Disco de Al Stewart: “Modern Times”

This is im my mind the best album Al Stewart recorded. My favorite, as I wore it out on the album was "What's Going On", but the whole album is great and it flows. Whoever decided on which tracks should go together was a mixdown genious. When I fist heard this album I was working as a DJ in the American Forces Radio And Television Service. This fit in nicely with jazz, soft rock or AOR (Album Oriented Rock) which was the Rock format of the time. Righteous CD. Glad they re-released it! Can't believe "What's Going On" was never released on a Best Of CD. But then again this was early in Al's career!

I heard Stewart on a trip to Spain in 1975, two years before his year of the cat made him famous. I can well remember the incredible beautiful spanish cover of this record, a car, a woman, a man, a mansion on a sunset (or sundown). Pity they didnt use that marvelous cover for this cd. Still, Stewart is at his best here and his songs grow well, like wine, they even sound more timeless today than ever. Great guitar playing and a more rocking cd than those that preceeded this one, a step before the more MOR Year of the cat. Still folk, but rather folk rock. The 3 extra tracks have two interresting tracks, but you can well understand that they are inferior to those on the cd and why they didnt make it to the original releases. I find hard to understand why the song "News from Spain" from Orange is here. It's almost the same version than the one in Orange, just 40 seconds shorter. I guess that if you buy this cd and not not Orange, you'll have this great song too. The linner notes are informative, but they dont give a hint about the bonus tracks and their history.

Do yourself a favour Al Stewart fans, if you don't have this album buy it now. This is a superb album from Al, possibly his best (though I also love Past, Present and Future and Orange). The writing, production and musicianship is great, every song is good. This one is for Stewart fans who fall into the category of thinking everything Al did prior to Year of the Cat was great and everything after sucked because he went from serious songwriter to going for the bubblegum, meaningless pop hit(yes I am in that category).

Although "Year of the Cat" was certainly his career high-point commercially, it's this album that perfectly encapsulated his strengths and appeal. With his usual wordy, associative lyrics on display, the Alan Parsons production and fine studio musician backing (especially Tim Renwick's incendiary guitar solo on the title track...wow!)provide Stewart with truly sympathetic sonic backgrounds. "Apple Cider Reconstitution," the Vonnegut homage "Sirens of Titan," "Dark and Rolling Sea," and "Modern Times" are the stand-outs. Well worth revisiting on this re-mastered cd. This is the kind of music they don't make anymore.

Al Stewart may very well have the best voice i have ever heard. He shows it well on this album that has 8 absolute classics as well as 3 new ones on the remastered version. He can sing about anything and make it sound remarkable such as upbeat fun songs such as Apple Cider or dark eerie songs like the Dark and the Rolling Sea. I have yet to find anybody make me feel the way I feel when listening to Al. It is an outstanding experience and i strongly urge you to buy this. My favorite songs are Carol, What's Going On?, Apple Cider, The Dark and the Rolling Sea & Modern Times.