Customer Reviews

Rhymes in Rooms

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Only because the car I was driving at the time, had no compact disc player, I bought the original 1992 Mesa/Bluemoon release of "Rhymes in Rooms" in cassette format. After acquiring an auto which had an in dash compact disc player, and when I was upgrading my cassettes to compact discs, I was dismayed to no end that "Rhymes in Rooms" was out of print and that it was, as of 2003, fetching outrageously high "collectible" prices even for 'good' used copies. When I read earlier this year that Collectors' Choice Music (a subsidiary of Rhino Entertainment Company) was re-issuing essentially the entire Al Stewart catalogue, I eagerly purchased "Rhymes in Rooms". This is one of the finest live acoustic records I have ever heard. This re-issue contains all eleven songs on the original Mesa/Bluemoon release plus two interesting bonus tracks; a studio outtake, "Warm California Night" and a cover of Elvis Costello's 1994 song, "London's Brilliant Parade". "Rhymes in Rooms" contains inspired and sprightly live performances gathered from a tour that featured Al Stewart teamed up with jazz guitarist Peter White. No stranger to these tunes, White has collaborated with Stewart on both song writing and he has played guitar on many of Al's records dating back to Stewart's 1976 break out hit, "Year of the Cat". Together Pete and Al make musical magic on many of Stewart's best known songs, as their guitars weave in and out of the hauntingly melodic "On the Border", "Soho (Needless to Say)", and "Broadway Hotel". They achieve hypnotic transcendence on the epic "Nostradamus", a ten minute tour de force that captures the mystical essence of Stewart's ode to the medieval prognosticator.

Nicely balanced between hits and concert favorites, "Rhymes in Rooms" is how an "unplugged" album should sound like; an artist's songs that,
stripped of their studio production and ornamentation, are left to reveal their rich melodies and great lyrics (the re-working of "Year of the Cat" is stunningly beautiful). The liner notes on the making of "Rhymes in Rooms" are well written and add context to these excellent live recordings. In short, this is essential Al Stewart, a true high point in his recording career.

Those of us who have listened as the "unplugged" craze unfolded over the years know how uneven some of those efforts can be. It seems that a lot of rock/pop musicians feel incomplete until they prove to the listening public and maybe also to themselves that they are serious musicians worthy of the respect of the public and their peers by issuing an "unplugged" album. And though there was never any doubt that Al Stewart is a serious musician, here comes the reissue of the acoustic live album Rhymes In Rooms which originally was released quite under the radar as a stop-gap followup to Last Days of the Century.
I found this just a couple of weeks ago while trolling the listings here for other Al Stewart re-issues. The previous reviewers seem quite enthusiastic and so while I often avoid live albums, the presence of long-time Stewart collaborator Peter White tipped the scales in favor of purchase.
Well, it took a few listens but each time I heard this my enthusiasm grew. I like nearly every song in the original and so it is here. There are no real duds, but there are a few songs that could have been omitted in favor of others. Josephine Baker is one I never liked though I imagine Stewart was touring it because it was then of recent vintage. I would also have omitted the tired Nostradamus, trading it for another epic.
To me the best are: Soho (Needless to Say), On the Border, Fields of France, Broadway Hotel, Leave It, Year of the Cat, and an early alternate version of the mystical Timeless Skies presented here as Warm California Night. Occasionally, the guitars overpower the vocals but White and Stewart play very well together and Stewart often sings with a passion not apparent on his studio releases.
Even though I have been an Al Stewart fan for nearly forty years, I somehow missed this when it was originally released. Indeed, I never even saw it in my frequent trips to music stores. Once I read the liner notes, I understood why. One reviewer says that the liner notes provide context. I agree. Read them and your enjoyment of this CD, which belongs in the collection of any serious Al Stewart fan, will be enhanced.

"_Thats_ what I'm talkin' 'bout!" Use "An acoustic evening with Al Stewart" as a coaster. I am.

Flying Sorcery - Sticks to the original format/structure of the studio release, but with just 2 guitars. I hear it like this and think the studio release, with all the extra instruments, is less effective.
Soho - Chills. Sorry, but that is a good song, and it was too smooth and clamped (for you audiophiles out there) originally. It sounds liek the compressors were turned off for this album, and it was done "old school" like I do with live acts (only practical to try on non-percussion and bass elements).
Time Passages - Again, with just 2 guitars the song has so much more impact, and sounds a lot less glossy that it's "made for radio" counterpart.
Josephine Baker - What is an accordion doing in there?
On the Border - Superb. The recordings on the album are done accoustically very well. Al and the 2 guitars are all distinctly and equally mixed. This version also has Al giving a nod to Peter White at the end for his solo(s) in the piece, just liek on the previous live release of the song. Also, the song "gets to it" faster than the studio version
Nostradamus - The lyrics are a lot more legible. Imagine that! It seems to go by quickly, even though it is over 10 minutes.

etc...

You get the point!

