What a cool guy. None of this "look at me, I'm a rock star" attitude. His music and lyrics say all that needs to be said. Not only is he a great composer, but he's a wordsmith as well. Year of the Cat is a classic and never gets old.
I was driving on Beverly Blvd near the Beverly Center in 1977 and this came on the radio. Two minutes into the song I pulled off the road transfixed by it. I almost cried when the sax solo came on. I had never heard a more beautiful song before, with such a gorgeous arrangement. Three weeks ago I attended Al Stewart's Beverly Hill concert for the sole purpose of hearing Year of the Cat performed live. Stewart and his band did not disappoint, playing a long version with extended instrument solos.
“She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a water color in the rain.” What a phrase sir. This has to be the most beautifully phrased lyric of all time.
He is a great wordsmith. The only Stewart album I ever bought was "Modern Times" , and some of those songs are like narrative poetry. I still listen to them ,several times a week ,here on CZcams. "Carol" is the first Stewart song I ever heard and still sounds as fresh today as it did then. I play "Apple Cider Reconstitution" as I make my coffee, and it starts my day off beautifully.
You are right. Haven’t heard it for years but when I listen to it now, it actually sounds better than it did in the seventies and I loved it already then.
At 73, I've had the wonderful privilege and pleasure of having had this gentleman's music in my life for roughly 50 years. I especially appreciated his historical allusions / songs. I still get a charge whenever one of his tunes comes on the radio. Peter White: On the Border guitar riff ICONIC.
He comes across as a nice, humble, and humorous guy, who also happened to write and sing a monster hit song. I used to hear this song coming through the windows of students' apartments on campus every day in the late 70's.
Yes he is for an old pirate. He and his mate Barry James. "Tommy James and the Shin dells" Both got their start on Radio Caroline working with promoters Ronan O' Riley and James Stevens. One of Al Stewart's radio names is Kevin Turner.
This is one of those songs that invokes strong feelings and memories of the time period when it came out. I always loved it and still have the vinyl. Such a beautiful piece of music and lyrics.
Peter Wood passed away in the 90's,so his family would still recieve royalties, as great as piano riff is & is very much part of the song, I do believe the song is a classic even if that riff didn't exist.
I'm very late on this album but you are right on. I've heard the title track for 40 yrs like everyone else my age but only played the whole album recently. It is terrific.
Phil Kenzie was watching a movie and didn't want to do this session but did it as a favor for Parsons. He came down and played the sax parts in 2 takes and immediately left to go back home and finish the movie. Al Stewart didn't like the sax solo at first, then changed his mind... it makes the song for me...
@Iain Herridge yep all great, you talkiing about neil finn and russell crowe.. but i call this the Rod Stewart effect, born bred in London England talks with a london accent, has an English mother but is somehow Scottish lol, I don`t think so, he has a scottish heratage on fathers side as i have an irish heratage on fathers side but i aint Irish,
Back in the 70s, at my workplace a radio was always playing, but every time this song came on, The year of the cat, I ran to turn the radio louder! I loved it, so much emotion in the song, even though back then I didn't know what the lyrics were all about? It's still an evergreen song, it's played everywhere after 40 years.
I have loved this song since I was a child in the 70s, and it has held up! Good for Al Stewart, that "it's like having a rich uncle that pays the bills" - he deserves that! He contributed a truly beautiful song to the world.
Yes it was and Alan Parsons is an Old Offshore Pirate to. I think they used to bunk together on the Miamego or Caroline South. I can not remember which one.
Phil Kenzie was watching a movie and didn't want to do this session but did it as a favor for Parson's. He came down and played the sax parts in 2 takes and immediately left to go back home and finish the movie. Al Stewart didn't like the sax solo at first, then changed his mind...
what a peaceful planet this would be if there were alot more people like Al Stewart in it. Iv loved his music ever since it came out and do to this day...
Al Stewart has his Negative side like all humans. Leftists try to pretend that they are Perfectly Enlightened Humans and can make things Wonderful. That is Why they end up with the Atrocities like Hitler, Stalin, Mao's, Che, Amin. On and On. And there ends up being Well over 100 Milion Corpses Stacked Up in about the Last One Hundred Years. Conservatives Recognize the partly Evil Nature of Humans and Work to Create Laws and a System to Limit the Harm that Any one Person or Groups Can Do. Conservative Don't Have Millions of Corpses on there Hands. But they have Created the opportunities for Countless Millions to Improve there Health, Wealth And Freedom not only in the U.S.but around the World. And the left is trying g to Change it AGAIN! It is the leftist Controlled Cities that are Burning and People are being Murdered in Record numbers. ( including very young Black Children! ) And the leftist Propaganda " news media" is encouraging the Violence of the " Peaceful Protesters." Domestic Terrorists is What they Clearly are. Read b.l.m's own website. They tell you they are working to Destroy our System of Governance. That System that have been a Beacon of Freedom and Hope Around the World. You sounded so Naive with your comment. I couldn't Help myself! Best Wishes! M.H.
