"Flying Sorcery" is a break-up song. I saw Al Stewart in St. Louis a few years back, and he told stories about nearly all the songs he sang. A very good concert experience to be sure. Dave Nachmanoff played guitar with him, very good guitarist. Just the two of them on the stage.

I’m so far behind now lol. Nice idea for a marathon, love Al Stewart, never heard the Battlefield Band before so that was cool. There is something special about the folk music from the British Isles, whether it be Scottish, Welsh or Irish. They all share a Celtic ancestry so there are more similarities than differences. Maybe I should put together a Horslips marathon. Hmm…

Anything on "Year of the Cat" is excellent, including "Kitty Hawk" and the studio version of "On the Border."

Al Stewart is a great song writer. The deeper you dive the more you will appreciate his gentle sound and aesthetic. Saw him and his band on the Year of the Cat tour. He is so much more than that one hit song, although after all these years I still enjoy it.

Nick Al's "roads to moscow" from his historic 1973 historical "past present &future"album will impress you,its a masterpiece!!!

@ndav5677

Жыл бұрын

The class album of AS' career- Nostradamus another magnificent track

...oh, yes. And Scotland has got the bagpipes of course 😉

Mostly French and German, some Irish, English, and a few other things. Always loved Year of the Cat, but haven't heard any of these. Would be great to play in the background while playing mythic fantasy rpgs.

Nice marathon. I think a lot of Scots emigrated to Ireland and vice versa, depending on whatever battles were currently going on. But in terms of language Scotland and Ireland are quite different: an Irish accent is very different from a Scottish one. I'm not sure if Scottish and Irish gaelic is very similar. Certainly all have celtic traditions. Another Al Stewart fave of mine is "Time Passages".

That Battlefield Band LP is killer. I sing and play The Dear Green Place and have for years

The ultimate Scottish band was Silly Wizard. Caledonia's Hardy Sons and So Many Partings are both phenomenal albums.

@robertpearson8798

Жыл бұрын

Loved Silly Wizard. I saw Andy Steward in concert in a small casual venue many years ago with Manus Lunny, it was memorable. R.I.P. Andy.

@davidheiser2225

Жыл бұрын

@@robertpearson8798 I'm pleased to say that I got to see Silly Wizard's final live performance. It had been announced as such so everyone in the audience and everyone on the stage knew it was the last time. I'll remember that one always.

Great combination of tunes, especially On The Border with that beautiful Spanish guitar playing. I remember hearing this when The Year of The Cat album came out. Instant love!

Is there any other channel doing this original material??? Love these marathons!!!

Love Peter White’s acoustic work with Al Stewart The extended live version of On the Border is a must listen He has a large solo catalog of smooth jazz

@sidecardog5244

Жыл бұрын

The sound on that live album from just two guitars is stunning! I only wish that Nick would have heard that version.

@davidheiser2225

Жыл бұрын

Never in a million years would I call Al Stewart "smooth jazz". "Historical folk-rock" is more on target.

Glasgow has a lot of Irish DNA as well as Scotish and even Italian .Orkestra del Sol Orkestra del Sol are great fun.

👍 Thank you Nick! Love Al Stewart (& Steely of course!) Don't worry lots of people confuse Scottish & Irish I think they do have similarities...anyway love your reactions 🎸

Capercaillie is an amazing true Scottish band

I love old country music from the 50s and 60s. The best history lessons I ever had on American History were from Johnny Horton. Battle of New Orleans, Sink the Bismarck and North to Alaska (about the gold rush). Jim Bridger is great too kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZoehvNuYkpDXnLg.html You won’t believe how good this guy was. Sadly he died in 1960 in his 30s in a car crash.

@sidecardog5244

Жыл бұрын

Check out Powderfinger by Neil Young, not country music but close. A song about early American (or maybe Canadian) frontier life. It reminds me of the movie The Revenant, which has a young Jim Bridger as one of the main characters.

The lyrics of these songs tell the tale of history from medieval times through the industrial revolution (The Dear Green Place is Glasgow) to the advent of the 20th century (Flying Sorcery) to the prelude to WWII (Spanish Civil War..."smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border") The Scottish theme is only incidental to the story of European history as a whole. I have no idea if Mr Stewart is from Scotland. Although Stewart is a very Scottish name. My ancestors are from Wales (Mother's side) and Scotland (Father's side) with a wee bit of Irish and Native American blood. ps, Nick, if you like Spanish (or Moorish :) Flamenco, please listen to the live version of On the Border on Rhymes in Rooms. It is simply spectacular (extended acoustic guitars by Al Stewart and Peter White). You will be blown away by the two guitars in this version.

@sidecardog5244

Жыл бұрын

What these songs need is a little more egg shaker :)

If you are going to continue with Al Stewart, especially in marathons, you really need to react to at least half of his album Modern Times. Ignoring that album is like ignoring The Yes Album while paying a lot of attention to Fragile, Close To The Edge, And Relayer, which you have done untill recently. While I find The Yes Album to be very good, like Modern Times, it isn't on the same level as Fragile or Year Of The Cat, or Close To The Edge and Time Passages. So, now that you have shared some time with Alexi and The Yes Album., it is time for some Modern Times, hopefully with Alexa. Modern Times by Al Stewart.

@NicknLex

Жыл бұрын

Will do!!

@davidheiser2225

Жыл бұрын

I agree that all of Modern Times is well worth hearing but I wholeheartedly disagree that Year of the Cat and Time Passages are better. They are simply more polished, produced, and top 40-friendly. In fact, I'd call Time Passages one of my least favorite albums of his. Past, Present, and Future (with the mesmerizing "Roads To Moscow") is also a must-hear album and his more recent Between the Wars is excellent.

@charleswagner2984

Жыл бұрын

David, I don't mean that Cat and Passages are better. I love both of them as much as Modern Times and Past Present And Future. As for Yes, I find that the arrangements on The Yes Album are not as great. The music is great, like Modern Times. I didn't mean that Cat and Passages are better than Modern Times. Just underrated because it wasn't as popular. I love Modern Times. That tour was my very first secular concert when I was 16. Al played at the college I was working at after school. What a great show.

This wasn't merlin of arthurs time,it wad about a scottish warrior poet Al mentions it on liner notes on album sleeve.

@NicknLex

Жыл бұрын

Very interesting. Ill try and find them on google:)

@sidecardog5244

Жыл бұрын

Since Merlin was most likely a fictional character, Merlin's time may be just a literary way of describing that era of ancient England/Scotland. The "archer bending his bow" may have been the Scottish warrior poet Al Stewart refers to in the song.

Scottish Marathon? Al Stewart isn't Scottish! If you wanted to react to Scottish bands, you missed two of the best: Runrig ("Only the Brave," would be a good track or "Siol Ghoraidh," or almost anything really - a great live band, now retired after 45 years and countless albums.) Or there's Big Country (try the song, "Big Country," or anything from the album, "The Seer.")

@CaryOn11

Жыл бұрын

Al was indeed born in Greenock Scotland .

@NicknLex

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Cary:) Yes all the Artists and bands in this marathon are indeed from Scotland.

@donneumann6546

Жыл бұрын

This guy needs to calm down and learn to enjoy what he is listening to, no matter what it is.

@gfstephen

Жыл бұрын

Al Stewart is Scottish born although spent most of his youth in England.