Blogcritics Author: Natalie Davis

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Viggo Mortensen Addresses Activism

Natalie Davis — Mon, 22 May 2006 17:03:40 EDT

Actor, artist and poet Viggo Mortensen is taking time out of his hectic schedule -- or rather using part of his busy itinerary -- to do some good. The occasion was commencement exercises for St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. Mortensen, a 1980 graduate and recipient of an honorary doctor of arts degree, addressed the Class of 2006, offering important advice about the importance of activism:"I'm certainly not asking anyone to run out and burn down City Hall, or to necessarily engage in any overt protest," he told the 567 graduates at the school's 150th commencement. "I simply advocate your continuing to explore being involved citizens. Don't ever be afraid to ask the question 'Why.'"He criticized politicians who promote their own Christianity while ignoring the teaching of Jesus, and he urged the graduates to improve America's suffering health care system. Mortensen has a Spanish film, Alatriste, awaiting release and recently signed to star in a British thriller, Eastern Promises. The Focus Features production will re-team the actor with his History of Violence director David Cronenberg.This is far from the first time that the film star, who also runs avant-garde publishing house Perceval Press, has taken time to address activism. During the media whirlwind surrounding the Lord of the Rings films, Mortensen was hailed and reviled for speaking out against Bush's Iraq invasion. When antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan was camped outside of George Bush's Crawford, TX, compound last year, he made an unpublicized visit to offer encouragement and support. Love him or hate him, you have to respect Viggo Mortensen for giving his audience a terrific message: Whatever your politics, get involved and make a difference. Good show.

Natalie Davis is an award-winning journalist, progressive- and GLBT-issues activist, musician and broadcaster. Davis' All Facts and Opinions - The Armchair Activist has existed since 1996. She is general manager and program/music director of Grateful Dread Radio, an 11-year-old multigenre Internet station dedicated to presenting diverse sounds for open minds.

American Idol 2006: It's a Soul Thing

Natalie Davis — Thu, 18 May 2006 16:22:59 EDT

It's time to come clean. Though ostensibly a reasonably serious, intelligent, educated nonconformist with an eclectic musical taste that only flirts with that of the mainstream, I nonetheless am one of the millions swirling in the pop-culture vortex that is American Idol. No pride or shame are involved here; I'm just telling you the truth, because truth is at the heart of the matter. From the television talent show's inception, I mocked it - and rightfully so: The ravenous greed of its producers, the callouness and cunning exhibited by music-industry sharks (including one named Cowell) in coaching and judging contestants, the glorification - again! - of flash over substance... All merited derision and ridicule. And still do. As seasons passed, however, something happened. My feelings about the greedy, corporate, conformist parts of AI did not lessen - quite the opposite. I loathe the workings of the show and the product placements and Cingular Wireless and the endless marketing. But at some point, despite all that, I bought into the idea of a person's dream coming true. I started noticing contestants who touched my heart and soul through their authenticity, their personal art and their tangible love for the music. In time, I found myself caring - a lot - about their dreams and seriously wishing for them to become reality. When did this softening take place? I'm not sure, but it had to be one hell of a day. Perhaps it was the night in season one when stellar Tamyra Gray was ousted - that rankled more than I thought possible. In any event, from the next year on, I noticed that news about the successes of certain Idols gave me real glee: Ruben and Clay, Fantasia Barrino, Frenchie Davis. I've grown to love Kelly Clarkson - she's simply an amazing young vocalist, and who knew she could write such powerful pop music? How cool it is to see her hit so big, even in lands where Idol doesn't air. And frankly, with Bo Bice it was love at first song. (Just wait 'til the next CD, where hopefully he will get to ditch Clive Davis' choices and play Bo's music.) What do these people have in common? They share a rare ability to connect with others on a musical and emotional plane. My season five connection came early and as a total surprise: The first time I saw and heard a tall, sloppily dressed, gray-haired guy take on Elton John's "Levon," I found myself entranced. Checked out his backstory: The silver eminence is premature; he's only 29. For years, he's rocked clubs and events and electrified crowds large and small in the southeast with his unique brand of rock 'n soul. He plays guitar and blues harmonica and writes his own songs. He's put out a couple of CDs; I checked out his 2004 album, Under the Radar, and experienced a "whoa" moment. This guy was the real deal. A lifelong fan of music by Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and other giants, he had soul, passion, heart, whatever you want to call that combination of emotion and empathy and expression that allows the experiencing of shared humanity. Only very special and rare artists have this... I'll call it soul. This disheveled, happy-go-lucky dude has a real affinity for soul-music classics, but his rare gift is that he has soul and radiates soul - quite a different thing.After that initial, spirit-lifting audition, market-focused Simon Cowell didn't want to send Soul Man, as I called him then, on to the next competition round in Hollywood, but I knew. Win or lose, this was my guy. If there is any reason to thank Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, it's that they overruled the attitudinal Brit and gave my guy his golden ticket.All these weeks later, my guy, Birmingham, AL's Taylor Hicks, is in the finals. His competition - and beating her will be no slam-dunk - is Los Angeles' Katharine McPhee, a stunningly pretty 21-year-old with a pretty, well-coached voice. The woman has true ability and lots of fans, but over the season, she has given inconsistent performances dotted with ridiculously oversung diva songs and her unfortunate tendency to sing while kneeling (which the little boys no doubt love and for which many certainly will reward her with votes). Yes, Katharine McPhee can sing well, but I feel no connection with her. She suffers from a sad malady: Even during songs that perfectly showcase her voice, I get no sense that she feels anything she sings. Which, to me, is practically a sin: Without emotion, music can't communicate or entertain and has no point. I see McPhee headlining a Broadway musical someday, which is a fine and admirable artisitc pursuit, but not the area of American Idol. An Idol should be able to generate heat, and sadly, the so-called "McPheever" leaves me ice-cold.Hicks, however, is hot. He croons, growls, purrs and wails with grit and feeling, lighting soul fires in his wake. He infuses every song he sings with heart and unvarnished emotion and performs accordingly. He dances with honest abandon during an uptempo, joyful piece - and when he takes on a tender ballad, every word from his mouth resonates with meaning that pierces the mind and feeds the spirit. Many people can't or don't appreciate Taylor Hicks. Well, to get him, you have to understand: It's a soul thing. And that is one of the primary reasons why he should be the American Idol. What's real? What's true? What really counts? Who knows these days? Reporters make it up as they go along, government intelligence is untrustworthy, people value what's trendy and superficial, and lying and cheating are damnably accepted parts of modern life in far too many circles. When Taylor Hicks sings, there is no confusion, no question. That's because he sings what he feels. He sings truth. It's almost unimaginable that Hicks is perceived by many as the frontrunner in the race for the AI crown, but try to picture it: Wouldn't it be wild to see a big-time American TV show select someone who isn't a cookie-cutter pop-star type, someone who is the genuine article and offers something real and raw, someone who has worked hard to realize a for-most-of-us-impossible dream, someone with actual artistic vision? Taylor Hicks is the choice of the independent, the rebels, the true-blue and unafraid. For this misfit to see someone like him win... it's almost too much to contemplate. For me, something that is such a small deal - seeing a guy I don't know win a silly reality show, for crissake - will symbolize so much more.There are other reasons to support Hicks, of course, many of them based on pure opinion and personal taste. But that's why I'm writing this, to express mine: His combination of talent, experience, artistic sensibility and ability, star quality, personality, heart and soul makes Taylor Hicks the best pick to be the American Idol - one who can bring a breath of fresh air to the popular-music scene. So I encourage you to vote May 23 for Taylor Hicks. Word has it that it may be a good idea to invest in a Cingular account and text-message votes, as it is much more reliable than traditional landline dialing if you actually want to cast a registered vote or a few. Oh lord, just realized that this aging hippie nonconformist love-and-peace type plugged a cellphone company (one I don't use and can't afford to have; sorry Taylor). Ah well, gotta do what must be done to fuel the train and help make this worthy artist's dream come true. For Hicks and the majority of his true supporters, this is not about glorifying corporate greed, it's about a whole lot more: It's a soul thing.Taylor Hicks American Idol

