I love this song so much.....first the orchestra, then the acoustic, then the lead guitar, then the sax. Alan Parsons produced this masterpiece at Abbey Road Studios.
THIS is a MASTERPIECE ... YOU DON'T FU*K with a MASTERPIECE ... PERIOD ! The left channel intro was intentional, it slowly draws you in ! I knew that the first time I heard this song in '76 !
Truthfully, there is not a song on the album that is NOT incredible... A TRUE Masterpiece!!! And Year of the Cat is the "Icing on the cake" for this album!!! This is one of my desert island disks!!!
You may think the piano being on one side of the stereo is an error or he sounds flat at times early on but as you listen longer every millisecond of sound, every note of every instrument including Al’s voice is crafted so precisely like the visuals in a Stanley Kubrick movie
She's closing her eyes and floating off on the clouds and he's concerned about the piano being in one ear and a little too much reverb on the guitars. Hey Cynthia, send him down to the store to get some milk and while he's gone have another listen to the song. 😉
Apart from being one of my favourite songs, the production by Alan Parsons is outstanding. Has one of my favourite lines 'she comes running in a silk dress like watercolours in the rain'
A song with no real chorus and an acoustic guitar solo, an electric guitar solo and a sax solo back to back shouldn’t really work. But this song is a work of genius. It just works. And of those three solos, my favourite is the electric guitar solo. But it’s so short, and it’s between the acoustic and sac solos, so it often get overlooked. But it’s a classic 70s solo
I was waiting for the end reaction which is what I expected. This is a Masterpiece for that time. Just a pleasure to listen to. Soothing & takes you away to the Year of the Cat.
Back when these songs were recorded, they were intended that if you sat between the two speakers you could place all the instruments as if they were on stage in front of you. That is why you hear the piano on one side. If it played simultaneously on both sides, then it would be in mono.
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress, runnin' like a water color in the rain." And, just like that, I was an instant fan. Al Stewart's lyrics led me to Dan Fogelberg, and eventually I had to start writing poetry just to scratch the itches they started.
You are missing the point of the right side into. At the time, steroids was still a new concept. If you were listening on a mono system or headphones (as most were) it would all be blended together. The technique showcasing the intro on the left and then bringing everything else in to the right (stereo) channel was to showcase the stereo technology and their using of it. It is the second most interesting and enjoyable part of the song.
Panning the piano toward the middle changes the perceived size of the instrument, making the piano seem outsized as compared to the other instruments. Frequently producers make both drums and pianos seem as if the performers arms are 10 feet wide, which is ridiculous and off putting. I think the producers of this cut, which has so many instruments, knew exactly what they were doing.
I understand that. And during the complete band performance, the piano should be panned where it was. I just found it odd to be in one ear when it was being played alone. Why not pan it so a piece of it is on the right only when it's playing alone? Then pan hard left for the rest of the song.
@@hanierfamily I am not a technician but one of the World's Greatest Engineers:Alan Parsons, engineered this and he was the Man who engineered the whole of the record-breaking Dark Side Of THe Moon by Pink Flotd which was in THe USA Billboard Charts every week for 14 successive years,my friend:)
Bogart and Peter Lorre would have loved Al Stewart. Other songs worth checking out by Al are 'Almost Lucy' and 'On The Border' (from the 'Year of The Cat' album). Great artist,...thanks for the Al Stewart look in Henier family.
Such picturesque passages with the different scenes created with the changes of instruments during the central break. All of his music is extremely well composed, performed, engineered
This was probably the first reaction i watched of you guys. You see, this is one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite artists. Produced by the legendary Alan Parsons, who produced Dark Side of the Moon for Pink Floyd, was sound enigineer on Abby Road for the Beatles, and of course his own Alan Parsons Projects. Al Stewart dod not want the sax on this song. He said i do folk music, you don't use sax in folk music. But Alan Parsons talked him into giving it a try. So the phoned the sax player, who said yes, but he had to be home by a certain time, because there was a movie on TV he wanted to watch.... Al has worked with some amazing musicians over yhe years. Jimmy Page, Roger Taylor (from Queen) Rick Wakeman, Lawrence Juber (who played in Wings for a while) as well as his regular bands, including Tim Renwick who plays second guitar on the Pulse concert.
