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Year of the Cat
Year of the Cat in Bloomington, MN
Current price: $17.99
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Size: CD
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"
"Broadway Hotel,"
before it ends with the haunting title track. Along the way,
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.
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
'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
and haven't given
much thought, prepare to be enchanted. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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"
"Broadway Hotel,"
before it ends with the haunting title track. Along the way,
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.
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
'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
and haven't given
much thought, prepare to be enchanted. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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