(2021) Al Stewart - Time Passages [Deluxe Edition] [FLAC] [DarkAngie]

(2021) Al Stewart - Time Passages [Deluxe Edition]

Review:
…newly remastered for the very first time from the original first-generation master tapes by Alan Parsons and includes single edits, an album session out-take, four demo tracks recorded in Los Angeles in August 1977 and for the first time the complete concert recorded at the studios of WKQK-FM in Chicago in October 1978. Year of the Cat brought Al Stewart a genuine worldwide smash with its title track, and for its successor, he did make a few concessions. These, however, were slight — just a slight increase of soft rock productions, an enhancement of the lushness that marked not only Year of the Cat but also Modern Times. These happened to be welcome adjustments to Stewart’s sound, since they increased the dreamy continental elegance at the core of his work. And that’s why Time Passages is the equal of Year of the Cat — it may be more streamlined, but the adjustments to his sound and the concessions to the mainstream just increase the soft grace of his eloquent historical pop epics. It’s possible to view this as too precious, because it is pitched at an audience who believes the common-day concerns of pop are piffle, but this is exceptionally well-crafted, from Stewart’s songs, where even three-minute songs seem like epics, to Alan Parsons’ cinematic arrangements and productions. This added concentration on the texture of the recording, ensuring that it was clean, spacious, and gentle, with a welcoming surface. Of course, this means that Time Passages can work very well as background music, but it also reveals much upon concentrated listening — enough to make it stand proudly next to Modern Times and Year of the Cat as one of Al Stewart’s very best albums. — AMG

Track Listing:
Disc 1 - Time Passages
1 Time Passages
2 Valentina Way
3 Life In Dark Water
4 A Man For All Seasons
5 Almost Lucy
6 The Palace of Versailles
7 Timeless Skies
8 Song On The radio
9 End Of The Day

Disc 2
1 Time Passages (Single Version)
2 Song On the Radio (Single Version)
3 Tonton Macoute (1977 Demo Session)
4 Life in a Bottle (1977 Demo Session)
5 The Palace of Versailles (1977 Demo Session)
6 The Hollywood Sign On St. Stephen's Day (1977 Demo Session)

Disc 3 - The Chicago Radio Concert – 27th October 1978
1 On the Border (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
2 oho (Needless to Say) [Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978]
3 Midas Shadow (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
4 Broadway Hotel (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
5 If It Doesn't Come Naturally, Leave It (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
6 Time Passages (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
7 One Stage Before (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
8 Life in Dark Water (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
9 Roads to Moscow (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
10 Sirens of Titan (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
11 The Palace of Versailles (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
12 Valentina Way (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
13 Year of the Cat (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
14 The Pink Panther Theme (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
15 Song On the Radio (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)
16 Carol (Live, WKDX, Chicago, 27 October 1978)


Media Report:
Genre: rock
Country: UK
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits