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Al Stewart: The History Teacher with a Guitar, Painting the Past in Song
On September 5, 1945, in Glasgow, Scotland, a child was born who would grow to become one of popular music’s most unique and erudite voices. Al Stewart, a name synonymous with meticulously crafted historical narratives, lush melodic sensibilities, and a transition from the introspective British folk scene to the pinnacle of 1970s art-rock radio, is a songwriter’s songwriter. His career is a testament to the power of intellect, curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to a singular vision: to turn the pages of history books into captivating, personal, and often hit songs.
To reduce Stewart to his two mid-70s masterpieces, “Year of the Cat” and “Time Passages,” is to miss the rich tapestry of his work. He is a troubadour of time, a chronicler of love and loss across centuries, and a musician whose work offers a rare blend of educational depth and pure, accessible pleasure.
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Early Life and the British Folk Crucible
Al Stewart’s childhood was peripatetic. After moving from Scotland to the South of England and then to the coastal town of Bournemouth, he found solace in music, first in the whirlwind of Skiffle that swept Britain, and then in the burgeoning folk revival. The early 1960s were a fertile time, and Stewart found himself at the heart of the London folk scene, a world that included figures like Paul Simon, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, and a young Cat Stevens.
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He played his first gigs in the same Soho coffee houses, like Bunjies and Les Cousins, that nurtured these future legends. This environment was crucial. It was a scene that valued lyricism, storytelling, and acoustic virtuosity above all else. Stewart’s early influences were a mix of traditional folk, the blues of Muddy Waters, and the lyrical sophistication of Bob Dylan. His first albums, Bedsitter Images (1967, later reworked as The First Album (Bedsitter Images) in 1970) and Love Chronicles (1969), are very much products of this scene.
Love Chronicles is particularly notable. The 18-minute title track, a candid and beautifully detailed autobiographical account of Stewart’s early romantic encounters, was groundbreaking for its frankness and narrative scope. It was also notable for featuring the electric guitar of a young Jimmy Page, just before he ascended to rock godhood with Led Zeppelin. The album won Melody Maker‘s “Folk Album of the Year” award, cementing Stewart’s place as a leading voice of the new folk movement.
The Evolution of a Style: From Folk Diarist to Historical Novelist
The turn of the decade marked a profound shift in Stewart’s songwriting. He began to outgrow the confessional, first-person diaristic style of his early work. As he explained in numerous interviews, he simply ran out of interesting things to say about his own life. His boundless curiosity, fueled by a voracious appetite for reading—particularly history—led him to a new approach: he would use historical events and figures as lenses to examine universal human emotions.
This was not the dry recitation of facts but the novelization of history. Stewart would immerse himself in a period, absorb the details, and then write from the perspective of someone living through it, focusing on the personal, emotional truths rather than the grand historical narrative. This technique allowed him to write about love, longing, ambition, and failure with a newfound depth and scale.
This new direction was fully realized on his fourth album, Past, Present and Future (1973). It is a concept album where each song is a window into a different 20th-century historical moment. The opening track, “Old Admirals,” is a poignant meditation on obsolescence and aging, comparing retired naval officers to their outdated warships. “Roads to Moscow” is a stunning, epic masterpiece. From the perspective of a Russian soldier, it captures the brutal sweep and desperate cold of the Eastern Front in World War II, only to end in the bitter irony of his imprisonment by the very regime he defended. The album announced the arrival of a truly original songwriting voice.
The Alan Parsons Era: A Perfect Alchemical Match
While his songwriting had matured, Stewart’s commercial success had been modest. The critical breakthrough came with Past, Present and Future, but the popular breakthrough required one final, crucial element: a sound that matched the cinematic scope of his songs. He found it in the form of producer and engineer Alan Parsons.
Parsons, fresh from his work on The Beatles’ Abbey Road and Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, was a master of atmospheric, pristine, and intricate soundscapes. He understood how to frame Stewart’s narratives with the perfect musical setting. Their first collaboration, Modern Times (1975), was a triumph. The sound was warmer, richer, and more expansive. Songs like “Carol” and the title track blended Stewart’s folk roots with a sophisticated, jazz-tinged soft rock sensibility. The album was a hit, particularly in the US, setting the stage for what was to come.
