Al Stewart found his voice on
Past, Present and 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 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.
Stewart 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
Stewart's globetrotting 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. [This digitally remastered reissue of the album includes three bonus tracks:
"Belsize Blues," "Story of the Songs," and a live version of
"On the Border."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
![Red [30th Anniversary Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0633367050724_p0_v4_s90x140.jpg "Red [30th Anniversary Edition]")