"The Year of The Cat" is a Masterpiece. I'm an 80's kid and it's one of my all time favorite songs. There are people hearing now for the first time and falling in love with it. You can see there reactions right here on CZcams.
Year of the Cat and Time Passages albums are hard to hold a candle to- even Last Days of the Century sounds anti-climatic-all his music and lyrics are THAT illustrious.
Perfect, dreamlike, wistful, poignant. Paints a picture in every verse. For those of us who were there when it was released, it is still a doorway to our youth.
Yes!!!! Return to the 70's, but put an end to the corruption in education, the legal system, law enforcement, medicine, business; to environmental destruction, animal abuse, illiteracy, deliberately-induced poverty, misogyny, racism, hatred of the LGBTQ community - ALL the above go hand-in-hand.
I will never forget the impression this song had on me at 9 years old in 1977 when It played non-stop that summer. it touched something so deep, so mystical, so magical & poetic that I could not quite put my finger on, it still evokes that feeling today, the song has been a companion on the entire journey of life. I love this man Al Stewart, what a gift he gave us
Mr Stewart, if you ever happen to see or read this?..... Thank you so very much for your gifts and talents, willingness and desperations. I doubt that you or any of us will ever fully realize just how much and how deeply this one song and all that went into it, what was sacrificed for it, has and will continue to touch the souls of anyone who may be blessed enough to hear it and the magic it truly holds. This effort and this work goes far beyond what words alone are capable of expressing.
I'm over 50 yrs old and never heard that whole album. I just did the other day, and you are so right. Beautiful songs. I'm going to go a little deeper on his stuff too.
I always loved the bridge: Soft violins followed by acoustic guitar with a sexual crescendo electric guitar finishing with a chill sax solo like two lovers enjoying an after-smoke!
Tim Webb it’s a visual metaphor of the days when after love making a couple would have a cigarette. You and Investor Guy must be pretty young not to remember that imagery.
I don't know about Tim, but I got the metaphor, and I'm glad if it's dying out from the youth. That being so standard our culture is built around it was a hell of a shame. Good riddance.
I was 16 when this came out.. I get melancholy everytime I hear it.. Everything was young and clean.. My girlfriend was my 16 year life at the time... Memories can be tough...
Al Stewart concerts are like two shows in one. The music is great, but what really sticks with you is that Al is a master story-teller. The songs complement the stories and the stories complement the songs. Also, he is one of the most gracious people you'll ever meet as he sticks around after shows to sign autographs and thank his fans for coming. A true treasure!
I have see Al more times than I can count at this point. I hope the day never comes that he is no longer able to sing and play.... but if that were to happen, I would still pay to hear him talk and tell stories. He is the greatest Lyricist ever, dead or alive.
Al did a free outdoor concert at New Mexico State University while I was there in the late '80s. I didn't make it, but a musician acquaintance of mine did, and he said the same thing, that Al spent several minutes after the show talking "shop" with him, and even explained what patchouli is, which my acquaintance admitted he didn't know.
Met my giro when I was twelve she was fithteen.and where still together.three grown kids.six grand kids.and forty three years together.still love my classic rock.
@ Hill Shepherd You can't say that, Parsons and Stewart made several truckloads of money with it and it's still one of the biggest hits on classic rock radio stations to this day. Fantastic song that a lot of people know and love.
I’m almost 70 years old. This interview feels like a reboot and brings back so many memories. I remember buying the album and loving the track “Year of the Cat”
Paul Simon writes alone...Art Garfunkel helped with arrangements but not composing... incidentally,I saw Paul interviewed on Jools Holland's show,and he(Simon) said that he writes the music first,and when that's finished he decides what the song should be about,THEN and only then he writes the lyrics...that is really strange,imagine writing that way....
@Bass mike Thank you for your response; I enjoyed reading it. I don't remember the circumstances of how I began listening to that album, but I may have picked it up from the bargin bin at the Rhino Record store and was intrigued by the song titles. The same thing happened at another time when I picked up a Loreena Mckennit album. Thanks again for your Past, Present, and Future story
The more you learn about Alan Parsons, the more you realize what a brilliant genius he was and definitely still is.. I mean, this guy was working with the Beatles at age 21.
"It's like having a rich uncle that pays the bills for you." I once met the wife of Burton Cummings who told me he collected $1-3 million a year in royalties from his songs with The Guess Who. She said she'd walk out to the mailbox every day and collect a handful of royalty checks. Imagine doing something in your twenties that continued to pay you handsomely like that through your old age. Crazy.
Fond memories of when my beloved mother used to play you on her record player when I was a kid. Couldn’t ask for a better soundtrack to my childhood. Thank you, Al.
