@@keithgillum3414 I was just starting to do the exact same calculation. I guess if you lived through these times, you'd immediately see the b.s., but the real question is...why???
That’s funny. I am 71 as well and I’ve enjoyed this song ever since it came out when I was 23. I guess harrystevens9564 has a really impressive time machine.
It's hard to describe how much this song has meant to me since March of 1977. Simply, it was beyond perfection to a young 23 year old and means more now to an aging, reflective 68 year old. It's a Van Gogh set to music!
@@carolinegodden4364 I've met Al a couple of times after concerts, and he is a totally humble, approachable genius. That's exactly what I expected from such a thoughtful lyricist. He is just the best storyteller ever. He must be a blast to even be around. Best wishes to you and your family! Give Al my highest regards!
@@larrypeden9729 Hey man, THAT is a perfect song also! No doubt! I always thought "Smoke from a distant fire" was another one. How about " Don't worry baby" by the Beach Boys?
I was going through my early teens when this came out. The beauty, and allure of the song continues to this day, and is in fact enhanced knowing what an incredible piece of musical composition this is. Just sublimely as beautiful as being 13 all over again.
79 I graduated & left for the USN. The song followed me, right up to today @ 63 yrs old. The piano & solo guitar does send chills. And that saxophone is a killer again as in Time Passengers.
My husband introduced me to.this song when we both just got out of college in DC and we are still tigether as today and still listen to it never get tired of it Such a master piece and still performing Thanks Al for making it part of our lives together. Such a nostalgia.
Beats "You go strolling through the crowd like Dick Cheney contemplating a crime" all to hell! (Yes, Al actually has sung it that way live sometimes...)
1977 had so much great talent, and we listened to lots of it. This is a great, great song, and I am glad I was growing up at the time. The guitar solo always gave me chills, and it still has the power.
I’ve actually cried listening to this song and I’ve probably heard it hundreds of times in my youth. I was 18 when it was released. It is a beautiful, mysterious timepiece and most surely a classic. Thank you Al and the members of your band for giving us such beauty right into the palms of our hands. Peace to you always.
The 70's were the greatest and most magical decade for both pop and rock music. You'd never hear a Top 40 hit with instrumental passages and solos like this in the 80's or any other decade.
The seventies seemed like a time when you could just go on n on with a jam and it was always was fantastic. New rifts and chord combos you never heard before..all made your sense go crazy and to hear them today they still do...
What's amazing about listening to a song over 4 decades old, is it makes you see how much of the old world has utterly changed forever, over and over, and it also lets you see the part of yourself that hasn't changed at all
The imagery created in the song reaches into your heart creating both happiness and a melancholy feeling about inability to change circumstances beyond your control, but also the importance of embracing the moment.
+Tom Johnson Awesome. Never saw Casablanca, wondering if it's romantic. Gonna try to find it now. My idea of a good time is parking in the middle of nowhere on a moonlit night, with someone very special, and a song like this comes on the radio.
+Tom Johnson If you watch the live version Al Stewart, Year Of The Cat, Royal Albert Hall, May 16 2015, he explains where the song came from, the significance of the piece from Casablanca and the title of the song. Maybe not as good a version as this one but I've yet to hear Al Stewart sing this song badly. Inspired and inspirational music. It's not easy to say what is my favourite song of all time but God, this one is right up there along with Time Passages.
I really believe this is QUITE POSSIBLY the most perfect song EVER written about the “human experience”. EVERY time I hear it I’m convinced even more..
When I Heard this song for the first time it was when I had 7 years old in my country el Salvador and now I have 48 years old and I still love this song and I still listen and watch this song nice souvenir
One of the best songs ever written. A perfect, evocative poem perfectly accompanied by heart touching music. I play it on my acoustic guitar and my head imagines the beautiful accompaniment of all the other instruments that make up this amazing piece of beautiful music.
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain..." There is an old anecdote about how one time Frank Sinatra told George Harrison that "Something" was the most perfect love song he had ever heard, and that he wished he would have penned it. There are Dead Poets - and live ones too! - that wish they would ever have been so clever as to have penned what very well may be the most perfect line ever in a song. Simply a masterpiece for the masses.
One of the best Art Bell Coast to Coast AM bumper songs. From the great American southwest I bid you all a good evening, good morning, wherever you may be.
One of the greatest songs ever written. A masterpiece that evokes space and time - stirs memories of when life was easy, yet hidden with unknowns. The grand rhythm and sound remains as fresh as ever ! Love it.