Thank you, Collectors' Choice, for making available yet another out-of-print album. And not only this Al Stewart CD, but several others.

I just wish reviewers would provide more comparative details concerning reissues, more concrete differences, so previous purchasers would know if another buy be worthwhile.

In this case, I don't think it is. I have the Mesa version and prefer its packaging and the original set list.

All of the Collectors' Choice reissues have four-page inserts (a single folded sheet) with informative liner notes but without pictures. The Mesa edition has an eight-page insert without liner notes but with nine pictures. I prefer the pictures; the information I can get elsewhere.

This Collectors' Choice reissue has two bonus tracks, neither of which is contemporary with the "Rhymes in Rooms" tour. The first is an "embryonic version" of 'Timeless Skies,' which appeared on "Time Passages"--a kind of demo, if you will. I only like demos if they are particularly moving or interesting; this one is neither.

The second is a cover of Elvis Costello's 'London's Brilliant Parade' (from "Brutal Youth" 1994). There's a lot of Elvis Costello to like, but not when the words get in the way of the melody--or if there isn't much of a melody for the words to hang onto. Al Stewart's strength has always been to make sure his lyrics aren't there for their own sake. The title track to "Love Chronicles," for example, is fantastic because the riff and Jimmy Page's fills are great all by themselves, not to mention the great lyrics. On 'London's Brilliant Parade' Al becomes Elvis with a few words too many.

As far as the sound quality goes, the original CD was well-recorded: vibrant and clear, while still being live (and not having a battery of microphones around the musicians). According to the liner notes, the "album was recorded entirely live in concert to a multi track tape machine. All processing was done during the mixing of the album. No overdubs or edits were employed during the making of this album." It was mastered by John Golden at K-Disc. Bill Inglot and Dave Schultz at Digiprep could not have done much to improve the sound for the reissue.

There's nothing at all wrong with the new "Rhymes in Rooms," but those of you who have the original may not want to bother.

I have over a dozen albums/cassettes/CDs by Al Stewart and this one is by far my favorite. The acoustic approach really brings out the music. Nothing is hidden or drowned out by other instruments. There is some very complex music here. Due to size limitations, everyone's personal favorites cannot be represented; however, nothing on this CD disappoints. While the intros may differ slightly from other recordings, they really enhance some already brilliant music.

If this is not in your personal library, you are truely missing out.

Caught this concert 11+ years ago & both Al & Peter White gave a fabulous performance. The CD has the same feel as the concert - very mellow - lots of acoustic guitar. Yes, it's quiet & not for everyone but it remains one of my all time favorites!

This is a wonderful collection of his songs. These are the tracks:

1. Flying Sorcery
2. Soho (Needless to Say)
3. Time Passages
4. Josephine Baker
5. On the Border
6. Nostradamus
7. Fields of France
8. Clifton in the Rain/Small Fruit Song
9. Broadway Hotel
10. Leave It
11. Year of the Cat

Not only does this feature Al Stewart performing some of his best music, but Peter White adds some amazing guitar fingerwork! Fabulous combination and a great addition to my music collection.

I never really cared all that much for Stewart's "Time Passages" & "Year of The Cat" when I heard them on the radio way back when. But this album is magnificent when you hear it live. Both guitarists play the same Ovation Guitars which puts this music at an even basis. The acoustic rhythm & lead guitars are so in sync & gives these musicians a real connection to each other. I'm glad I gave this album the listen it needed - & it will be played often. Dwight Phetteplace is another musician who plays like this live & is worth a listen.

I am not generally a huge fan of live recordings, but I do have a soft spot for live acoustic performances when they are done as well as Al Stewart and Peter White did this. Opening this collection with Flying Sorcery was a masterstroke, not only because it is an often overlooked song but that it is simply one of the best songs Stewart has ever written. This arrangement has a way of being both true to the original while exploiting all the little oportunities to be playful. But it's the second track that really began to sell me on these performances. When I heard this version of Soho [Needless To Say], it was as if I had never heard the song before. I have always liked the studio recording, but I love this live arrangement which supports the best vocal performance on this album.

It's quite interesting that they even attempted to adapt Time Passages. The arrangement is quite a pleasure to take in after a couple of listenings, but it bares so little resemblance to the original that it did take a moment to get used to it. However, Josephine Baker, On The Border, and Broadway Hotel all pass with flying colors! As a matter of fact, this rendition of Nostradamus, like the other live versions, blows the studio recording away. That said, I do prefer the live version that appeared on earlier compilations of hits for violin solos and Stewart's smoother vocal stylings.

An electric piano makes a one-time appearance on a noticeably longer version of Fields Of France than the studio recording from Last Days of the Century. While I did enjoy this version of Year Of The Cat, there's just no way to top the studio production that Alan Parsons achieved in 1975. So I do understand those who have an aversion to live recordings of certain songs, but it's also important to remember where these songs came from in the first place. The embryonic "Warm California Night" is a good example of the shape a song may take at first before developing into a polished gem like Timeless Skies.