Al Stewart - Year of the Cat

I heard the title song many times on the radio years ago and came across this album at the local shop. Not familiar with his other works other than FM airplay so I picked it up. Pleasantly surprised by both the music and the recording(on vinyl). This is a Janus Records pressing and now on the hunt for a Janus" Modern Times" and possibly "Past, Present and Future". If you like his voice and the FM songs that almost got played to death you may want to pick up an album. Any other Stewart fans or other Janus pressings that impressed you?
Yep, my name really is Bob.
Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, modded Polk SDA 2B, Rythmik L12 sub.

Comments

  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,929
    I got nothing :( other than to say that Year of the Cat is a good album, and was known in its time for its very good sound. MoFi put out a version, too :)

    I like the song On the Border besides the rather cinematic title track (FWIW)

    https://youtu.be/z2L_OyS21lM
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,056
    edited February 2018
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    If you have YOTC and TP on a Janus label your good to go, I got all of All's stuff on Vinyl Im very fond of all of them, Modern Times, and Past, Present, and Future are must haves. The last time I was at the local ma and pa shop they had a copy of PP&F on a Janus label for 11 bucks as in nice of shape as the one pictured next time I go I will see if it's still there for you.

    Home Theater
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  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    I was going through my CD library and found this:
    qe4j1r05lbj8.png
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,484
    Year of the Cat is an excellent album.

    I don't have vinyl, but own the MFSL (silver) CD, and the sound quality is excellent.
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....


    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
  • muncybob
    muncybob Posts: 2,963
    I'm hoping TP and PPF are soon into my collection...also hoping I like them as much as YOTC. I'll be stopping by at my local shop also to see if he has them. I see that Future release was the only one with the Enigma label. He has many more albums than I was aware of.
    Yep, my name really is Bob.
    Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, modded Polk SDA 2B, Rythmik L12 sub.
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    I've been a big fan since the 70s. I saw him live in Burlington, Vermont in September, 1986 in a small, intimate setting. I loved it. :)

    I have everything he has recorded from 1967-1993 in some form or another, and at least one copy of "Year of the Cat" on Janus. I have all of his 70s and 80s stuff on vinyl and CDs of everything else.

    I recently ordered both "Original Album Series" collections that have 5 CDs each. You get every one of his albums from 1967-1993, save for "Orange", "Past, Present and Future", "Modern Times", and the 1992 live album "Rhymes and Rooms".

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  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    Very cool!
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    After doing a bit of research, I have discovered that my double LP version of "The Early Years" (1977) is also on Janus. There was also a single LP version on RCA (1978).

    These compilation albums were comprised of songs from his first 4 albums: "Bed-Sitter Images" (1967), "Love Chronicles" (1969), "Zero She Flies" (1970), and "Orange" (1972).

    I originally bought "The Early Years" because I had read in one of my Led Zeppelin books that it contained some early session work by Jimmy Page. :p

    The double LP Janus version is blueish while the single LP RCA version is more tan.

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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,350
    edited February 2018
    gudnoyez wrote: »
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    I'm a fan, have several of his albums.

    And even if you did know I'm gonna say it anyway, :) that is a Hypgnosis album cover. Year of the Cat, Past, Present and Future, Time Passages, The Early Years and Modern Times were as well.

    Hypgnosis was album art BPS, or before photo shop. They created some of the most iconic album covers from '68 to '82.

    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    SCompRacer wrote: »
    And even if you did know I'm gonna say it anyway, :) that is a Hypgnosis album cover. Year of the Cat and Past, Present and Future, Time Passages, The Early Years and Modern Times were as well.

    Hypgnosis was album art BPS, or before photo shop. They created some of the most iconic album covers from '68 to '82.

    I ran across this list. :)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Albums_with_cover_art_by_Hipgnosis
  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,350
    edited February 2018
    I have the book but they do not list all the album covers. A friend and I had been compiling a list of covers not listed on the internet sites.

    s9wda99aqbcn.jpg
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
  • muncybob
    muncybob Posts: 2,963
    This is cool stuff!
    Yep, my name really is Bob.
    Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, modded Polk SDA 2B, Rythmik L12 sub.
  • GlennDog
    GlennDog Posts: 3,084
    SCompRacer wrote: »
    A friend and I had been compiling a list of covers not listed on the internet sites.

    s9wda99aqbcn.jpg

    “Double secret research” … I dig it and look forward to more info coming out ...
    AC Regenerator PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 10
    Source Lumin U1 Mini into Lampi Baltic 4
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    Rythmik F12
  • Enjoy!! Love that LP.
    "Sometimes you have to look to the past to understand where you are going in the future"


    Harry / Marietta GA
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,929
    SCompRacer wrote: »
    I have the book but they do not list all the album covers. A friend and I had been compiling a list of covers not listed on the internet sites.

    s9wda99aqbcn.jpg

    There used to be a nice website on Hipgnosis/(the late) Storm Thorgerson
    This might be it? :p

    http://www.hipgnosiscovers.com/

    This is worth five minutes, too, I'd opine :)
    https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/hipgnosis-album-covers-from-pink-floyd-to-led-zeppelin-w475109/pink-floyd-the-dark-side-of-the-moon-1973-w475112
  • Msabot1
    Msabot1 Posts: 2,098
    I have both Year Of The Cat and Time Passages on MFSL vinyl...Two of his best offerings...
  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,328
    Msabot1 wrote: »
    I have both Year Of The Cat and Time Passages on MFSL vinyl...Two of his best offerings...

    I agree with this Msabot. I have both of these records on MFSL vinyl. Both are excellent recordings and great listening from start to finish. Highly recommended.
    Carl

  • muncybob
    muncybob Posts: 2,963
    Just picked up another Janus record "Modern Times". Apparently my idea of NM- is not the same as the seller, scratch on outro of #2 side 2 and intro to #3...only for a short time but still takes away from the experience. Still, another good recording. I guess I'm off to find more A.S. as we like what we have heard so far. I would like to find some MoFi of his work.
    Yep, my name really is Bob.
    Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, modded Polk SDA 2B, Rythmik L12 sub.
  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    Just picked up this collection. Thanks @Viking64 for letting us know!
    i8kvu6o9xcz7.png
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    You are most welcome, sir! Now I have to go fire up the rig and listen to some Al myself. So, thank YOU! :)
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    Viking64 wrote: »
    Here is a clue as to which album I chose:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEH6eDpjgRw

    I gotta say Jimmy, your taste in women is, well, unusual! :smiley:
    w638nj3kc35g.png
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.