Mr. Stewart shares his love of history. It is so obvious when between songs in his concerts, he explains the back story of how his songs were created. It provides the listener the perspective of the artist and how truly they love their craft. It took me 52 years to finally see and listen to him during a live performance, but even more so, his generosity to stay after the show to meet the audience. Truly a man who is secure in his music and one who enjoys it.
Watching this was a treat. I was 9 years old when “Year of the Cat” was on the charts, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since I first heard it back then. About 20 or 25 years ago, my wife and I had the good fortune to see him and his guitarist Peter White perform at a very small and intimate waterfront concert in Long Beach, California. Their song set was brief - four or five songs, I think - but their performance was nonetheless timeless and magical.
Love this song. I was far too young to appreciate it back then (grade school), but I discovered it a few years ago, and something about it just makes me *_ache_* for those days. I realize now that my childhood was spent living through an _absolute golden age_ of music and songcraft. Will never be anything like it again.
She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain. Imagery. As a young kid, I was fascinated by those lyrics and the musical embellishments throughout the song. This song helped me become a songwriter with a true sense of song structure and with substance. Al is a legend.
Love Al and his songs. Time Passages was the first song of his that really hooked me. The deeper you go into his albums you realize just how solid his songwriting really is. I got to see him live and talk with him a few years ago at Poor David's Pub in Dallas. :-)
Purchased Year of the Cat when I was 18 back in 76.. Recording was incredible! I have several Al Stewart LP's and CD's. It is a privilege to grow older with this music! Thank you Al!
I love how it was so long ago, that he heard his song, and that he said he “pushed” the radio button and heard his song again on another station, then he “pushed” another button and heard his song again… so,,, for you young-ins out there, it means that we had about 6 buttons on a radio where you pushed hard to set your set favorite buttons,, then you switch them or you spin them with the dial and whats even more cool is that he said heard Jerry lee Lewis, who my mom opened for and met, way back in the day. thx for the video.
Dear Mr. Al Stewart, Vietnamese/Americans myself included really appreciate your song and adore who you are Sir. Your song touches and captivates our being. I keep looking back, a lifetime back across the centuries and can connect and feel my ancestors laughter and smiles listening to your gorgeous song. It captivates our sense of history, romanticism and stubborn resilience. Vietnam is the only country among many in Asia following the Chinese zodiac that retains the Cat over the Rabbit but that is another story in itself. May the Mandate of Heaven bless and speed you anywhere that you go and that you do. May the mountains always be to your back to give you leverage. Sunshine always illuminate your handsome face full of character. And winds of heavens mandate carry you aloft to dance with the St⭐️rs...
My son is 14 - and he like "year of the cat" very much - when I was 17 - my first girl friend got the album (about 1984ties) and I fell in love with my girlfriend and this music...I still got the vinyl album!
The opening piano riff is one the most memorable for me. Incredible how Al came up with lyrics - an open book on Vietnamese astrology, and an old Bogart movie on television ... Amazing serendipity there.
He comes across as a lovely guy, but I feel like 'our keyboard player' really needs a namecheck here, for coming up with that riff, and sparking the song that set him up for life. Which was Peter Wood.
Year of the Cat is one of the most beautiful songs ever written
It makes me wish I could meet a woman like this
He deseves a place in history simply for having sung "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages". Two perfect songs.
Have you heard "Palace of Versailles"? It's just as amazing - also with Alan Parsons.
Add The Murmansk Run & Ellis Island to those - both perfection.
On the Boarder was another brilliant song.
@@bobolulu7615 Yes indeed - you are correct!!
Also "Nostradamus" and "Roads To Moscow"!
What a cool guy. None of this "look at me, I'm a rock star" attitude. His music and lyrics say all that needs to be said. Not only is he a great composer, but he's a wordsmith as well. Year of the Cat is a classic and never gets old.
You couldn't have said it better!
so true
Agreed. What a wonderful guy.
Agreed! Bump into him at the local Pub and he’d be more than happy to chat with ya…
I agree he seems very genuine and modest. Nothing like Taylor Swift ! I know I need to becareful saying that !
I was driving on Beverly Blvd near the Beverly Center in 1977 and this came on the radio. Two minutes into the song I pulled off the road transfixed by it. I almost cried when the sax solo came on. I had never heard a more beautiful song before, with such a gorgeous arrangement. Three weeks ago I attended Al Stewart's Beverly Hill concert for the sole purpose of hearing Year of the Cat performed live. Stewart and his band did not disappoint, playing a long version with extended instrument solos.
Thank you for sharing your experience with this song, I can just imagine being there with you. It is a beautiful song. =^..^= =^..^=
I think I played this song 10,000 times. Never gets old.
Only 😂
Just kidding, I know the feeling…
“She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a water color in the rain.”
What a phrase sir.
This has to be the most beautifully phrased lyric of all time.
