Al Stewart

Two chart successes separated by two years in the late 1970s, namely "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages," established Al Stewart in the minds of countless listeners as a debonair soft rock storyteller. Although this portrayal carries accuracy in light of his taste for richly layered studio production, it overlooks the broader range of accomplishments by the Scottish singer/songwriter throughout his extended career. Emerging from the British folk underground of the 1960s, Stewart courted early controversy by including the word "f***ing" on the 1969 album Love Chronicles. As the decade progressed, his distinctive style evolved toward greater opulence, yielding the sleek and refined textures of 1976's Year of the Cat and 1978's Time Passages, whose title tracks became his most recognized songs. After the soft rock period ended with the arrival of MTV, Stewart maintained a steady schedule of writing, recording, and touring while creating concept albums centered on the Cold War and wine, evidence of his lasting scholarly inclinations.

Born Alastair Ian Stewart in Greenock near Glasgow, Scotland on September 5, 1945, the singer/songwriter grew up in Wimborne, the Dorset, England town his mother selected after his father's death in a plane crash during a training exercise shortly before the birth. Stewart first engaged with music as a child, drawn like many contemporaries to the skiffle movement of the 1950s. In the early 1960s he resided in Bournemouth and performed with the local group the Trappers while composing original material. While studying at Wycliffe College in Gloucestershire, he acquired his initial guitar from Andy Summers, later renowned as a member of the Police. He soon shifted from electric to acoustic instruments and secured a recurring engagement at London's Bunjies Coffee House in 1965.

Stewart rapidly established himself within the English folk revival network, sharing a London flat with Paul Simon and appearing alongside Bert Jansch, Cat Stevens, and Roy Harper. After contributing to a recording session for Jackson C. Frank's self-titled 1965 debut, he secured a contract with Decca, which issued the single "The Elf" in 1966 featuring guitar by Jimmy Page. Following the single's limited chart impact, Stewart moved to CBS, which released his first album, Bedsitter Images, in 1967. Its 1969 successor, Love Chronicles, containing guitar contributions from Page and Fairport Convention's Richard Thompson, drew notice for its extended title track, recognized as among the earliest recordings to feature an uncensored "f******" in the lyrics. Melody Maker designated it Folk Album of the Year, elevating Stewart's visibility. He promptly delivered Zero She Flies in 1970, his initial album to reach the U.K. charts at number 40. That same year he appeared at the inaugural Glastonbury Festival organized by Michael Evis.

Orange, issued in 1972, marked Stewart's initial incorporation of elaborate pop components and progressive rock ambitions, the latter aided by a guest appearance from Yes' Rick Wakeman. Past, Present & Future, released in 1973, broadened this approach and reflected Stewart's growing focus on historical narratives, most notably the expansive "Nostradamus."

Past, Present & Future became Stewart's first album issued in the United States, where modest performance reaching number 133 encouraged a turn toward concise, pop-oriented material on Modern Times, the 1975 album produced by Alan Parsons. Bolstered by the hit single "Carol," Modern Times entered the American Top 40. Afterward Stewart obtained an international agreement with RCA following a short period on the short-lived independent Janus and released Year of the Cat in 1976. Collaborating once more with Parsons, Stewart produced a polished and expansive record that delivered a soft rock breakthrough: the title track reached number eight on Billboard's Top 40 and marked his first U.K. hit at number 31. Time Passages, its 1977 follow-up, maintained a comparable atmosphere and achieved similar results, with the title track climbing to number seven on Billboard and the subsequent single "Song on the Radio" attaining number 29.

Teaming with Shot in the Dark, the ensemble led by Peter White who had contributed guitar to Stewart's recordings since Year of the Cat, Stewart completed 24 Carrots, another richly textured soft rock album. Issued in 1980, it yielded an adult contemporary success with "Midnight Rocks," yet both that release and the accompanying concert set, 1981's Live Indian Summer, signaled the close of Stewart's period as a mainstream hitmaker. Arista parted ways with the singer/songwriter, after which he gradually developed a dedicated following beginning with 1984's Russians & Americans, a politically oriented folk-rock album. Arriving four years later, Last Days of the Century presented more streamlined adult contemporary pop compositions.

Stewart opened the 1990s with Rhymes in Rooms, limited to himself and White on acoustic guitar. Famous Last Words appeared in 1993, after which Stewart and White ended their collaboration. For 1995's Between the Wars, a broad historical concept album, Stewart began working with guitarist Laurence Juber, previously a member of Wings. A concept album devoted to wine, Down in the Cellar, arrived in 2000, followed by A Beach Full of Shells in 2005. Three years later he issued Sparks of Ancient Light.

In 2009 Stewart released the live recording Uncorked, which included guitarist Dave Nachmanoff. He sustained regular concert activity through the 2010s, encompassing tours that presented Past, Present & Future and Year of the Cat in full. Esoteric/Cherry Red initiated a reissue program for Al Stewart in the late 2010s that continued with a multi-disc edition of Year of the Cat in 2021.