Past, Present and Future
By Al Stewart
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Track listing
- A1 Old Admirals 5:55
- A2 Warren Harding 2:39
- A3 Soho (Needless to Say) 3:51
- A4 The Last Day of June 1934 4:47
- A5 Post World War Two Blues 4:16
- B1 Roads to Moscow 8:00
- B2 Terminal Eyes 3:21
- B3 Nostradamus 9:50
- Total length: 42:39
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9 Issues
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Past, Present and Future [p] 33 rpm, Gatefold
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Past, Present and Future 33 rpm, Gatefold
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Past, Present and Future 33 rpm
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Past, Present and Future 33 rpm
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Past, Present and Future 33 rpm
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Past, Present and Future Bonus Tracks, Remastered
17 Reviews
Al Stewart's concept to write a song representing each decade of the century couldn't help but fail. It's quite a good effort, though Stewart pretty much abandons the idea toward the end. "Old Admirals" is quite lovely, its portrait of the melancholy of old men who "feel the wind but never put to sea" very poignant. "Warren Harding" doesn't have a whole lot to do with the obscure U.S. president but is peppy.
There are two classics here, of course: "Roads to Moscow" and "Nostradamus." The former holds up better, and really is one of the pinnacles of Stewart's career. "Nostradamus" is sort of a curio, with Stewart struggling mightily to match rhymes with the predictions of the supposed seer. Both songs are very good, but both were better live, after Stewart figured out better how his songs should be produced. Yes, the production; Stewart's ambition and songwriting outstrip how the tunes are pieced together, but, oh well.
As for "Terminal Eyes," I still haven't figured out what it's doing here; it must be a refugee from a John Lennon drug-induced hallucination. But it's interesting.
There are two classics here, of course: "Roads to Moscow" and "Nostradamus." The former holds up better, and really is one of the pinnacles of Stewart's career. "Nostradamus" is sort of a curio, with Stewart struggling mightily to match rhymes with the predictions of the supposed seer. Both songs are very good, but both were better live, after Stewart figured out better how his songs should be produced. Yes, the production; Stewart's ambition and songwriting outstrip how the tunes are pieced together, but, oh well.
As for "Terminal Eyes," I still haven't figured out what it's doing here; it must be a refugee from a John Lennon drug-induced hallucination. But it's interesting.
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While this apparently isn't generally agreed upon, I personally think this is Al's best work. 7 of the 8 songs are supposed to be based on one decade of the 1900s (only 7, since this was the 70's). The final track - "Nostradamus" is a rambling epic written about the late great fortune teller, using a then recently published scholarly work on his predictions to fill out the song. It contains great lines like "From Castille does Franco come and the government driven out shall be" and "Fire and plague to London come in the year of six and twenties three". OK, so it's a little silly, but a good song nonetheless. I particularly like the acoustic middle section with backwards "seagull" sounds.
The other seven all cover one or another historical (or personal) tale set in various eras. There's one about "Warren Harding" and one about "Old Admirals", one about Hitler's rise to power in Germany called "The Last Day of June 1934". But the most interesting song on this album probably has to be "Roads to Moscow" - the 8 minute epic ballad about a Russian soldier's experience during WWII. While these may be themes that don't necessarily lend themselves to pop music, Al Stewart does a nice job with them and there's some inspired playing on this album, including the likes of Rick Wakeman and Roger Taylor and especially longtime sidemen Tim Renwick and Peter White. While Al's vocals are definitely an acquired taste, a little whiney and fey, I really love these songs.
The other seven all cover one or another historical (or personal) tale set in various eras. There's one about "Warren Harding" and one about "Old Admirals", one about Hitler's rise to power in Germany called "The Last Day of June 1934". But the most interesting song on this album probably has to be "Roads to Moscow" - the 8 minute epic ballad about a Russian soldier's experience during WWII. While these may be themes that don't necessarily lend themselves to pop music, Al Stewart does a nice job with them and there's some inspired playing on this album, including the likes of Rick Wakeman and Roger Taylor and especially longtime sidemen Tim Renwick and Peter White. While Al's vocals are definitely an acquired taste, a little whiney and fey, I really love these songs.
Published
I dunno man....these historical, heavily lyrical songs of Stewarts don't really do that much for me. The strings and arrangements are very nice and work well with his soft voice though.
Its the type of record you need to really sit down with and concentrate on the long, winding lyrical trails. It gets a bit more prog than folk pop on the second side but while i quite admired its tastefulness and musical talent it didn't really move me much although i can understand why it will for some.
Its the type of record you need to really sit down with and concentrate on the long, winding lyrical trails. It gets a bit more prog than folk pop on the second side but while i quite admired its tastefulness and musical talent it didn't really move me much although i can understand why it will for some.
Published
I was familiar with Al Stewart's music before I heard this album. Anyone listening in the seventies to AM or FM would have been very aware of 'Year of the Cat' or 'Song on the Radio' and a few of his other hits. But this album was the first Al Stewart album that I really listened to fully and often. I picked it up in a used record store in Victoria BC (I found a lot of treasure there it seems) hoping to hear more songs like 'Year of the Cat'. What a revelation this album was. Fantastic songs and also very intelligent lyrically - not something I expected or was looking for, but was certainly glad for the discovery. This an album I still come back to and always thoroughly enjoy. 'Roads to Moscow' and 'Terminal Eyes' are highlights - as is 'Nostradamus'. I read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and The Gulag Archipelago specifically because I was drawn into the haunting story of 'Roads to Moscow'. Powerful stuff overall. Every song has appeal.
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My favorite Stewart album after "Year of the Cat" and the best representation of his early folkier style. Songwriting is damn solid all the way through and actually gets stronger as the album progresses.
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A Decemberists album, 30 years early!
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JLS 3063 Vinyl LP (1974)
Extremely strong album, this is a little short of his best work but close. Side one is uniformly excellent. Side two is very good but "Terminal Eyes" doesn't do much for me - it's essentially a re-make of "I Am the Walrus". "Nostradamus" is very good but a little too repetitive for me - it should have been 5-6 mintues instead of almost ten. "Roads to Moscow", "Old Admirals", "Soho" and "The Last Day of June 1934" are as good as anything he's ever done.
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His best album by a long way. all the songs have a different feel about them stylistically. Standout tracks are "Road to Moscow" and Nostradamus" although all the tracks stand up to repeat playing. a masterpiece
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