The piano switch in the beginning went from mono to stereo... understood better at the time of the songs original release and how radio worked at the time.
I suppose I'm thinking about it in today's studio, where panning and moving sounds around is so much easier. It was probably the best way to do it at the time.
Great song and great reaction/commentary on this classic song…. Just like the late, Gerry Rafferty, who sang the song, “Baker Street”, back in the 1970’s, Al Stewart’s voice is very unique and easy to listen to in this song, “Year of the Cat”…. Such talent and creativity back in the day, it was definitively music to enjoy.✌️👍😊😎
Lead me down memory lane why don't you? This came out just as dinosaur rock was dying and punk began. And somewhere in that lot there was a summer of fun and parties. Thank you.
Sorry dude... but while you're entitled to your opinion... this song is part of my generation.. I was 18 yrs old.. and ABSOLUTELY nothing needs tunning here. However, If you're really serious about music, try putting some energy into creating your very own. And good luck with that! :)
I didn't say that. I said the piano could have been panned to the right a little to fill the space when it's playing solo. Then, put back to hard left if it sounds better when the other instruments join in.
So many great and most memorable tunes by Al like Roads To Moscow, Endof The Day, Time Passages, Song On The Radio, and On The Border. Also add Future Times to that list!
Hmm. Challenging Alan Parsons and Abbey Road Studios as to how the stereo instrumental effects should be done? Interesting. Especially during a musical time period such as the 70s where stereo trickery and special effects were rampant. You are absolutely, correct of course, in the light of 21st century recording methods. But let me assure you that in the 60s and 70s, this type of thing, and endless other recording and mixing techniques, were used heavily. You should have seen the stuff Cream, Hendrix and even the Beatles messed with! Good channel. Enjoy the music.
I started to play guitar, but I noticed that every song I was figuring out what chords they were, I quit immediately, for anything to take away my listener's ear, was not going to happen, all for my love of music, don't care what chord, what speaker, or heavy reverb, as long as it sounds good, dude your demeanor makes me anxious, I'm having visions of the WHO smashing their instruments.
It is easy to complain about the sound, mixing etc....but seriously....this is from the 1970's! All the equipment and "cheating" technology that is around now, was not around back then (and also before then). Musicans had to 'actually play instruments and sing (in tune)' to make music!!!!! Music of this time and before this time was about touching your 'soul'! If this song doesn't do that for you, then maybe no song can?
'The Year of the Cat' to me is 'The Year of the Woman.' The Feline (Cats) is synonymous with Females. Female models strut their stuff on the fashion walkways know as 'The Catwalk.' Women who get into physical altercation with one another are known as 'Cat fights.' A woman who is very loquacious is known as 'Catty.' In the song there is a woman who has left an indelible impression on him that will forever be a part of his fond memories...It was a year to remember...A year he has dub...'The Year of the Cat.'
I AM A BIG AL STEWART FAN AND IF HE EVER DID A BAD SONG I HAVE NOT HEARD IT, IF YOU WANT TO DO ANOTHER AL STEWART REACTION I WOULD SUGGEST ROADS TO MOSCOW OR MERLIN'S TIME BOTH ARE GREAT TRACKS.
A great song... And another great reaction. From the same album comes the track 'Flying Sorcery' Well worth a reaction. Here's the link to the track.. ruclips.net/video/7OErRrkqf1s/видео.html
I thought that you would have heard this over in Canada, otherwise, I would have suggested it myself. Another suggestion is : In my life, sung by Bonnie Tyler
Seriously! listening to the year of the cat talking about the piano mix .Please if the line She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running Like a watercolor in the rain means nothing to you .try something else guys.
I love this song so much.....first the orchestra, then the acoustic, then the lead guitar, then the sax. Alan Parsons produced this masterpiece at Abbey Road Studios.
This song is a masterpiece!!! Nothing should be changed to perfection my friend.
