"Year of the Cat" has nine songs, and I think seven of them rate five stars, and the other two a mere four stars. I won't tell you which ones, because every listener will have a different preference. This is a stronger disc overall than "Time Passages" although the title song on that one is even better than "Year of the Cat". Al has many great songs scattered through his other releases, especially the historical sagas, so in his case, I do recommend "Greatest Hits" or "Song on the Radio" as the starter kits, with "Year of the Cat" a third choice as one's introduction to Al. If you like your initial dose of Mr. Stewart, then you are ready for songs such as "Road to Moscow" and "Nostradmus" and "Ryiad." Look them up and give them a chance. Al was filling a need in the '70's and '80's, combining a folk feel, with rock underpinnings, but writing lengthy sagas about obscure historical moments which had intellectual appeal. It's probably a love him or hate him kind of encounter, but a friend introduced me to his work around 1985 and it was love at first listen.

"Year Of The Cat" was Al Stewart's breakthrough hit in America. The album was produced by Alan Parsons, who also produced Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" to much acclaim. The remastering job done on this import CD is outstanding. Peter White's acoustic guitar playing, featured in the song "On The Border," especially sounds vibrant. The first bonus track is a live version of that song. The second bonus song, "Belsize Blues," was never officially released and alone is worth the price of this CD. More of a rocker than a blues number, it features a bluesy harmonica not heard elsewhere on the album. The lyrics flow along in a style very reminiscent of early Bob Dylan. The third bonus track is not a song at all. Al discusses the musicians who played on the album and briefly explains the meaning of each song. I highly recommend this import CD to all fans of Al Stewart.

It's increasingly fashionable to 'remaster' CDs; with some justification, as the technology has advanced in the years since albums like YOTC were first released digitally.

Personally, my ears aren't finely tuned enough to feel major benefit from this re-release, and my ancient sound system made no comment, so I have had to concentrate on the 'bonus tracks'

On the Border (live) is taken from the Chicago Radio sessions; it's a fine version, but technically hardly an advertisement for digital remastering. More seriously, those sessions included a ten-minute Year of the Cat, with a four minute keyboard intro, and marvellous sax solo - why isn't that one here?

Belsize Blues owes its presence here to its absence from other 'official' releases, though this version was first released on the unofficial Coldest Winter in Memory collection. The date suggests it could have been a rejected track from the original YOTC - though the flavour is five years earlier. The sleeve notes leave us none the wiser.

Story of the Songs is a commentary on the YOTC album by Al stewart; interesting, but hardly the sort of thing you'd listen to daily on your in-car stereo. Many of the concert albums include highly original and amusing intros, especially to YOTC itself; wouldn't the fictional explanations have been a better addition than a recorded sleeve note?

This remastered album will have nothing to say to new listeners, so it is clearly intended to persuade existing fans to part with their money. The die-hards will - as I did - and I don't regret it. But, by gum, I'd have been much, much happier spending a few dollars more on a proper job.

Picture it - a twin-cd set with the remastered YOTC on one disc, and the other featuring these bonus tracks, plus a selection of other live versions, complete with intro, guest artists - one YOTC even featured a guest singer - and a sleeve note that truly informed us about the collection, not just looked back to 1976.

Al Stewart is the best writer in music (period). Year Of The Cat matches his often historical lyrics with wonderful tunes as good an anything ever recorded. A rare match. One of the best albums/cds ever. A learning, moving, picturesque trip through the world of Al Stewart. His best work. Writing from the song "On The Border" reads - The fishing boats go out across the evening water/Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border/The wind whips up the waves so loud/The ghost moon sails among the clouds/Turns the rifles into silver on the border. - If you can appreciate lyrics like that you'll get a good fill in Year Of The Cat. Intellectual words, mixed with the amazing guitar playing of both Al and the great Peter White.

Besides singing about weighty topics such as Lord Grenville and smuggling, Al Stewart also shows that he can be both romantic and whimsical. The images of the women he conjures up in song are of women who are happy, independent, and confident. "If It Doesn't Come Naturally, Leave It" is a perfect example. On the more pensive side, there is "Broadway Hotel". "One Stage Before" is a mystical song with a theosophical bent as are many of his songs to this day. The title track, although overplayed on the radio the year it was released, remains a pleasure to hear. For those unfamiliar with Al Stewart, YOTC is a perfect way to begin enjoying him as it remains one of his most intellectually accessible albums.