Customer Reviews

Beach Full of Shells

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been a fan of Al Stewart since I heard "Carol" on the radio in 1973 or 1974 or so, and have become very familiar with his work since then. After all these years, I didn't think that I could be surprised by anything he did because I already had such high expectations, but frankly this new recording has left me amazed. From the very start of the opening cut, his creativity shines in lyrics, tone, instrumentation, and variety. His voice is in the best form in many years. Al seems to have found something from within that is both inspiring and fresh, perhaps a reconnection with his own folk rock roots, that has elevated his music in many ways. Laurence Juber, the acclaimed guitarist and producer, did a superb job bringing this great collection of songs to life. The entire recording is a joy to play, and I think over time it will become viewed by many as Al's finest. I can't help but be reminded of Roy Orbison who had a huge surge in creativity later in his career.

This CD comes with a very attractive lyric and photo booklet.

Addendum: it's been about six years since I wrote this review; this recording has staying power -- it's one of my favorite AS recordings of all time. I'd put it up there with 'Between the Wars' and 'Year of the Cat.'

Lovely, lyrical songs and music...definitely one of Al's best.

There are no songs to dislike on this album, and many to love. Right now I am humming "Katharine of Oregon", while my son is singing "Rain Barrel" (which I seem to recall as a real historical event, but cannot remember the details).

"Mr. Lear" is also a favorite. My kids and I loved Edward Lear's works, and Stewart deftly captures the wistful playfulness of his works.

The song which contains the title words, "Somewhere in England, 1915", is hauntingly beautiful; it brought tears to my eyes.

But, as I said -- they are all good.

Quite a few years have passed since Al Stewart's last release so A Beach Full Of Shells marks a welcome and refreshing return to the public ear.
I have been a fan of Stewart's ever since the lyrical wizardry of Past, Present and Future delighted my senses nearly forty years ago. And its all still here: Stewart's rich and unmistakeable voice, the unparalleled scope and depth of his lyrics, and his musical prowess.
The problem (some may say its his delight) with Stewart though is that he sometimes really seems to plumb the depths of the past in order to come up with what he feels is a suitable subject for a song. The Immelman Turn is just such a song. Barnstorming is a very obscure topic and in the course of the song Stewart himself seems at a loss to find much of anything to say about it. But that song and the silly Class of '58 aside, Stewart has turned out his best album since The Last Days of the Century.
My favorites are the whimsical Mr Lear, the tongue-in-cheek take on some of the absurdities of diplomacy in Royal Courtship, the mysterious Rain Barrel, the cozy Katherine of Oregon, the phantasmic Out In The Snow, the dreamy My Egyptian Couch, the rocking Gina In The King's Road, and the imaginitive story of a suicide in Anniversary.
Overall, A Beach Full Of Shells is a fine album that should please even the most discriminating of Stewart's fans.

Almost 30 years ago, Al Stewart released what has to be one of the top albums of all time, Year Of The Cat. It is a timeless classic. Then, almost 20 years after that, out comes Between The Wars, an absolutely brilliant period piece which recreates an interesting era to the extent that you feel you are there while listening. Ten years pass and we now have A Beach Full Of Shells. The creation of one masterpiece is rare, two, almost unheard of...but three? This record is a cornucopia of styles, from rock to folk to jazz. Every time I hear it (which is pretty much constantly since I got it) I come away with a new favorite which runs through my head all day. If I have to single out one tune, it's Somewhere In England, a song which is about loss on so many levels; I marvel at its brilliance and sadness every time I hear it. Too, Mr. Lear and Katherine are just irresistible in their whimsical treatments of Edward Lear and of growing older. I can only hope he keeps writing and performing; thanks, Al for 30 years of fabulous music.

Time once again for another CD from the master of "historical rock" himself, Al Stewart. He always takes years between his releases of new songs (his last release was 2000's "Down in the Cellar"), but the wait is generally worth it. This one is no exception to that rule.

The album reminds me somewhat stylistically of "Down in the Cellar" although it seems to have a bit more "up" feel to it -- not quite so populated with heavier songs as was that 2000 release.

Which is not to say it doesn't have its share of epic-quality songs (most notably, the just-a-tad-under 7 minute "Somewhere in England 1915," one of the versus of which contributes the CD's title). But from its opening song -- "The Immelman Turn" -- on through "Katherine of Oregon" and "Gina in the Kings Road," the overall feel of the album seems to be more upbeat than recent efforts. "Class of '58" is an out-and-out kick-up-your-shoes rocker, despite its somewhat jazzy opening verse.