Wow!! Of all time??
El Conquistador that is the beauty of opinions. I can have mine and you yours.
And I have been searching for a dress that looks like that ever since I heard those lyrics. Such an evocative phrase!
He is a great wordsmith. The only Stewart album I ever bought was "Modern Times" , and some of those songs are like narrative poetry. I still listen to them ,several times a week ,here on CZcams. "Carol" is the first Stewart song I ever heard and still sounds as fresh today as it did then. I play "Apple Cider Reconstitution" as I make my coffee, and it starts my day off beautifully.
@@anneharvey3811 Me too! Haven't found that dress yet!
Love how he never gave up!! Year of the Cat and Time Passenger are Classics!!!
Year of the Cat is one of the few songs that I consider timeless, it never gets old ✌️❤️🎧
Also Time Passages and Across The Border. Great stuff!
You are right. Haven’t heard it for years but when I listen to it now, it actually sounds better than it did in the seventies and I loved it already then.
I agree. Interesting to hear the story behind the song after all these years.
In my opinion one of the greatest songs of all time! A top 3!
At 73, I've had the wonderful privilege and pleasure of having had this gentleman's music in my life for roughly 50 years. I especially appreciated his historical allusions / songs. I still get a charge whenever one of his tunes comes on the radio. Peter White: On the Border guitar riff ICONIC.
I even like him more after watching this.
seems like a first class guy. BTW you just can't beat those 1970's album art covers.
yeah seems really cool and down to earth.
He's so goofy it's awesome!
@@ArtofFreeSpeech A positive disposition and having all the stars lined up . Worked out well for him . Bravo !
Absolutely
It's mindblowing that 'The Year of the Cat' was never a hit in Britain.
I always thought it was. I seem to remember it on the radio an awful lot
He’s the nicest guy - every time he laughed it made me smile
Yeah! Me too! So cute
Me too!
😍
Met him once in Cinci after a concert. He was most gracious!!!
Me too....my favorite song ever
I used to play the year of the cat on the piano for my late wife. She loved it and I will love her until the end of my days. She left far too young. ❤
Thank you for sharing this memory. ♥️
He comes across as a nice, humble, and humorous guy, who also happened to write and sing a monster hit song. I used to hear this song coming through the windows of students' apartments on campus every day in the late 70's.
'Year f the Cat' is lyrically, musically and vocally beautiful. What a down to earth guy! This was great to see.
I agree The music is absolutely beautiful, especially the piano. And his voice is one in a million. Glad to see he is such a humble guy as well.
One of the all-time great songs. And yes, a very humble and unassuming man.
Dat piano!
Phil UK Net indeed.
bradster67 .......always and forever is a soulful song among many of his songs
Such a genuinely modest fellow, he seems like a great guy.
Yes he does, I loved this piece of music from the first time I heard it
Yes he is for an old pirate. He and his mate Barry James. "Tommy James and the Shin dells" Both got their start on Radio Caroline working with promoters Ronan O' Riley and James Stevens. One of Al Stewart's radio names is Kevin Turner.
I worked selling his merch for him briefly. Great song--but he was a very obnoxious drunk.
What a great interview.
I saw him live in 2017. He signed my album cover and posed for selfies. As nice as can be.
The song is a masterpiece, love it. And he is a simple man, loved his laughs. Thanks.
Yes his laughs. He really deserves to laugh like that. 😂
@@75hilmar He's so genuinely modest. Great guy!
It’s just unbelievable the way he put the lyrics together. It seemed like a piece of cake or easy as pie to him!
It's nice to see how grateful Al is for his success.
This is one of those songs that invokes strong feelings and memories of the time period when it came out. I always loved it and still have the vinyl. Such a beautiful piece of music and lyrics.
" She comes out of the sun in a silk dress, running like a water color in the rain" brilliant!
I never knew those were the words... and now that you wrote them, I see how they are phrased a bit oddly, but great tune! Thanks for this memory!
:I'm thinking it was a "water colour in the rain" but there are plenty of lyrics I've misheard over the years. :)
@@Blogzer That's what I said " water color in the rain"!
Gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.
@@jivanbansi9640 Are you sure you didn't edit your post? I read "water cooler in the rain" which, of course, made absolutely no sense. lol :)
Gotta love the way he refers to the tune: "Like a rich Uncle that pays the bills." lol
i was about to comment on that and then i saw yours. i love this song and it makes happy that it still keeps him secure.
that make a great lyric
He co wrote the song and publisher has publishing so he maybe gets 25%.
Glad he gets his just desserts for his work.
Peter Wood passed away in the 90's,so his family would still recieve royalties, as great as piano riff is & is very much part of the song, I do believe the song is a classic even if that riff didn't exist.
Not only was the song great, but Alan Parson's production of the album was beautiful. One of the best sounding vinyl albums I've ever heard.
