Al Stewart – Year Of The Cat (Vinyl) Original Japanese Pressing
RCA Records (1977)

2 reviews for Al Stewart – Year Of The Cat (Vinyl) Original Japanese Pressing
RCA Records (1977)

1. 

   4 out of 5

   AMG – February 24, 2015

   Al Stewart had found his voice on Past, Present & Future and found his sound on Modern Times. He then perfected it all on 1976's Year of the Cat, arguably his masterpiece. There is no overarching theme here, as there was on its two immediate predecessors, but the impossible lushness of Alan Parsons' production and Stewart's evocative Continental narratives give the record a welcome feeling of cohesion that keeps the record enchanting as it moves from "Lord Grenville" to "Midas Shadow" to "Broadway Hotel," before it ends with the haunting title track. Along the way, Stewart doesn't dwell too deeply in any area, preferring to trace out mysteries with his evocative lyrical imagery and a spinning array of self-consciously sophisticated music, songs that evoke American and European folk and pop with a deliberate grace. This could be unbearably precious if it didn't work so well. Stewart is detached from his music, but only in the sense that he gives this album a stylish elegance, and Parsons is his perfect foil, giving the music a rich, panoramic sweep that mimics Stewart's globe-trotting songs. The result is a tremendous example of how good self-conscious progressive pop can be, given the right producer and songwriter -- and if you're a fan of either prog or pop and haven't given Al Stewart much thought, prepare to be enchanted. 4 ½ stars
2. 

   4 out of 5

   Geoff – February 23, 2015

   Here it is -- the album that made Scotsman Al's name and became the soundtrack for a generation. 'Year of the Cat' was the million selling album that established Al Stewart as one of the pre-eminent folk / rock artists in the world. Regarded as a classic album, 'Year of the Cat' took Al Stewart to the top of the American charts when it was originally released in 1976. The title track is ingrained into the brains of anyone over 40, as it had massive airplay for quite a few years. The remainder of the album is similarly rich and evocative, with excellent instrumentation and vocals, topped off by superb production from studio wizard, Alan Parsons! Many of Stewart's lyrics have historical and political themes, and are very descriptive and poetic. Some of the words on this album were inspired by the 1942 Humphrey Bogart movie 'Casablanca'. The title comes from Vietnamese astrology -- the year of the cat is also called the year of the rabbit, which comes every 12 years and is supposed to be a stress free year.