Customer Reviews

Live Indian Summer

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While I truly appreciate everything Stewart and writing partner Peter White were able to do with just two guitars on Rhymes in Rooms, I favor Live -- Indian Summer because of the full ensemble of musicians and vocalists performing here. This live recording also boasts the finest Al Stewart live performance I have ever heard recorded: the full thirteen minute version of Nostradamus (pt.1) / The World Goes To Rhiyad / Nostradamus (pt.2) complete with piano, violin, guitar solos that leave no musically gifted onstage stone unturned. I remembered how much I liked the violins solos, but I had completely forgotten how wonderful the piano solos were on this song. It remains a sort of mystery to me how lifeless the studio recording is in comparison.

Every single performance here is, at the very least, very good if not better. The only two songs that casual fans of live performances might require a bit getting used to are probably Time Passages and Year Of The Cat. Both were so perfectly produced by Alan Parsons that there simply is no way to imitate that in even the best live performance. The live renditions are quite good, but not likely to appeal to those who tend to have a difficult time with live recordings.

Other songs that come across very well include Valentina Way, On The Border, Merlin's Time, and Running Man. There is even an interesting story regardin Clarence Frogman Henry that Stewart relates to the audience. Of the studio tracks, I favor both "Pandora" and "Delia's Gone" but I would also say "Indian Summer" deserves some honorable mention. But if there is one song that stands out among the others, it would be none other than the live version of Nostradamus!

I enjoyed it when it first came out on LP and revisited that pleasure with the CD. Even though it is not a true "Live" album, I still get the Live feeling. The "Frogman" piece is typical of Al when performing live.

Thanks for reissuing it.

I always was looking for the complete live album from Al. All the songs are like a little holiday..., take the time and listen to Al....

I love this cd. I have the L.P. record and I put it to cd. When I saw that there was a studio made cd of this album, I had to have it. If you like Al Stewart and love his hits, this cd you will surely enjoy. I have read about the 'live' not being truly 'live' etc... but Al's vocals, band and sound are all pretty solid here and the 'live' recordings sound as if you are part of a small audience and he is truly feeling what he is singing. The studio songs are also quite enjoyable to hear and to sit back and relax to.

If this cd was remastered, I'd give it 5 stars.

A quick question. I initially came into some of the songs from Indian Summer on Al Stewart's best of album. It had Delia's Gone, On the Border, and Nostradamus Part 1 & 2 on the best of album....Now as far as Nostradamus is concerned, I only see Part 1 listed on the credits to Indian Summer on Amazon.

The Live at the Roxy CD seems to be the same CD as this one except that the studio material isn't listed. But it does have part 2 (World goes to Ryadh) listed on the credits.

I want to get the version with everything on it. Does Indian Summer have part 2 (World goes to Ryadh) on it?

Tour with full band. Clean and smooth. A couble of none live clubs. His standards are full of life. Cute story of Frogmn Henry leading into Year of the Cat.