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 War
Tracks: (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.
Article comments
1 - Michael J. West
R&A is not at the top of the list of greatest Al Stewart recordings
The Hell it's not! It's at the VERY top of my list.
Incidentally, "The Gypsy and the Rose" is also UK only. I have the original US pressing or R&A and it ends with "The Candidate."
It's awfully hard to get past the synthesizers in LoDC. The songs really are as good as you say but the synths do date the album horribly.
2 - NR Davis
I'm with you on the LDOTC synths, Mr. West. Oh, yes. And thank for the head's up on "Gypsy and the Rose" - I thought I'd included that it was UK only, but I'll repair that. As for R&A, I'm glad it's your favorite. It isn't mine, and of course the piece is labeled Opinion, but that doesn't mean I don't love it. That would be categorically false.
3 - Michael J. West
Of course you're right, Ms. Davis, that the piece is labeled Opinion. But acknowledging that at the outset would have made it much harder to argue passionately and heatedly, which is the fun part of arguing isn't it?
While I'm here again, I might as well add that in so many ways it seems like Between the Wars was the album that Al had been wanting to make forever--most of his historical interest is in that period and the guitar parts for him and Juber both are an excellent showcase. In your encounters with him, Ms. Davis, did you ever ask him if he had a particular favorite among his releases?
4 - Jet in Columbus
As sad as it is to say this, I think two factors drove me away from Al.
Being a HUGE fan of Alan Parsons, when he wandered off to work on his other projects, Al's sound did indeed change, and it hurt, because I consider the Year of the cat, and Time Passages to be two of my all time favorite albums.
Another thing that kept me out of touch was that as Disco and Rap/hip-hop started taking over in that era, he got less airplay.
I thoroughly enjoyed both parts of this article, and you have my sincere compliments.
Jet
5 - NR Davis
Mr. West: Couldn't say. I don't find arguing or debate at all enjoyable.
You make a great observation about BTW, which many consider one of his masterpieces. Most of the time I've spent with Al has involved subjects other than him, but I do know that his favorite changes fairly regularly (and often it is whatever was released most recently). He has told me that "Optical Illusion" is one of his favorite compositions.
Mr. Jet: That is perfectly understandable, but do recall that Al was making music before his association with Parsons. Each man has his own muse to follow: Parsons followed his, before, during and after Al [the Project started in 1976]; it only makes sense that Al would do the same. Do not feel badly about it, though; your reasoning made sense and worked for you, which is what counts.
I thank you very much indeed for your kind words and hope you'll try some of his non-Parsons stuff with an open mind. I believe you'll find it a worthwhile experience - and trust me, Alan Parsons will be perfectly OK with you listening to his stuff and enjoying other stuff as well. :)
6 - Rob Macdonald
Natalie, I've just read Pt1 and Pt2 after attending Al's astonishing live performance at The Dome in Brighton (as it was November and he was in Brighton, he re-learnt the words to to 'Not the One' which as always been a favourite of mine). Thank you so much for this. I was considering extending the commentary on Al's albums on Wikipedia, but your words are so much better than any I would write, perhaps you might rise to the task?
7 - Jack Schwab
I interviewed Al regarding his association with Tori Amos. It was done for the Caldwells' "Really Deep Thoughts" Tori 'zine. They had the right to do with it whatever they wanted. I admit to over-reacting and acting immaturely at the time of publishing. That being said, Al himself was disappointed with the end result, as both him and Steve Chapman had approved my version. If any of you reading this are curious after all this time, it can be arranged to send you a hard copy. It's too long to transcribe again and save to a USB to send as an attachment.