I'm very late on this album but you are right on. I've heard the title track for 40 yrs like everyone else my age but only played the whole album recently. It is terrific.
Alan Parsons is the founder of art pop.
Phil Kenzie was watching a movie and didn't want to do this session but did it as a favor for Parsons. He came down and played the sax parts in 2 takes and immediately left to go back home and finish the movie. Al Stewart didn't like the sax solo at first, then changed his mind... it makes the song for me...
Very true, the instruments all sound amazing and the production is top notch
For sure. Real quality in the production.
I'm 67 this song never gets old. Its timeless
Year of the cat , what a masterpiece, thank you Mr. Al Stewart. I can hear this song over and over. Just, never gets old.
He is SO British, and I love how his eyebrows go up and down, and his laugh is adorable! Thanks for this song.
He's SCOTTISH!!! IF IT'S NOT SCOTTISH, IT'S CRAP!!!!
Very much a gentleman
@@michaelmakes4883 he was born in Scotland but made in England..
@Iain Herridge yep all great, you talkiing about neil finn and russell crowe.. but i call this the Rod Stewart effect, born bred in London England talks with a london accent, has an English mother but is somehow Scottish lol, I don`t think so, he has a scottish heratage on fathers side as i have an irish heratage on fathers side but i aint Irish,
I thought he was from Scotland
All these years later, the opening chords can snap the listener right back to 1977. Unforgettable classic.
Back in the 70s, at my workplace a radio was always playing, but every time this song came on, The year of the cat, I ran to turn the radio louder!
I loved it, so much emotion in the song, even though back then I didn't know what the lyrics were all about?
It's still an evergreen song, it's played everywhere after 40 years.
I have loved this song since I was a child in the 70s, and it has held up! Good for Al Stewart, that "it's like having a rich uncle that pays the bills" - he deserves that! He contributed a truly beautiful song to the world.
And this song was produced by none other than Alan Parsons.
Yes it was and Alan Parsons is an Old Offshore Pirate to. I think they used to bunk together on the Miamego or Caroline South. I can not remember which one.
Signature sax solo
@@jkt3937 yes, Phil Kenzie, he played sax on Time Passages also
Phil Kenzie was watching a movie and didn't want to do this session but did it as a favor for Parson's. He came down and played the sax parts in 2 takes and immediately left to go back home and finish the movie. Al Stewart didn't like the sax solo at first, then changed his mind...
I had no idea! but that makes total sense. Thanks for this bit of trivia!
The imagery in Year of the Cat is vivid and poetic. Time Passages also comes close. Brilliant.
@Stephen Beck-von-Peccoz I agree 100 percent. I'm sure that was part of the inspiration.
Both mainstream concessions, tho. Much of his other work is underappreciated.
I think it's an incredibly well-constructed and thoughtful song for a guy who didn't think he could write songs. It's going to be a classic forever.
When the sax cuts in in the middle of the song I'd say that is one of THE highlights of 70s pop music.
what a peaceful planet this would be if there were alot more people like Al Stewart in it. Iv loved his music ever since it came out and do to this day...
Al Stewart has his Negative side like all humans.
Leftists try to pretend that they are Perfectly Enlightened Humans and can make things Wonderful. That is Why they end up with the Atrocities like Hitler, Stalin, Mao's, Che, Amin. On and On. And there ends up being Well over 100 Milion Corpses Stacked Up in about the Last One Hundred Years.
Conservatives Recognize the partly Evil Nature of Humans and Work to Create Laws and a System to Limit the Harm that Any one Person or Groups Can Do.
Conservative Don't Have Millions of Corpses on there Hands. But they have Created the opportunities for Countless Millions to Improve there Health, Wealth And Freedom not only in the U.S.but around the World.
And the left is trying g to Change it AGAIN! It is the leftist Controlled Cities that are Burning and People are being Murdered in Record numbers. ( including very young Black Children! ) And the leftist Propaganda " news media" is encouraging the Violence of the " Peaceful Protesters." Domestic Terrorists is What they Clearly are. Read b.l.m's own website. They tell you they are working to Destroy our System of Governance. That System that have been a Beacon of Freedom and Hope Around the World.
You sounded so Naive with your comment. I couldn't Help myself!
Best Wishes! M.H.
@@mikehagan4320 Still, it's a great album
"The Year of The Cat" is a Masterpiece. I'm an 80's kid and it's one of my all time favorite songs. There are people hearing now for the first time and falling in love with it. You can see there reactions right here on CZcams.
Says a lot about a song when kids today hear it and discover what us "old folks" have known for over 40 years.....
Year of the Cat and Time Passages albums are hard to hold a candle to- even
Last Days of the Century sounds anti-climatic-all his music and lyrics are THAT illustrious.
Perfect, dreamlike, wistful, poignant. Paints a picture in every verse. For those of us who were there when it was released, it is still a doorway to our youth.
