Paul And Al

[poliphilo]

We're listening to Al Stewart's Love Chronicles (1969)

I say, "How come Paul Simon's very famous and Al's only a little bit famous? They've both got great melodies and intelligent bittersweet lyrics, where's the difference?"

And Ailz says, "The difference is Art Garfunkel."

Comments

[internet-sampo.livejournal.com]

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

I'd have said that Al Stewart is too specialised. It's the difference between writing about universal themes and writing about little-known historic events.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You see, I love the historical songs.

But Al isn't all about history. Love Chronicles is mostly about love and disillusionment- about lives fulfilled and unfulfilled....

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

I haven't listened to that one! I love the historics, too; 'Fields of France' really gets to me, predictably enough.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Ah! The Prince of student bedsit folklore! :o)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's true.

I was nervous about listening to his stuff again because I thought I'd have outgrown it- but it seems I haven't.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

This still sits in the memory:

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Great song!

I like Peter Bellamy's version- which is just him and his little squeeze-box.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

I read a serious academic historiographical study of de Nostredame just recently, so it brought this song back to mind.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Right, that sounds interesting. What's the name of the book?

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Stéphane Gerson

'Nostradamus: How an Obscure Renaissance Astrologer Became the Modern Prophet of Doom'

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

They were around the same scene at the same time, too.

Paul Simon worked quite hard at being famous, didn't he? Not that Al Stewart didn't, I suppose. Actually, I'm always surptised that he is that 'little bit' famous - when I heard Year of the Cat on the radio in the greengrocers' - not because he doesn't deserve it, but because I don't think of him in that category...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I understand Al and Paul were room-mates for a time.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Well, at one time it was, anyway.

I always liked Al, though.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I reckon Paul wouldn't have made it as big on his own. His later career rests on him having once been part of that fabulously successful double act.

[basefinder.livejournal.com]

Al Stewart can certainly turn a phrase. Over here we knew him best for "The Year of the Cat," which among its top-forty pop contemporaries had an amazing lyric.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That was his biggest hit.

Also he had a couple of albums go platinum.