Uncorked

Al Stewart (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 29, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wallaby Trails Recordings
• ASIN: B002R8MK6A
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,828 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Al Stewart with Dave Nachmanoff Uncorked Wallaby Trails WAL-1001 Play like Eddie Cochran and think like Barbara Tuchman! Al Stewart, 2009 Ask Al Stewart to sum up where he is now, musically speaking, and you re likely to wind up two steps behind where you started; this is by no means an unusual circumstance in conversation with Al, keenly aware as he is that making a leap forward often entails taking a step backward. Sometimes it s into the library stacks where the late historian Ms. Tuchman dug for material. Sometimes it s into the record stacks where the late rocker Mr. Cochran made his mark as a teenager singing his Summertime Blues so many summertimes ago. In many ways, the summertime of Stewart s 2009 much more resembled his summer of 1969 than it did the summer of 1979, when his multi-million-selling Year of the Cat and Time Passages were staples of FM radio, and he was touring with saxes, synths, singers, and all the accoutrements pop stardom brings. I don t think I ever knew how to be in front of a band, says Al, a little modestly. I always felt I was loitering there while they were doing all the work. With the release of Uncorked, Al and musical partner Dave Nachmanoff take a trip through Stewart s musical back pages, both in terms of the musical catalogue (they did have nearly 20 albums worth of songs to pick from), and in terms of performance style. After all, Al made his bones in the massively fertile folk scene that was London in the late 60s, and he numbers among his contemporaries the likes of guitar wizards Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, singer-songwriters Roy ( Hats Off To ) Harper and Richard Thompson, and a former flatmate named Paul Simon, who went on to some celebrity upon returning to America. Recorded live during a springtime East Coast swing, Uncorked is the first live acoustic disc Al s done since 1992 s Rhymes In Rooms, and both he and Nachmanoff made a conscious decision not to replicate any of the tracks from that disc, even if it meant leaving off such standards as On the Border and the two aforementioned Top 40 hits. Because I ve learned all of Al s songs, we had an opportunity to revisit some of the tunes that hadn t been featured in more recent years, says Nachmanoff. I think at this point, we can actually do three or four full shows and never play the same songs twice. And while Al usually comes in to a gig with a set list in mind, often times, we ll just throw it out and go with the flow. As a consequence, it sounds like the duo isn t merley playing well (fact is, Al s guitar work is actually even better now than it was back in the day, thanks to the acoustic touring configuration that brings his musical contributions more to the fore), it sounds like they re having fun. And if the title tracks from albums like Last Days of the Century and Bedsitter Images don t immediately conjure images of major-label milestones, that s just fine with Al. It s much more enjoyable for me to hear myself and for the audience to hear the words, says Stewart. And the audience seems to agree. The way I look at it, if I can still get everybody on their hind legs at the end of a show cheering, then I ve won. Like Uncorked itself, that s vintage Al.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At Last, An Al Stewart & Dave Nachamoff CD, December 8, 2009

By 

J. Clark (Everett, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Uncorked (MP3 Download)

In 1992 Al Stewart and his then-guitar accompanist Peter White recorded a live acoustic CD called Rhymes in Rooms. On the disc, Stewart and White performed eleven songs including "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages", which were top ten hits in the late 1970s.

Fast forward to 2009: Much to the delight of their fans (and those who might be about to become fans) Al and his current touring guitarist, Dave Nachmanoff, have just released their own unique collection of live acoustic songs that richly draw from Stewart's vast breadth of work, called Uncorked (a nod to both wine - Stewart is a wine expert - and being "unplugged").

The first thing I noticed upon reading the track listing is that it's a set of music longtime fans can truly enjoy. The live versions of these songs consist of material originally recorded from 1967 ("Bedsitter Images") through 1988 ("Last Days of the Century"). There's also a rarity thrown in for good measure ("Coldest Winter"). No hits or anything that came close to a hit appears on the disc. And I'm more than good with that.

Lyrically, Uncorked plays to Al Stewart's strengths. Intelligently written, historically based songs such as "Palace of Versailles", "Warren Harding" and "Old Admirals" are solid choices. I remember them as examples of songs that sent me scurrying to the library to learn what they were about, in days well before the internet reduced exponentially the time required to do such a thing.

