Al Stewart (born September 5, 1945) is a songwriter and musician. He is best known for his 1976 single "Year of the Cat" and its 1977 followup "Time Passages" (both produced by Alan Parsons). Stewart's inspiration for his songs primarily comes from the past; indeed, he is credited with creating his own genre, "historical folk rock".

Stewart was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He moved from the United Kingdom to the United States as his career took off in the mid 1970s, and still lives in California. While studio albums are now few and far between, he still tours extensively in the United States, and, most years, in Europe. Recordings of concerts are often made available through his fan clubs.

Recording career

Stewart's work includes songs such as "Fields of France," from the album Last Days of the Century, about World War I pilots; "Old Admirals," from Past, Present, and Future, about Admiral Sir John Fisher of the World War I Royal Navy; "Roads To Moscow," from Past, Present, and Future, and "Statue in Red Square," from Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, about the Soviet Union; "Sirens of Titan," from Modern Times, a musical precis of Kurt Vonnegut's novel of the same title; and "The Palace of Versailles," from Time Passages, about the French Revolution.

Discography

• Bedsitter Images 1967
• Love Chronicles 1969
• Zero She Flies 1970
• Orange 1972
• Past Present and Future 1974
• Modern Times 1975
• Year of the Cat 1976
• Time Passages 1978
• 24 Carrots 1980
• Indian Summer 1981
• Russians and Americans 1984
• Last Days of the Century 1988
• Rhymes in Rooms 1992
• Famous Last Words 1993
• To Whom It May Concern 1993
• Between the Wars 1995
• Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time 1996
• Down in the Cellar 2000

Plus numerous 'hits' albums and other collections.

External links

• Official Page
• Rolling Stone biography
• Comprehensive discography
• Allmusic.com page