Bush: Above the Law

Natalie Davis — Wed, 3 May 2006 12:20:17 EDT

The Cowboy-in-Chief is the cowboy in charge. Top cowpoke. If George W. Bush wants to leak classified information that could endanger lives, he'll do it if he wants. Eavesdrop on peaceniks? You betcha, if he wants, and if he chooses to classify antiwar activists as terrorist sympathizers, that's what he's gonna do. Why? Because he can. He's leader of the free world, so he gets to call the shots. His band of outlaws rustled the 2000 election fair and square -- that gives him the right to do as he pleases. Doesn't matter if what he wants to do is immoral. He, after all, is the arbiter of morality. God told him so. And if what he wants to do is illegal, well, he'll just ignore the law. The rules don't apply to him. He says so.Sound preposterous? Think again. Over the past six years, Bush has challenged more than 750 federal laws (among them, torture bans, statutes mandating congressional oversight of presidential decisions, and Patriot Act provisions) under his assertion that the president has the right and the authority to bypass any law that disagrees with "his interpretation of the Constitution." Of course, this declaration of his constitutional omnipotence was always done under the radar: After a bill signing, once media, lawmakers, and guests had exited, he would at times issue a signing statement, a set of instructions detailing how he wants the new law implemented. In some instances, his instructions wipe out compromise provisions already agreed upon by both houses of Congress -- and unless senators and representatives regularly read the federal register, where news of presidential signing statements are published (though not widely seen), they often are clueless about what has transpired. In a way, one must admire the cleverness involved here, the sheer pluck. Bush spends a good bit of his time stumping for a line-item veto when, in truth, he already has it. The only chief executive since Thomas Jefferson to serve six years without ever officially vetoing a bill sent to him by Congress uses another route to circumvent legislative-branch decisions, one that renders supposed lawmakers... Well, take your pick: Dumb. Impotent. Punk'd.The journalists were no wiser than those in Congress. Mainstream media didn't catch on until a tiny story about the White House, the National Security Agency, and illegal-but-Shrub-approved domestic wiretapping brought Bush's assertion of his unquestionable power to light.From the Boston Globe: Among the laws Bush said he can ignore are military rules and regulations, affirmative-action provisions, requirements that Congress be told about immigration services problems, "whistle-blower" protections for nuclear regulatory officials, and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research.Legal scholars say the scope and aggression of Bush's assertions that he can bypass laws represent a concerted effort to expand his power at the expense of Congress, upsetting the balance between the branches of government. The Constitution is clear in assigning to Congress the power to write the laws and to the president a duty "to take care that the laws be faithfully executed." Bush, however, has repeatedly declared that he does not need to "execute" a law he believes is unconstitutional. If you declare yourself to be above the law, by definition, nothing, for you, is illegal. Surely that is the argument that White House flack Tony Snow, fresh from his recent lateral move, and the ever-dwindling ranks of Shrub loyalists will use to defend their boy againt the inevitable criticism, and it's a fair point. If what Bush claims is true, he did not violate the letter of the law. Make no mistake, though: He surely is kicking the hell out of its spirit in the interest of grabbing power from the Congress and the courts for his own purposes.White House legal staffers reportedly aren't talking about the matter, but others in the know have much to say: Phillip Cooper, a Portland State University law professor who has studied the executive power claims Bush made during his first term, said Bush and his legal team have spent the past five years quietly working to concentrate ever more governmental power into the White House."There is no question that this administration has been involved in a very carefully thought out, systematic process of expanding presidential power at the expense of the other branches of government," Cooper said. "This is really big, very expansive, and very significant." ..."He agrees to a compromise with members of Congress, and all of them are there for a public bill-signing ceremony, but then he takes back those compromises -- and more often than not, without the Congress or the press or the public knowing what has happened," said Christopher Kelley, a Miami University of Ohio political science professor who studies executive power.David Golove, a New York University law professor who specializes in executive-power issues, said Bush has cast a cloud over "the whole idea that there is a rule of law," because no one can be certain of which laws Bush thinks are valid and which he thinks he can ignore. ..."Where you have a president who is willing to declare vast quantities of the legislation that is passed during his term unconstitutional, it implies that he also thinks a very significant amount of the other laws that were already on the books before he became president are also unconstitutional."Bruce Fein, a deputy attorney general in the Reagan administration, said the American system of government relies upon the leaders of each branch "to exercise some self-restraint." But Bush has declared himself the sole judge of his own powers, he said, and then ruled for himself every time."This is an attempt by the president to have the final word on his own constitutional powers, which eliminates the checks and balances that keep the country a democracy," said [Bruce Fein, a deputy attorney general in the Reagan Administration]. "There is no way for an independent judiciary to check his assertions of power, and Congress isn't doing it, either. So this is moving us toward an unlimited executive power." What does unlimited executive power look like? Imagine Bush waking up tomorrow with the notion that the right to free speech and expression is unconstitutional. Over the top example, I know. But if a president can place him or herself above the law at will, who is to say he or she will stop at some arbitrarily defined "safe" point? What happens if the commander-in-chief goes too far? What if, as many believe, he already has? If, as Bush contends, he can disobey laws as he see fits, even if senators cry and moan about it, no meaningful checks or balances exist to protect the people from their supreme leader. Not one. Can you say "dictatorship?"

Featured Artist: Al Stewart on the 'Net

Natalie Davis — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 07:40:32 EDT

