since the hits from this one, "Time Passages" and "Song on the Radio" are available on other CD's, along with companion tunes which are a bit stronger than the other seven tracks here. I must say, however, I like "Valentina Way" a lot. Al is mostly mellow, and often cerebral, sometimes obscure in his history sagas, but he enunciates beautifully, and the guitar-dominant accompaniment is always good on his albums. He did unique stuff, and his best compositions are truly remarkable and hold up well to repeated listening. If you are new to him, look for his "Greatest Hits" or the "Song on the Radio" compilation, then dig in to the originals from the '70's and '80's one-by-one.

In some ways, it's not that surprising that certain fans will somewhat write this off, being as it was, along with "Year Of The Cat", Al's commercial peak--in the US, the album reached the Top Ten on the album charts & went platinum within a year of its original release in/ around September of 1978. Granted, Al's done lots of excellent work before (e.g. on 1975's "Modern Times") & after (e.g. on 1993's "Famous Last Words") this album, yet this particular album demonstrates a genius at an absolute peak. Al's songwriting on track after track is so melodically rich & full of outstanding, incisive lyrics, it's hard not to be envious of his ability. Also, his understated, precisely-phrased, clearly enunciated vocals complement the material perfectly. As much credit as Al deserves, you can't deny the contributions of producer Alan Parsons for the album's lush, warm sound, & all the great musicianship, including guitarist Peter White who co-wrote the beautiful, timeless title track (& the final track--everything in between was written by Al himself). Some fans seem to find the sound of the album too bland/ soft-rockish/ radio-friendly, which is being very harsh. His folkier side is very much represented on "Almost Lucy" & "Timeless Skies". Maybe it WAS radio-friendly for its time, but listening today it sounds arguably even more impressive than when first released in the sense that there's none of the overdone, overly slick, lifeless production that's heard all too frequently on much 1990s/ 2000s music. The album is so rich & complete--you could go on at length discussing the individual tracks... The thing that really drives it all home making the album so extra-special is the emotional resonance of the material. Wistful, breezy, wonderful songs such as the majestic title track, "Timeless Skies" (with a great "rainy" acoustic guitar part), and the relaxed "Song On The Radio", as well as the haunting story-song "Almost Lucy" all resonate very strongly. "The Palace of Versailles" with a great synthesizer melody, & the punchy uptempo rocker "Valentina Way" are a couple more gems from the album. Al said in an interview over 20 years ago he doesn't expect listeners to fully understand his often historically-based lyrics, & adding that some of it elludes even himself. Having attended a Stewart concert this past June, playing solo with acoustic guitar, his humbleness is readily apparent, and as much as he clearly enjoys piling in the little details into his lyrics for the fans who love trying to decipher it all, he is overwhelmingly effective in his attempts to communicate feeling. This album is truly worthy of the Rhino Records treatment, & with the liner notes & outstanding sound quality of this disc, they take an already essential album that extra mile. If you're new to Al, this is a perfect place to start--this is one of those truly special albums that belongs in any serious listener's collection.

Since this album first appeared it has received extensive play and continues to this day to be heard in shopping malls, supermarkets and department stores. "Time Passages" and "Song on the Radio" have proved to be undaunted by time. Now in this "tune up" CD it is evident yet again that Al Stewart is a great genius, only partially recognized due to his mega hit "Year of the Cat" and this album. I recommend this work for it's fame and strongly suggest that you also purchase some of his earlier and more obscure works, especially the legendary "Past, Present & Future" (also available at Amazon.com on CD) and immerse yourself in the art of this great talent. Well worth your time and investment!

From Scotland, Al Stewart became recognized in the US with the 1976 hit "Year Of The Cat" and continued his success with 1978's "Time Passages", a truly overall light, mellow album with his trademark brainy lyrics, a light vocal delivery and a laid back, clean guitar style and texture. Produced wonderfully by the great Alan Parsons, this album delivered two simply superb, excellent gems that were FM staples at the time ("Time Passages" and "Song On The Radio"),a time where a nice, smooth excursion was needed from the late 70's disco craze.

Other highlights contain the cool under-water floating, personal-favorite "Life In Dark Water", as well as the cerebral "A Man For All Seasons", the just beautiful "The Palace Of Versailles" and "Timeless Skies" and the dreamy acoustic "End Of The Day".

This newly remastered CD version breaths new sonic life into these pleasant songs. Definitely an excursion for your peace of mind.