Year of the Cat (1976) is the pinnacle of this partnership and remains Stewart’s defining work. It is a near-flawless album, a seamless fusion of intelligent songwriting and breathtaking production. The title track is a perfect storm of musical elements:
- Intro: It begins with a haunting, melancholic piano figure (played by Peter Wood) that immediately establishes a mysterious, exotic mood.
- Structure: The song unfolds like a short film, telling the story of a fleeting, magical encounter with a mysterious woman in a North African market.
- Instrumentation: Parsons’ production shines. Phil Kenzie’s soaring alto saxophone solo is one of the most iconic in pop music, and Andrew Powell’s string arrangements are lush without being cloying. The acoustic guitar work of Tim Renwick and the percussion work create a tangible sense of place.
- Harmony: The song is built on a sophisticated chord progression that moves through unexpected, jazz-influenced changes, far beyond the standard I-IV-V of most pop hits. This harmonic richness is a hallmark of Stewart’s work, providing a complex and satisfying bed for his melodies.
The same album features “Lord Grenville,” a poignant tale of the Elizabethan naval commander, and “On the Border,” which uses the Spanish Civil War as a backdrop. Year of the Cat was a massive worldwide success, achieving platinum status and forever etching Al Stewart into the fabric of 1970s music.
They followed it with the equally successful Time Passages (1978). The title track, with its instantly recognizable introductory synth flourish, became another major hit. The album continued the formula of matching historical and nostalgic themes (“The Palace of Versailles,” “A Man For All Seasons”) with Parsons’ immaculate, smooth Californian production. While some critics dismissed this era as too polished, it represented the perfect commercial articulation of Stewart’s unique artistic vision.
Musical Style, Lyrical Themes, and Lasting Influence
Lyrical Themes: Stewart is the master of the “historical fiction” song. His subjects are remarkably diverse:
- 20th Century War: A recurring theme, explored not for glory but for its human cost (“Roads to Moscow,” “The Dark and the Rolling Sea”).
- Historical Figures: He gets inside the minds of figures like Winston Churchill (“Sirens of Titan”), Warren Harding (“Warren Harding”), and Joseph Stalin (“Running Man”).
- Love and Nostalgia: Even his love songs are often framed by time and memory (“Year of the Cat,” “Time Passages,” “Almost Lucy”).
- The Uncanny and Surreal: Songs like “Year of the Cat” and “Song on the Radio” (from Time Passages) have a dreamlike, slightly surreal quality.
Musical Style: His music is a sophisticated blend:
- Folk Foundation: His guitar playing is always acoustic at its core, fingerpicked and rhythmic.
- Jazz Influence: His chord choices are frequently complex, using extended chords (major 7ths, 9ths, 11ths) more common in jazz than in folk or pop.
- Soft Rock/Art Rock: The Alan Parsons production defined his biggest hits, placing his songs in a landscape of smooth saxophones, elegant piano, and layered guitars.
Collaborations: Beyond Jimmy Page and Alan Parsons, Stewart has worked with a who’s who of talented session players, including guitarists Tim Renwick and Peter White, and drummers Stuart Elliott and Rick Marotta.
Later Career and Legacy
After the peak of the late 70s, Stewart continued to record and tour consistently. He moved away from the high-gloss production of Parsons towards a somewhat more direct, though still highly polished, sound. Albums like 24 Carrots (1980), Russians & Americans (1984), and the excellent Famous Last Words (1993) continued his exploration of history and human stories. In the 21st century, he has released albums like A Beach Full of Shells (2005) and Sparks of Ancient Light (2008), which prove his songwriting powers remain undimmed, still brimming with historical curiosity and melodic grace.
Al Stewart’s legacy is unique. He is not a rock star, a protest singer, or a conventional pop balladeer. He is a storyteller who found his stories not in his diary, but in the vast library of human history. He proved that pop songs could be intellectually stimulating without sacrificing melodic appeal, that a hit single could be about a fleeting moment in a Moroccan market or a Russian soldier’s despair.
He is a craftsman, a historian, and a romantic. For over five decades, Al Stewart has been a gentle guide through the corridors of time, guitar in hand, turning the past into a beautiful, resonant, and deeply human music. And for that, we are eternally grateful.
Al Stewart – Year of the Cat – 2020 Remaster | Smooth Waters
Al Stewart’s “Year of the Cat” (1976) — from the album of the same name, produced by Alan Parsons. It features a well-known saxophone solo and became a Top 10 hit in the U.S., Canada, and several other countries.