Search - Al Stewart :: Al Stewart - Greatest Hits

Good, though incomplete

Dr. Emil "Tom" Shuffhausen | Central Gulf Coast | 08/20/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Al Stewart is practically peerless; there really isn't anyone else who does quite what he does musically and lyrically. He is as brilliant a songwriter as has been produced in the past 40 years and his distinctive nasal whine cuts clear into the consciousness of the listener; not painfully, but certainly memorably. When one hears an Al Stewart song, whether from the late 1960s or from a more recent vintage, one knows immediately that it is Al. This CD makes a valiant effort at capturing Al's best work...sadly, with Al's various record company adventures over the decades, it's a virtually impossible task. Still, it makes a nice introduction to Al Stewart for the casual fan. The great, radio-friendly hits are here, as well as classic album cuts like "Roads to Moscow," "On the Border," and "Merlin's Time." I was pleasantly surprised to find "Last Days of the Century" included here from Al's late 80s Euro-pop album of the same name...but I was curious as to why the radio hit "King of Portugal" from the same album wasn't included. Other songs that could have been included are "Life in Dark Water," "Russians and Americans," "Nostradamus," and "Indian Summer." Of course, that's just one fan's subjective opinion. One day, we could look forward to a comprehensive box set that collects Al's best work from all of his various eras...especially some of his incredible material for Mesa with Laurence Juber. Until then, check out this CD."

Satisfying Collection of Classic 70's Folk-Rock

B. Niedt | Cherry Hill, NJ United States | 09/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like many Americans, I first heard of Al Stewart after the release of "Past, Present and Future", which featured his majestic story-song of the WWII Russian campaign, "Roads to Moscow". And a legion more of us knew of him after his biggest smash, "Year of the Cat". So it's a joy to be introduced to some of his earlier works in this collection, as well as to hear the old favorites again after two or three decades. Though, as with virtually all one-disc collections, there are puzzling omissions (no "Nostradamus"?) this is a well-conceived collection (as most Rhino collections are), perfectly remastered, and very reasonably priced. Stewart's albums were always lushly produced (thanks in no small part to Alan Parsons), and his sweet, sunny vocals were always easy on the ear. Add to that his estimable songwriting skills, and solid studio support by everyone from members of Fairport Convention to Tori Amos, and you have a collection of songs that satisfies from beginning to end. I always liked Al Stewart, but this release exceeded my expectations.

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A great comopilation at a great price

L. Lawhead | SW Illinois | 08/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was going to buy "Year Of The Cat", and noticed this compilation from Rhino for less money. I figured that Rhino always does quality stuff, and jumped atthe opportunity to get a broader selection of Al Stewart's work. I'm thrilled with this disc!



This has the big hits from the 70's, along with songs which I remember listening to back then: 'Roads to Moscow', 'On the Border', 'Soho (Needless to Say)' and 'Lord Grenville' are all outstanding.



This CD stresses the '74 through '78 time period, for obvious reasons. The 4 records released in this span account for 1/2 the CD, and all of the Al Stewart tunes I knew going in. The 4 albums before '74 are represented with 1 song each. All are good, but reflect an artist not QUITE at his peak. The post-'78 period also provides 4 songs, which are all stong.



Not quite a perfect compilation (I wish it had 'Nostradamus'), but it's pretty close. Certainly rounds up to a 5!"