The growing grassroots embrace of Al Stewart's music, old and new, is nothing less than a new-millennium phenomenon. Ten years ago, he was 20 years past his Year of the Cat success. He was still recording and performing, but budgets were small and audiences were populated by the rabid and the nostalgic.What a difference a decade makes. Each season brings performances at ever-larger venues and longer tour itineraries. Sellouts are common, and more than nostalgia motivates concertgoers, who love Stewart classics like "Roads to Moscow" and "Ivich" and also look forward to his new music. It keeps Stewart a vital artist, news known to more and more people every year.Thank technology for Al Stewart's resurgence as an appreciated singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Using the Internet as a pathway, increasing numbers of people -- some old fans, some newbies -- have been able to rediscover Stewart's literate, melodic works or to hear and fall in love with them for the first time. Through collectives like the Al Stewart Mailing List (founded by Muffy Barkocy, it's spread the Gospel of Al since the Internet's early days) and the Al Stewart Friends Yahoogroup, the 'Net serves as news conduit and gathering place. Web sites such as Al Stewart - Now and the recently shuttered Page 27 Al Stewart Archives (check it out via Google cache), which lovingly presented all manner of Stewart information. From the turn of the millennium, fans could find information about tour dates and new releases more easily than before the wired world went massive, news that went 'round the globe in an instant. If top honors are to be awarded for pushing the renewed interest in Stewart's work -- beyond the primary credit of course due to the artist himself -- the most deserving would be two individuals, both diehard Stewart aficionados who became friends of Al: webmaster and newsletter editor Kim Dyer and Stewart biographer Neville Judd, who produces and markets approved Stewart audio and video recordings and other Stewart collectibles. I'll be politically incorrect and go with "ladies first":The direct-mail newsletter Chronicles historically spread the word on all things Al. Founded and edited since the mid-1970s by writer David Dasch, Kim Dyer took the reins in 1995 at the request of Stewart's manager, Steve Chapman. Since then, she has branched out, establishing and teaching herself Web design to create and maintain the official Al Stewart Web site, a font of constantly updated information on Stewart's recordings, tour schedules, photos, collectible news, and altruism opportunities.Handling the Web site, publishing the newsletter, and promoting Al through the Stewart e-mail lists make for one mighty big second job. It helps that Dyer is passionate about Stewart music. "I discovered Al while I was in college like a lot of his fans. I'll admit Year of the Cat was the first thing of his I'd heard, but within a month I was trying to track down the import albums," she says via e-mail. "That was quite a task back in the mid-70s, and it wasn't until years later that I managed to track down Zero She Flies, Orange and Bedsitter Images. I just fell in love the literate lyrics and the images he paints with words." "Love" isn't the half of it. This was passion. A telling example: In pre-Internet days, finding out news of concert dates was often a difficult enterprise. Dyer wasn't able to make her dream of seeing a Stewart show come true until the late 1990s. The Gateway to the West was the destination. She drove from her Michigan home to pick up another fan in Indianapolis, and from there motored to St. Louis. "I probably put 1,000 miles on my car just for the one show," she says. "I used to be slightly chagrined at the fact that I've actually flown across the Atlantic to see a concert, but there are actually quite a few people who travel great distances for the shows. I know of people from Australia and New Zealand who have come to the US and UK for shows."In fairness to the intelligent, engaging, and quite sane Dyer, I'll admit that I've gone across the pond to see Stewart in concert. "Meeting" online, she and I came face-to-face in England during his 1999 UK tour. And we weren't the only faraway fans: I recall encountering people from Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Germany, each as passionate as Dyer and myself. But we crossed an ocean.Neville Judd outdoes Kim and me by quite a bit, having crossed the ocean blue numerous times in pursuit of his passion: documenting the musical journey of Al Stewart. I first met Judd, who lives in England, that fall in 1999 as well. He was there to document the dates for posterity, as he often does on Al tours. In fact, he just sent me an e-mail: Al is playing The Old Theater of Oriental in Oriental, North Carolina, tonight; Neville is driving him to the show. Judd's Al-addiction began after the release of the seminal Stewart classic Modern Times. "I heard ‘Roads to Moscow’ on Alan Freeman's Saturday afternoon show on Radio One in the UK in 1973," he recalls via e-mail. "So I went to shows on that Tour and was hooked! Completely. Still am." Asked about his favorite concert experience, he pauses. "Impossible to answer. Maybe the day that Yoko got in touch and said that she wanted to help with the Book. It's not every day that a Beatle wife gives you a call!"The Book would be Al Stewart: True-Life Adventures of a Folk-Rock Troubadour, Judd's 2002 authorized biography, which features interviews with the artist himself, his mum, and many of his friends and contemporaries, among them the aforementioned Mrs. Lennon. Given extraordinary access to Stewart's old poems, notebooks, and photographs, Judd produced a detailed recounting of the songwriter's life and career story. Long before then, though, in 1984 to be exact, David Dasch asked journalist Judd to write articles for Chronicles. [Note: The author has been published in Chronicles as well.] This led to Judd going into the Al business. "People began writing to me asking where they could get Orange in Eastern Europe etc., and this became both a time consuming (no problem with that) but also costly undertaking (sending 50 letters' postage worldwide each week adds up)," he says, explaining his move into producing and marketing Stewart CDs, videos and DVDs under the label Tess Films (named for his favorite movie) and promoting them via Stewart concerts and a UK newsletter he called Jackdaw. "So the distribution of things such as [Stewart CD compilation] To Whom It May Concern [for which Judd contributed the liner notes] and the Rarities CDs were initiated to subsidise all this."The Stewart-approved venture does more than produce revenue for Judd. Much of the artist's unreleased material existed on aging, deteriorating tape stock or cassette tape. In fact, the idea for starting Tess Films was motivated by a desire to restore the old recordings for preservation's sake. "The initial premise of cleaning up the tracks and saving them was to do it for archive purposes in case EMI or another label were interested in releasing it all," he says. "Unfortunately the sales that they would get off the songs are not, apparently, anywhere near the number needed for them to justify producing a deluxe box set or even a small SLAGIATT-type release of the material." SLAGIATT is the acronym for Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, the venerated (in Stewart-fan circles) Laurence Juber and James Jensen-produced limited-run disc set on the label Acoustic Music Resource; it offers rarities, outtakes, and alternate lyrics to well-known songs. (In the mainstream market, Rhino Records has done what EMI and Stewart's other previous labels have not done - remastered and re-released his back catalog for CD.) Tess' biggest boost has come from the combination of Internet promotion via previously mentioned sites and e-lists, Kim Dyer's Chronicles and AlStewart.com, Jackdaw, Judd's own site, and the Book."I had always suggested to Al that I should write his biography. Plans were so far advanced that in 1984, in a bizarre moment of coincidence backstage at Al's Royal Albert Hall show, I told [singer-songwriter] Dave Nachmanoff that I was going to write Al's biography one day and he told me that he was going to be Al's guitar player." Life is stranger: Nachmanoff is now a frequent opening act for Stewart on the road these days. And Judd was able to overcome Stewart's reluctance to have his life story immortalized in print:"Al was never that keen on the idea of a book but eventually he came around and I went out and got the book deal with [publisher] Helter Skelter. I left my job as a manager of a large London bookstore and spent four years interviewing people all over the world and having a total blast doing it. Al would read the latest draft every six months and off I'd go again." The Internet is a huge part of serving the mission of Al, to which both Dyer and Judd are dedicated. After remaining strictly snail-mail long after it was trendy to have a Web presence, Judd finally made the leap in 1994. NevilleJudd.com offers Stewart approved bootleg audio and video recordings along with CDs and DVDs of a number of his live concerts. Also available: the Book and its follow-up, TK, photos by Lori Stoll, a fan registry, T-shirts and more. Currently, the site is promoting its forthcoming Grace Cathedral concert DVD and the biography’s photo-focused companion, Lights... Camera... Folk-Rock."Most fans find [NevilleJudd.com] when we hand out the site's address at gigs," Judd says. "We made a real effort to get as many new fans on board in the period between Down in the Cellar and A Beach Full of Shells as possible and I went to 70 percent of Al's gigs during that time."He says most of his rarities customers are either completist collectors or Year of the Cat-era fans who rediscover the artist after having lost touch with his work. But he confirms that there is a growing stream of folks picking up copies of the newest recordings (DITC, ABFOS). Judd credits Stewart's support team. "EMI (his British label), Appleseed (his US label), Skyline Booking (US), Asgard (UK) are all great. In the past, Al has not always had such a fab team. Now he does.Factor in Steve Chapman, who is an amazing manager," Judd continues. "And of course Kim's work for the past decade along with the Internet, and someone like Al can have a high profile, around the globe, far easier than not so long ago."Kim Dyer would concur. Her AlStewart.com, the artist's official Web site, presents information about the singer-songwriter's current releases and concert schedule. Fans can also find Al-related links, album and song lyrics, guitar tabs, and the occasional surprise. You can also subscribe to the snail-mail newsletter via the site. "The Chronicles is $8/year for folks in the US and Canada, and $11/year for folks overseas. That hasn't gone up in 10 years, so you know I'm not doing it for profit. There is a link to Amazon.com on the web site, and the small referral fee I get when people use that link to make their purchases has helped cover the printing, postage and other expenses."Dyer credits her site with helping reconnect fans with Stewart and his music, a job made much easier with his career upswing. "Back when I started doing the Chronicles, there were times when I didn't have a single concert to announce when I went to press," she says. "This year we announced dates on the 2006 UK tour just weeks after he returned from the 2005 tour -- and we already have a 2007 date announced. When I first started doing the Web site, there were venues Al played in the UK where the 'dressing room' was the loo in the petrol station across the street. In 2005, he played the Barbican, the home of the London Symphony. In 2006, he's booked into the Royal Albert Hall in London."The range of Stewart's growing fan base is nothing less than amazing, according to Dyer. "I hear from highly educated people all over the world who have loved Al's music for decades -- and they are thrilled to find out he's still performing and recording. I also hear from college students who grew up with his work, or were introduced to it by a roommate who had," she says. "I remember one concert where a whole bunch of guys in leathers rode up on their Harleys for a concert. Afterwards they were all in line holding well-worn copies of Al's albums to be autographed. I've seen 10-year-olds who know all the words to "Roads to Moscow' and people in their 70’s dancing to 'Night Train to Munich.' It's something else, it really is."To what does Dyer attribute Stewart's resurgence? "I think what happens is people go to their FIRST Al show out of a sense of nostalgia. They remember sitting around with friends and hearing "Year of the Cat" or "Time Passages" or "Roads to Moscow" or something and figure it might be nice to rekindle those memories," she suggest. "Then they go to a show and see there is a lot more to Al's work than a handful of hits. They tell their friends and drag them kicking and screaming to the next concert. Those people become fans, and drag their friends kicking and screaming to the next concert, and it just keeps growing. The passion of Al's fans is contagious."Get more info on Al Stewart here.Other Blogcritics Al Stewart April 2006 features:April 1: For Your Consideration, Al Stewart (aka Al 101)Stewart's music propels both body and brain into motion. Whether his song exposes a young man's romantic (or not-so-romantic) longings during the swinging '60s; laments the fate of a strung-out, washed-up, never-was '70s girl singer; presents the love of a couple nearly a century ago against a backdrop of impending world war; notes the steel-gray loneliness of present-day political candidates, it kick-starts one's senses. April 5: A review of Stewart's latest CD release, A Beach Full of Shells.In defiance of economic theory, A Beach Full of Shells offers increasing returns with each listen. ... [I]f you have yet to discover the talents of Al Stewart, whatever your age or genre of choice, [here is] a perfect opportunity. April 10: A review of British writer Neville Judd's bi-Al-graphy, Al Stewart: The True-Life Adventures of a Folk-Rock Troubadour. It is clear from page one that [the author] is passionate about music and about singer-songwriter Al Stewart in particular. Thank goodness for the novice writer's enthusiasm: His passion is what carries the reader through 312 densely packed pages of often-amusing anecdotes, free-flowing factoids, and the occasional surprise from the life story of the only artist from the '60s British folk-roots scene to score two LPs in the US Top Thirty.April 12: Backstage with Al Stewart, New York City, 1998: A peek at the gifted singer-songwriter before the resurgence of his popularity - self-doubting and unaware of how appreciated he is. "...[Y]ou were fine out there tonight.""Be honest. I was better Tuesday." It must be noted that he didn't look or sound petulant - he wasn't seeking stroking or fishing for compliments. He was genuinely angry with himself — happens when an artist holds standards that exceed his or her admirers'. Al looked up from his dark thoughts and, remembering why we were there, gestured toward the dressing room. "Please come in. Have a seat."April 17: Interview with Al Stewart, Sept. 2005 Part One: Thoughtful, intelligent and funny as hell: Singer-songwriter Al Stewart talks about his latest LP and word games. Part Two: Folk-rock legend Al Stewart waxes nostalgic about rock and roll (but not about Doris Day) while reminding us that size matters, talks sense about nonsense poetry, and delightfully bends words to his will.April 24: Al Stewart Discography Part One: From 1966 to 1982, folk-club emcee, musician and songwriter Al Stewart travels from a lonely London bedsit to full-blown American pop stardom.Part Two: From 1982 to the present, Stewart deals with life changes, lawyers and continuing a path toward artistic growth, a career resurgence and a widening audience of appreciative, devoted listeners.April 29: Al Stewart on the 'NetThank technology for Al Stewart's resurgence as an appreciated singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Using the Internet as a pathway, increasing numbers of people have been able to rediscover his literate, melodic works or to hear and fall in love with them for the first time. And if top honors are to be awarded for pushing the renewed interest in Stewart's work — beyond the primary credit of course due to the artist himself — the most deserving would be two individuals: webmaster and newsletter editor Kim Dyer and Stewart biographer Neville Judd.

Elizabeth Taylor Publicist Denies Death Rumors

Natalie Davis — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 20:41:13 EDT

I was right to be skeptical.Earlier today, London tabloid the Daily Mail reported that legendary film star Dame Elizabeth Taylor was suffering from heart failure and on the brink of death. The Mail claimed the 74-year-old Oscar-winning actor - often noted more for her many marriages than for her impressive and extensive body of work - was bedridden at her California home and making plans for her own funeral.Insiders say the British-born star would like to be buried next to former husband Richard Burton. "Liz is inching closer to death every day and she knows it. It is not a pretty picture," a friend said. "She's not leaving a lot of money to her children. She wants the bulk of her fortune to go to AIDS research."Taylor, who has walked down the aisle eight times, married Burton twice during a tumultuous, jetsetting romance. The Welsh actor died in 1984.Taylor's publicist says the story is complete bunk.From ABC News:Dick Guttman says that he can refute every allegation in these published reports. In fact, he says they didn't get anything right.Guttman says Taylor has a very busy life, with her successful perfume and jewelry lines and the work she does for AIDS.The Mail scoop - which appears to be based on a WENN.com press release - was reported by a number of movie and news sites, including Hollywood.com and the Evening Standard's This Is London. What caused me to doubt the report was the well-known factoid that Taylor's friends call her "Elizabeth," not "Liz," as a "friend" refers to her in the Mail piece. At the same time, it is well-documented that the actor's health has been fragile for years. She is 74. The reasonable assumption is that barring some divine act, we may not have the legend with us for long.My recommendation: Join me in raising a glass to Dame Elizabeth's long, happy life - and take an opportunity to reacquaint yourself with the classic films of the violet-eyed beauty. See for yourself the true talent and singular charisma that graced cinema, television and Broadway over the past six decades - and still graces the worlds of philanthropy and AIDS activism. A short list: her Academy Award-winning turn in Butterfield 8 (1960), her winning debut as a lead actor at the tender age of 12 in 1944's National Velvet (those are really her eyes - no mascara), the riveting Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), her performance as the blushing bride in the original Father of the Bride (1950), her restless Maggie in Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), her portrayal of the raging Katharina (opposite Burton) in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (1967), the over-the-top but fun budget-buster Cleopatra, Giant, which paired Taylor with the late, great James Dean...and who could forget her performance as TV's Maggie Simpson in the memorable episode when the perennial infant intoned her first English word?I could go on all day suggesting great Taylor films to see, but you get my meaning. If the legend lives to be 100 - which is hoped - you could spend much of the next 26 years enjoying her huge catalog of films. And you should: Dame Elizabeth Taylor is a treasure, and it behooves us to appreciate and honor her while she's here.As for the Daily Mail and WENN.com, I believe there's a special place in Hell reserved for irresponsible tabloid journalists.[edited to reflect changing story 2006-04-27 20:41:13 nrd]

Featured Artist: Al Stewart - The Discography, Pt. 2

Natalie Davis — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 19:27:21 EDT

