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Title: Laughing Into 1939
Review: Al Stewart is best remembered for his 1970s "AOR" hits, "Year of the Cat" & "Time Passages." Although Stewart has continued to produce records since then, his American hits were limited to that brief period of time. That's unfortunate since for over 30 years, Stewart has produced an impressive quantity of good material. I like Stewart's work because he often incorporates historical events and imagery into his music. Sure, it can be a bit corny at times (and his 70s hits were pretty schmaltzy) but it's a step up from today's "urban" music for sure.In BETWEEN THE WARS, Al teamed-up with hotshot guitarist Laurence Juber (briefly of Wings). These songs are, as one might gather, "soundscapes" from that surreal period of time, 1918-1939. Not all the songs work equally well, but there is more than enough vintage Stewart for any fan. Thanks to Juber, many of the songs have a jazzy feel. I particularly liked "The Cause," about the Spanish Civil War & "Laughing Into 1939."
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