Al Stewart gained a sizeable audience with the release and promotion of his best known album – Year Of The Cat upon its release in 1976. That album is a definite masterpiece. But then again, he has more than one masterpiece within his body of works that relegates ALL of his sets to fall under subjective favorites, and therefore, your personal favorite masterpiece. Prior to Year Of The Cat, Al Stewart had released six albums that had seen only moderate successes. Of those, there are Bedsitter Images (1967), Love Chronicles (1969), Zero She Flies (1970), Orange (1972), Past, Present and Future (1973), and Modern Times (1975). Of those six, fame began to arrive with Past, Present and Future, which charted at 133 (Modern Times hit 33; Year Of The Cat hit 5).
On June 28, Esoteric Recordings (Cherry Red UK) will celebrate a 50th Anniversary with a tantalizing 3CD/BD 2024 remaster of Past, Present and Future. This set will provide not only a collection of five bonus tracks, but will provide a full concert show from 1974 at The Howff, in Hampstead and give it a new remix. Additionally, one of the CDs will contain a 2024 remix of the album. The Blu-ray Audio will contain 3 hi-res 96kHz/24-bit copies of the album, one in 5.1 Surround, another in 2024 Stereo, and one a hi-res version of the original mix of Past, Present and Future. The remix and remasters are from the original master tapes. The cover will represent the original UK CBS cover (The US Janus edition presented a Hipgnosis cover more attuned to the subject matter of the album.)
The Past, Present and Future 50th Anniversary box will add in a 68-page booklet with photos, credits, notes, and a new essay. A copy of a promotional poster is packed in as are four art postcards. With all of this, I’m now super excited for a possible emergence of a 50th Anniversary set for Modern Times, an album that I adore even more than Year Of The Cat.
Past, Present and Future (50th Anniversary 2024 Remaster and Remix) – Al Stewart
CD1 (2024 Remaster of Original Album/Bonus Tracks)
01 Old Admirals
02 Warren Harding
03 Soho (Needless to Say)
04 The Last Day of June 1934
05 Post World War Two Blues
06 Roads to Moscow
07 Terminal Eyes
08 Nostradamus
Bonus Tracks
09 Terminal Eyes (Single Version)
10 Swallow Wind
11 Nostradamus (Single Version)
CD2 (Live at The Howff – Hampstead UK – July 5, 1974 – 2024 Stephen W Taylor Remix)
01 Soho (Needless to Say)
02 Old Admirals
03 Terminal Eyes
04 Post World War Two Blues
05 Clifton in the Rain / Small Fruit Song
06 Roads to Moscow
07 Nostradamus
08 All Along the Watchtower
09 Amsterdam
CD3 (Original Album 2024 Stephen W Taylor Remix/Bonus Track)
01 Old Admirals
02 Warren Harding
03 Soho (Needless to Say)
04 The Last Day of June 1934
05 Post World War Two Blues
06 Roads to Moscow
07 Terminal Eyes
08 Nostradamus
Bonus Track
09 Swallow Wind
BD (Original Album 2024 Remixes – 96kHz/24-bit – 5.1 Surround Sound/Stereo Remix/Remaster of Original Stereo Mix)
01 Old Admirals
02 Warren Harding
03 Soho (Needless to Say)
04 The Last Day of June 1934
05 Post World War Two Blues
06 Roads to Moscow
07 Terminal Eyes
08 Nostradamus
Bonus Track
09 Swallow Wind
This is my favorite album by my favorite artist !!! I’d love to get it, I’ve never heard Swallow Wind before. BUT I’m retired and am living on a rather tight budget. I’d love to get it but I don’t see any price listed.
It’s around $55 US.