Listening this eternal melody, sat on my private room, eating dark cocoa without sugar, the mind flies so far, years in a second, and I only can feel a deep love and be grateful to the life. 🥲❤
There are no more poetic lyrics in rock than the first few lines of Year of the Cat ... "In a country where they turn back time... You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre contemplating a crime." "She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain." --- It doesn't get better than that. It just doesn't. Couple that with seamless guitar-sax transition and you have a timeless classic. Every year becomes The Year of the Cat.
Al Stewart's Year of the Cat LP (as well as the next release, Time Passages) came out when I was age 15 and 16 respectively and was a huge influence on me to learn to play guitar. I remember hearing the song "Time Passages" on a Christmas morning and it was just beautiful feelings all day. Thanks Al, you and the band are awesome.
I still remember the first time I heard it on the radio. There was something distinctive, unusual and mysterious about it. No doubt one of the best songs of the 20th century.
Born in 58, graduated high school 1976, the music in the 60's, 70's is amazing. So much talent. Good radios and tape decks in my cars as a young adult. Vinyl records in my room at home. Concerts, what a great time for amazing bands.
Do you think these guys had any idea we will be watching and enjoying to tears this show after thirty plus years? Great version. I love the flavor that every instrument brings to the mix. Great piano intro, great sax solo and the guitar is second to none. The melody simply creates an atmosphere. It's raining like it's the end of the world. Thanx, and greetings from Buin, Chile.
+Luis Flores I see Al Stewart live pretty much every year. He tours with guitarist Dave Nachmanoff, and the two man show plays very small (200-300 people) venues in the US. Dave is incredibly good. The first time I went I thought I might be a tiny bit disappointed not to have the full band. Not at all. Dave and Al make enough sound for 4 guitars. I go for the music, of course, but also for Al's stories and musings. He spends almost as much time talking to the audience as he does playing. He talks to folks, I've had my picture taken with him before a show when I found myself standing in the lounge next to him. It's always just such a wonderful evening. At this point, I almost feel like I know the man. (Almost) I can tell you that he often says that he is indeed amazed and appreciative that we still listen to his music. :)
+Dave Thompson Saw him two weeks ago in Washington. Yep. Live in California, retired. He plays in the state often. Going to try to make more of his shows.
Very cool, flatchyu. I recently relocated from Atlanta to Michigan and I have tickets to see him this summer in Chicago. WooHoo! Thankfully he likes to work!
I will never tire from this tune.. we use to wake up and get ready for school and get to listen to the radio before we walk out the door. Truly a time capsule of the 70s.
I agree, can you imagine someone writing Year of the Cat, Roads to Moscow, Soho (Needless to say), Time Passages, On the Border, Nostradamus, etc today. They all tell such powerful stories. Rick Beato has just released a video talking about the lack of lyrics in modern music.
This music will never get forgotten.my son is 37 years old. This song came out7 years before he was born and him and his children listen to this and love it
I play music in local venues, bars, restaurants, etc. and I always enjoy playing this song. It’s been a personal favorite of mine since it’s release in the 70’s. I love when people of my generation remember it and especially when young people respond to it and recognize it as the masterpiece it is.
I love watching how musicians communicate on stage. Watch at 7:28, how the sax player just gives the smallest glance with his head toward Al to hand off the solo, and then Al turns to the guitar player to pass it on. I also love how the sax player matches the high note at the end of the guitar solo at 7:47 and takes it from there. This is an awesome performance. I just want it to keep going on and on...
MR AL STEWART & BAND MATES HAVE BEEN " PERFORMING" W/ME SINCE EARLY 70"S, STARTING W/"CAT"( NEVER HAD A FELINE TILL I MARRIED-MANY SINCE, THRU TODAY.ONLY MY SHELTY SHEPARD MIX " TIPPY" LOVED MY PLAYING & WOULD CLIMB THE UPPER SCALE TO HIGH F# W/ME, WHILE MOM("WINDY"-SHELTY) RAN DOWN THE STAIRS TO ESCAPE. NO ACCOUNTING FOR TASTE AMONG DOGS.
“Handing off” the solo is a time honored and respected stage technique that quality musicians in all genres employ to ensure the audience can follow the performers with their eyes” with the help of a glance and slight nod for entertainment purposes.