Love to return to the "Year of the Cat" and 1976 music. Want to stay in the 70s
I hear ya,u.s.m.c.75-79,was a great time & song.semper to.
I first encountered him in the late 60s before he was famous
Yes!!!! Return to the 70's, but put an end to the corruption in education, the legal system, law enforcement, medicine, business; to environmental destruction, animal abuse, illiteracy, deliberately-induced poverty, misogyny, racism, hatred of the LGBTQ community - ALL the above go hand-in-hand.
I was born in 1961 and that means I really was a child of the 60s and 70s..there was no era in rock and roll better than this.. my opinion only...
So do I
Al Stewart, what an amazing upbeat guy.
most gay men are
Seems like a smashing bloke, really
He's not gay.
@@andrewlaitres9080 I said "guy" not "gay". And it wouldn't matter to me in any way at all if he is gay or not.
Phillip hart wasnt you first post under you
I will never forget the impression this song had on me at 9 years old in 1977 when It played non-stop that summer. it touched something so deep, so mystical, so magical & poetic that I could not quite put my finger on, it still evokes that feeling today, the song has been a companion on the entire journey of life. I love this man Al Stewart, what a gift he gave us
Mr Stewart, if you ever happen to see or read this?..... Thank you so very much for your gifts and talents, willingness and desperations. I doubt that you or any of us will ever fully realize just how much and how deeply this one song and all that went into it, what was sacrificed for it, has and will continue to touch the souls of anyone who may be blessed enough to hear it and the magic it truly holds. This effort and this work goes far beyond what words alone are capable of expressing.
Al seems to be a really, really nice guy and of course “The year of the cat” is a timeless and beautiful masterpiece.
AL STEWART-your songs are great-year of cat, time passages, on the border.
And one of my personal favorites.....
Life in Dark Water
Flying Sorcery.
On the Road to Moscow
Love the guitar in On The Border.
Pretty golden hair, small fruit song.. So many, that man is an underrated genius
Not only is Cat an amazing song but the entire album is too!
I'm over 50 yrs old and never heard that whole album. I just did the other day, and you are so right. Beautiful songs. I'm going to go a little deeper on his stuff too.
@@MrAitraining check out his live 2 lp set indian summer before digging into his discography very well recorded my fave
@@jsteed44 Thanks brother. Will do!
I always loved the bridge: Soft violins followed by acoustic guitar with a sexual crescendo electric guitar finishing with a chill sax solo like two lovers enjoying an after-smoke!
I've never equated this song with smoking.
Tim Webb it’s a visual metaphor of the days when after love making a couple would have a cigarette. You and Investor Guy must be pretty young not to remember that imagery.
I don't know about Tim, but I got the metaphor, and I'm glad if it's dying out from the youth. That being so standard our culture is built around it was a hell of a shame. Good riddance.
Dear Al, this is still one of my all-time favorite songs, thank you sincerely and deeply for writing and performing it.
I was 16 when this came out..
I get melancholy everytime I hear it..
Everything was young and clean..
My girlfriend was my 16 year life at the time... Memories can be tough...
That album doesn't have a bad song on it. That sense of history and time carries over very well.
Al Stewart concerts are like two shows in one. The music is great, but what really sticks with you is that Al is a master story-teller. The songs complement the stories and the stories complement the songs. Also, he is one of the most gracious people you'll ever meet as he sticks around after shows to sign autographs and thank his fans for coming. A true treasure!
I have see Al more times than I can count at this point. I hope the day never comes that he is no longer able to sing and play.... but if that were to happen, I would still pay to hear him talk and tell stories. He is the greatest Lyricist ever, dead or alive.
Except for maybe when he called Henry Tudor “Henry Plantagenet.”
I've never seen him live but hope to next month and have been listening to more of his music What amazing instrumentation!
@@kurtissjacobs5618 Or when he changed "Peter Lorre" to "Dick Cheney" in live performances...
Al did a free outdoor concert at New Mexico State University while I was there in the late '80s. I didn't make it, but a musician acquaintance of mine did, and he said the same thing, that Al spent several minutes after the show talking "shop" with him, and even explained what patchouli is, which my acquaintance admitted he didn't know.
my first girlfriend introduced me to Al Stewart, and to this day, 45 years later, i think of her and Al Stewart Songs.
I often think about my first girl friend. so I know how you feel. )
that's a good girl..
Wow i share same memories,my first girlfriend gave me my first 45 record ever ,still have it!
Best music best times.flash back.close my eyes and I'm there again.
Met my giro when I was twelve she was fithteen.and where still together.three grown kids.six grand kids.and forty three years together.still love my classic rock.
“Year of the Cat” has been a favorite of mine since it first came out.
It’s an absolute masterpiece of a song.