As usual, the musicianship is in fine evidence throughout. Al himself is a pretty good guitarist, and as has been the case on Al's most recent CDs, Laurence Juber is along both to produce the overall effort and contribute his usual high standard of guitar skills.

I rate this CD about the same as "Down in the Cellar" -- 4 out of the possible 5 stars. Not as good as acoustic "Life Between the Wars" (I'd give that one 6 or 7 stars if I could) or the unplugged-style "Rhymes in Rooms" (another 6-7 star release), but still better than 95% of most other rock and pop being released these days.

Will this CD regain for Al the kind of mainstream popularity he enjoyed in the late 70s due to "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passaes"? No, but then I doubt Mr. Stewart is aiming for that kind of popularity again anyway. I've already read past interviews with him where he's stated he'd just as soon avoid that (he wants to be able to go grocery shopping or out to dinner and not be interrupted constantly), so instead he takes his time to craft his songs to his satisfaction (think about it -- no label would let a mainstream music star go 5 years between releases). Al's steady fans, of which I am one, are the beneficiaries. Good music (his chord changes and melodies always rise above the usual pop music tricks), well-turned lyrics (whether dealing with epic-style topics, or simply fun word twisters), excellent musicianship... that's what we expect from Al, and that's what we get.

This is one of those albums that makes you glad to be alive. Al Stewart is in fine form on "A Beach Full of Shells," his finest album since the seventies. Here, he returns to his strength: writing tunes referencing historical events, engaging in witty wordplay, and delivering them with his familiar, soothing patter.

What makes this album so compelling is Al's fervid imagination. Each song (every one a winner) is cinematic in scope, transporting the listener through time and space in two to four minute increments. The album opens, appropriately, with the tale of an acrobatic flyer, soaring above the adoring crowds, reveling in his passion for danger even as he takes a fatal turn. As his character nosedives, Al soars to even greater heights with a delightful tribute to Edward Lear, perfectly capturing Lear's world of whimsicality.

"Somewhere in England 1915," tells of the tragicomic demise of British poet, Rupert Brooke, who died of a mosquito bite in Greece during World War I. I guarantee, that's a topic no other musician has ever attempted, or probably will attempt ever again! Al's portrait of Edwardian England, "My Egyptian Couch," is so vivid that the listener actually feels like he's on a steam ship sailing through the Suez Canal. At other times, we journey to bohemian London of the 60's, down Boston's famed Beacon Street, adrift on a lonely ice floe, hiding from pursuers in a rain barrel, and in a museum where the Mona Lisa and all her Renaissance girlfriends come to life in an empty museum.

I love the way Al segues from the Beatlesque ending of "Class of '58" to the "Strawberry Fields" mellotron of the next cut, "Out in the Snow," an amazing piece of surreality. The obvious tip of the hat to John Lennon in "The Anniversary" is enthralling and chilling at the same time. Meanwhile, the intriguing wordplay of "Royal Courtship" and "Katherine of Oregon" is nothing short of stunning. Who else would deign to throw words like "plenipoteniary" or "amanuensis" in a song--or rhyme "paper-wrapped luncheon" with "ancient curmudgeon?" That kind of verbal derring-do leaves me giddy.

Traversing this "Beach Full of Shells" is a nostalgic, magical experience no one should miss.

The release of a new Al Stewart album will probably not make major waves in the mainstream market, but to fans of the California-based Scotsman (yours truly included!) it is a welcome gift of song, more so because he only released two albums in the last decade. Like Between The Wars, A Beach Full Of Shells (again featuring Laurence Juber) re-captures the essence of his talent and finds him in magnificent form!

In fact, right from opening track The Immelman Turn, it is obvious that Stewart's passion for musical story-telling has been re-ignited. His track record, marked by hits like Year of The Cat and On The Border, shows this to be a method that brings out the best in him, and better still, in his song writing. A listen to songs like Mr Lear, Royal Courtship, Mona Lisa Talking and My Egyptian Couch will confirm this. Another aspect of his bright return emerges on the nostalgic but upbeat Class of 58, drenched, lyrics and all, in rock `n roll lustre, but the album's high points, encapsulating every little snippet that makes Al Stewart so unique, have to be Rain Barrel and Gina in the King's Road. Despite only surfacing occasionally, Stewart clearly still has the magic touch!