A estas alturas de mi vida (55 años) puedo decir que esta es mi canción favorita. Siempre me gustó desde adolescente. Me produce una sensación deliciosa al escucharla
@Byron Galvez: I couldn't agree with you more. This was a song that was a great part of my youth and is now ( Largely due to the internet ) a great part of my old age. Peace to you Byron and may our Lord grant you many more years to enjoy.
My favourite parts are the incredibly seamless handover from Al's guitar to Adam's at 5:05 (before I saw this clip I thought it was all done on one guitar), and the equally seamless handover from Adam's guitar to Bryan's sax at 7:46. Both give me goosebumps every time. I must have played this a hundred times but I never tire of it.
To think of how such a composition originated, materializing from the brilliant mind of Stewart. The progression, the lyrics, the instrumental parts; all so eerily captivating and beautiful. It reminds me of distant lands and experiences which have yet to exist.
Thanks for that. As someone else said, this could be the greatest song of all time. A bold statement when you consider what other well composed and crafted songs there are (e.g. American Pie/Hotel California etc, etc, etc) but it has to be right up there
This isn't just a song, it's a hymn. Knowing it since the late 70s, it was a great honor to me me, when I really met Al Stewart (in 2008) and even talked to him. (He also signed a CD cover.) Great gentleman and unbelieveable talent...
I'd be honored if some Al Stewart & late 70s fans would take a listen to my acoustic piano & vocal performances of TIME PASSAGES and WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES by Michael McDonald on my YT channel in tribute to a couple of the true masters of melodic lyricism and composition. Live acoustic with no autotune or digital editing. Thanks and peace.
I’m a young 70 AND STILL DANCE TO THIS SONG!!! What a classic tune. As soon as you hear the intro of the piano you know the song right away. My mind goes way back to my youth, where I was, what I was doing in my life & of course who was in my life at the time. Just great memories when this was out, nothing like it ever since. Thanks for my walk down memory lane. 🫶
After analyzing all the versions ever made of this song, I must concur that this is the best live version ever made. The perfect harmony of the instruments and people (including the crowd) makes it magical. They all play their part well even the lady with the tambourine and the bassist. My favourite player is the saxophonist...it is hard to cast the proper saxophonist for this song, especially when the part differs from one video to another. The saxophone version of this song was more elaborate, swave and profound. I liked the liberty Al gave to the guitarist and saxophonist. The mellotron piano was sublime. The keyboardist really enjoyed this session and you can see it in his smiles here and there. What a bliss!
Funny thing is, this is an almost completely different set of musicians to those who played on the Year of the Cat studio album 3 years earlier. It's: Adam Yurman on guitar instead of Tim Renwick Harry Stinson on drums instead of Stuart Elliot Robin Lamble on bass instead of George Ford Robert Alpert on piano instead of Peter Wood Bryan Savage on saxophone instead of Phil Kenzie Krysia Kristianne on backing vocals instead of David Pack & others Only Al (of course) and Peter White played on the studio version.
*Robert Alpert he said at the intro to the song, not Herb Alpert. I would have been very surprised if they had Herb Alpert on the piano, given that he's a trumpet player.
Hmm, I don't see (or hear) it. I find the Old Grey Whistle Test live one from 1976 far superior. From the better piano playing to the audio balance to the saxophone solo's, I think the 1976 performance stands out more. I still like hearing every version of this song though, it never gets old.
This song always reminds me of my beloved father who has passed on! I remember this song being on the radio while we were fishing one summer. It was the only time we both went out on my boat!
![America- "You Can Do Magic" 1982 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Jd29mw7Turo/mqdefault.jpg)
![America- "You Can Do Magic" 1982 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]](/img/tr.png)
I love this song when i was 17... 71 now and still loving it. Im getting old, this song is not. Never will.
I'm no mathematician but this song came out in 1976. If you were 17 when it cam out, you'd have been born in 1959, which would make you 65 now.
@@keithgillum3414 I was just starting to do the exact same calculation. I guess if you lived through these times, you'd immediately see the b.s., but the real question is...why???
It's only our bodies that get old.
Not that it ain't an issue, anyway... 😅
That’s funny. I am 71 as well and I’ve enjoyed this song ever since it came out when I was 23. I guess harrystevens9564 has a really impressive time machine.
It appears I'm not the only one who thought your claim didn't sound right.
It was my anthem to my girlfriend. She's still around 48 years later............our sons nicknamed her the Cat.
Yes. Simply, yes.
@@ChefTareckI totally love my wife.
That's awesome
It's hard to describe how much this song has meant to me since March of 1977. Simply, it was beyond perfection to a young 23 year old and means more now to an aging, reflective 68 year old. It's a Van Gogh set to music!
