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 Foster
- Life and Life Only
- You 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.
Article comments
1 - uao
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While I'm not a major fan of Al Stewart's, I've always found him pleasant.
However, I'm quite a big fan of the Love Chronicles album, shamefully out of print and nearly impossible to find on CD. Page is inspired; working out some of the textures he'd eventually explore on Led Zeppelin III. And the pseudonym-ed Fairport Convention are great on it, too.
"Time Passages" was one of my first 'favorite' songs, when it was new in 1978.
Great work, nice depth on a neglected artist.
2 - riverman60640
Hi Natalie thank for the wonderful writing about Al Stewart. I have been a b-i-g fan since "Year" enjoying his and Peter White's releases ever since.
3 - NR Davis
Thank you.
4 - Michael J. West
I'm going to commit blasphemy among Al Stewart fans, but somehow having been acquainted with his work since being in utero makes me feel sufficiently educated to make the following assertion:
Love Chronicles is the blandest, most uninspired record of Stewart's career. Especially in context: the beautiful and luxuriant Bedsitter Images right before it, the raw and vaguely bluesy Zero She Flies right after it. It's a blemish on his wonderful career and I make sure to program LC out when I listen to To Whom It May Concern.
You, however, Ms. Davis, have done a great job here. I loved reading this and picked up a lot of stuff I didn't know. Thanks!
5 - NR Davis
Thanks, Mr. West. Opinions can vary as to the relative value of each album, so your assessment of LC is as valid as anyone's.
BI, for instance: Al ultimtely decided that its production was overblown and had the album remixed. I happen to quite enjoy the original chamber-backed version. Oh well.
At one point, Al took a dim view of all of his first four albums, though he has since reconsidered, IMO, wisely. There is some incredible stuff on those albums, including LC (I happen to prefer ZSF too).
Perceptions are individual and can change over time. Favorite LPs change all the time, and that's OK: This week, it's PPF for me, but last week it was Between the Wars and next week it may be something else. That's cool. And it's just as OK for a fan to say that something in the catalog isn't quite his or her cup of chai.
Since in utero? My kids had the same experience.
6 - Michael J. West
I have always had an affinity for Russians and Americans, myself. But lately it's been Modern Times--especially the title track. The lyric is so bittersweet, but the instrumental ending just flows over you like a summer evening breeze.
In utero indeed, Ms. Davis, and good on ya for giving your kids the same. When I was a toddler, my mom kept Time Passages and Modern Times (the US cover, with the mansion and the greenish dusk sky) in heavy rotation. So I would tell people my favorite records were "the Blue Al Stewart and the Green Al Stewart."