As for the music side of things, Stewart's voice may have a few more rough edges compared to the "smooth as glass" sound from twenty years ago, but he's still easy to listen to. Nachmanoff's nifty guitar work sails through the set adding texture as though he's been playing Al's songs his entire life. Well, actually that's because he has.

He handled parts that were once done with a piano decades ago ("The News from Spain") with his acoustic guitar and didn't miss a step. On other songs, I wondered how he could get his instrument to make such varied and unique notes ("Midas Shadow").

Recorded at three different venues during a Northeastern U.S. tour in 2008, the production is clear and crisp, as good as or better than being there in person.

One of the pleasures of experiencing an Al Stewart/Dave Nachmanoff concert is the witty repartee in between songs. There's a sampling of that on this disc called "Auctioning Dave". Having heard a large number of Al's stories over the years (many of them several times, in fact), I did enjoy the quirkiness of this segment but also wondered whether there may have been another choice that would connect with the listener to a greater degree. (Although there just might be a hidden dialogue track at the end of the last song on the disk, wink wink).

Ultimately, Uncorked is a solid and timely effort both in terms of Al Stewart's long career and as a showcase of Dave Nachmanoff's talent as a guitarist. The disc is well worth owning whether you're an Al Stewart completist or someone who wants a good representation of what it's like to be in the audience at an Al Stewart/Dave Nachmanoff concert.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great addition, and could make a fine start, November 29, 2009

By 

D. Walter (CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Uncorked (Audio CD)

I like live albums, and not everyone does. To reassure readers, the production and recording of this album is excellent, and the song selection doesn't duplicate past live releases -- something both Al and Dave wanted (as I understand it). But does this add anything new?

Yes! An unexpected medley of "Last Days of the Century/Constantinople/Last Days" kicks off the album; it's the sort of surprise that make live albums enjoyable. The next song, "Coldest Winter" is quite obscure, but very well-written, and dramatizes a slice of history in a way Stewart fans prize. Later, Nachmanoff covers Rick Wakeman's piano solo from the studio version of "News From Spain" on a guitar, and he totally nails it.

Stewart is in good voice throughout. I enjoy the arrangements for two guitars, and the judicious use of harmony vocals. There's only a smattering of Al's between-song story-telling, editing that's an appropriate for most listeners. But he can be hilarious, so the 1:11 taken for "auctioning Dave" doesn't intrude on the musical ambience.

If you'd never heard these two play, and knew little of Stewart, this would be a fine place to start. The "Rhymes In Rooms" album contains more familiar material, and set a high standard for duo albums. This rises to equivalent heights. For most fans, this will be a welcome addition to their collections, whether you already have a dozen discs or just a few.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great live recording with a welcome song selection, November 10, 2009

By 

Benjamin Henwood (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Uncorked (Audio CD)

If one could hire Al Stewart and Dave Nachmanoff for a largish house concert (requiring electric guitars), it would sound just like this recording. The songs run the gamut of Al's prolific and terrific songwriting career, and they are given energetic treatment. Al sings in fine voice with Dave providing occasional harmonies; and both provide a supportive guitar backing with Dave frequently pulling off riffs that echo the great instrumental work used in the original studio releases.

In listening to the recording, I was reminded of the various Al Stewart concerts I'd attended, going all the way back to 1976 in my case, with several songs heard (by me) live for the first time ever, from his earliest work plus Princess Olivia from the early 80s. And... a song voted by a fan group as the best Al song never recorded, The Coldest Winter in Memory, which actually is a rather strong song for it is a gem, and so it finally finds a good home. Old Admirals, one of my all time favorites, provides a great finale to the set.

In between a few songs, we are treated to some of the humorous and clever bantering between Al and Dave that always make a live show more fun, and also one story about Al's move to New York City early in his career.

I actually have a couple live Al Stewart CDs that are excellent, and I was skeptical that this would be particularly memorable; however, the song selection, the guitar wizardry of Dave Nachmanoff, and the excellent live recording quality make this a welcome addition to any Al Stewart fan's music library.