One of our most underrated solo artists is Al Stewart. Of course, there was a time when his albums could do no wrong. The brilliant 1976 classic, Year Of The Cat, followed in 1978 by his equally brilliant Time Passages. However, that’s as far as he goes for many people. Nevertheless, Al Stewart recorded six albums before Year Of The Cat, and eight albums after Time Passages. For most, they’d be hard-pressed to name any of those. And I must tell you, many of those albums are simply exquisite.
On October 30, Esoteric (UK) will reissue Modern Times (the one just before his breakout hit, Year Of The Cat). And they will provide goodness for it.
Modern Times will be newly remastered from original CBS tapes. In addition, this new reissue will offer a booklet with a new essay centered on Stewart, his art, and this album. This reissue will restore the original UK Hipgnosis cover (as shown). there are no bonus tracks, which is OK by me.
“Do you remember the times when we were young?” (“Modern Times”)
But Modern Times is not all that’s coming as a reissue. (Just happens to be my favorite, is all.)
Also on October 30, Esoteric will reissue Past, Present & Future (1973), and Orange (1972), both great Al Stewart classics.
Past, Present & Future, unlike Modern Times, will be expanded with three bonus tracks, one of them previously unreleased on CD (single version of “Terminal Eyes”, single version of “Nostradamus” and its original flip-side of non-album track, “Swallow Wind”). Otherwise, like Modern Times, it will contain a booklet with a new essay, and will offer a restoration of its original UK cover.
Orange is Al Stewart’s fourth release. It is being offered by Esoteric as a newly remastered (from original tapes) set with two bonus tracks (a non-album track of “Elvaston Place”, and a single version of “The News From Spain”. Like the other two reissues, Orange will provide a booklet with a new essay, and a restored UK album cover.
