Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat (REACTION)

‪@AirplayBeats‬ reacts to Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat
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[@WMalven]

Hey, guys, don't ignore the lyrics. He wrote some of the most vivid, picturesque lyrics in rock..."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..." Really amazing and poetic stuff.

[@jeremygray1331]

And perhaps the only Peter Lorre call out in music history.

[@michaelkeefe8494]

​@@jeremygray1331warren zevon got lon chaney Jr. though.

[@jackasswhiskyandpintobeans9344]

The line about Peter Lorre is a reference to Fritz Lang's film "M," 1931. Very strong subject matter for 1931. There is a famous scene in "M," in which Lorre is escaping on a crowded street.

[@debjorgo]

@@jackasswhiskyandpintobeans9344 Casablanca. In a morning from a Bogart movie. Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Peter Lorrie.

[@debjorgo]

@@marcelliott1111 I'd always heard it was Casablanca. Wiki says Al was watching Casablanca when the opening couplet came to him.

[@TexasMagnolia]

This right here is why we, the children of the 70’s are suffering with modern music.

[@2869may]

"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a water color in the rain" What an incredible line that is....!

[@laurabrevitz3944]

My absolute favorite line.

[@2869may]

@@laurabrevitz3944 It's a good one for sure...! He has one of the most haunting lines in "Roads To Moscow" about the war, ww2... "The old men and children they send out to face us, can't slow us down...." Think about that for a minute, and imagine having to live with it....

[@Isleofskye]

@@2869may Al was a lyrical Genius imo

[@2869may]

@@Isleofskye For sure..!

[@briandonovan1584]

Absolutely ... One of the greatest lines ever written. Mona Lisa Talking is another absolutely brilliant masterpiece. "Out of a patch of oil and water ... "

[@lancerx1759]

"Time Passages" is definitely another Al Stewart song worth a future reaction

[@richardnanian2446]

True story: I discovered by accident that this song has quasi-magical powers. When my son was just a few months old, I found that he could be crying hysterically, but if I put this song on, he would be completely entranced before we got 10 seconds in. It was incredible. It never failed. Any time he was crying, I’d put the song on and he would instantly get a beatific look on his face. I did it in front of friends and they’d laugh in disbelief. This lasted until he was almost four. He’s seven now and taking piano lessons. He still likes the song, but it no longer has quite the same effect.

[@sharona256]

I wish I had known this when my twins were young! 😅

[@franksomoza1124]

Just a word, MASTERPIECE!!!!!

[@robertjohnson1681]

Maybe you haven't noticed because the instrumentation stands out so beautiful, but in time you realize just how important the lyrics are to the song. Absolutely brilliant writing.

[@Noelle0026]

My favorite line is “she comes out of the sun with her silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain. “ Love the visual of that lyric.

[@armadillotoe]

@@Noelle0026 I don't know how many times/years I was lost in the instrumentation before I listened to the lyrics. BOOM! The song was on an entirely different level.

[@tbirdsteve1]

Amen

[@gesundheit602]

One of the reasons it sounds so good is because it was produced and engineered by the great Alan Parsons.

[@GinMae]

YES! Alan Parsons!

[@julianbarber4708]

Wow, I didn't know that! Thank you!

[@burtonmediaprod]

Time Passages and On The Border are also great!

[@boomtownrat5106]

Producer Alan Parsons (engineer of Dark Side of the Moon) elevated this basic construct of a folk song to a more jazz inflected pop song. His decision to include the sax changed the whole tenor of the song. A masterful production.

[@coinneachmaclellan3121]

"Sax"..."tenor"...sounds like a pun to me...

[@moniqueleroux2198]

Love APP

[@SusanGordon-bf2cg]

Alan Parsons .... That explains a lot ❤ You'll like Gerry Rafferty too

[@Necronette665.99]

Agreed, Alan Parsons...everything he touches is gold.

[@Darth_Jafar]

As an old soul (born in 90 but listen to 60s-90s) I showed this to my girl on one of our first dates in 2017. Still together here in 2023 and this song MUST be played at least once a week. We both love it and have adopted it into the soundtrack of our relationship.