Here we continue with the second installment of my foray through the discography of folk-rock legend Al Stewart. Part One covers 1966 through 1982, the years that took the Scotland-born Brit from London's folk-club scene to global rock-star status and from post-adolescent confessionals to historically based observations of the human condition. We pick up the musical journey after the release of Indian Summer/Live, the last LP from his so-called superstar years.The success of Year of the Cat, Time Passages and 24 CParrots gave Al Stewart a brand-new lifestyle. He was living in Los Angeles now and was treated like a huge star, a major deal. Which he was: He'd sold millions of records and had headlined major sold-out concerts (as documented in Indian Summer and Live at the Roxy '81). In the 1970s he had even found a new hobby that continues to be a passion for him: wine collecting. Life was good. But then came the lawyers. Russians and Americans (Passport/US, RCA/UK, 1984) - By the mid-1980s, the mainstream pop-music world had pretty much had its fill of singer-songwriters. The record buying public had moved past trends that started in the 1970s - we had survived punk, had seen new wave turn old and had packed away spandex. And we had our MTV - consequently, many music consumers put music's superficial aspects over artistic ones. The music business, on the other hand, was becoming more corporate. True, money had always been the thing for the money men behind the star maker machinery. In previous decades, though, some sort of love for music existed in the hearts of most of those in the field. This was becoming less and less the case. The record labels saw a public in search of fluff - and they were (and still are) all too happy to give (and tell) the public what it thinks it wants.In this climate, Stewart released R&A, an album that takes on contemporary life while continuing to look at yesterday through modern eyes. The album, produced by Michael Flicker (though European editions add that Peter White and Rolf Henneman offered production assistance), shows the artist still collaborating with White and the Shot in the Dark crew and with many of the old crew (Andrew Powell, Steve Chapman, Phil Kenzie). A newcomer was backing singer Marcy Levy, who toured with Bob Seger, co-wrote Eric Clapton's 1977 hit "Lay Down Sally" and, under the name Marcella Detroit, was due to become part of Shakespear's Sister in the late 1980s. Interestingly, the sound and feel of the record are quite reminiscent of Modern Times, and while R&A is not at the top of the list of greatest Al Stewart recordings, there are some fine songs here: the resigned "Accident on 3rd Street" (he sounds so detached from the words he is singing that he renders the news the song delivers even more chilling that it otherwise might be); "The Candidate," inspired by Stewart's love for American political party primary campaigns; "Cafe Society," a look into the empty lives of the rich and richer; and a cover of the old chestnut "1-2-3." If you're familiar with dairy ads running in the US, you probably think of this bouncy number and a shiny, happy tune. Listen to Stewart's take on the John Madora - David White - Leonard Borisoff composition: By changing some of the lyrics, he imbues the song with a new cynicism while offering listeners a cautionary tale:The hard part is learning about it, The hard part is breaking through to the truth. The hard part is learning to doubt What you read, what you hear, what you see on the news.If Stewart sounds cynical on the album, it's no wonder. Success can breed tension - and much of it was brewing behind the scenes as Shot in the Dark members wanted to pursue their own musical journey (Stewart's backing band released its own LP to disappointing sales, in 1982). That tension could not have served the singer well - he admits to being uncomfortable in recording studios. In addition, there were the aforementioned lawyers. R&A was released in the US on Passport Records, which was aligned with Jem Records. The firm was caught up in a huge bankruptcy situation and many Passport recordings that appeared at this time were kept from being released in a timely fashion. By the time Russians and Americans finally saw release (with precious little promotion provided), mainstream radio and most record buyers didn't notice.Tracks:The One That Got Away (Peter White co-wrote) Rumors of War (Peter White co-wrote) Night Meeting Accident on 3rd Street Strange Girl Russians and Americans Cafe Society One, Two, Three (John Madora, David White & Leonard Borisoff) The CandidateLori Don't Go Right Now (Peter White co-wrote; on UK release only) The Gypsy and the Rose Best of Al Stewart (RCA/UK, 1985; Arista/US, 1986) - What does one expect? Stewart makes his labels millions. Legal troubles happen. Stewart is sans record deal. Former labels pimp his catalog for filthy lucre. It's the music business. In any event, this slight recap of Stewart's rock-star years is a fine introduction for people who only know Alastair Stewart as the infant son of a former soccer player named Rod. Points and this writer's deepest thanks to the team that opted to include YOTC's stately "Lord Grenville" on the Stateside edition.Tracks: (UK release) Year of the Cat On the Border If It Doesn't Come Naturally, Leave It Time Passages Almost Lucy Merlin's Time Valentina Way Running Man Here in Angola Roads to Moscow (live) Rumours of WarTracks: (US release) Time Passages Running Man Delia's Gone Roads to Moscow Song on the Radio Midnight Rocks Lord Grenville Merlin's Time Nostradamus 1/World Goes to Riyadh/Nostradamus (live)2 On the Border (live) Year of the Cat Last Days of the Century (Enigma, 1988) - The view of the future on the album cover - along with the synth-heavy production by Joe Chiccarelli - offers a clue that Stewart, at the turn of the last century, was considering the changing world. The songs offer views of change from the past ("Fields of France," about a pilot's tragic journey that forever changes his life and that of his waiting true love; "Antarctica," which references Shackleton and Scott's journey to that untouched frozen land in griping about a "frosty woman who refused to sleep with me," as he has explained during onstage patter) and present ("License to Steal," where an angry troubadour tells us how he really feels about attorneys, and the sensual "Where Are They Now?," where Al reconnects with lost love Mandi [yes, they ended up as friends; I've met her, and it's easy to see the reason for his youthful obsession].The Stewart faithful purchased the album, of course, but the mainstream had moved on. By now, the chart-topping Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant was the nasally tenored Brit the masses embraced (PSB's cover of Willie Nelson's "Always on My Mind" peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988; Stewart admits to being a fan of the synth-pop duo). Also noteworthy: the wacky "Red Toupee," which features a young Tori Amos on backing vocals, and "Josephine Baker," a midtempo rocker that recalls how the legendary banana-dancing stereotype smasher shook things up in her heyday.Among the synthesizers you'll find some lovely music as performed and created by Stewart and Shot in the Dark. Real musicians tend to be drawn to quality, not Billboard chart rankings, so while LDOTC didn't strike marketplace gold (though "King of Portugal" won adult-contemporary airplay and became quite popular in Spain), the great players that helped make Stewart's music so glorious - Peter Wood, Tim Renwick, Phil Kenzie and Steve Chapman among them - showed their loyalty by contributing to the project.Tracks:Last Days of the Century (Peter White co-wrote) Real and Unreal King of Portugal (Peter White co-wrote) Red Toupee (Peter White co-wrote) Where Are They Now (Peter White co-wrote) Bad Reputation (Peter White co-wrote) Josephine Baker (Peter White co-wrote) License To Steal Fields Of France Antarctica (Peter White co-wrote) Ghostly Horses of the Plain (Steve Recker co-wrote) Helen and Cassandra (only available on CD version) Chronicles (EMI, 1991) - Much better retrospective than Best of Al Stewart - then again, this enterprise was blessed with much "creative interference" from the artist himself. This collection includes the big hits and some live tracks from the Roxy era, but also offers a wee peek into Stewart's bedsit-era output. The liner notes (by David Dasch, former editor of Stewart fan newsletter Chronicles) present information on the background of each song. Tracks: Year of the Cat On the Border If It Doesn't Come Naturally, Leave It Time Passages Almost Lucy Song on the Radio (CD only) Running Man (CD only) Merlin's Time In Brooklyn Soho (Needless to Say) [live; CD only] Small Fruit Song Manuscript Roads To Moscow (live) Nostradamus 1/World Goes To Riyadh/Nostradamus 2 (live)

Message to Antigay Fundies Who Insist They Love GLBT People

Natalie Davis — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:50:37 EDT

The sublime Ex-Gay Watch features a brilliant posting by Timothy Kincaid that tidily encapsulates my oft-hurled message to anti-queer fundamentalists. (For the purpose of this exercise, we'll call these conservative Christians who oppose legal equality for gays and lesbians "fundies.")The story Kincaid addresses is about the Soulforce Equality Riders, a student offshoot of the nonviolent direct-action group. The Riders visit gay-unfriendly college campuses to spread a message of tolerance towardl GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender ) students. In March, the Riders visited Lee University in Cleveland, TN, where someone defaced the Soulforce bus with the words "fags mobile." The activists weren't left on their own after the incident; a number of thoughtful Lee students pitched in to help the Riders clean their vehicle. Turns out Mike Ensley of ex-gay ministry network Exodus International claims he was responsible for the fundie kids helping with the graffiti removal, something Ensley characterizes as proof that anti-GLBT hate doesn't come from Exodus and its supporters.OK, I'll concede that helping the Equality Riders clean their bus was a righteous mitzvah. Good for them for helping out their fellow humans in a time of need. And I'll even say thanks, because the helpful students earned it.But.As Kincaid explains in his published comments to Ensley, busting suds for queers doesn't mitigate all the other ways in which followers of the Religious Wrong spread the hate.Mike, let me give you a timeline for when I’ll realize that hate doesn’t come from you: When you stop spreading malicious lies such as all gay people were molested or had a poor relationship with their same-sex parent, that gay people do not have committed monogamous loving long-term relationships, and the myriad myths you propagate about the sex lives and "health risks" of all gay people. When you stop seeking to enact laws that would deny rights to gay couples that are taken for granted by straight couples, take away gay people’s children, and – in some states – incarcerate gay people for expressing their love to their partner sexually. And finally, Mike, when you stop lying to gay people about the methods, reach, failure rates, and agenda of the Exodus International. Once you’ve done that, Mike, get right back to us and we'll let you know whether you’ve convinced us that hate doesn't come from you. In the meanwhile, you'll understand why I think that your "love the sinner, but destroy his life at every opportunity in every way" type of message is more likely to result in vandalism than in clean-up.Bingo, and bravo! Listen up, fundies and "change" proponents, and I sa this with love: This message is not for Mike Ensley alone. And though it comes from Timothy Kincaid, it goes double for me: If what you do is love, keep it. You may not call what you do to your GLBT brothers and sisters "hate," but trust me, its effects are the same as those caused by what most would consider love's antithesis. And God knows, it feels like hate.

