Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat (MFSL) [MFCD 803]

Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat (MFSL) [MFCD 803]

Album Notes

This is another fine release out of the famous “Aluminium Series” of the Mobile Fidelity Sound Laboratories (MFSL). IMO their release is still the best sounding version of Al Stewart’s “Year Of The Cat”. Which is also without a doubt his Masterpiece and a gem in Popmusic. A perfect combination.

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 aspinning 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 albuma 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. ~Review from allmusic.com

EC0922	Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat (MFSL) [MFCD 803]
Label:	Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab / Arista
Catalog#:	UDCD 803
Format:	CD [Audiophile]
Made in:	USA
Released:	1986 (First release: 1976)
Barcode:	–
Style:	Pop Rock, Pop

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Al Stewart – Year Of The Cat [MFCD 803]
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1. Lord Grenville 5:00
2. On The Border 3:22
3. Midas Shdow 3:08
4. Sand In Your Shoes 3:02
5. If It Doesn’t Come Naturally, Leave It 4:28
6. Flying Sorcery 4:20
7. Broadway Hotel 3:55
8. One Stage Before 4:39
9, Year Of The Cat 6:40
Total Time: 00:39:01

Companies etc ▼

Licensed From – Arista Records, Inc.

Distributed By – MFSL, Inc.

Manufactured By – Sanyo Japan

Produced For – Kinetic Productions Ltd.

Phonographic Copyright (p) – Arista Records, Inc.

Phonographic Copyright (p) – Kinetic Productions Ltd.

Copyright (c) – Kinetic Productions Ltd.

Published By – Dick James Music

Published By – Pepper Music Inc.

Credits ▼

Alto Saxophone – Phil Kenzie

Arranged By [Strings] – Andrew Powell

Backing Vocals – Al Stewart, David Pack, John Perry (7), Tony Rivers

Bass – George Ford

Design [Sleeve] – Colin Edge*, Hipgnosis (2)

Drums, Percussion – Stuart Elliot*

Guitar – Al Stewart, Peter White, Tim Renwick

Harmonica – Graham Smith

Keyboards – Al Stewart, Don Lobster, Peter Wood (2)

Producer – Alan Parsons

Triangle – Marion Driscoll

Violin – Bobby Bruce

Written-By – Al Stewart

Notes▼

Produced and Distributed by MFSL, Inc.
under license from Arista Records, Inc.
©℗1976 Kinetic Productions, Ltd.
Manufactured by Sanyo Japan. Printed in Japan.
Original Master Recording Series Aluminum CD

Barcode and Other Identifiers ▼
Matrix / Runout: MFCD-803 501144 MANUFACTURED BY SANYO JAPAN