[@BethHutter]

This track will stay with you long after you've finished. A damn near perfect pop song. I love those opening lines...

[@hklinker]

Nah, it IS perfect😉. You have to award a 10 on occasion. This song has it all.

[@Freewayjim]

@@hklinker Gotta agree, this is a perfect song.

[@adolfnoise4673]

it is perfect.😽

[@kdbadk]

On a morning from a Bogart movie 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 Don't bother asking for explanations She'll just tell you that she came In the year of the cat She doesn't give you time for questions As she locks up your arm in hers And you follow 'till your sense of which direction Completely disappears By the blue tiled walls near the market stalls There's a hidden door she leads you to These days, she says, I feel my life Just like a river running through The year of the cat While she looks at you so cooly And her eyes shine like the moon in the sea She comes in incense and patchouli So you take her, to find what's waiting inside The year of the cat Well morning comes and you're still with her And the bus and the tourists are gone And you've thrown away your choice you've lost your ticket So you have to stay on But the drum-beat strains of the night remain In the rhythm of the newborn day You know sometime you're bound to leave her But for now you're going to stay In the year of the cat

[@John_Chu]

Phil Kenzie on alto sax, Tim Renwick on electric and acoustic guitars, Peter Wood on piano, George Ford on bass, Stuart Elliott on drums. Just classic, a masterpiece.

[@billkant849]

Rim Renwick - The "other guy" playing guitar on the Pink Floyd Pulse videos. Also the guitar player for the Sutherland Brothers and Quiver.

[@John_Chu]

Tim’s work on Al’s “Modern Times” is ridiculous. The fellas need to react to that track, lord!

[@Lionize728]

Tim also was the guitarist for the Elton John Band during the "Simple Man" era.

[@x0539p]

Don’t forget David Pack, lead singer of Ambrosia, singing back up vocals.

[@billkant849]

@@Lionize728 - I'm still trying to figure out if he played the acoustic on Ian Matthews version of Morgan The Pirate from back in 1971.

[@realbser1956]

For me personally, this song is Steely Dan level. Meaning every aspect of the song is perfect. Could listen to this all day long on repeat. Go back and check out the lyrics. Brilliant. 🔥👍

[@kckelly7889]

Time Passages is another jam worth a listen.

[@traceyclemons7800]

On the Border..A MUST LISTEN!!

[@BrixtonTone]

"She comes out of the sun In a silk dress Running Like a water colour in the rain" Still remains as my favourite descriptively poetic lines in any song I've ever heard.

[@Noelle0026]

That is one of my favorite song lyrics of all time. I love the visual the lyric describes.

[@richardyoung6214]

Man that sounded irritatingly too fast, must be my wifi 😊

[@aaronfrazier7159]

I Whole-heartedly agree with you! Beautifully written so much so that I can picture it. I love it when lyrics do that 👍

[@Isleofskye]

....and mine and I bought records in London in 1960 :)

[@sprezzatura8755]

Layer upon layer of Excellence.

[@SuperSuperswan]

One of the best songs ever written.

[@imogene413]

This is a perfect song, perfect.

[@sellsubz]

La's face when the Saxophone appears after the guitar solo. . . Priceless!😮

[@captjeter2]

there is not one thing wrong with this song , a masterpiece

[@JoeyBongas]

"The drum-beat strains of the night remain in the rhythm of the newborn day" Just wow!

[@Isleofskye]

"She comes out of the sun, in a silk dress, running like a Water Colour in the rain"......:)

[@hungfao]

One of the most perfect tracks ever.

[@gailjohnson5950]

The production of this song and Al's first album was done by the immortal Alan Parsons, who has an amazing catalogue of his own and also produced for Pink Floyd. Check out the Alan Parsons Project's "I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You" , "Time" or "Games People Play". Year of the Cat is one of my all time favorites. Al Stewart is an amazing storyteller, which you will discover if you go deeper into his music. Check out "Time Passages" next. Thanks for the great reviews!