John Lennon Message from the Great Beyond?

Natalie Davis — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:54:29 EDT

Now, this is one of the strangest things I have heard in a long time. While I am skeptical about all things supernatural, it strikes me as imprudent to dismiss alleged out-of-this-world occurrences out of hand. Sure, there are lots of kooks and gullible souls - and charlatans too - but more is happening in the cosmos than humankind will ever completely understand. The Evening Standard's This Is London reports that psychics claim John Lennon, the activist and musician assassinated in 1980, sent the world a message from...well, from wherever he is right now. The message reportedly was broadcast via a worldwide pay-per-view seance produced by UK firm Starcast Productions and shown on US television last night. And what did the former Beatle have to say?"Peace...the message is peace."The 90-minute show, which cost $9.95 (�5.60) to watch, was broadcast on American TV last night.The makers of "The Spirit of John Lennon" said a voice recorded at the La Fortuna restaurant in New York, which the star used to frequent, appeared to be that of the murdered musician, speaking via the paranormal "Electronic Voice Phenomenon."British psychic Joe Power, who was conducting the seance, said: "I have no doubt in my mind that we were able to make contact with the spirit of John Lennon."Many are unimpressed. According to TIL, many Beatles and Lennon fans are outraged by what they see as a disrespectful stunt. Elliot Mintz, a friend of Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, called the televised seance "tacky" and "exploitative." And yes, the critics could be bloody well right. The adjective "greedy" might be correctly applied in this case too. In fact, that was the first word of my initial reaction to the news. The noun the adjective modified was "bastards."But imagine: Wouldn't it be just like a restless Lennon to urge still-living peaceniks onward even from beyond our mortal coil? And shouldn't those of us struggling to rid the world of war welcome pro-peace messages, whatever their source? Especially if said source is a respected one. Even if said source happens to be, well, on the wrong side of the grass.I recommend we take Lennon's reputed advice and push for peace - just in case. Cheap media stunt or not, the message is a necessary one. And if what the psychics claim is true, it means that the job of activism doesn't end at death. If even the dearly departed are waving the banner for peace, we living do-gooders have no excuse to be idle.

Featured Artist: Al Stewart - The Discography, Pt. 1

Natalie Davis — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 21:04:52 EDT

