Al Stewart-Year Of The Cat (1976)

In 1976 Al Stewart published his masterpiece, an album that made him one of the greatest singer-songwriters in history with one of the songs that have gone down in history as one of the contemporary classics.
When "Year of the Cat" was released, it quickly hit the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, in addition to the eponymous song, the album contained memorable moments like "On the Border", "Broadway Hotel" or "On Stage before".
In "Year of the Cat", Stewart offers us one of his best pop compositions with folk traits, based on a glamorous vocal expression and based on a melody that seduces us from the first time we listen to the piano and has just fallen in love with his sax only. In a way it reminds us of Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street'.
It is not jazz, nor power ballad, nor blues, nor pop, nor rock. It is a mixture of brilliantly linked instruments. Some are giving prominence to the others in an absolutely masterful way.
This theme is also endowed with some progressive overtones, with immense, sublime moments, mainly seductive by the American public, which reminded them of the first Bob Dylan.
The lyrics, written jointly with Peter Wood and performed with a pleasant nasal voice, is another masterpiece for those who feel like poets and lovers of melodic music. A whole spiritual experience that has its origin in the film ‘Casablanca’ by Michael Curtiz, brilliantly interpreted by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

Al Stewart-Time Passages (1978)

In 1978 Al Stewart came from making an album as mythical as the famous "Year Of The Cat" was released two years before.
Its continuation would be "Time Passages", published in September 1978, which was chronologically the eighth work of the Scotsman and like "Year Of The Cat" was produced by Alan Parsons and obtained great success in the United States and a good worldwide acceptance, although without reaching the levels of quality of its prime work.
However the album manages to be his biggest commercial success and the zenith of his career, from here he will continue publishing good albums without reaching the popularity of these last two works.
"Time Passages" shows a different musical vision regarding "Year Of The Cat", here soft rock takes over almost the entire album, undoubtedly a product of the influence of Alan Parsons, with approaches to pop rock that he had already been doing on his albums with The Alan Parsons Project, translated into an album full of instrumental richness (guitars, keyboards, synthesizers, pedal steel guitar, sax, percussions) at the service of a melodic folk-rock in which elements from pop and jazz and where great songs stand out like the addictive "Time Passages", the space "Life In Dark Water", the progressive "The Palace of Versailles" or the melodic "Song On The Radio".

Al Stewart-Modern Times (1975)

In 1975, Al Stewart released the album that would be the prelude to his legendary "Year of the Cat". Produced by Alan Parsons, "Modern Times" already hinted at the unmistakable sound that would arrive a year later. This would be the Scotsman's last album with CBS, which chose not to renew his contract after five releases with the American label. Featuring cover art by the renowned Hipgnosis, this was his most complete work to date, showcasing outstanding guitar work from Tim Renwick and highly accomplished compositions. For this album, in addition to Renwick, Stewart collaborated with musicians such as Peter Wood, Andrew Powell, Gerry Conway, and Simon Nicol. Alan Parsons' superb production and Andrew Powell's orchestral arrangements are evident in tracks like "Modern Times" and "The Dark and the Rollin' Sea", while the melodic "Carol" and the rhythmic "Apple Cider Re-Constitution" provide the perfect ending to this great album.

Al Stewart-Past, Present And Future (1974)

“Past, Present and Future” was the last album of the first phase of Al Stewart's career, a period in which acoustic sounds permeated his folk style with subtle hints of rock. While his three previous albums had already begun to electrify his style with the collaboration of some of the best instrumentalists of the time, such as Jimmy Page, Rick Wakeman, and John Paul Jones, this fifth album saw him almost entirely abandon those influences to delve into sophisticated, electric arrangements with a refined style of elegant folk rock. This album features several of his future regular collaborators, such as guitarist Tim Renwick and keyboardist Peter Wood, as well as other prestigious musicians like Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, B.J. Cole, and Queen drummer Roger Taylor, among many others. Recorded during the first months of 1973 at Trident Studios in London, it was released on different dates: October 1973 for the British market and May 1974 for the North American market. Created as a concept album, “Past, Present and Future” revisits almost every decade of the 20th century, showcasing the Scottish musician's remarkable skill as a historical storyteller. Tracks like the beautiful “Old Admirals”, the catchy “Soho (Needless to Say)”, the Beatles-esque “Terminal Eye”, the melodic “The Last Day of June 1934”, and the beautifully arranged “Roads to Moscow” and “Nostradamus” propelled the album to overwhelming success in the ever-competitive North American market.

Al Stewart-24 Carrots (1980)

"24 Carrots", the ninth album by Scottish musician Al Stewart, marks the culmination of his most creative period, coinciding with his greatest successes thanks to monumental albums like "Love Chronicles", "Past, Present and Future", "Year of the Cat", and "Time Passages". On this latest recording, guitarist Peter White remains a key contributor to the compositions co-written with Stewart, who also leads his new backing band, Shot in the Dark. The album comprises a series of elegant, accessible, and catchy soft rock songs. Tracks such as the engaging "Merlin's Time", the energetic "Mondo Sinistro", the semi-progressive "Running Mari", the infectious "Paint by Number", and the harmonious "Midnight Rocks" are part of an inspiring and sophisticated album, very much in keeping with the stylistic vein of his previous work.