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CD
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Alan
Format:Audio CD
I've always loved this album, Al's follow-up to 1976's "Year Of The Cat." Though Al himself is known to dislike the title track, I personally love it. It always takes me back to that period of the late '70s. "Valentina Way" is a great rocker. "Timeless Skies, "End Of The Day," and "Almost Lucy" are classics, in my book. "Palace Of Versaille," besides just being a great tune, first piqued my interest in the French Revolution.
This album is a joy to listen to while simultaneously inspiring me to learn. These are what I consider traits of the better Al Stewart albums.
This album is a joy to listen to while simultaneously inspiring me to learn. These are what I consider traits of the better Al Stewart albums.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Music Man
Format:Audio CD
For all of you who thought the career of Al Stewart started and ended with "Year of the Cat", there's good news! He did an awful lot more before and after. This album in particular is one of my favourites. It has a great feel to it. I agree that a crisper re-master is long overdue; however, you can't fault the quality of the songs on display.
A lot of artists would be panned for having another big sax solo on the follow up title track, having played that particular card on his big "Cat" hit. However, on "Time Passages" it really works because the song is of such quality.
Any artist, even if he isn't an accomplished guitarist like Stewart, must be applauded for having musicians such as Tim Renwick and Peter White on board. I have always been a huge fan of Renwick's. His guitar solos are stand-out pieces on their own. Peter White is simply a very versatile musical genius.
Personal favourites for me are the intriguing and claustrophobic "Life in Dark Waters", the historical "A Man for All Seasons" & "Palace of Versailles" plus the sublime "Timeless Skies" and "Song on the Radio". But having said that, I really love all the tracks with the possible exception of "Valentina Way".
I once saw him at the Dominion Theatre in London when he still used to tour with a full band. Many of the songs from this album were part of his repertoire and all stood up well live.
The album puts you in an almost trance like state of mind and succeeds in taking you to times and places few artists are able to do.
Tremendous lyrics, great musicians, and wonderful arrangements.............without getting carried away any further, buy it and see for yourself!
A lot of artists would be panned for having another big sax solo on the follow up title track, having played that particular card on his big "Cat" hit. However, on "Time Passages" it really works because the song is of such quality.
Any artist, even if he isn't an accomplished guitarist like Stewart, must be applauded for having musicians such as Tim Renwick and Peter White on board. I have always been a huge fan of Renwick's. His guitar solos are stand-out pieces on their own. Peter White is simply a very versatile musical genius.
Personal favourites for me are the intriguing and claustrophobic "Life in Dark Waters", the historical "A Man for All Seasons" & "Palace of Versailles" plus the sublime "Timeless Skies" and "Song on the Radio". But having said that, I really love all the tracks with the possible exception of "Valentina Way".
I once saw him at the Dominion Theatre in London when he still used to tour with a full band. Many of the songs from this album were part of his repertoire and all stood up well live.
The album puts you in an almost trance like state of mind and succeeds in taking you to times and places few artists are able to do.
Tremendous lyrics, great musicians, and wonderful arrangements.............without getting carried away any further, buy it and see for yourself!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album is supreme-and this is a statement which I cannot exaggerate. Al Stewart, for me, has consistently used clever lyrics, fine melody and, of course, an immensley unique voice. But here, I believe he manages to transcend even the brilliance of earlier works (surely nobody could fail to appreciate the consistent story-telling epic of past, present, future, for instance). Furthermore, the poetic delivery actually draws me into the historical themes, much more than through other mediums.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is one of Al Stewart's best albums and appears to be largely unknown and unappreciated.There is not a bad track on this album and the historical tracks, 'A Man For All Seasons' and 'Palace of Versailles' are particularly memorable and evocative.'Song on the Radio' is also a classic song.If you like Al Stewart at all you won's be disappointed in this album.Great value at this price!
