Al Stewart, "Year of the Cat"

Mitch comes in incense and patchouli

Mitch’s Pitch:

Sorting fish was my favorite job on the kibbutz. You’d climb up this weird conveyer belt in the sun, put on one metal glove, and separate the spiky fish from the regular fish. I was never sure what became of the spiky fish, but I always assumed that the regular fish ascended to the top of the food chain and became gefilte fish. Of course, it’s also possible that all of the fish ended up in the same barrell and the whole fish sorting job was just busy work to keep the American kids occupied.

My suspicions were confirmed when my roommate Noah and I were unexpectedly given a week’s vacation from our not-so-essential farm jobs. Luckily, Noah had a family friend that lived nearby in Tel Aviv. Even better, they were headed to Haifa and invited us to use their apartment. Lots of people are braying about freedom these days, but true freedom is being a 16 year old American kid with a free apartment in Tel Aviv for a week in 1987. 

We ate shawarma, drank vodka and hung out in underground clubs. We struck out with exotic beauties, made fast friends with curious strangers, and got lost in mysterious alleyways. It truly felt like the morning of a Bogart movie, in a country where they turn back time, as we were strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre contemplating a crime.

And the soundtrack for that magical, mythical week in Israel was an unlabeled cassette tape left in our benefactor’s stereo. It wasn’t until after I returned home that I solved the mystery of who or what was in that tape deck.

It was Al Stewart’s The Year of the Cat.

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We’ve covered a lot of storytellers at EONS, and Al Stewart is right up there with the best of the best. By the time of The Year of the Cat he had already perfected his signature approach of using historical subjects as allegories or metaphors for his love life. Al’s lyrics are among the most sophisticated in rock, both intellectually and emotionally deep, but with The Year of the Cat his musical ambitions finally caught up to his storytelling prowess.

The Year of the Cat falls into the category of albums that aren’t concept albums but feel like concept albums. There’s no narrative throughline or grand statements woven throughout the nine tales he spins, but there’s a sonic consistency that creates a fantastic sense of cohesion. Much of the credit for the sound goes to Alan Parsons, who produced one of the best sounding records ever. It’s warm, it’s inviting, it’s rich, it’s complex, and yet the production never overwhelms the songs. 

In many ways, The Year of the Cat is the template for the entire genre of soft-rock. It’s the strongest example of why it’s called “soft-rock” and not “mellow-pop” or something - because this album rocks hard…but in a soft way. It is secretly full of amazing, long solos and crazy jams that we associate with a different kind of phish.

Take the title song, for example. It opens with a long piano build-up, a paean to Peter Wood’s original piano riff that the song is based on. Then comes in the subtle disco beat to give it some slinky energy. Next up is the traditional verse-chorus structure of the song which leads into a brief string interlude, an acoustic guitar solo, an electric guitar solo, a saxophone tease into a vocal reprise, and finally the most iconic saxophone solo in rock - the sound that launched a thousand Huey Lewises & the Newses - and improbably became a top 10 hit.

And every song on this flawless album contains such musical magic. The rolling strings and guitar solo on “Lord Grenville”, Peter White’s incredible Spanish guitar in “On The Border”, the jazzy electric piano in “Midas Shadow”, the Parisian accordion and forceful vocals in “Sand in Your Shoes”, the straight ahead rock (and cowbell) of “If It Doesn’t Come Naturally, Leave It”, the harmonica on “Flying Sorcery”, the mournful violin of “Broadway Hotel”, and the trippy vibe of “One Stage Before”. They all evoke different styles, feelings and emotions, and they all work perfectly, individually and collectively.

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In some ways, The Year of the Cat is my most pure musical experience - a love borne of pure ignorance, based purely on the music. In other ways, it’s impossible to separate the music from its context - a magical, adventurous time from my past. Either way, The Year of the Cat has been, and will always remain, my single favorite album of all time, and should be catnip for the illustrious Newbury St. Collection selections committee.

