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Thread: Al Stewart Year of the Cat re-release

  1. #1
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    Al Stewart Year of the Cat re-release

    On April 2nd Esoteric is releasing Al's Year of the Cat in 3 formats I believe. A 3 cd 1 dvd version, a 2 cd version and 180 gram vinyl. The 3 cd dvd version is quite expensive. What am really interested in is the unreleased concert on discs 2 and 3. It's from the Year of the Cat tour and I have a concert from the radio that I recorded from the Tower Theatre in Philly from that tour which was recorded and then broadcasted later and the reel to reel tape it was on was going off the heads at the end and ruined the last song. I'd love to hear this but not sure I want to spend this kind of money for the complete concert. The 2 cd version has most of that concert but not all of it. They could have probably fit it all on with putting the beginning on the first cd after the Year of the Cat studio album but hey if they did that they'd probably hurt the sales of the 4 disc version. Al has always been one of my favorite song writers. His lyrics are always insightful and sometimes just fun. I know this album has been released several times and the version I have I think is the first one and the sound is ok but nothing special for how good the original album sounded. I'm not holding my breath for a great sounded re-release but would for sure welcome it. Does anyone on here have a lot of experience with Esoteric releases and how they are done?

    Rick

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    Quote Originally Posted by Fracktured View Post
    On April 2nd Esoteric is releasing Al's Year of the Cat in 3 formats I believe. A 3 cd 1 dvd version, a 2 cd version and 180 gram vinyl. The 3 cd dvd version is quite expensive. What am really interested in is the unreleased concert on discs 2 and 3. It's from the Year of the Cat tour and I have a concert from the radio that I recorded from the Tower Theatre in Philly from that tour which was recorded and then broadcasted later and the reel to reel tape it was on was going off the heads at the end and ruined the last song. I'd love to hear this but not sure I want to spend this kind of money for the complete concert. The 2 cd version has most of that concert but not all of it. They could have probably fit it all on with putting the beginning on the first cd after the Year of the Cat studio album but hey if they did that they'd probably hurt the sales of the 4 disc version. Al has always been one of my favorite song writers. His lyrics are always insightful and sometimes just fun. I know this album has been released several times and the version I have I think is the first one and the sound is ok but nothing special for how good the original album sounded. I'm not holding my breath for a great sounded re-release but would for sure welcome it. Does anyone on here have a lot of experience with Esoteric releases and how they are done?

    Rick
    Sorry, I don't have any experience with that. However, I greatly admire Al Stewart and I am especially fond of "Year Of The Cat" That number clicks on so many levels with me and the lyric is something else again. I used to play it on the jukebox at the local watering hole and some of the "younger" generation came up to me and expressed their amazement at how good an "oldie" like that could sound. They thought that the guitar was "pretty heavy".

    Also, "On The Border", "Time Passages", "Midnight Rocks" and others are great tunes.

  3. #3
    My Esoteric reissues of a few Nektar albums are among the best sounding CDs in my collection.
    Cobra handling and cocaine use are a bad mix.

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    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fracktured View Post
    I'd love to hear this but not sure I want to spend this kind of money for the complete concert.
    I notice that it's currently $83 at Amazon, which is pretty stiff for four discs, but only about $50 at importcds.com.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits View Post
    I notice that it's currently $83 at Amazon, which is pretty stiff for four discs, but only about $50 at importcds.com.
    Well the $50 is more in my price range. Thanks for the info

  6. #6
    Esoteric have put out many great sounding and well curated albums, and I am sure this set will be worth your investment. It is a particular favourite of mine too. Vicky from Esoteric used to post on here quite often, but I’m not sure I have seen her around in recent times. I know she moved from the U.K. to Norway at the start of the pandemic, and do see her posts on Facebook, but not so much about the label anymore.

  7. #7
    Vicky used to post here the scheduled Esoteric releases, on a quarterly basis few years ago.

    Most Esoteric releases sound excellent. A few are overcompressed for my tastes but to most people they seem to be satisfactory. Packaging and liner-notes are always of high standards.

    Now, a 4 disc version for Year of the Cat is for the die-hard fan I guess...
    Macht das ohr auf!

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    I like the album enough on vinyl. Not enough to get this.....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Guitarplyrjvb View Post
    I like the album enough on vinyl. Not enough to get this.....
    I’ve got to get my vinyl out and play it again. Haven’t played it in years.

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    In my mind, one of his best songs that didn't get as much attention as the more renowned ones is "On The Border". Clocking in at 3:20 (wish it was twice as long with that haunting guitar interlude), the mood and ambience it strikes has never waned with me over the years. What an adventurous piece of music!