Yeah, it was 'quite nice' ... :)
Totally agree!!!
You are going to rearrange something that Alan Parsons engineered?? Better to redo a dish Gordon Ramsay prepared...NOT!
Gordon Ramsay's grilled cheese was a desaster
THIS is a MASTERPIECE ... YOU DON'T FU*K with a MASTERPIECE ... PERIOD !
The left channel intro was intentional, it slowly draws you in !
I knew that the first time I heard this song in '76 !
This was produced by Alan Parsons and recorded at London's iconic Abbey Road Studios and definitely its a timeless classic.
Yeah, it's amazing. We should get into more of his work.
Truthfully, there is not a song on the album that is NOT incredible... A TRUE Masterpiece!!! And Year of the Cat is the "Icing on the cake" for this album!!! This is one of my desert island disks!!!
You may think the piano being on one side of the stereo is an error or he sounds flat at times early on but as you listen longer every millisecond of sound, every note of every instrument including Al’s voice is crafted so precisely like the visuals in a Stanley Kubrick movie
The only thing wrong with this song is that it ends.
There's a longer live version on RUclips with extended opening piano and closing sax solos that's better than this...Search Al Stewart radio concert
This is a lovely song that never seems to age however many hundreds of time I've listened to it.
She's closing her eyes and floating off on the clouds and he's concerned about the piano being in one ear and a little too much reverb on the guitars. Hey Cynthia, send him down to the store to get some milk and while he's gone have another listen to the song. 😉
It's my method, okay! LOL
Reactions are just that.. Reactions.
They can be technical, artistic, or any other kind.
It's always good to hear honest opinions.
From 1st note to the last, a pleasure to the ears. NO changes needed to this masterpiece!
Quality. 1976. I was 17, and I'm still blown away.
Apart from being one of my favourite songs, the production by Alan Parsons is outstanding. Has one of my favourite lines 'she comes running in a silk dress like watercolours in the rain'
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolour in the rain" is indeed a seminal line in a classic song!🙂
@@gab4moi I knew when I posted it that I hadn't got it quite right but I was too lazy to check lol
Beautiful song, with the second greatest string arrangement ever on a pop record (the first being- in my humble opinion- "The Look of Love" by ABC).
A song with no real chorus and an acoustic guitar solo, an electric guitar solo and a sax solo back to back shouldn’t really work. But this song is a work of genius. It just works. And of those three solos, my favourite is the electric guitar solo. But it’s so short, and it’s between the acoustic and sac solos, so it often get overlooked. But it’s a classic 70s solo
I was waiting for the end reaction which is what I expected. This is a Masterpiece for that time. Just a pleasure to listen to. Soothing & takes you away to the Year of the Cat.
Back when these songs were recorded, they were intended that if you sat between the two speakers you could place all the instruments as if they were on stage in front of you. That is why you hear the piano on one side. If it played simultaneously on both sides, then it would be in mono.
47 years old, and still magnificent!
Nirentzat abesti politena ta hoberena.Nafarrotik.
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress, runnin' like a water color in the rain." And, just like that, I was an instant fan. Al Stewart's lyrics led me to Dan Fogelberg, and eventually I had to start writing poetry just to scratch the itches they started.
I’ve been a fan of Al’s since he did RoadsToMoscow, and Nostradamus.
@@joelliebler5690 Yes it was RTM for me.
🙏 ❤ 🌹 Dan 🌹 ❤ 🙏
The word cute is out of line . This song is a musical and lyrical masterpiece.
Very enjoyable reaction. Loved looking at your expressions-so telling. Very wise and skillful comments and suggestions. You're a lovely couple.
Try listening without headphones. I think Alan Parsons knows something about production.
You are missing the point of the right side into. At the time, steroids was still a new concept. If you were listening on a mono system or headphones (as most were) it would all be blended together. The technique showcasing the intro on the left and then bringing everything else in to the right (stereo) channel was to showcase the stereo technology and their using of it. It is the second most interesting and enjoyable part of the song.
The album came out in 1976 and stereo had already been widely used for about 20 years, so not really 'new'.