Was a little dude when I heard Al Stewart: Year of the Cat, On the Border, Time Passages. I’ve been a fan since. 👍
Year of the Cat ?? One of the Best Songs that ever hit the Charts. Never got all the recognition it deserved.
But it e know it.and it still tugs on my heart strings.
@ Hill Shepherd You can't say that, Parsons and Stewart made several truckloads of money with it and it's still one of the biggest hits on classic rock radio stations to this day. Fantastic song that a lot of people know and love.
"TIME PASSAGES" was my favorite !!
Your have excellent taste.
Wayne, buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight.
@@danbev9313 Wow. Pure magic.
Yep my favorite Al Stewart song
Time Passages facilitates time travel. Every time I hear it, I am transported back to the beautiful moments in life. Thank you, Al.
He's adorable... and one of the most beautiful songs ever imo
Such an underrated poet. One of the best live performances I've attended.
Is he? I've never heard anyone say that. Underrated by whom?
I’m almost 70 years old. This interview feels like a reboot and brings back so many memories. I remember buying the album and loving the track “Year of the Cat”
Observing Paul Simon writing songs was a master class in the subject!
Can you imagine that?!! Your neighbor is one 1/2 of one of the greatest song writing duos, amazing!
Paul Simon writes alone...Art Garfunkel helped with arrangements but not composing... incidentally,I saw Paul interviewed on Jools Holland's show,and he(Simon) said that he writes the music first,and when that's finished he decides what the song should be about,THEN and only then he writes the lyrics...that is really strange,imagine writing that way....
Let me add that he is a seriously underrated guitar player..
@@lettyguerra371 Paul Simon wrote all the songs
Al Stewart was the best. Wonderful voice.
Still is
Love this song and his other classic Time Passages ❤😊🎶
For me it's time passages that wins out with year of the cat second.
I like "Song On The Radio."
I always loved Time Passages until a guy I was dating sang the chorus with a lisp saying, "Thyme Sausages". Totally ruined the song.
Time Passages is in my Top 3 favs of all time.
The greatest and most consistent singer/songwriter of all time. He set the bar unbelievably high and reached it every time.
This song is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES.
It takes one song to pay your bills for life . One Epic song!
Thanks Al never was a more beautiful song written and played it gives me such Joy
Very pleasant person. Classic song, brings me right back to the 70's.
This was great. I loved these songs when I was a young man.
"Roads to Moscow" on the album Past, Present, and Future, will always be one of my greatest listening experiences. History put to music.
@Bass mike Thank you for your response; I enjoyed reading it. I don't remember the circumstances of how I began listening to that album, but I may have picked it up from the bargin bin at the Rhino Record store and was intrigued by the song titles. The same thing happened at another time when I picked up a Loreena Mckennit album. Thanks again for your Past, Present, and Future story
Bareege that song, like a tragic Russian poem put to music never fails to make me cry. I absolutely love that song!
That haunting melody was one of my favorite songs from The High School Years. Master storyteller.
I agree... Roads to Moscow is my favorite too. In fact, that song got me into Russian history.
A true masterpiece, due in no small part to Alan Parsons being the producer.
Mark Burnham I did not know that! It certainly worked!
@ Mark Burnham Absolutely! Parsons did an incredible job on this one and "Time passages". Outstanding.
Didn't know that. Very interesting
And his backup musicians are marvelous.
The more you learn about Alan Parsons, the more you realize what a brilliant genius he was and definitely still is.. I mean, this guy was working with the Beatles at age 21.
I'm pretty sure Al's music changed my life. As a teen, I think I learned more about history from his songs than from school.
I wrote a paper on his song "Old Admirals." I don't think there's an Al Stewart song I don't like.
Definetly, one of the 10 best songs ever!! It reminds my childhood. Thank you, Al Stewart!! God bless you!!
Saw him last night at the Saban Theater in Los Angeles. What a talent and what a storyteller! Thank you Al Stewart!❤❤
My sister got that album for her birthday, November 1976. I used to sit and study that album cover. Great song. 💕
"It's like having a rich uncle that pays the bills for you." I once met the wife of Burton Cummings who told me he collected $1-3 million a year in royalties from his songs with The Guess Who. She said she'd walk out to the mailbox every day and collect a handful of royalty checks. Imagine doing something in your twenties that continued to pay you handsomely like that through your old age. Crazy.
Passive income.
A forever uniquely classic song . Lyrically and instrumentally . Excellently crafted gem .
Fond memories of when my beloved mother used to play you on her record player when I was a kid. Couldn’t ask for a better soundtrack to my childhood. Thank you, Al.
I have been listening to this song since '76 and guess what Al... ...... can't get enough of it.
Mr. Stewart shares his love of history. It is so obvious when between songs in his concerts, he explains the back story of how his songs were created. It provides the listener the perspective of the artist and how truly they love their craft. It took me 52 years to finally see and listen to him during a live performance, but even more so, his generosity to stay after the show to meet the audience. Truly a man who is secure in his music and one who enjoys it.
