Much as I loved Al Stewart back then, I have to admit that I haven't followed him much in the years (make that decades) since — something about that whole girlfriend thing. Which is why I am happy to report that his new Sparks Of Ancient Light is such a pleasant surprise.
On this album, not only does Stewart's voice — distinctive, wispy sort of willow that it is — sound like it hasn't aged a minute despite the decades which have since passed. He's also picked up that whole literary thing right where he left it on those great seventies albums like Past Present And Future and Modern Times.
In an odd sort of way, it's almost like reconnecting with an old friend.
Stewart's sound from those days also remains by and large intact. Tim Renwick, the great guitarist from those old records is apparently gone, but his rather large shoes have been filled quite well (and then some) by former Wings guitarist Laurence Juber. On songs like "Angry Bird," the guitar flourishes are so ultra clean, if you close your eyes you'd almost swear Renwick never left.
Speaking of those songs, Stewart once again instantly transports you back to such far away times and places as post World War II fifties America ["(A Child's View of) The Eisenhower Years"], 1970's pre-Ayatollah Iran ("Shah of Shahs"), and Great Britain circa the late 1890's ("Lord Salisbury").
On this album, Stewart practically recounts the history of the world in a way that would make Mel Brooks proud — from the pre Christian calendar journey to the world's edge of "Hanno The Navigator" to the King's own religious experience in "Elvis at The Wheel."
Talk about your Time Passages. On Sparks Of Ancient Light, Al Stewart is back in peak historical, literate, and most importantly, lyrical form. You'll find it in stores on September 15.
And yes Al, all is forgiven.
Article comments
1 - suzanneetandre
You did'nt like Orange ? !
2 - Glen Boyd
Who said I didn't like it? I liked "Love Chronicles" better though.
-Glen
3 - pork romeo
just listening to some of my favorite stewart tunes, Roads to Moscow playing at the moment. so i thought i would do a search and see what happened to him.
nice surprise he is releasing a new CD. thanks for the review. looking forward to it.
4 - Nicholas Waller
I largely agree with you about Al Stewart's broad career: I like his stuff on the seven albums up to and including Year of the Cat, and don't care much for most of what came after, apart from the odd excellent song or two (apart from Between the Wars, which I listened to a lot) and I'm looking forward to Sparks and hope it is a return to form.
Although, as you say, historical themes were quite big for him at one stage, he didn't start that way - only Manuscript (Zero She Flies) from his first four albums has much history element. Otherwise, they were either personal stories, or stories about the tangled love/sex lives of individuals (as in Life and Life Only or Mary Foster).
I only saw him once with his band in about 1980 but my brother saw him as an one-man act in the late 60s in a small folk club in Bristol, which he describes here.
5 - Julie in brittany
I can't believe you didn't give Between the Wars a mention. It's simply magnificent and you can't get much more historical than that album.
6 - Richard Horton
I have to echo Julie on Between The Wars. If you missed the historical storytelling you need to give that album a listen or three. To my mind it is Al's finest album period. (And his finest period album.)