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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    ^ That one got almost as much airplay on Cleveland radio as the title track did.

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    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SunRunner2 View Post
    In my mind, one of his best songs that didn't get as much attention as the more renowned ones is "On The Border".
    As I remember it, that's the one that got all the FM airplay when the album came out. It was a few months later that the title track became a hit single.
    Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
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  13. #13
    On The Border was a major hit in Greece upon the album's release.
    Macht das ohr auf!

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    Quote Originally Posted by spacefreak View Post
    On The Border was a major hit in Greece upon the album's release.
    On of my favorite AL songs!

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    I live near Philadelphia and the local rock station played a lot of Al’s music from Past Present and Future, Modern Times and Year of the Cat including Nostradamus, Roads to Moscow, Carol, Sirens of Titan, What’s Going On, Broadway Hotel, On the Border, If it Doesn’t Come Naturally and of course Year of the Cat. Those three albums were played a lot and have become my favorite of Al’s catalogue. When they recorded his show at the Tower Theatre for play back I was excited to hear him live which I had up to that time never heard. I hope the show that is on this anniversary addition sounds good and not some bootleg sounding tape. Maybe it’s another radio show but it’s something I’d live to hear.

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    Member Garyhead's Avatar
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    ImportCD just sent me Tracking Info!...........here it comes!

    Al's music is quite special to me....It was Fantastic road trip music back in the days when I drove cross-country to see my gf. I still put on Time Passages when riding from Twin Falls, ID to Provo, UT. Especially at dawn or twilight.
    The Ice Cream Lady Wet her drawers........To see you in the Passion Playyyy eeee - I. Anderson

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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    This arrived today, and it's an impressive package. Much larger than the other Esoteric/Cherry Red box sets I've purchased. Haven't listened yet, but it's gorgeous.

  18. #18
    ^^ Please share your thoughts once you have had time to digest. I haven’t bought myself a copy yet, but think I probably should before they disappear.

    Edit.. I found it was out of stock at Cherry Red and Burning Shed, so I grabbed an Amazon copy before they sold out too. It is a cornerstone album for me, and I didn’t want to miss hearing it in 5.1*

    * I still need to get myself a 5.1 system, even though I have a growing collection of Panegyrics, ApeHouse’s etc
    Last edited by Sunlight Caller; 04-06-2021 at 04:16 AM.

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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    ^ I wouldn't be able to comment on the 5.1 mix, as I'm not set up for that.

  20. #20
    From Epic Prog, duh The_Lurker's Avatar
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    All I want is the 5.1 disc but I haven't seen a way to order just that.
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    ^^ There doesn’t seem to be a release of just the 5.1, it’s all or nothing I’m afraid.

  22. #22
    From Epic Prog, duh The_Lurker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sunlight Caller View Post
    ^^ There doesn’t seem to be a release of just the 5.1, it’s all or nothing I’m afraid.
    [/says every curse word he knows twice and makes up a few new ones]
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    It's a nice package, nothing extraordinary, expensive for what it is. (That's at ImportCD's much lower price than Amazon's exorbitant one.) The surround disc should have been a Blu-ray with lossless audio at this price.

    LP-sized slipcase contains: An adequate paperback book worth reading and looking through once. Four useless cards based on album art. A poster of the same unremarkable album art. A cardboard folder containing the four discs (two of which were afloat in my package as received).

    I listened to the DTS 5.1 mix on the DVD, remixed by Alan Parsons, who originally produced the album. It's a pretty good surround mix, very immersive, not overly analytical. Reveals some surprisingly poorly-recorded drums from the original sessions. The title track sounds noticeably better than much of the rest of the album. Overall it's enjoyable without being revelatory.

    I have not listened yet to the concert or any stereo version of the album.

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    The concert is mostly what I’m interested in. I don’t need all the fancy packaging myself. I know there’s a 2 disc version coming out but it doesn’t include the whole concert which sucks.

  25. #25
    Member Garyhead's Avatar
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    Mine just arrived (a day early) as well as Caligonaut (a day late) Got some serious listening to do tonight.
    The Ice Cream Lady Wet her drawers........To see you in the Passion Playyyy eeee - I. Anderson

    "It's kind of like deciding not to date a beautiful blonde anymore because she farted." - Top Cat

    I was expecting to be kinda meh, but it made my nips stiffen - Jerjo

    (Zamran) "that fucking thing man . . . it sits there on my wall like a broken clock " - Helix

    Social Media is the "Toilet" of the Internet - Lady Gaga

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