Time stands still when I hear that song. 🧡
One of my top five songs ever. Classic. Thank you.
Watching this was a treat. I was 9 years old when “Year of the Cat” was on the charts, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since I first heard it back then.
About 20 or 25 years ago, my wife and I had the good fortune to see him and his guitarist Peter White perform at a very small and intimate waterfront concert in Long Beach, California. Their song set was brief - four or five songs, I think - but their performance was nonetheless timeless and magical.
Man...I wish I was there. I'm a huge Peter White fan, too. Especially seeing him in California by the coast. Damn, I'm jealous!
During my first encounter with him we found ourselves standing next to each other in the "John" during the interval!
@@giovanniacuto2688
Inspiration comes in many forms, like watercolour running down your leg. . . .
Love this song. I was far too young to appreciate it back then (grade school), but I discovered it a few years ago, and something about it just makes me *_ache_* for those days. I realize now that my childhood was spent living through an _absolute golden age_ of music and songcraft. Will never be anything like it again.
Love the lyric "and the tourists are gone..." and I adore the acoustic guitar solo....brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain. Imagery. As a young kid, I was fascinated by those lyrics and the musical embellishments throughout the song. This song helped me become a songwriter with a true sense of song structure and with substance. Al is a legend.
Love Al and his songs. Time Passages was the first song of his that really hooked me. The deeper you go into his albums you realize just how solid his songwriting really is. I got to see him live and talk with him a few years ago at Poor David's Pub in Dallas. :-)
God bless you brother. What a brilliant piece of music that I have enjoyed my whole life.
TWA747100 TWA747200 I used to work at TWA, you too? :)
Purchased Year of the Cat when I was 18 back in 76.. Recording was incredible! I have several Al Stewart LP's and CD's. It is a privilege to grow older with this music! Thank you Al!
Same as me 😎
I love how it was so long ago, that he heard his song, and that he said he “pushed” the radio button and heard his song again on another station, then he “pushed” another button and heard his song again… so,,, for you young-ins out there, it means that we had about 6 buttons on a radio where you pushed hard to set your set favorite buttons,, then you switch them or you spin them with the dial and whats even more cool is that he said heard Jerry lee Lewis, who my mom opened for and met, way back in the day. thx for the video.
Excellent interview...I love "Year of the Cat"!!!
One of my favorite songs to listen to and to play. A true masterpiece.
The lyrics, musical arrangement and vocals in YOTC are so powerfully seductive and transcendent. One of the best pop songs of all time.
Dear Mr. Al Stewart, Vietnamese/Americans myself included really appreciate your song and adore who you are Sir. Your song touches and captivates our being. I keep looking back, a lifetime back across the centuries and can connect and feel my ancestors laughter and smiles listening to your gorgeous song. It captivates our sense of history, romanticism and stubborn resilience. Vietnam is the only country among many in Asia following the Chinese zodiac that retains the Cat over the Rabbit but that is another story in itself. May the Mandate of Heaven bless and speed you anywhere that you go and that you do. May the mountains always be to your back to give you leverage. Sunshine always illuminate your handsome face full of character. And winds of heavens mandate carry you aloft to dance with the St⭐️rs...
My son is 14 - and he like "year of the cat" very much - when I was 17 - my first girl friend got the album (about 1984ties) and I fell in love with my girlfriend and this music...I still got the vinyl album!
I've loved "Year of the Cat" since the moment I first heard it. And the story behind it makes me love it -- and appreciate Al Stewart -- even more.
This song. Wow. It’s perfection to my ears. It’s my all time favorite song. I think I’ve listened to it a million times! Thank you Al Stewart!
The opening piano riff is one the most memorable for me. Incredible how Al came up with lyrics - an open book on Vietnamese astrology, and an old Bogart movie on television ... Amazing serendipity there.
Every sound and part in this song has informed everything I love about music. A musical DNA song for my life.
YOU SIR ARE ONE OF THE GREAT ONES, ENJOYED YOUR MUSIC, IT NEVER GROWS OLD.
👍🎼🎵🎶🎹
AL, Thank you for all of the great albums and songs, over the years!
Hear hear ! ! !
He comes across as a lovely guy, but I feel like 'our keyboard player' really needs a namecheck here, for coming up with that riff, and sparking the song that set him up for life. Which was Peter Wood.
@Alchemica Blackwood He has a writing credit, so he does, although you never know how big a slice...
He ought to be exalted.
YOTC is in my top 10 songs of all time. It always takes me away.
mudhens4ever safely top 10 all time.
exactly!
It's up there with Waterloo Sunset.
It's a great song!
It is on my top three.
I fell bbn in love with Al back in 1977...and still have my original album to this day..2020!🎵
Immediately bought the album when it came out and STILL listen. LOVED that album! Still do!