Wonderful thought to share. Thank you, I will pass it onto Al. Little SiSTAR here. CJ x
@@carolinegodden4364 I've met Al a couple of times after concerts, and he is a totally humble, approachable genius. That's exactly what I expected from such a thoughtful lyricist. He is just the best storyteller ever. He must be a blast to even be around. Best wishes to you and your family! Give Al my highest regards!
First time I heard this song was probably summer before turning 11 yo. Fell in love with Al Stewart as a musician. It’s a beautiful song.
I'm with you without a doubt my favorite song of all time
I agree with you Hal
I have always said that this is the most perfect song I ever heard. You can listen to this a million times and it never gets old. Thanks Al!
Correct. In that regard, this song is perfection!
I agree . my friends think I am crazy for thinking so
What about What Does It Take by Junior Walker and the Allstars!
@@larrypeden9729 Hey man, THAT is a perfect song also! No doubt! I always thought "Smoke from a distant fire" was another one. How about " Don't worry baby" by the Beach Boys?
Yes its the perfect song.
One of the very few songs that I never tire of listening to. Quite simply, a masterpiece.
I was going through my early teens when this came out. The beauty, and allure of the song continues to this day, and is in fact enhanced knowing what an incredible piece of musical composition this is. Just sublimely as beautiful as being 13 all over again.
79 I graduated & left for the USN.
The song followed me, right up to today @ 63 yrs old.
The piano & solo guitar does send chills.
And that saxophone is a killer again as in Time Passengers.
Yep……same age and feeling here…..
My husband introduced me to.this song when we both just got out of college in DC and we are still tigether as today and still listen to it never get tired of it
Such a master piece and still performing
Thanks Al for making it part of our lives together.
Such a nostalgia.
79 here too
You're absolutely correct On 62 and I remember it well
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running, like a watercolor in the rain..."
One of my favorite lyrics ever, the first time I heard it in 1979 through right now.
The imagery of this lyric is limitless
@@timothyjepson6457 Yep. You can almost see her.
Beats "You go strolling through the crowd like Dick Cheney contemplating a crime" all to hell! (Yes, Al actually has sung it that way live sometimes...)
Such a vivid description you can’t help but see it all in one’s imagination.
1977 had so much great talent, and we listened to lots of it. This is a great, great song, and I am glad I was growing up at the time. The guitar solo always gave me chills, and it still has the power.
Nice comment. The guitar and sax solos both do it for me!
I’ve actually cried listening to this song and I’ve probably heard it hundreds of times in my youth. I was 18 when it was released. It is a beautiful, mysterious timepiece and most surely a classic. Thank you Al and the members of your band for giving us such beauty right into the palms of our hands. Peace to you always.
Thanks Linda. I have cried so many times. OMG. Even wrote a short story about it1
You are certainly not alone...
much better than his lesser known hit "the year of the possum"
I'm from that era as well and this song conjures up fond memories of my youth. A timeless classic.
@@kbtube8125 🤣🤣🤣
one of the greatest songs of my life
Not just of Your life... ;-)
this is not just a song
its a little victory of the human being against eternity
@Z Thank you !
pequeña victoria del ser humano contra la eternidad. How beauty that is!
Ramiro......Damn , that is profound. Is it you or something you heard once?
@@shanemiller9000 Its just me Shane, so thank you :) I guess this excellent music just gets the best out of everyone. Saludos !
I totally agree. It fulfills me everytime I listen.
The 70's were the greatest and most magical decade for both pop and rock music. You'd never hear a Top 40 hit with instrumental passages and solos like this in the 80's or any other decade.
No you wouldn't. The path music has taken saddens me deeply.
there were solos in the 1990s all the time.
@@monetarnie3841
In pop songs?
ELO comes to mind, I believe they had quite a few post '70s but definitely one of the exceptions.
The seventies seemed like a time when you could just go on n on with a jam and it was always was fantastic. New rifts and chord combos you never heard before..all made your sense go crazy and to hear them today they still do...
What's amazing about listening to a song over 4 decades old, is it makes you see how much of the old world has utterly changed forever, over and over, and it also lets you see the part of yourself that hasn't changed at all
So true!
Wise words, my soulmate. Very wise words.
And reminds us that the world has been changing like this since ever since
Your comment is nearly as good as the song.
The imagery created in the song reaches into your heart creating both happiness and a melancholy feeling about inability to change circumstances beyond your control, but also the importance of embracing the moment.
