Underrated

I've decided that Al Stewart should be better appreciated. He's got that plummy voice, the kind you think should be singing kids' songs, and the tunes seem pretty simple (not that I know) and probably out-dated. . . but here's the thing, his songs are great.

 They're filled with ambiguity and loss and change and loneliness and history and whole stories and word play. . . . If he sang like Dylan or Waits, he'd still be played all the time and probably listed as Wildly Influential everywhere. 

I've got Modern Times, The Dark and the Rolling Sea, Next Time,  On the Border and Broadway Hotel on my MP3 player for running. I still like them all these years later--in fact I like them more. I wouldn't play them for my kids, though. There's that Top 40s voice thing.


Comments

  1. On the Border is one of my all-time favorite songs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. yay! glad I'm not the only one out here.

    ReplyDelete

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