Al Stewart Album: “Best of Al Stewart”

Don't buy this CD. It's a waste of money. After you listen to it a few times, you'll just have to buy all the rest anyway. So save a few buck, and buy all his other CDs now. Then you won't need the "greatest hits."

Oh, well...If you just have buy it. Go ahead. But when you come back for Russians & Americans, Zero She Flies, Year of the Cat, Rhymes in Rooms, Famous Last Words, Orange, Modern Times, and the rest, don't say I didn't warn you.

BTW: Rolling Stone says that Stewart has "repudiated" his first four albums. He didn't look unhappy (just surprised) when he signed my copy of Bedsitter Images. : )

A CD for all seasons, yes this is one you can play anytime. From the slow "Time Passages" the CD heats up slowly with both studio and live tracks to finish with his 1976 Hit "Year of the Cat". If you have only heard one of the songs from this CD and enjoyed it, I truly believe you will find the rest irresistable.

When Al Stewart was a hit in the 70s, I did not pay attention. It seemed like belated folk-rock and a tad "bubble gum." Lately though, I was dragged to a supper club to hear him, and I was in shock. He demonstrates some of the greatest skill on steel guitar I have ever heard. His lyrics are intelligent, informed, thoughtful, and complex. Further, his great education and sense of history are evident in a verbal package filled with wit. Finally, he is the the last grammatical lyric writer. His music repays both careful listening and thought. He is worth your time and money.

I hesitated in buying this CD because I have all the songs on other CD's save Delias Gone. Well, I can tell you this...Delias Gone is worth the price of the CD. What a great little song!!! I think I've probably played it 20 or 30 times and I'm still not tired of it. This CD gives you 10 of Al's best hits plus a gem of a tune in Delias Gone. I recommend this CD whole heartily.

Stewart is another artist that I really did not give much thought to back in the day, but since have discovered that he really did a lot of quality material. This is a compilation album from the mid 80's that covers 11 tracks from his career. It is far from complete, but does contain many of his best compositions and his hits. Stewart has one of the most unique voices in rock. There really is not anyone else who sounds like him. His songwriting style is also unique with a penchant for writing mini historical sagas along with more straight forward pop. Both sides of Stewart are well represented here. Most of Al's hits are here ("Time Passages", "On The Border", "Year Of The Cat", "Midnight Rocks", "Song On The Radio"), and they are all good, but it the album cuts that are the real highlight of this collection. "Roads To Moscow" remains my all time favorite Stewart composition. It's imagery of the rag tag Russian army pushing back the Germans at the end of World War II is almost like a mini novel. "Nostradamus", "The World Goes To Riyadh", and "Merlin's Time" are all great one's too. As with any single disc compilation this only skims the surface of what Stewart was all about, but it would serve as a good place to start for people looking to explore his stuff.