It's a gigantic pyramid, working up to fame with 'Year of the Cat,' then coming back to where I came in. It's not a bad life. You can cast the odd, wistful glance in the direction of Elton John, but then of course you have to put up with being Elton John.Not long ago, Al Stewart was asked about his long, storied music career, which peaked (in terms of US pop-chart acclaim) in the mid-1970s - the above is his witty reply. For Stewart's fans and devotees, his has not been a bad life at all: The artist's deep, rich, peak-heavy discography - the 40th anniversary of his first recorded solo release comes Aug. 12 - features scads of inspired music, thoughtful lyrics and ideas and a wealth of stories from the mind of an imaginative man with a perennial eye on the past, present and future. For those in need of an introduction to the folk-rock troubadour's huge catalog, those interested in learning what he has done beyond his big hits - those who could use a reminder of the man's singular voice and prolific ideas - here we will explore all of Stewart's official releases in brief. The hope is that you will give his music a spin and expose yourself to a highly literate, intelligent artist whose carefully crafted works can amuse, enlighten, enthrall and provoke. "The Elf" b/w "Turn into Earth" (Decca, 1966) - After an unpleasant stint in public school, young Alastair Stewart turned to scribbling poetry and expressing himself via the guitar. (Robert Fripp was an early teacher.) As a teen, the Scottish native began playing in dancehall bands in his hometown of Bournemouth, England. His dreams of making music took him to London in 1965. There, in the big city, rock and folk-rock music ruled the scene. These were the days of Lonnie Donegan's skiffle and Pentangle Bert Jansch's folk songs, the Beatles and the British invasion and swinging London. Stewart landed gigs as compere (host) at the cool Soho folk clubs Bunjies and Les Cousins; he began performing his own songs before long. In 1966, he landed a deal with Decca Records that gave the world "The Elf," a twee ditty that uses magical creatures to reflect the life of a Bournemouth songwriter. The single (which featured a pre-Zep Jimmy Page on guitar) didn't sell well - just under 500 copies, according to legend. The B-side is, according to Stewart, an unmemorable tune written by the Yardbirds' Paul Samwell-Smith. "The Elf" is available on To Whom It May Concern, a retrospective of early Stewart recordings. Bedsitter Images (CBS, 1967) - The next year, Stewart's manager/producer, folk-club impresario Roy Guest, negotiated a new deal for his client with CBS Records. The songwriter says the signing was less about his skills or marketability than it was about business: "I was only signed to CBS in 1967 because my manager had another band they wanted to sign called the Piccadilly Line," he told Record Collector magazine earlier this year. "CBS didn't want me, but I ended up making six albums for them." The first was Bedsitter Images, a collection of tunes that reflected on life in London for a struggling, young musician striking out to make his way in the world. The Sinfonia of London was hired to flesh out the accompaniment to Stewart's lyrics and guitar. Initially, the chamber orchestra was a great way to get attention: A live concert of BI's songs took place at London's in November, 1967, and brought the fledgling artist lots of media notice, along with the attention of young, university-age Londoners who could identify with the tales of Stewart's hardscrabble artist's life and his youthful reminiscences. Stewart eventually expressed discontent with the orchestral takeover of his debut album, which he came to consider woefully overproduced. The album was remixed without the Sinfonia and rereleased with some new tracks as The First Album (Bedsitter Images) in 1970. Neither version was released officially in the US, but as with all of Stewart's non-American releases (his first, third and fourth LPs), they can be found as imports or through collectors and in various compilations. Tracks: Bedsitter Images Swiss Cottage Manoeuvres The Carmichaels Scandinavian Girl Pretty Golden Hair Denise At 16 Samuel, Oh How You've Changed! Cleave To Me A Long Way Down From Stephanie Ivich Beleeka Doodle Day(In the remixed version, the gorgeous "Clifton in the Rain" and Mike Heron's "Lover Man" are swapped in for "Scandinavian Girl," "Cleave to Me" and "Pretty Golden Hair.") Love Chronicles (CBS, 1969) - Stewart's second LP cemented his place in the hearts of London's folk- and college sets. UK music weekly Melody Maker's Folk Album of the Year offers listeners the sublime and the ridiculous. The confessional song style that populated Bedsitter Images is back: About half of the album focuses on Stewart's life, friends, and gossip. Sex too - "In Brooklyn" recounts Stewart's go-round with an American girl and, most notoriously, the title track covers every love connection the young musician had made to that point, starting with the ethereal Stephanie (whom we met on BI) and finishing with Mandi, the winsome lass snuggling with Al on LC's rear cover and who was to become Al's tragic love obsession for a while. The song is also notable for unleashing a controversy over its use of the phrase "getting laid" and the F word (Stewart contrasted "fucking" to the act of "making love," which, naturally, is quite a different thing). Under pressure from his record label, the artist refused to bow to censorship: "This was a personal song which was written for Mandi," he said in 1970, "and I'm not going to change the lyrics for anything in the world."The best part of the album, however, is the rest of the material: Stewart begins looking beyond himself and shows a real knack for seeing through the eyes of others and speaking with their voices. Observational songs like the masterful "The Ballad of Mary Foster" demonstrate his deep humanity and his respect and empathy for people and the lives they live. Consider the nimbly worded "Life and Life Only," which interweaves several storylines - Stewart proves himself the Robert Altman of popular music. (Or Richard Curtis, perhaps - the final verse is the sonic equivalent of the closing scene of Love Actually. No, definitely Altman.) Meet one of the characters: "Mr. Willoughby / Whose only luxury / Is the sugar in his tea / Teaches history / At High Worthington School..." Stewart's ability to see and value people - to describe them and their situations and to point out connections that exist between us all, regardless of our nationality and station in life - is one that will lead him to lyrical gold. And then there is the music, a haunting, compelling bit of guitar-fueled folk-rock that reminded many of art-folk outfit Fairport Convention: LC, also produced by Roy Guest, features another set of performances by Jimmy Page along with the appearance of three interestingly monikered artists: guitarists Marvyn Prestwick and Simon Breckenridge and drummer Martyn Francis. In reality, the three are, respectively, Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol and Martin Lamble - Fairport members who performed incognito at the time because of contractual difficulties. Tracks: In Brooklyn Old Compton Street Blues The Ballad of Mary FosterLife and Life OnlyYou Should Have Listened to Al Love Chronicles Zero She Flies (CBS, 1970) - Stewart's third album, a "stark" collection of previously unreleased Stewart compositions, followed in the footsteps of its predecessors in mining the personal life of Al and his friends. Some memorable songs are featured, however, among them: the plaintive, deceptively simple "A Small Fruit Song," the rocking "Electric Los Angeles Sunset" and, most importantly, "Manuscript," which was Stewart's first foray into using historical themes, something that would become the norm as years passed.ZSF was never released in the US; many of its songs can be found on To Whom It May Concern.Tracks: My Enemies Have Sweet Voices A Small Fruit Song Gethsemane, Again Burbling Electric Los Angeles Sunset Manuscript Black Hill Anna Room of Roots Zero She Flies Orange - (CBS, 1972) More of Al's musical confessions or, as I call this one, Tales of Al and Mandi. This album covers the heartbreaking dissolution of the couple's affair, and while the story isn't pretty, songs like "I'm Falling," the wrenching "Night on the Fourth of May" and "The News from Spain," for which tissue is required, are at once too painful to hear, too compelling to resist, completely relatable and soulshatteringly gorgeous. In a 1970 interview with Melody Maker, Stewart said that after Mandi dumped him, he suffered a year-long bout of writer's block.The album features strong performances by guitarist Tim Renwick (catch the Quiver axeman's Spanish action on "Song Out of Clay"), Brinsley Schwarz on the 12-string, and Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman.Orange was never released in the US; many of its songs can be found on To Whom It May Concern.Tracks: You Don't Even Know Me Amsterdam Songs Out Of Clay The News From Spain I Don't Believe You (by Bob Dylan) Once An Orange, Always An Orange I'm Falling Night of the Fourth Of May Past, Present and Future (CBS, 1973; released in the US on Janus Records) - For many Stewartphiles, the magic really gets started with this LP. As the title would indicate, this is the first project where most of the artist's attention is focused on the world and the people living within it. History (and how it affects the lives of the powerful and the not-so-powerful) takes center stage on tracks like "Old Admirals," "The Last Day Of June 1934," "Post World War Two Blues," and two of his classics, the stately "Roads To Moscow" and "Nostradamus," an epic piece that predicts the history of the world. Produced by John Anthony, this LP moved Stewart into more verdant musical and thematic landscapes, vistas he made tangible through his use of rich language and references from the arts, literature and past and current affairs. PPF shows the songwriter's descriptive abilities are becoming even sharper - see how "Soho (Needless to Say)" puts one right in the middle of London's arty, seedy red-light district: Rainstorm, brainstorm, faces in the maelstromHuddle by the puddles in the shadows where the drains runHot dogs, wet clogs clicking up the sidewalkDisappearing into the booze shopRainbow queues stand down by the news stand, waiting for the late showPinball, sin hall, minds in free fallChocolate-coloured ladies making eyes through the smoke pall...Musically, Tim Renwick and Rick Wakeman make welcome repeat performances, Peter Wood provides accompaniment on accordion and organ and we are introduced to vocalist Krysia Kocjan, who offers the transcendent descant vocal on "Roads to Moscow." The singer turns out to be more than a mere shot in the dark - she'll appear again - memorably - as part of Stewart's backing band.Tracks: Old Admirals Soho (Needless to Say) The Last Day of June 1934 Post World War II Blues Roads to Moscow Terminal Eyes Nostradamus Modern Times (CBS, 1975; released in the US on Janus) - Naturally, I've met many an Al Stewart fan over the decades; most tell me that this was their first favorite Stewart album. Not surprisingly, this record established the erstwhile bedsit bard as an American musical cult figure - MT sold more than a million copies and cracked the Billboard Top 30. This album was also the first helmed by Alan Parsons, the brilliant and innovative musician (he plays flute), producer and engineer (he might say "recording director") who gained notice for his work on the Beatles' Abbey Road and for working with artists like Ambrosia, the Hollies, Pink Floyd and his own Alan Parsons Project. Parsons took Stewart's folk-rock and added jazz sensibilities to it, making it more commercially attractive to the mainstream US pop market. Again, Stewart works with a loose theme - modern times, natch - and presents a collection of still-evocative tunes including "Carol," the story of a fast girl in trouble; the rollicking "Apple Cider Reconstitution;" the sweeping, regret-filled title track; Stewart's homage to Kurt Vonnegut's sci-fi novel The Sirens of Titan and "The Dark and the Rolling Sea," a moody piece that tells a tale of high-seas suspense. Guitarists Tim Renwick and Simon Nicol and pianist Peter Wood use their instruments in service to Stewart again, wonderfully, and there is lots of lovely color provided by gorgeous string arrangments by Parsons and gifted multiinstrumentalist Andrew Powell.Tracks: Carol Soho (Needless to Say) What's Going On? Not the One Next Time Apple Cider Reconstitution The Dark and the Rolling Sea Modern Times (Dave Mudge co-wrote) Year of the Cat - (RCA, 1976; released in the US on Janus) This, Stewart's first platinum album, was the one that cemented Stewart in the annals of pop-music history (the album hit Billboard's Top 5) and made him a huge international star. Producer Alan Parsons' formula from Modern Times, mixing Stewart's historically themed folk-rock pieces with jazz conventions (like the unforgettable Phil Kenzie saxophone break in the title song) and absolute gorgeousness (Peter Wood's heartstoppingly lovely "YOTC" piano intro), worked like the proverbial charm when it came to electrifying music listeners and encouraging them to part with their dollars and pounds. Why? Yes, the combination of the sophisticated Parsons touch with Stewart's folk-rock foundation piqued interest, but in the end, Stewart won appreciators through his unforgettable stories and songs: the arousing title track, the sad "Broadway Hotel," and "Flying Sorcery," the first of Stewart's songs to focus on the exploits of pilots. [See my recent interview with the artist for some background on his flying songs.] At the time, Billboard hailed YOTC for its "exceptionally well-arranged songs that are progressive without being pretentious. ... This set was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London, and through heavy use of strings has a symphonic, almost classical beauty." Extremely noteworthy is the first appearance of guitarist Peter White, then a sessionist hired to play Spanish style guitar for the swirling, intriguing Top 20 hit "On the Border"; his long, fruitful collaboration with Stewart began on Year of the Cat.Tracks: Lord Grenville On the Border Sand in Your Shoes If It Doesn't Come Naturally, Leave It Flying Sorcery Broadway Hotel One Stage Before Year of the Cat (Peter Wood co-wrote) Time Passages (Arista/US, RCA/UK, 1978) - This LP continued the Stewart-Parsons partnership, proven so profitable by Year of the Cat's success, and to good effect: It hit the Billboard Top 10 and produced two hit singles, the mellow, reflective title track and the undeniably catchy "Song on the Radio." As is obvious from its title, the album's theme covers time, be it time running out ("Man for All Seasons", "End of the Day"), the discovery that it's time to take action ("Almost Lucy") or reconstruct oneself (the breezy "Valentina Way"), or recalling a time gone by ("The Palace of Versailles," "Timeless Skies"). Musically, we see (hear) the return of Stewart's old-school posse (Tim Renwick, Peter Wood, Andrew Powell), appearances by notables like drummer Jeff Porcaro and steel guitarist Al Perkins, and the nucleus of what will become Shot in the Dark, Stewart's early 1980s backing band: Peter White, vocalist Krysia Kocjan (now using the surname Kristianne) and bassist Robin Lamble.Tracks: Time Passages Valentina Way Life in Dark Water A Man for All Seasons Almost Lucy The Palace of Versailles Timeless Skies Song on the Radio End of the Day (Peter White co-wrote; reportedly this song inspired his aspiration to follow a solo-artist path, something he eventually did, and quite successfully). 24 PCarrots (Arista/US, RCA/UK, 1980) - The theme became "change." Busy as Alan Parsons became with his own successful Project, Al Stewart found himself with a record due and without a producer. With a new decade looming and a new album to create, a new challenge for Stewart seemed timely: He took on the mantle himself, co-producing with recording engineer Chris Desmond. A new attitude showed itself too: While the songwriter's sense of whimsy and love for wordplay have been hinted at on past releases (come on - "The Elf"?), never before has it been so up-front as on the disc's cover, which features Xed out parrots and a P in its title replaced respectively by bright orange carrots and the letter C. Obviously, something is different - and much of what's changed is the sound. Stewart is in collaboration mode - 24PC features four Stewart-White tunes and it's apparent that his new backing band (Peter White and his Shot in the Dark mates, who now include guitarist Adam Yurman and saxophonist Bryan Savage), supplemented by various session players (among them alternating drummers Jeff Porcaro, Russ Kunkel and Steve Chapman [now Stewart's manager]) contributed to the album's harder-rocking sound. That isn't to say that everything changed: Yes, 24PC's sound is harder, but it's in no danger of resembling Metallica. This is still rock music played most elegantly. The theme may be "change," but the topic is still explored through historically based songs (including the epic "Murmansk Run/Ellis Island") and musings on modern times and relationships. And while the record is a tad less satisfying on the whole than previous Stewart classics, it is most assuredly superior to much of what was released in 1980 - and of what is released today. The quality of the musicianship is as high as expected, though listening today, some of the bright-sounding production - though very well done - feels a bit sterile. That is not because of the songs, by and large: the tense, ever-moving "Running Man," the hilarious rocker "Mondo Sinistro," the pensive "Optical Illusion" and the resplendent hit "Midnight Rocks" (which boasts a chorus that soars on swoon-worthy harmonies) help make what turned out to be the final album of Stewart's rock-star period such delicious punishment.Tracks: Running Man Midnight Rocks Constantinople Merlin's Time Mondo Sinistro Murmansk Run/Ellis Island Rocks in the Ocean Paint by Numbers Optical Illusion Indian Summer/Live (Arista/US, RCA/UK, 1982) - This interesting collection offers songs performed at the Roxy in Los, LA Angeles in 1981. Called Indian Summer/Live in the US, the British version, pictured left, is known as Live at the Roxy, L.A. '81); 2002's Al Stewart Live on Razor and Tie features much of the same material. The live release came at an interesting time - during the initial transition between Stewart's Elton John years and his post-stardom career. Intentional or not, it offers us a pause to appreciate works gone by - and it's a welcome souvenir of the live Al Stewart concert experience, complete with his extemporaneous and wildly entertaining stage patter (check out his homage to Clarence "Frogman" Henry). In addition to the live tracks, which feature cuts from Past, Present and Future through 24 PCarrots, there are also brand-new studio songs on the 1982 American release (which eventually show up on new CD reissues of 24 PC). My recommendation: the exotic and thought-provoking "The World Goes to Riyadh." Tracks: Here In Angola Pandora (Peter White co-wrote) Indian Summer Delia's Gone Princess Olivia Running Man (live) Time Passages (live) Merlin's Time (live) If It Doesn't Come Naturally, Leave It Roads to Moscow Nostradamus 1 / World Goes To Riyadh / Nostradamus 2 Soho (Needless To Say) On The Border Valentina Way Clarence Frogman Henry Year Of The CatWe'll continue our exploration of Al Stewart's official releases in part two, where the journey becomes rocky and we'll hear stories from between the wars, down in the cellar and from beachside. Trust me, there is more story to tell, and the music is something you need to hear.More info on Stewart's music and concert appearances can be found at his official site and at NevilleJudd.com.Sources: The Al Stewart Mailing List Discography, AlStewart.com, Al Stewart Now, Songfacts, SuperSeventies.com, Neville Judd's Al Stewart: The True Life Adventures of a Folk-Rock Troubadour, Charlie Hulme's late, lamented Page27 ArchivesPlease see more on featured artist Al Stewart here.