Sublime, one of most beautiful songs ever written , deeply touches the heart.
I like how the pianist starts out playing "as time goes by", right out of a Bogart movie.
Tom Johnson
Me too. That is one of the best versions of that song ever. I wish this version was officially released
+Tom Johnson dumb me didn't get that.
+Tom Johnson Awesome. Never saw Casablanca, wondering if it's romantic. Gonna try to find it now. My idea of a good time is parking in the middle of nowhere on a moonlit night, with someone very special, and a song like this comes on the radio.
+Tom Johnson He is a wonderful pianist. and someone very dear to my heart for 30 plus years. Glad you enjoyed his talent.
w
+Tom Johnson If you watch the live version Al Stewart, Year Of The Cat, Royal Albert Hall, May 16 2015, he explains where the song came from, the significance of the piece from Casablanca and the title of the song. Maybe not as good a version as this one but I've yet to hear Al Stewart sing this song badly. Inspired and inspirational music. It's not easy to say what is my favourite song of all time but God, this one is right up there along with Time Passages.
I really believe this is QUITE POSSIBLY the most perfect song EVER written about the “human experience”. EVERY time I hear it I’m convinced even more..
There is another competitor 'The last time I saw her Face, Gordon Lightfoot
There are a ton of people who feel exactly that way as do I!!
Yes it IS!! so beautiful.
I agree with you one hundred percent!
Al with his angelic voice and pleasant Scottish lilt
Hmm he is from Bristol I think: Clifton in the Rain.
Love this song as a teenager now 70 never gets old
A timeless masterpiece. It gave me goosebumps when it was released in the seventies and it gives me goosebumps today.
No , I get it 100% …it hit me square between the eyes as a 16 year old and still does to this very day..
When I Heard this song for the first time it was when I had 7 years old in my country el Salvador and now I have 48 years old and I still love this song and I still listen and watch this song nice souvenir
It is now 2023. I still listen to this as well as Time Passages. They are simply timeless pieces of art.
One of the best songs ever written. A perfect, evocative poem perfectly accompanied by heart touching music. I play it on my acoustic guitar and my head imagines the beautiful accompaniment of all the other instruments that make up this amazing piece of beautiful music.
Sounds like the start of a tribute to me! If anyone deserves this "highest compliment", it's Al Stewart.
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain..."
There is an old anecdote about how one time Frank Sinatra told George Harrison that "Something" was the most perfect love song he had ever heard, and that he wished he would have penned it. There are Dead Poets - and live ones too! - that wish they would ever have been so clever as to have penned what very well may be the most perfect line ever in a song. Simply a masterpiece for the masses.
One of the best Art Bell Coast to Coast AM bumper songs. From the great American southwest I bid you all a good evening, good morning, wherever you may be.
After 39 years this song stills kick ass :D
You know it!
A lot!
you bet it does mate
You bet it does pal.
what you said :)
These are the kind of moments I wish I could go back in time and enjoy.
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain"
That is just about my favorite line of any song ever made
My thoughts exactly.
Women n water mmmmmm
The best lyric ever!
My senses discovered the complexity of a woman wearing patchouli in 1976 when the album first came out. (If ya know what I mean)
It is as surreal as it is literal
The greatest song of the 20th century.
Agree!!!
YES YES 🙌
One of the greatest songs ever written. A masterpiece that evokes space and time - stirs memories of when life was easy, yet hidden with unknowns. The grand rhythm and sound remains as fresh as ever ! Love it.
Listening this eternal melody, sat on my private room, eating dark cocoa without sugar, the mind flies so far, years in a second, and I only can feel a deep love and be grateful to the life. 🥲❤
Nice comment, but please treat yourself to some sugar or even some beer! 😅
When I take my first starship journey this tune will be along for the ride. Might be the only one I will need. Incredible!
There are no more poetic lyrics in rock than the first few lines of Year of the Cat ... "In a country where they turn back time... You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre contemplating a crime." "She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain." --- It doesn't get better than that. It just doesn't. Couple that with seamless guitar-sax transition and you have a timeless classic. Every year becomes The Year of the Cat.
Indeed my friend.
My youth has slipped away. At least this beautiful masterpiece was part of it. Thank you Al. Tears of joy!!
2022, and I’m still listening to this masterpiece, Al. It’s as beautiful today as ever.
There are some few songs that will last forever. This is one of them.
