanna leave take good care,
hope you have a lot of nice things to wear,
but then a lot of nice things turn bad out there.

Oh baby baby it's a wild world,
it's hard to get by just upon a smile.
Oh baby baby it's a wild world.

I'll always remember you like a child, girl.
You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do,
and it's breaking my heart in two,
cause I never want to see you sad girl,
don't be a bad girl,
but if you want to leave take good care,
hope you make a lot of nice friends out there,
but just remember there's a lot of bad and beware,
beware,

Oh baby baby it's a wild world,
it's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh baby baby it's a wild world,
and I'll always remember you like a child, girl.

Baby I love you, but if you wanna leave take good care,
hope you make a lot of nice friends out there,
but just remember there's a lot of bad,
and beware, beware,

oh baby baby it's a wild world,
it's hard to get by just upon a smile.
Oh baby baby it's a wild world,
and I'll always remember you like a child, girl.

Then, last weekend, on the way back from Portland I heard "The Year of the Cat" on a '70s revival radio show.

Wow, he's playing Moses Lake. Like others have said, I'm surprised he attracted a good following east of the mountains.:hi:

is on of the great guitar players today. totally underrated...

great LP, the nostradamos cut is excellent.

The Year of the Cat!

SONG ON THE RADIO
Al Stewart
From TIME PASSAGES

I was making my way through the wasteland
The road into town passes through
I was changing the radio stations
With my mind on you
Oh your friends call you "Lily Paloma"
But that's not the way that you are
It's too much of a gentle misnomer
For a shooting star

But you and me baby
I saw you there
Straight away I knew
There's really no hiding
I'll tell you right now
What we're gonna do
We'll go collecting the days
Putting the moments away
You're on my mind like a
Song on the Radio

I remember the first time I saw you
Alone in the dark with a drink
With a candle flame burning before you
And your thoughts closed in
You were staring out into the distance
Not seeming to hear what I said
Why did you put up such resistance
Like all the lights are red

'Cause you and me baby
I saw you there
Straight away I knew
There's really no hiding
I'll tell you right now
What we're gonna do
We'll go collecting the days
Putting the moments away
You're on my mind like a
Song on the Radio

I don't know what it was that was painful
But sometimes it's there in your face
There are times when you just look disdainful
Of the human race
Ah, but then on the wings of emotion
We circle each other in flight
Till together we roll like the ocean
In its bed at night

'Cause you and me baby
I saw you there
Straight away I knew
There's really no hiding
I'll tell you right now
What we're gonna do
We'll go collecting the days
Putting the moments away
You're on my mind like a
Song on the Radio
You're on my mind like a
Song on the Radio

Great music...intelligent lyrics...Al Stewart ROCKS!!! (and if you don't think so, listen to the live version of "On The Border" from his Best Of CD. Nice acoustic Peter White intro & guitar work throughout, great drummer, and
as always, clever and perceptive lyrics! :headbang: :loveya:

ON THE BORDER
Al Stewart
from LIVE/INDIAN SUMMER

The fishing boats go out across the evening water
Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border
The wind whips up the waves so loud
The ghost moon sails among the clouds
Turns the rifles into silver on the border

On my wall the colours of the maps are running
From Africa the winds they talk of changes coming
The torches flare up in the night
The hand that sets the farms alight
Has spread the word to those who're waiting on the border

In the village where I grew up
Nothing seems the same
Still you never see the change from day to day
And no-one notices the customs slip away

Late last night the rain was knocking at my window
I moved across the darkened room and in the lampglow
I thought I saw down in the street
The spirit of the century
Telling us that we're all standing on the border

In the islands where I grew up
Nothing seems the same
It's just the patterns that remain
An empty shell
But there's a strangeness in the air you feel too well

The fishing boats go out across the evening water
Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border
The wind whips up the waves so loud
The ghost moon sails among the clouds
Turns the rifles into silver on the border

On the border
On the border
On the border

and denounced his old music? must have been someone else (I also like "Year of the Cat")

mentioned upthread, just to confuse you.

he changed his name to Yusuf Islam and did denounce all his previous music. If I recall correctly he felt it was too secular and not reflective of his new spiritual path.

http://catstevens.com/ http://www.yusufislam.org.uk/index.shtml

Must be the Year of the Cat, they both had that Cat thing going. :-)

Great singer/songwriter/guitarist.

You are correct about the intellectual depth. Thanks for the reminder.

Made me see the British in a very different light!!!! Lordy, was he snotty!!!!!!!!

believe me, youre everyone's and nobodies lover.

Roads to Moscow.

Nostradamus.

but a snotty guy who lives in california now...

it also seems, just by listening to his music, that he can come across as really full of himself, ie: thinks highly of his own intelligence!

He didn't seem that way Saturday. He chatted quite a bit with the audience and seemed rather down to earth. Perhaps being out of the spotlight so long taught him some humility.

I'd love to hear him live.

..."contemplating a crime."

Any guy who mentions Peter Lorre in his lyrics is all right with me.

And "Sand in Your Shoes" is MY song. ("You always were a city kid...")

My best friend used to have "Time Passages" playing on the jukebox whenever we arranged to meet in in the snack bar at university.

I still play the Stewart albums (now on CD), and I still love them.

'I don't know what it was that was painful
But sometimes it's there in your face
There are times when you just look disdainful
Of the human race
Ah, but then on the wings of emotion
We circle each other in flight
Till together we roll like the ocean
In its bed at night.........'

one of the best lyrics ever...

On a morning from a Bogart movie
In a country where they turn back time
You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre
Contemplating a crime
She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running
Like a watercolour in the rain
Don't bother asking for explanations
She'll just tell you that she came
In the year of the cat

She doesn't give you time for questions
As she locks up your arm in hers
And you follow 'till your sense of which direction
Completely disappears
By the blue tiled walls near the market stalls
There's a hidden door she leads you to
These days, she says, I feel my life
Just like a river running through
The year of the cat


Well, she looks at you so cooly
And her eyes shine like the moon in the sea
She comes in incense and patchouli
So you take her, to find what's waiting inside
The year of the cat


Well, morning comes and you're still with her
And the bus and the tourists are gone
And you've thrown away the choice and lost your ticket
So you have to stay on
But the drum-beat strains of the night remain
In the rhythm of the new-born day
You know sometime you're bound to leave her
But for now you're going to stay
In the year of the cat