Featured Artist: Interview with Al Stewart, Sept. 2005 (Part Two)

Natalie Davis — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 22:46:32 EDT

Here is the second half of my Fall 2005 interview with acclaimed singer-songwriter Al Stewart -- yeah, yeah, the "Year of the Cat" guy, get over it. In this installment, we continue discussing his captivating new release, A Beach Full of Shells on Appleseed Records. As promised, the gifted musician and conversationalist recalls English rock's good old days (providing us with some fascinating history lessons), contemplates man's love for felines, and shows he's ready for some football. ND: The song from A Beach Full of Shells that I hear most people talking about is "Class of '58." AS: There's a long version of that.ND: Yes, I finally heard the long version two days ago, and Al, it was such great fun.AS: I wrote it as a 13-minute epic about the early days of English rock and roll. The story behind that is -- well, it's interesting to me -- back in the beginning, there were session musicians backing cabaret singers masquerading as rock and roll stars. That's exactly how, in England, it began. In America, it was a long, slow evolution. You had R&B and the country thing, western swing, and these things gradually evolved into different forms that eventually merged into rock and roll. But this took an awfully long time -- you can trace rock and roll back into the 1930s and '40s, "Rocket 88", and what everybody talks about and whatever. In England, that tradition was completely absent. We had, I don't know, "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window" and all these terrible 1950s Doris Day songs and whatever, Patti Page... And then one day, we woke up and there was Elvis Presley. And then a lot of English lads thought they were going to copy this -- notably, Cliff Richard. The early people who tried to do rock and roll all came from this sort of cabaret background, and they didn't understand it. Worse still, all the English musicians had never played it. They had no idea; they mostly were dance-band guys playing jazz guitars and all of a sudden, they had to play this stuff they detested. These musicians hated rock and roll -- even more than the Parents Music Resource Council or something. (They laugh.) "I'm not playing that!" "Here's five pounds." "Well, all right, I'll play it, but I won't like it." This, compared with guys like Eddie Cochran in the States who played because they loved it. They were real rock and rollers. The people who were trying to do it in England were B-movie stars and cabaret singers. And then in 1958, all that changed with one guitar riff. It wasn't the song that matter, it was the intro: The record was "Move It" by Cliff Richard. It was a hit single, and the song was actually pretty good; it was written by Sammy Samwell. It's a pretty good early rock and roll song, but that doesn't matter. What matters is the 10-second intro, where the guitar actually sounded like a rock and roll instrument. Up to that point, they'd all sounded like jazz players. This was twangy and it was echo-ey and it was absolutely...It erased the blackboard. It was like someone had taken a cloth and erased everything on a blackboard to start all over again. Within six years, and this is what I find incredible, from the release of "Move It," England conquered the world with the Beatles, the Stones, the Kinks, the Animals, the Zombies, bang. It all came from different sources, but in my simplification of it, I think everybody who became a star between 1958 and 1964 probably heard that riff from "Move It" and probably learned it and probably played it. So what I'm doing in "Class of '58" is examining the impact of that riff (which actually opens the long version) and the life of one person who was inspired by that particular riff. Now, there are references in the song that I love -- because they're really inside references that no one will get. I think you'll like this one, Natalie: The guy in the song signs to Oriole. Oriole? Baltimore Orioles?ND: That hit me when I heard the long version. Nice of you to recall.AS: It occurred to me when we were setting up the interview. I thought of you and of this song and I thought you would find the reference amusing. Anyway, in England, there were two big record companies, EMI and Decca, and EMI won the Battle of the Bands because they signed the Beatles while Decca got the Rolling Stones. EMI got most of the others -- [among them] Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. [For the record, Stewart's first label was Decca; he was signed in 1966.] Then there was, like, a secondary level, which were Pie and Philips. Pie signed the Kinks and Philips signed Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders ["Groovy Kind of Love," "It Was Easier to Hurt Her"].ND: Oh, my god...Fontana fan...I must be old...AS: (laughs) Right at the very, very bottom of the record-label heap was Oriole Records, which I love, because they had no money and no publicity department and they never made hits. They signed all the people who were left. I cannot put it more simply than to say that Oriole Records signed Rory Storm and the Hurricanes after Ringo left. (Resounding laughter.) ND: (through tears) Oh. Well.AS: That was the uniqueness of Oriole. I loved them, because I always love underdogs. My local band in Bournemouth [an English resort town where Stewart spent his teen years], a duo considered to be the English Everly Brothers signed to Oriole and I had all their records. I went out of my way to buy Oriole singles because, though they were never hits, they were interesting. It was a label that just couldn't win. They only had one Top 10 single, which was "Orange Blossom Special" by the Spotnicks, but I'm digressing. It's just one line in the song [the extended 13-minute version, not the CD edit]: "The song came out on Oriole / And it did not make the charts..." Now, to a lot of people, that's a meaningless line, but to me, that's almost the soul of the whole song: If your song comes out on Oriole, it's probably not going to be a hit. The long version is filled with these references, which a lot of American people probably wouldn't get -- a lot of English people wouldn't get them. But for me, the song is dense with references of the time period and I loved it. I gave it to EMI [Stewart's present English label] and they hated it. They said, "This is not what we like. We want you to write 'Roads to Moscow' and 'Trains.' What is all this rock and roll shit? And I said, "Well, I love early rock and roll; it's what I grew up on. It's a historical song." And they said, "It's not a historical song; it's dreadful. Go away and don't do it again."ND: Typical.AS: They basically made me truncate it into the four-minute version for the album. But I like the long one. ND: I do, too. And from what I hear, a lot of people do. We're digging through and working to figure out the references we don't know. [The extended single -- a decided rarity -- may be available through NevilleJudd.com.]AS: There's Andrew Loog Oldham, who of course did some great books, and Cathy McGowan, who was the host of [Brit TV pop show] Ready Steady Go!. And my favorite line -- it's not even a line in the song; it's from a spoken part -- is: "I may not know much / But I do know I'm partial / To an E-major chord / Through a stack of Marshalls." The first thing any guitar player from the period did with a stack of Marshalls amplifiers was to play E-major with the speaker on 10 or 11, if it's Spinal Tap. (Laughter.) So many guitar players going, "CRA-A-ANG." In fact, if you go to any guitar shop, you will see kids who are 19-years old, or even 15-years old, playing E-major chords through stacks of Marshalls. It never stops.ND: God, I taught myself to play guitar, started right before I turned 40. First thing when I got my electric...E-Major through a wall of speakers, probably the Marshalls they have hooked up at Bill's Music, here in Baltimore. So normal...you nailed that feeling.AS: For my money, I thought I captured it perfectly. EMI thought otherwise; I just don't think they got it. But that's fine, because now we have the short version, which works on its own, on the record, and the long version has become a collector's item. Only about 1,000 printed.ND: I'm telling you, people are talking about it. And down the road, they'll trade them over the Internet, hawk them on eBay, you never know. Anyway, here's a question, Al: Do you actually have an Egyptian couch?AS: No, I do not have an Egyptian couch, but I can imagine one. ND: In fact, you did imagine one for "My Egyptian Couch."AS: Yeah, in that one, I'm looking at photographs of my grandparents, imagining their lives. In the song, they're looking back at me and trying to fathom the time that I live in. It's almost like a movie, that song. ND: Interesting times.AS: Yeah, that's a Chinese proverb which I'm sure you know, but there are many people in the world who probably don't. ND: It's actually a curse.AS: Yeah: "May you live in interesting times." And they don't mean what you think they mean.ND: Indeed, in fact, I wouldn't want to say aloud what they're really wishing. (Much laughter.) What's your favorite song on the album?AS: There are two I like particularly. There's "Somewhere in England, 1915"...ND: Yeah...the epic. Just lovely.AS: I think that one just nails it. I read a biography of Rupert Brooke and it was through this that I realized that when you start reading about the period prior to World War I in England, all the characters connect because they all kept voluminous diaries and wrote lengthy letters to each other every day; so all this correspondence exists and they all mention each other. It's one of the little literary worlds of that period where everyone knew each other. So when I started reading the book on Rupert Brooke, I looked at the pictures and saw Virginia Woolf in there and Lytton Strachey and wow, you know. But the new information that I didn't know was that Violet Asquith had a crush on Rupert Brooke. It got me to thinking: She was probably the last civilian to see him alive, because she was standing on the beach when his troopship sailed off for the Dardanelles campaign, which he didn't get to because he died [from blood poisoning on his way to battle]. So, I thought, what if Violet Asquith had married Rupert Brooke? As it happens, she married a fellow called Bonham-Carter, and her granddaughter is now a successful actress. Helena Bonham-Carter would be a different person if her grandfather had been Rupert Brooke. You get started on these paths and it can lead to madness (laughs), but it's still an interesting conjecture. So, I thought, there's Violet Asquith standing on the beach waving goodbye to Rupert Brooke. Whatever happens, their lives are never going to be the same, in the way that World War I changed the world. In my way of thinking, World War I is the dividing line between the old world and the new, modern one we're still living in. In the way it changed the world, it also changed the lives of these two people. Brooke hadn't got long to live, even though he didn't know it. Violet Asquith was destined to live for a very, very long time, to become best friends with Winston Churchill and then, eventually, a leading figure in the Liberal Party. And, as I said, her granddaughter grows up to be an actress. Rupert Brooke becomes the first rock and roll star. ND: (Cracks up.) AS: Well, he wasn't a very good poet. He wrote one poem that I really like and two more than I did quite like, and then a load of terrible stuff that is very dated. But he looked absolutely great. He looked like a rock star, a godlike figure -- he looked exactly like what a poet is supposed to look like. ND: He was beautiful, yes.AS: Rupert Brooke sets this mold into which everybody comes, from Nick Drake to Jim Morrison.ND: Golden gods.AS: Brooke was the first of the James Deans; the