Arbor Crest welcomes Al Stewart
Does the title “Year of the Cat” ring a bell?
If so, then you were listening to the radio in 1977 when British singer-songwriter Al Stewart finally broke into the mainstream with that huge Top 10 hit. He followed it in 1978 with the equally popular “Time Passages,” another song using the same folk-influenced, ethereal, almost whispery style.
Yet Stewart, who arrives tonight for his second appearance at the Arbor Crest Wine Cellars’ grassy outdoor venue, had already been a cult hero for nearly a decade, especially in his native Britain.
Stewart was one of the original figures in the London folk scene of the early ‘60s, inspired by Bob Dylan and the Greenwich Village folk scene of the same era.
He started playing in London folk clubs and hanging out with other folk-influenced singer-songwriters, including Sandy Denny, Cat Stevens and a visitor from America named Paul Simon. Stewart even shared a flat with Simon for a while, according to Britain’s “Encyclopedia of Rock Stars.”
His first attempt at an album was titled “Elf,” inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien. It vanished without a trace, as if cast into Mount Doom.
However, his next album, “Bedsitter Images,” in 1967 established Stewart as an introspective singer-songwriter with “self-analytical, sometimes acidic, and occasionally controversial lyrics,” according to the “Encyclopedia.” He immediately became a top college draw.
Stewart became known around the rest of the United Kingdom when his next album, “Love Chronicles,” included an 18-minute “coming of age” song. It was banned by the BBC for obscene language.
He soon tired of introspection, however, and began creating concept albums about grander themes. One, “Past, Present and Future” in 1974, traced a series of historical events. This album was released in the United States and gave him a cult following on this side of the water for the first time.
But when Alan Parsons, the legendary British musician and engineer, produced the album “Year of the Cat,” it catapulted Stewart into the charts. The album went platinum in the U.S., and the atmospheric title song, with references to Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre, made it to No. 8.
“Time Passages,” another historical concept album, was a follow-up smash, despite the fact that it had songs about Sir Thomas More and the palace of Versailles, among other history-class themes.
Stewart hasn’t been much in evidence on the charts since then, yet he has continued to tour and record. He has retained a loyal fan base, and a best-of album was released in 1991.
He has also proven to be a good draw at Arbor Crest. Last summer, Stewart attracted a large and appreciative crowd to this venue overlooking the Spokane Valley.