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CJ’s Response:

I have a weak spot and Mitch knows it. For some reason, despite my metal-leaning ways, I can’t get enough ‘70s soft rock. In fairness, I know I’m not the only metal head who feels this way, even if some of them won’t admit it. There’s a silly mysticism that somehow connects the two genres. It’s why I can groove to Ambrosia or Firefall or Gary Wright’s “Dream Weaver” one minute and rock to Iron Maiden’s “Flight of Icarus” the next. Both musical styles unapologetically embrace magic and apocryphal stories to the ever-lasting delight of fans like me.

Old Uncle Mitchy sucker-punched me.

Yes, of course I love Al Stewart. Are you happy now? The first three songs alone are enough to merit consideration for Newbury St. “Lord Grenville” is a kinder, gentler Jethro Tull song. (That’s the second time I’ve referenced JT this month. Winter must be coming.) “On the Border” sounds like something the Eagles wish they would’ve thought of instead of “Desperado”. And even as we speak, Bruce Dickinson is trying to figure out how he can work a “Midas Shadow” cover into the next Maiden album.

The middle of YOTC was a bit of a lull for me. “Sand in Your Shoes” suffered in comparison to the first three songs. And “If It Doesn’t Come Naturally, Leave It” felt like an incomplete thought. Leave it…alone? Leave it…at that? Leave it…to Beaver?

“Flying Sorcery” got us back on mist-covered solid ground. (Of course it did.) “Broadway Hotel” and “One Stage Before” added some supernatural touches to the whole affair. And everything came together with the sublime “Year of the Cat”. I know I heard this song a hundred times in my mom’s wood-paneled station wagon on the way to Little League practice, but it still makes me smile nearly 45 years later.

And with that, Al and his Cat enter Newbury St. with a triumphant glissando.

• Pitch Successful (I was born in the Year of the Rooster, in case you were wondering.)

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Ken’s Response:

While CJ has a soft spot for ‘70s soft rock, for me, it’s a staple of my music consumption.  There is nothing in the musical world that moves me more than great songwriters telling their tales, and Al Stewart does that as well as anyone ever has.  In the early ‘60s we got Dylan et al in Greenwich Village coffee houses sitting on a stool playing solo acoustic.  But by the time the ‘70s rolled around, and largely because Dylan himself turned the folk world upside down at Newport in ‘65, singer-songwriters had full bands and were creating a much more intricate and robust form of folk music.

Year of the Cat might just be the album that showcases this new style better than any other (with apologies to Blood on the Tracks).  It’s a beautiful anthology of stories that range from a tale on the high seas to romantic getaways with strange women.  And like Zevon last week and Steely Dan the week before, there doesn’t seem to be a weak spot.  My two favorite songs (“If It Doesn’t Come Naturally Leave It” and “Broadway Hotel”) are both deep cuts that are virtually unknown, and yet they’re both spectacular!

In addition to the poetic lyrics, Stewart and producer Alan Parsons put together an amazing group of musicians to make the record complete.  Led by the guitar work of Stewart, Tim Renwick, and Peter White, they took great care to add just the right mix of keys, strings, and some great horn work to achieve a flawless auditory experience.

The Year of the Cat may not be in everyone’s record collection, but it definitely has a place on Newbury St.

• Pitch Successful (like voices on the wind)

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Mitch’s pitch was successful and Al Stewart’s The Year of the Cat has been added to the Newbury St. Collection!

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You should have listened to Al, so please head over to the comments section and let us know whether The Year of the Cat deserves to be a song on your radio or should end up stranded on the midnight rocks.

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Please join us next week as Ken doubles our ‘70s pleasure and doubles our ‘70s fun with a look at Stevie Wonder’s double album masterpiece, Songs in the Key of Life.

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The Exile on Newbury St. Spotify playlist features our favorite songs from all the albums we’ve discussed to date. Subscribe today and listen back on the fun we’ve had so far.

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Exile on Newbury St. is a weekly newsletter competition between 4 friends to see who has the best taste in music. Learn more about us and the rules of the game.