Alan Parson knew exactly what he was doing engineering this song.
Panning the piano toward the middle changes the perceived size of the instrument, making the piano seem outsized as compared to the other instruments. Frequently producers make both drums and pianos seem as if the performers arms are 10 feet wide, which is ridiculous and off putting. I think the producers of this cut, which has so many instruments, knew exactly what they were doing.
I understand that. And during the complete band performance, the piano should be panned where it was. I just found it odd to be in one ear when it was being played alone. Why not pan it so a piece of it is on the right only when it's playing alone? Then pan hard left for the rest of the song.
@@hanierfamily I am not a technician but one of the World's Greatest Engineers:Alan Parsons, engineered this and he was the Man who engineered the whole of the record-breaking Dark Side Of THe Moon by Pink Flotd which was in THe USA Billboard Charts every week for 14 successive years,my friend:)
Bogart and Peter Lorre would have loved Al Stewart. Other songs worth checking out by Al are 'Almost Lucy' and 'On The Border' (from the 'Year of The Cat' album). Great artist,...thanks for the Al Stewart look in Henier family.
@@terrythekittieful The same about Josephine Baker ("Born too late..." from 1988 Album "Last days of the century")...
This song is a classic and a masterpiece. The instrumentals are on point exactly as they are.
Soundtrack of my teens. I never tire of listening to it. I would say that is in the top 10 of my all-time favorites.
Please feel free to send your improvements of the production to Alan Parsons...
And if you have suggestions for Mozart, I’m sure he would love to hear them.
Such picturesque passages with the different scenes created with the changes of instruments during the central break.
All of his music is extremely well composed, performed, engineered
This was probably the first reaction i watched of you guys. You see, this is one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite artists. Produced by the legendary Alan Parsons, who produced Dark Side of the Moon for Pink Floyd, was sound enigineer on Abby Road for the Beatles, and of course his own Alan Parsons Projects.
Al Stewart dod not want the sax on this song. He said i do folk music, you don't use sax in folk music. But Alan Parsons talked him into giving it a try. So the phoned the sax player, who said yes, but he had to be home by a certain time, because there was a movie on TV he wanted to watch....
Al has worked with some amazing musicians over yhe years. Jimmy Page, Roger Taylor (from Queen) Rick Wakeman, Lawrence Juber (who played in Wings for a while) as well as his regular bands, including Tim Renwick who plays second guitar on the Pulse concert.
One of my favorite songs to sing at karaoke, the instrumental sections give you plenty of time to drink a beer between choruses. 😊
Everone thinks they could do a better job 100% you could not have Alan Parsons is a genius
No, you're wrong about the piano at the start.
The piano switch in the beginning went from mono to stereo... understood better at the time of the songs original release and how radio worked at the time.
I suppose I'm thinking about it in today's studio, where panning and moving sounds around is so much easier. It was probably the best way to do it at the time.
Love that electric guitar solo in the middle of it is so sweet
Great song and great reaction/commentary on this classic song…. Just like the late, Gerry Rafferty, who sang the song, “Baker Street”, back in the 1970’s, Al Stewart’s voice is very unique and easy to listen to in this song, “Year of the Cat”…. Such talent and creativity back in the day, it was definitively music to enjoy.✌️👍😊😎
Both Scottish,of course though I am not,despite the name.
🙏 ❤ 🌹 Gerry 🌹 ❤ 🙏
Classic mid 70's 📻 hit. I ❤️ my two 🐈 🐈 !
I loved this album when it came out. Everytime I hear the Pet Shop Boys i'm reminded of it.
We'd noticed the vocal similarities during editing. It does have a sort of Pet Shop Boys sound.
Lead me down memory lane why don't you? This came out just as dinosaur rock was dying and punk began. And somewhere in that lot there was a summer of fun and parties. Thank you.
Sorry dude... but while you're entitled to your opinion... this song is part of my generation.. I was 18 yrs old.. and ABSOLUTELY nothing needs tunning here. However, If you're really serious about music, try putting some energy into creating your very own. And good luck with that! :)
Like Cynthia, this is a song that I knew existed but I have never heard it before.