[@conureron3792]

For a fun time, they should check out the entire first side of Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Several diverse songs based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe

[@petersalter9359]

Al Stewart stared off as a folk musician. This is magic

[@roadshow69]

One of the best songs ever recorded imo.

[@joebarrera9741]

Al Stewart great writer

[@rogerk55]

What a timeless and beautiful song this is. Makes me wish every year was the Year of the Cat.

[@derekdonnell6503]

I'M 56 AND I STILL LISTEN TO 🎶 THIS TIMELESS MASTER PIECE.

[@rogerdaly6326]

For all the young aspiring songwriters out there watching this reaction video , pay close attention to this song. It is a master class in arranging a song. This is one of the most well crafted songs ever recorded. The build up with the strings , acoustic guitar solo , electric guitar solo and then the cresendo of the sax solo is perfect. All the notes played at the right time wirhout anyone stepping on anyone else. Add the poetic , vivid lyrics and it becomes pop music perfection.

[@saxworthmusic]

You can’t beat that warm analog 2” tape capturing the real instruments. Back then even the music that you didn’t really like as much was still well-crafted and mixed to perfection.

[@VIDSTORAGE]

Analogue Tape is the best for capturing that one moment that will never happen again

[@AP-gb3eh]

I think it’s fair to call this a masterpiece. It lures you in then becomes as lush a sound as one could imagine ☮️

[@TheGreatGig73]

Oh ! It is a masterpiece! Loved it then and still love it today!

[@steve9199]

This has been called by many as "The PERFECT Song". I can't disagree. It's literally the movie "Casablanca" set to music.

[@bonniethompson2019]

It's one of my favorite songs! Love him.

[@CarolineLambert-si6dd]

A portrait of pure brilliance and colour. Escapism in pure brilliance of an age gone by. Never to be forgotten.

[@hoyageorge]

A perfectly constructed song. Lyrics, vocals, instrumentation, mixing, production. I have loved pop/rock/folk music my entire life, and I firmly believe this is one of the greatest songs ever recorded. Perfection.

[@timpafundi6321]

Al Stewart is a master storyteller with his music. He paints pictures with his lyrics.

[@erdossuitcase7667]

Ear candy says it all. One of the coolest songs ever.

[@RMForbes505]

Alan Parsons was the sound engineer on this song like he was on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and it shows. The engineering of the song was masterful.

[@danielmesery2904]

5🌟ALBUM✌️🌎🎸🎶

[@conureron3792]

One of the best. Love the lyrics, love the arrangement.

[@chicagojon1972]

This sounds like it could have come out recently, not 1976. So beautifully produced!

[@mikefixx7177]

Yes it sounds like it COULD come out today but that would never happen because they can't make music like this anymore

[@lloydbraun6026]

Todays music is so overly produced, computerized and digitized. In a word: Souless

[@melvinwomack3717]

This track is one of the best produced pop track imo between this and Baker street it's hard to choose.

[@jaydubya3698]

Agreed. A lot of pop songs get written off as just being shallow, simple, sappy or whatever. But sometimes, under the right circumstances and executed by the right musician, pop music can really be elevated to timeless and beautiful music. "Year of the Cat" and "Baker Street" are two good examples. Elton John and Paul Simon did it often. My point is: don't dismiss always dismiss pop. Just saying.

[@edwardcapobianco2975]

Right on Mel!

[@Isleofskye]

Alan Parsons who engineered Dark Side Of The Moon for Pink Floyd.

[@melvinwomack3717]

@@Isleofskye I think Ambrosia's first album sounds better but that's just my opinion 😏

[@billreilly7693]

Great selection here gentleman, you guys are good dudes.🥁☮

[@kimkovaly2393]

Omg this song is a Masterpiece!!!!!! It's so beautifully written,and the instruments are brilliant ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@carmenwise2256]

A True Perfect Masterpiece.

[@katherinepearson167]

Roads to Moscow is an amazing history lesson and beautifully written.