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This album, like many of Stewart's other works looks at people, places and relationships. 'Song on the Radio' was a flagrant attempt to get airplay on AOR stations in the USA. It also contains one of his most beautiful songs, the melodic 'End of the Day' about relationships which are on the way out. 'Life in Dark Water' is pure X files- with a strong link to the Bermuda Triangle and the Marie Celeste. It's a musical treat!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Denzyboy
Format:Audio CD
...from the walls of the Bastille'! Rock'n'roll or what?! Delighted to have this on a decent re-master at last. Time Passages was originally released in 1978 as the follow-up to `Year of the Cat' and despite the same immaculate Alan Parsons production and some strong songs it always seems to have been rather overshadowed by its predecessor. Shame really, because this mixture of historical epics, gentler folky numbers and a couple of blatant (and successful) attempts aimed at American AOR radio is as fine a piece of work as Al has ever produced.
The title track was apparently written `to order' as a follow-up single to 'Year of the Cat' and Al always seems to have played down its merits, but from the retro-chime of the electric piano intro through Phil Kenzie's obligatory sax solo its always been one of my favourite songs, nudging the listener to consider the threads of their past through a straightforward but evocative lyric. Elsewhere `Valentina Way `rocks as hard as anything Al's ever done (OK, so not that hard then!) while Timeless Skies and Almost Lucy are first-rate, more acoustic numbers. `The Palace of Versailles' (see the title of this review) is possibly the strongest of the historical songs, complete with the excellent Tim Renwick on lead guitar, but `A Man for All Seasons' and the marvellously claustrophobic `Life in Dark Water' are also memorable. `Time Passages' and `Song on the Radio' both notched up respectable single sales in the US.
Listening to 'Time Passages' it's hard to believe that in 1978 the tidal wave of punk was aiming to wash away `this sort of thing'. Glad this album found a rock to cling to and that those top blokes at Rhino have done a decent job on the re-master!
The title track was apparently written `to order' as a follow-up single to 'Year of the Cat' and Al always seems to have played down its merits, but from the retro-chime of the electric piano intro through Phil Kenzie's obligatory sax solo its always been one of my favourite songs, nudging the listener to consider the threads of their past through a straightforward but evocative lyric. Elsewhere `Valentina Way `rocks as hard as anything Al's ever done (OK, so not that hard then!) while Timeless Skies and Almost Lucy are first-rate, more acoustic numbers. `The Palace of Versailles' (see the title of this review) is possibly the strongest of the historical songs, complete with the excellent Tim Renwick on lead guitar, but `A Man for All Seasons' and the marvellously claustrophobic `Life in Dark Water' are also memorable. `Time Passages' and `Song on the Radio' both notched up respectable single sales in the US.
Listening to 'Time Passages' it's hard to believe that in 1978 the tidal wave of punk was aiming to wash away `this sort of thing'. Glad this album found a rock to cling to and that those top blokes at Rhino have done a decent job on the re-master!
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it great buy
Loved it great buy music good brought back good times five star would recommend it to a friend liked the album
Published 1 month ago by George Inch
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just as good now, as when I first heard it
It is frightening to think that this album came out in 1978, a mere 34 years ago. My friend Kim bought it, and I coveted it, although for some inexplicable reason I never got... Read more
Published 12 months ago by K. Moss
4.0 out of 5 stars
New to Al stewart
A few weeks ago they played an Al Stewart song on the Radio, i have not been a fan of him, but i bought the C.D. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Dennis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stands the Test of Time
A gem of an album by a vastly underrated artist. Each track is its own little story, and the lyrics conjour up vivid pictures. Read more
Published on 28 Dec 2010 by Wootnook
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent remastered edition
This remastered Rhino edition of Time Passages finally does justice to this sophisticated recording, and sounds infinitely better than the former Emi Fame CD which had very poor... Read more
Published on 16 Jan 2010 by Hindburn
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great album, poor CD sound
This is a great Al Stewart record, if a little formulaic following the success of the Year of the Cat album originally issued two years earlier. Read more
Published on 13 Mar 2007 by Hindburn
3.0 out of 5 stars
A very good album
This is the kind of album you listen to when you want to relax. Just lie back and let the songs transport you to places and times you have never visited: French revolution,... Read more
Published on 12 Oct 2001
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