Vocals reminiscent of Pet Shop Boys to keep the animal theme going.
We noticed that too.
Truly a masterpiece 😊
Would-be Alan Parsons! Thinks he could do better :D
I didn't say that. I said the piano could have been panned to the right a little to fill the space when it's playing solo. Then, put back to hard left if it sounds better when the other instruments join in.
So many great and most memorable tunes by Al like Roads To Moscow, Endof The Day, Time Passages, Song On The Radio, and On The Border. Also add Future Times to that list!
Hmm. Challenging Alan Parsons and Abbey Road Studios as to how the stereo instrumental effects should be done? Interesting. Especially during a musical time period such as the 70s where stereo trickery and special effects were rampant. You are absolutely, correct of course, in the light of 21st century recording methods. But let me assure you that in the 60s and 70s, this type of thing, and endless other recording and mixing techniques, were used heavily. You should have seen the stuff Cream, Hendrix and even the Beatles messed with! Good channel. Enjoy the music.
I started to play guitar, but I noticed that every song I was figuring out what chords they were, I quit immediately, for anything to take away my listener's ear, was not going to happen, all for my love of music, don't care what chord, what speaker, or heavy reverb, as long as it sounds good, dude your demeanor makes me anxious, I'm having visions of the WHO smashing their instruments.
this whole album is great and wonderful to sing with
Sorry this song is perfection.
It was not an engineering issue that was by design the sound equalization in part suggested by Alan Parsons
It is easy to complain about the sound, mixing etc....but seriously....this is from the 1970's! All the equipment and "cheating" technology that is around now, was not around back then (and also before then). Musicans had to 'actually play instruments and sing (in tune)' to make music!!!!! Music of this time and before this time was about touching your 'soul'! If this song doesn't do that for you, then maybe no song can?
'The Year of the Cat' to me is 'The Year of the Woman.'
The Feline (Cats) is synonymous with Females. Female models strut their stuff on the fashion walkways know as 'The Catwalk.' Women who get into physical altercation with one another are known as 'Cat fights.' A woman who is very loquacious is known as 'Catty.'
In the song there is a woman who has left an indelible impression on him that will forever be a part of his fond memories...It was a year to remember...A year he has dub...'The Year of the Cat.'
A North African Love Affair with many references to Humphrey Bogard's film: "Casablanca"...
my favourite artist never makes a bad song
I agree with you 100%!!
Hear End of the day!
these two drips don't even deserve to listen to such good music.
I AM A BIG AL STEWART FAN AND IF HE EVER DID A BAD SONG I HAVE NOT HEARD IT, IF YOU WANT TO DO ANOTHER AL STEWART REACTION I WOULD SUGGEST ROADS TO MOSCOW OR MERLIN'S TIME BOTH ARE GREAT TRACKS.
A great song... And another great reaction.
From the same album comes the track 'Flying Sorcery'
Well worth a reaction.
Here's the link to the track..
ruclips.net/video/7OErRrkqf1s/видео.html
From Al Kooper to Al Steward ...... Tomorrow Al Jolson!!!
Check out Al Stewart,s Love Chronicles album.
Seriously underated artist
Al Jolson?
Mammy 😂
Yes... Masterpiece !
Cute
These two should be high to fully appreciate 🎶
Apparently they listened to the music but did not listen to the story in the song. It went over both their heads. 😏
👍👍👍
I thought that you would have heard this over in Canada, otherwise, I would have suggested it myself.
Another suggestion is : In my life, sung by Bonnie Tyler
I'm sure it got its share of airplay in Canada. It was just before our time.
@@hanierfamily are you saying I'm old? 🤔 🤣
That's why engineers are not musicians. 😂Engineer's brains only operate in their left channels.
Seriously! listening to the year of the cat talking about the piano mix .Please if the line She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running Like a watercolor in the rain means nothing to you .try something else guys.
Meow
You lost me cute
Chinese birth signs
I’m not keen on your interpretation - goodbye
Is the wall behind you where you hang all your music review awards?