[@gustavopanesso7297]

Absolutely gorgeous song ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@andrewtrotter9023]

Al Stewart was quoted after this song was released, “If that’s not a hit record then I can’t make a hit record.” And a hit it was.

[@stillstanding8286]

I saw Al Stewart in the spring of 1975, he was the opening act for Linda Ronstadt. I’d never heard of him before, but he and his band were fantastic! As good as she was, I barely recall anything about Ronstadt’s performance that night, but I vividly remember Stewart’s. He was great!

[@pangaea90]

I noticed that the instrumental went along with the lyrics in that the last line he says before the instrumental begins is, "so you take her to find what's waiting inside. The year of the cat." Ok, they about to get busy...but he's speaking in the second person. The audience (us) are experiencing, this act through the ear (the ear candy). So first we get the strings, slow mellow Getting to know you, we dealing with something special...the foreplay. Next is the acoustic guitar. The foreplay intensifies to penetrate, your ears Then we get the electric guitar that speeds up the thrust of the beat. And then we have the sax, finally the climax. It brings the whole musical act to a head and then relaxes you...but you want more. It's "The Year of the Cat."

[@melvinwomack3717]

One of the things that always amazed me about this song is how'd they get his voice so crystal clear and clean back then

[@clifton8929]

Outstanding piano, and Al’s soft engaging voice, smooth chorus, bass guitar, and saxophone solo; everything about this song just screams amazing, Another absolutely fantastic choice from Big Soul Airplay Beats. Keep up the hard work guys, you're the best at what you do, making people forget the bad and feel the warmth of the music.

[@robertwalker1803]

One of the most beautiful and timeless songs ever written…

[@NG-Lespaul]

What a GREAT song!!!!!

[@submandave1125]

This song has some of the best instrumentation and production ever. Yes, this was what was playing on top-40 radio in the '70s. There will never again be as much diversity and quality in popular commercial music.

[@craiglarge5925]

I was in 8th grade when this song was big along with On The Border.

[@UBZUKki]

It Really was a GREAT decade for music....Special times.

[@anderspettersson9885]

"Midas shadow" is another one of my favs with Al Stewart.

[@mikemicrael5749]

I recently dove into Al Stewart's catalog and have a new appreciation for him. This and "Time Passages" were his biggest hits, but his albums are beautifully written and performed. He's part of the British hippie folk sound of the late '60s and had his greatest success in the 70's. You would probably also like Donovan, who has a lot of hits and some magic albums.

[@spongo]

I wish folks would check out his earlier stuff like Zero She Flies. Fantastic songwriting.

[@Isleofskye]

How I regret not knowing enough about Al,in London, when I first attended Coberts from 1971. What a missed opportunity.

[@Morgoth-sr1ln]

Time Passages - One of his best Songs in my Opinion.

[@gary2kr1]

"you know one day you're bound to leave her, but for now you're gonna stay" wow

[@roccaclassico9028]

I *love* this song; the lyrics are so poetic & the arrangement is so smooth! This song and "On the Border" are my favorites by Al Stewart.

[@srstech1]

Same dude. First half is so fluffy like a damn dream. Then they start hitting you with the instrumentals and it’s like…where we goin 😂. Great job guys y’all are getting really sharp 👂

[@jimfrederick3907]

This is his Opus - Masterpiece is an understatement.

[@balmpatchvideos]

The piano weave into the guitar in the beginning is so elegant, like elton.

[@1bigrowdy]

Another song produced by the brilliant Alan Parsons...Stewart didn't think it needed the sax..Not so fast.. Parsons pulled the sax player Phil Kenzie out of a pub during halftime of a soccer match to record it

[@VinzClorthokeymasterofGozer]

This song sneaks up on you. It grows on you. A few days from now, you'll have some part of it in your head, and you just have to hear the song again. That has gone on for 40 years for me.

[@patrickvecchio8138]

This is one of those songs that…even if you are into hard rock,blues,country,etc.and this isnt your style,you know and respect the great lyrics,musicianship,and vocals…You just know.