I have been an Al Stewart fan since his 1974 album Past, Present and Future and with each release from Stewart since then, I have gained a better perspective on World History, have used the dictionary a number of times to reference some of his songs, realized that Stewart is the best modern day lyricist around and he appears to be having a lot of fun doing what he does.
"A Beach Full of Shells" ranks up there as one of his finest. My favorites are "The Immelman Turn" set in the 1920's about an avaitor who never returns from a particular flight. A 60's affair song "Gina in the Kings Road" and one of Stewart's finest acoustic ballads of all time "Katherine of Oregon."
"Class of '58" about aging rock and rollers shows that Stewart can still get rocky when he wants to. Other great tracks are "My Egyptian Couch" "Royal Courtship" (go look in the dictionary for MAJORDOMO) and "Rain Barrel." Check out the beginning of "Out in the Snow", is it me or does it sound like Stewart's going to do a rendetion of "I am the Walrus?"
Laurence Juber does a fine job of producing this album but the most tell tailing piece of this album is that Stewart vocally sounds as good today as he did 30 years ago.
This is a must for Al Stewart fans and it's a darn shame that this album will not get any radio play or have any hit records from it. It's the people who don't know of Al Stewart who are really missing out.

Ever wake up in the middle of the night, delighted, or agitated, by a song going around in your head? Here's a dozen of them for you. Ever have a hard time cozying up to a new CD, only to wind up loving it, wall-to-wall, by the 5th or 10th listening? Ever roll down the windows and cranked up the volume like some kid? Well, here you go.

Ever wonder why rockers don't write 'em like that anymore? Turns out, they do... at least, Stewart does. Is this a rock album? Not predominantly, but if you foot-shuffle or neck-roll to Wilson Pickett, Duane Eddy, James Brown, Jerry Lee... I can think of several dozen reasons, any one of which would cause you to laugh off any 2-star reviews for this masterpiece you might come across, but it's already been said, below. Here's what I will say, though: go do yourself a big favor: buy this CD.

Oh, and one other thing... if you have young children, play
"Mr. Lear" for them. It'll work magic on both of you.

Al has been on a roll with his last few studio recordings. 1995's "Between the Wars" was one of the finest moments of his career, and 2000's "Down in the Cellar" - a concept album not really about wine, but with at least a mention of wine in every song - is actually a lot better than the whole notion of it sounds on paper. "A Beach Full of Shells" may not be the best thing Al's ever done, but it's pretty damn good - excellent in fact. If there is any justice, he'll get some airplay, at least on satellite radio stations, and begin to be recognized for what he is - the most literate and intelligent pop-folk songwriter in the game, bar none.

There are some great tunes here, notably The Immelman Turn, Mr. Lear, and Katherine of Oregon. Somewhere in England 1915 lyrically sounds like it could have come off of 1973's "Past, Present, Future" album, while musically belonging to 1975's "Modern Times". Royal Courtship is a beautifully constructed tragic love story - find another songwriter capable of weaving in words like majordomo, amanuensis, vizier, acolyte and plenipotentiary, and NOT make it sound pompous. Al pulls it off. The only off-note here is Out in the Snow - somehow, everytime it starts, I hear the first few notes of "Strawberry Fields Forever," and that kind of irks me. It doesn't really go anwhere after that. The rest, however, is stellar.

Al Stewart seems to be the artist that radio forgot - and that is truly unfortunate. One can only hope that "A Beach Full of Shells" gets him the credit and recognition he truly deserves and introduces him to whole new audience of listeners.

12/5/05: I'm downgrading this to 4 (really 4 and a half) after hearing the REAL version of Class of 58. The 4+ minute abbreviated version on the official release pales in comparison to the actual 13 minute version, which apparently was dumped by the record company for being too long, but which actually tells a story and is nothing short of wonderful(it's available at www.alstewart.com). Why? Was there not enough room on the CD for the complete version, that we have to get the shorter but much less interesting take? The powers that be at Appleseed records ought to be hung by their thumbs for second guessing the artist and not recognizing a gem when they hear one.

And I'm upgrading it back to a 5, as Out in the Snow took some time, but has grown on me as a haunting, ethereal track with some beautiful acoustic guitar work. Back to where I started I guess.