Al Stewart's Year of the Cat LP (as well as the next release, Time Passages) came out when I was age 15 and 16 respectively and was a huge influence on me to learn to play guitar. I remember hearing the song "Time Passages" on a Christmas morning and it was just beautiful feelings all day. Thanks Al, you and the band are awesome.
As both an Al Stewart fan and fan of the film Casablanca... this is perfect
The saxophone player adds another dimension to the song.
Bryan Savage is his name..
Superb!
Absolutely!
Sorry his raucous tone marrs the song for me or maybe my equipment?.Is it same player on record ?
40 years but never stop listening to this song with beautiful lyric, tune , haunting guitar solo and the bust of beautiful saxophone.
Love how the song progresses. Instrumentals are perfect. Great Piano intro. Just perfect!!!
Wow great memories.
I was born in 1967 but remember this song..
😁
Same. Part of my youth and now I relate to it out of memories
This song just goes through my soul, I've loved this song since I was 14 years old, BEAUTY til this day!💖
I still remember the first time I heard it on the radio. There was something distinctive, unusual and mysterious about it. No doubt one of the best songs of the 20th century.
My absolute favourite!!!
Born in 58, graduated high school 1976, the music in the 60's, 70's is amazing. So much talent. Good radios and tape decks in my cars as a young adult.
Vinyl records in my room at home. Concerts, what a great time for amazing bands.
During that era you could have your FM radio playing all day without hearing a bad song 👍
That guitar solo always gets me and the segue into the sax solo is just special.
This is one of those classic tunes that NEVER gets old. Love it!! 😊❤
Прекрасная ПЕСНЯ, уважаю музыкантов этой группы....особенно люблю присутствие рояля и саксофона! ❤❤❤
Do you think these guys had any idea we will be watching and enjoying to tears this show after thirty plus years? Great version. I love the flavor that every instrument brings to the mix. Great piano intro, great sax solo and the guitar is second to none. The melody simply creates an atmosphere. It's raining like it's the end of the world. Thanx, and greetings from Buin, Chile.
+Luis Flores I see Al Stewart live pretty much every year. He tours with guitarist Dave Nachmanoff, and the two man show plays very small (200-300 people) venues in the US. Dave is incredibly good. The first time I went I thought I might be a tiny bit disappointed not to have the full band. Not at all. Dave and Al make enough sound for 4 guitars. I go for the music, of course, but also for Al's stories and musings. He spends almost as much time talking to the audience as he does playing. He talks to folks, I've had my picture taken with him before a show when I found myself standing in the lounge next to him. It's always just such a wonderful evening. At this point, I almost feel like I know the man. (Almost) I can tell you that he often says that he is indeed amazed and appreciative that we still listen to his music. :)
Thanks, Dave for sharing such a great experience. I would love to see the guy live. We all envy you a bit.
+Luis Flores yes
+Dave Thompson Saw him two weeks ago in Washington. Yep. Live in California, retired. He plays in the state often. Going to try to make more of his shows.
Very cool, flatchyu. I recently relocated from Atlanta to Michigan and I have tickets to see him this summer in Chicago. WooHoo! Thankfully he likes to work!
The 70's at their best. So glad I was in my teens and was able to hear it all!
Me too!
Takes me back to my teen in the 70s. Nostalgic! Al the great!
Beautiful song 1979 l got my 20 years old. It was the very good time
Thank you Al Stewart for this tenderness moment .❤💙💚😍
I'm 32 years old, but this is my favorite song, there is something mysterious in the song itself.
I will never for get this song and all the comments it has raved about this world we live in I Love You Cheryl!!
The piano intro is sublime. Always boosts my mood.
Darn right!!!! Even my cat loves this!!!!!
It is amazing indeed! Its one of the best piano riffs ever in my opinion!
Exactly. Sets the mood perfectly
Sublime. Vivan Los Gatos...
His song was meant to be a tribute to Casablanca. So the intro is not random.
I will never tire from this tune.. we use to wake up and get ready for school and get to listen to the radio before we walk out the door. Truly a time capsule of the 70s.
I don't think anyone under age 25 is even capable writing a song like this today.
Try age "45"....
@@thebordernow How about you two compromise and say 33 & 1/3...
lil peep was great
I agree, can you imagine someone writing Year of the Cat, Roads to Moscow, Soho (Needless to say), Time Passages, On the Border, Nostradamus, etc today. They all tell such powerful stories. Rick Beato has just released a video talking about the lack of lyrics in modern music.