[@gary2kr1]

The lyrics are as good as any script ever written for a movie.

[@jeffstevens4262]

It's a real masterpiece, written and performed by Al Stewart (and his band) and produced by the equally talented Alan Parker. An absolute clasic from way back in the '70's, well ahead of its time. 🙋‍♂

[@douglasgreen437]

Alan Parsons...

[@doplinger1]

Top tier, gentlemen. Right up there with Steely Dan’s “Ajá”.

[@deborahstrickland9845]

Most definitely a summer song…💜🔥

[@tektoniks_architects]

Brilliant, iconic track. Left a huge memory imprint on me from back in those days.

[@roballen5718]

i've been a fan since '69. he was originally a folk singer. this album was produced by Alan Parsons, who also produced the Dark Side Of The Moon, by Pink Floyd. you should seriously pay more attention to the lyrics. he's a master story teller, often telling stories from history. he researches them vey deeply. he's definitely a poet. i suggest 'the Road to Moscow', or 'Time Passages', for your next reaction to him

[@MikeOstrowski-iq8wf]

Props to both of you for understanding and appreciating great musicianship. Ear Candy for sure ! 🔥❤️🎸👍🏼

[@nelliejewell2665]

Music in a tapestry.

[@stevebarber8501]

Back in the day they let the song breath as much as it needed .

[@greglavers]

IN my opinion, one of the best pieces of music ever written.

[@ML-un1oi]

An iconic song that still sounds great Thanks fellas. Appreciate you 🙏 ❤

[@freebirdtony]

Thank you for reacting to this amazing song.

[@deaniegarcia5694]

I actually like this track..took me back to ‘76 and my college days following my stint in the USAF….a timeless song that gets in my head…as always, your reactions are the first things I look for bc they are so damn good!

[@jimmayors2315]

Al Stewart is a historical folk rock, which is a genre all its own!

[@ronaldtucker1262]

The instrumental in this song is incredible.

[@MrSmartAlec]

I highly recommend Stewart's live performance of On The Border. Great stuff.

[@stewartgovan1672]

Aah Al Stewart .a forgotten gem of a song..what a songwriter. orchestration,production and general vibe is very unique .still sounds relevant today ..like a time capsule .

[@natashab3412]

This song used to great effect in the movie running with scissors. So evocative

[@777petew]

Poetry. Your love was written on your faces. Thank you.

[@tbirdsteve1]

One of the songs of the century. Look into the meaning of the song and you'll love it even more.

[@ggwalker55]

One of the most gorgeous mixes ever. Incredible song.

[@bluesrock1]

Another great example of how many different sounds were coming at us back in the day. 1965 to 1979 was truly the greatest era in music.

[@dianegardner7210]

The lyrics are a big part of why I love this song-so vivid and exotic

[@Michael-Philip]

Haven't heard this one in many decades.. wow Thanks Airplay 🙂

[@olddrummerguy]

A masterpiece.

[@patrickjacobson2261]

This came out when I was in high-school. What a time it was for music and unfortunately no one makes music like this anymore.

[@keelsmac01]

Always loved this song. Thank brothers.

[@Isleofskye]

I have just Subscribed and, bitterly, regret not seeing Al on the Folk Circuit in the early 1970's around London. Actually, besides the outstanding musicianship, Al is one of the greatest lyricists I have known and I bought my first records in 1960. He specializes in painting beautiful pictures in your mind and is a War Historian with thought-provoking songs like Roads To Mascow about The Eastern Front in World War 2 and Time Passages. On The Border is a lovely song. He is still performing though he doesn't look like a 1960s hippie anymore. lol

[@cameronstestingart794]

Just floated along while the various instruments took me on a journey in 1976 at 19 years old back to my lifetime home up north while stuck in TX! Time Passages was his next hit. Unfortunately, never bought his albums, so that’s the only other one I know

[@jonathansmith3742]

I have been listening to this since it came out. Caught Al last year 2022. Great song and reaction. Time Passages.

[@WillyJackson-if6zf]

Great music AND lyrics!