list goes on and on and on. So I tend to look at him as the first rock and roll star. "Somewhere in England, 1915" is an interesting lead-in to "Class of '58." You're dealing in a way with the same sort of thing, but from a radically different angle.ND: Substance falling second to image...AS: There you go. The other song I really like, which no one else seems to like, is "Out in the Snow." ND: I admit, it took me a bit to warm up to that one, but over time, "Out in the Snow" -- its moodiness, the strings of images -- well, it's become endlessly intriguing to me. I wanted to ask you: What were you thinking of when you wrote it?AS: Its language. Musically, it's Beatle-y. But I loved this line that came to me: "The exhalation of an Arctic god..." It was like, whoa...ND: It's beautiful and speaks to so many things, like the coming of winter. And so visual -- you can actually see that picture so clearly.AS: Yes! It's exactly how I've always thought of winter. That one did it for me. It's one of those songs -- "Optical Illusion" [from 1980's 24 PCarrots] is another one...ND: You probably don't remember, but that is my hands-down favorite Al Stewart song.AS: It's one of my favorites, too. Well, it makes sense that "Out in the Snow" grabbed you over time. "Optical Illusion" is very similar.ND: And that one took time to seize my being, too. They both are dark pieces that capture the human condition and its loneliness and frailty.AS: They're songs I like. They're not flashy and showy, and they're not necessarily going to be the ones that millions of people like, but I like them, and I am pleased when others appreciate them.ND: What I've been telling people is to give it time.AS: Yes. ND: I had to listen to it a few times because I knew something was there...AS: (giggling) But you didn't know what it was... ND: Right. I just had to let it settle. Connect. And once it did, I just went wow. But that one line, when I heard it the first time, I could actually see the Arctic god's breath hanging in the frozen air. Chilling, in more ways than one. AS: That's great. Me, too. (laughs) So, those are my two favorites, but I have to say there isn't anything on the album I don't like, which makes it somewhat unique, because usually when I put a record out, there are moments where I go, "What was I thinking?"ND: That's fairly normal. Are you liking the recording process any better? AS: Of the three albums I've done with Laurence [Juber, guitarist formerly with Paul McCartney and Wings, longtime Stewart collaborator, produced Stewart's Between the Wars (1995), Down in the Cellar (2000) and the newest release, A Beach Full of Shells], he did the best job on this one. When you consider that my records are made on a bit of a shoestring...ND: You can't tell from listening to this.AS: Yeah, this record sounds like someone spent some money on it, you know what I mean? It sounds like a proper record. That's largely Laurence's doing.ND: Strong praise from someone who's been produced by Alan Parsons, and yeah, Laurence deserves it. A Beach Full of Shells... the sound is just masterful.AS: He's really getting the hang of it. I keep telling Laurence that he ought to produce more records -- he spends most of his time doing sessions and music for television shows and his own music. He's really busy. But I would think anyone listening to this record who knows the budget that was spent for it would be strongly advised to race to Laurence Juber's door and demand that he produce them. But as we said earlier, we don't live in that kind of world.ND: I try to be hopeful on that front. It's not always easy. But then... my son is nine now and I'm amazed at the music he listens to in defiance of his friends. AS: Yes!ND: That leads me to believe that there is some hope out there. Was there some sort of theme for the album beyond whatever is floating around in Al Stewart's mind?AS: Originally, "Class of '58" was one of the first things I wrote, and I was thinking in terms of '60s pop, which I grew up on. I mean, I'd done the '30s and the '40s on Between the Wars and then I did the wine record [all of Down in the Cellar's songs had to do with wine -- the idea came about because Stewart is an award-winning wine connoisseur]. So, I said '50s-'60s pop, because that's something I know a great deal about. But I don't record that kind of thing -- I record singer-songwriter-y kinds of things. But, you know, there's a whole side to me... If I put an electric guitar around my neck, I can play all these rock and roll things. [Author note: Yes. He can. Brilliantly.] It's just that I don't when I'm on stage. So I was thinking, let's do that. Then I wrote "Mona Lisa Talking" and "Gina and the Kings Road," which is very '50s-'60s pop, and then "Class of '58," so I was headed that way. EMI listened to "Class of '58" and hated it, and that brought me to a quick stop. "Oh, well maybe they're right." So I showed them "Katherine of Oregon" and "Royal Courtship," which are guitar-based, and they liked them. And then I thought I'd better write some acoustic stuff. So, what you're left with for A Beach Full of Shells is a little schizophrenic, in the sense that it began as a '60s pop record and then took a detour into singer-songwriter acoustic guitar stuff, "My Egyptian Couch" being another example. But for whatever reason, when you play the whole thing, it seems to hang together. To me, because it musically harks back to 30-40 years ago, this is the record that I would have made between Past, Present and Future (1974) and Modern Times (1975). It has elements of both: "Somewhere in England, 1915" and maybe "Egyptian Couch could have easily been on Past Present and Future, whereas Modern Times had more uptempo rock things and there are tracks on this record that could have very easily been on that. [Just for grins, play 1975's "Apple Cider Reconstitution" and follow it with "Class of '58." You'll see.] It's almost like a lost record that should have come out in that time period. Which is fine by me, because it ends up sounding like a fairly classic Al Stewart record.ND: And yet it sounds so perfect for now.AS: That's for others to judge, I don't know. But that's the origin of it, anyway.ND: Well, it's a marvelous disc for past, present, and future. Oh -- I can't forget to mention "Mr. Lear." I was so in love with Edward Lear...AS: A lot of people in America don't know him, but he was a big deal in England. People know "The Owl and the Pussycat"...ND: I grew up reading his nonsense poetry, all his stuff. Lewis Carroll, too.AS: Well, you're an exception, Natalie Davis, and exceptional...ND: I don't know about that.AS: Trust me. If you walk out the door, go through 100 people and find one person who knows Edward Lear the 19th-century nonsense poet, you're lucky.ND: True. Most probably would think of the guy who put Archie Bunker on TV.AS: (Laughing) Absolutely right. I grew up reading Lear too, though I think Lewis Carroll was actually a much better nonsense poet, but Edward Lear was there first. I don't think he had a very strange life, but the only person -- well, the only creature -- he was close to or had a great love for was his cat. When his cat died, he died. Just one of those odd things.ND: He died of a broken heart.AS: For his cat, who actually appears in a caricature on the cover of the album. ND: Yes, I saw that and nearly wept. I love the way he draws. I actually have some framed reproductions of his engravings. They just bring back so much from the life of a little dorky child. AS: Some of the lines in "Mr. Lear" are amazingly understated, but they nail it for me. "The world..." I don't have it in front of me.ND: (reciting from memory) "The world is a lot more mysterious than we knew..."AS: Yes! That's a wonderful line, to my way of thinking. "Mr. Lear" has some of my favorite lines on the album. They're not showy or flashy, but of course, the world is more mysterious than any of us knows, and it's the sort of line that Edward Lear would have written. I was trying to channel his writing style.ND: I think you got it, because it rings very, very true.AS: What is it? "Unusual things..."ND: "Unusual things are prone to wander."AS: Yes -- prone! (Both crack up yet again.)ND: Another word that does not appear in popular songs. And it's tough to wander while prone.AS: And, of course, Edward Lear would have said, "Unusual things are prone to wander." I can see him writing that line. Again, it's not a line that jumps at people, but it should, and there are a lot of lines like that, but they're written in a very understated English way.ND: Well Al, the whole album is a delight. I'm so blessed to have had had the opportunity to hear and review it, and I'm really, really happy to have had the chance to talk with you about it.AS: I am very pleased that you like it. We ought to come to Baltimore and play it live. ND: That would be marvelous. And now that you're touring all over creation, selling out larger and larger venues, the word is out. There are scads of people who would love to see you do the new songs live.AS: Just make sure you come see me. You haven't gotten to the west coast yet.ND: No, where was the last place we saw each other?AS: Was it the Point near Philadelphia?ND: That's right, the Point. AS: You know, I also distinctly remember being pleased with myself when I had picked the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl.ND: I remember! In 2000. You wrote me a letter and you teased me about the Ravens and predicted they would end up on top, and you were right. So, I have to ask you -- because I know the Ravens will be completely in the toilet for 2005-06 [and they were] -- any predictions from my favorite Scottish pigskin prognosticator?AS: I can't do it again. It was just one of those miracles. I actually predicted they'd go 12-4, which they did.ND: Indeed they did. It was an amazing year.AS: My one moment of sporting glory, where I was actually right about something. ND: Well, who do you think will do well?AS: We're already two games into the season, so you're going to have to trust me on this, but my pick to surprise everybody was going to be the Cincinnati Bengals. They're 2-0 now, but they haven't played any tough teams yet. But they're my underdog pick. Bear in mind that the Cincinnati Bengals have not had a winning season in the last 14. This pick is really out there. But they've already surprised a couple of teams and we will see what happens. I pick the Bengals -- not to win the Super Bowl, but to do much better this year [ultimately, Cincy ended up at 11-5]. ND: That's not putting yourself out there very much, but okay. I'll take it.AS: If you're going to nail me down to a Super Bowl pick, I'd have to go with the Indianapolis Colts. [He was close.]ND: Not my favorite team, but you're probably right. I like the Bengals better.AS: The last two seasons they went 8-8 and before that they were much more dismal. ND: Yeah, but just like you like Oriole Records, I have always loved underdog sports teams. AS: If the Bengals were a rock and roll act, they'd sign to Oriole. (More raucous laughter.) No doubt in my mind. Perhaps this is the year when Oriole will get its once-in-a-blue-moon hit. Perhaps this will be the Bengals' Red Sox year. Oh, don't get me started... if the Orioles [Baltimore's beleaguered pro baseball team] were signed to a record deal, they'd be signed to Oriole...ND: Al, it's so great to talk with you. How's the family?AS: They're doing fine. And yours?ND:: Splendid, thanks for asking. I know you're busy and we've been gabbing for a long time, so I'll give long-distance a break. As usual, this was fun -- you always keep me plenty entertained.AS: It was lovely talking with you too, and hopefully I'll see you very, very soon. Take care.More info on Al Stewart's music and concert appearances can be found at his official site and at NevilleJudd.com.Please see more on featured artist Al Stewart on Blogcritics.