Al Stewart - Bed-Sitter Images / Love Chronicles / Zero She Flies / Orange

Earliest days of Bournemouth’s folk troubadour supreme

The original bedsit balladeer (and Neil Tennant soundalike) has his first four late 60s/early 70s releases refurbished by the US Collectors’ Choice label. The first disappointment is that Stewart himself isn’t directly involved. The sleevenotes only amount to fourpage inserts, but words from the great man himself would have been welcome, alongside the expected bonus tracks, as incentives to re-purchase.

Music-wise, Stewart evolves from a British Simon & Garfunkel acolyte (as heard on Bed-Sitter�Images) through a lovestruck Donovan-alike to someone with more expansive horizons. The process began with the 18-minute Love Chronicles title track, continued with Zero She Flies’ Manuscript, with its soon-to-betrademark historical references, and concluded with 1971’s Orange album. This was, to all intents and purposes, Stewart’s first rock release, with assistance from Rick Wakeman, Bruce Thomas and others.

While the orchestra had, in the main, been ditched for the kind of radio-friendly soft-rock accompaniment that those who associate him with Year Of The Cat will recall, the lyrics – inspired by a broken love affair – remained the bitter taste within the chocolate coating. Something lost and something gained, as another singer-songwriter might have put it…

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Collectors’ Choice | CCM-765 / CCM-766 / CCM-7

Reviewed by Michael Heatley
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