Growing up in the 70s we got to the listen to the best rock and drive the most awesome cars. A great time to be young.
This is a song, that you can't imagine anyone covering and doing it any kind of justice
This music will never get forgotten.my son is 37 years old. This song came out7 years before he was born and him and his children listen to this and love it
2024, 53. bring back memories of my child-hood. Living in West Africa, Liberia
This music is so happy, simple and captivating; at the end the sax is heart breaking. Simple songs last forever...
Daniele Rigo But it’s not such a simple song.
@@jimeiden2360 >> yes rather complex tune for sure.
@@marktrail8624 And yet Al can totally do these songs solo live and they feel complete...
When Musicians play live and it sounds like the Record-you know they’re at top of the game. Great Classic tune.
I play music in local venues, bars, restaurants, etc. and I always enjoy playing this song. It’s been a personal favorite of mine since it’s release in the 70’s. I love when people of my generation remember it and especially when young people respond to it and recognize it as the masterpiece it is.
Al Stewart such a poet!!! I love this song then and always!
I love watching how musicians communicate on stage. Watch at 7:28, how the sax player just gives the smallest glance with his head toward Al to hand off the solo, and then Al turns to the guitar player to pass it on. I also love how the sax player matches the high note at the end of the guitar solo at 7:47 and takes it from there.
This is an awesome performance. I just want it to keep going on and on...
+svyt Excellent observations and analyses!~~~ I can't agree with you more. :)
MR AL STEWART & BAND MATES HAVE BEEN " PERFORMING" W/ME SINCE EARLY 70"S, STARTING W/"CAT"( NEVER HAD A FELINE TILL I MARRIED-MANY SINCE, THRU TODAY.ONLY MY SHELTY SHEPARD MIX " TIPPY" LOVED MY PLAYING & WOULD CLIMB THE UPPER SCALE TO HIGH F# W/ME, WHILE MOM("WINDY"-SHELTY) RAN DOWN THE STAIRS TO ESCAPE. NO ACCOUNTING FOR TASTE AMONG DOGS.
The unspoken word is where it's at.
Retroceder hace daño a mi mente el yo era... menos años de todas maneras. YE MÜ GUAPA
“Handing off” the solo is a time honored and respected stage technique that quality musicians in all genres employ to ensure the audience can follow the performers with their eyes” with the help of a glance and slight nod for entertainment purposes.
By any definition, a musical masterpiece!
Enjoying one of my favorite tunes post Pandemic 2020. Peace!
...i ALWAYS cry at th intro..cos i know the emotions that are coming neXt xxx
40 years now... and the song and sax are still 'killer' sounds !!
A estas alturas de mi vida (55 años) puedo decir que esta es mi canción favorita. Siempre me gustó desde adolescente. Me produce una sensación deliciosa al escucharla
@Byron Galvez: I couldn't agree with you more. This was a song that was a great part of my youth and is now ( Largely due to the internet ) a great part of my old age. Peace to you Byron and may our Lord grant you many more years to enjoy.
Siiii tal cual!!!
" HATS OFF TO ROBERT ALPERT A FINE GUITARIST & KEY BOARDIST!!
I saw Al Stewart and band live at the Kent Stage in Kent, OH. This was a year or two before COVID. It was magnificent.
Wonderful, haunting song, with some of the most beautiful lyrics ever.
My favourite parts are the incredibly seamless handover from Al's guitar to Adam's at 5:05 (before I saw this clip I thought it was all done on one guitar), and the equally seamless handover from Adam's guitar to Bryan's sax at 7:46. Both give me goosebumps every time.
I must have played this a hundred times but I never tire of it.
Yes I agree. I play this song to my Cat. 🐱
To think of how such a composition originated, materializing from the brilliant mind of Stewart. The progression, the lyrics, the instrumental parts; all so eerily captivating and beautiful. It reminds me of distant lands and experiences which have yet to exist.
+David Peterson Time Passages does the same for me
Mimi mami are you sure you were replying to my comment?
Thanks for that. As someone else said, this could be the greatest song of all time. A bold statement when you consider what other well composed and crafted songs there are (e.g. American Pie/Hotel California etc, etc, etc) but it has to be right up there
The thanks were to pykkervots
Mark Dallinger yes mark. A strong argument could be made as to how the song has held up over time; flawless in lyrics timing and arrangement.
This isn't just a song, it's a hymn.
Knowing it since the late 70s, it was a great honor to me me, when I really met Al Stewart (in 2008) and even talked to him.
