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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Perennial folkie fave who went AOR, 31 Oct 2006
A Scottish singer-songwriter who hit London just in time to see it swing. His ability to craft and perform melodic and lyrically erudite folk rock snagged him a recording deal and the rest as they is ... history. Which as it happens is just one of a range of subjects upon which Al dwells to no
small extent in a 40 year career (charting by the '70s with the more AOR friendly 'Year Of The Cat') from which cherry-picked highlights make up this 2-disc set. Al's keen to share his pre-occupations and bring them alive. Full-blown operattas on science fiction, world history and events are tackled with the same wit and informedness as folk ditties and poppy love songs. A consumate guitarist with a good ear and eye for talent exemplified by his band support and imaginative orchestration, his light, clear voice travels well across 'Electric Los Angeles Sunset', 'Time Passages', 'On The Border', 'Nostradamus Pt. 1 & Pt. 2' and, of course, 'Year Of The Cat' itself. A pan-career collective that rewards fan and newcomer alike to what's proven an enduring talent.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First class!, 2 Feb 2008
It's quite some achievement to compile such a decent selection of a genius like Al Stewart and this double comes very close to doing it.
The rights to Orange,Past Present & Future and Modern Times lie elsewhere & 1984's Russians & Americans,too. But, everything else is here AND an Alternative version of Soho which shoulda been a single-top 10 material!
Also included are Helen & Cassandra and The Coldest Winter in Memory,which never made it onto any album. Both are massively good,and how they've lain mouldering in the vaults so long is beyond belief.
You also get Bedsitter Images title track & Denise at 16, from the original release(1967) and none of the new tracks or remixed stuff on that album's 2nd release in 1970. Good idea,I say,because it showed the limitations placed on Al by a major contract. Ever since, he's tended to follow the advice of a title from the next Album-You Should Have Listened to Al!!
And, the simple result of that is one great album after another. His detached style of commenting on his own experiences became far more heartfelt, and his breadth of understanding and eye for detail in his historical works is simply amazing. The old ballader style of, say, Sir Patrick Spens, D'ye Ken John Peel etc has been brought into modern times by Al Stewart,because his lyrics are as good as that traditional poetry.
Not to mention his musicianship! Well,I ought to,but just try listening to this compo twice & concentrate on the music only 2nd time-you;ll be stunned at just how good it is.
So, it's not perfection,but it's quite near it!
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good complilation but if only..., 17 Jul 2007
This really could have been an excellent introduction to Al's work but it seems that EMI don't have the rights to two of the key albums - Past, Present and Future and Modern Times. No tracks from the later are included and three classic tracks, Roads to Moscow, Nostradamus and Soho (Needless to Say) are represented by either much later live versions or a dodgy unreleased recording. This is a real pity. Of course this is only a two CD set so there are always going to be tracks that should have been included. The sound quality however is first-class - and its superb value for money.
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