(He also signed a CD cover.)
Great gentleman and unbelieveable talent...
I recently rediscovered this song and can't stop listening to it.
Legendary song, and that pianist robert hartford is just pure genius.
Robert Alpert
Its hard not to cry while listening to this awesome song. It brings back so many memories. Saw him live and backstage in Munich, Germany
The phrase," like the watercolors in the rain," is so beautiful. The whole song is a masterpiece.❤❤❤
There are some songs that just come together seamlessly, this is one of them, like the perfect gift.
نیم درصد شاید یه فارسی زبان این کامنت رو ببینه ولی این اجرا یکی از ده ها اجرای بسیار زیبا وبی نظیره این خواننده هست که چهل سال پیش شنیدم
From a time when recording artists were actual musicians...
Dang Skippy !
And a time when talent meant something.
I'd be honored if some Al Stewart & late 70s fans would take a listen to my acoustic piano & vocal performances of TIME PASSAGES and WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES by Michael McDonald on my YT channel in tribute to a couple of the true masters of melodic lyricism and composition. Live acoustic with no autotune or digital editing. Thanks and peace.
AMEN
@@JustMe-qo7yw and amazing song-writers
that pianist is sensational!
One of the most recognizable and famous sax riffs in all of music.
I’m a young 70 AND STILL DANCE TO THIS SONG!!! What a classic tune. As soon as you hear the intro of the piano you know the song right away. My mind goes way back to my youth, where I was, what I was doing in my life & of course who was in my life at the time. Just great memories when this was out, nothing like it ever since. Thanks for my walk down memory lane. 🫶
In memory of the Master Of The Nighttime Airwaves... ART BELL R.I.P...
After analyzing all the versions ever made of this song, I must concur that this is the best live version ever made. The perfect harmony of the instruments and people (including the crowd) makes it magical. They all play their part well even the lady with the tambourine and the bassist. My favourite player is the saxophonist...it is hard to cast the proper saxophonist for this song, especially when the part differs from one video to another. The saxophone version of this song was more elaborate, swave and profound. I liked the liberty Al gave to the guitarist and saxophonist. The mellotron piano was sublime. The keyboardist really enjoyed this session and you can see it in his smiles here and there. What a bliss!
Funny thing is, this is an almost completely different set of musicians to those who played on the Year of the Cat studio album 3 years earlier. It's:
Adam Yurman on guitar instead of Tim Renwick
Harry Stinson on drums instead of Stuart Elliot
Robin Lamble on bass instead of George Ford
Robert Alpert on piano instead of Peter Wood
Bryan Savage on saxophone instead of Phil Kenzie
Krysia Kristianne on backing vocals instead of David Pack & others
Only Al (of course) and Peter White played on the studio version.
*Robert Alpert he said at the intro to the song, not Herb Alpert. I would have been very surprised if they had Herb Alpert on the piano, given that he's a trumpet player.
Oops yes, that was a word / brain association blip. I had meant Robert all along. Have corrected it now, thanks.
until I went back and watched it again I was all excited thinking "wait Herb Alpert plays piano too?!"
Hmm, I don't see (or hear) it. I find the Old Grey Whistle Test live one from 1976 far superior. From the better piano playing to the audio balance to the saxophone solo's, I think the 1976 performance stands out more. I still like hearing every version of this song though, it never gets old.
Magical and Magnificent!❤️
This is too good......whenever i need an attitude adjustment, this song does it for me!
ONE OF THE MOST ICON SONGS OF THE 70S; I WAS 23, AN ASPIRING GUITARIST,VOCALIST,/MUSICIAN, WORKING AT THE EVERETT PIANO CO. SOUTH HAVEN, MI.
7:47 sax taking over the guitar solo is just seamless. Top 5 songs of my life, from an 11yr old in 1976. Thanx mom for listening to this, I still do.😊
There are just no words to describe how perfect this is.
Still my favourite song, musically and lyrically.
This tune casts a very charming,
enchanting spell over me. It touches the soul like no other song. The musical harmonies are unique and special.
One of the best written songs out there. I never get tired of listening to this Al Stewart's classic.
Listening to this song transports me right back to high school! What a time to be alive!♥️♥️♥️♥️
#Class of 1980
The transition from the solo lead guitar to saxophone ,,,PRICELESS !!!
This song always reminds me of my beloved father who has passed on! I remember this song being on the radio while we were fishing one summer. It was the only time we both went out on my boat!