Al Stewart’s past has several phases of recorded music.  He has an introspective side and shows it well in Modern Times.  He can be wordy and historic just as he has been on Past Present and Future and his best-selling Year of the Cat, which was a brilliant mix of music and historical story-telling.  His Pop sensibilities developed further with Time Passages.  With the rest of his work leading up to his latest, Sparks of Ancient Light, a smear of styles, it is with great happiness that we hear Al Stewart so effortlessly making the music that we all know and love.

Sparks of Ancient Light uses history but crafts the stories within the musical style that best resembles his most accessible years, making the album one that will easily call up memorable moments.  The music heard on Sparks of Ancient Light is actually better than that heard on his top selling works like Year of the Cat, making this album a deeper, richer experience.  Although Year of the Cat is still the undisputed masterwork of Folk/Pop, Sparks of Ancient Light slots next to it.

The album begins with “Lord Salisbury,” which could easily have been part and parcel of the Year of the Cat album.  It’s followed by great songs like “Hanno the Navigator,” “Angry Bird” (which reminds of “Flying Sorcery”), and “The Loneliest Place on the Map.”  This album surpasses even his excellent previous Appleseed release, A Beach Full of Shells (2005) and is as close as you can get to Year of the Cat without being that masterpiece.  This makes Sparks of Ancient Light a masterpiece all its own.

Sparks of Ancient Light is classic Al Stewart in the best sense.  Rich in stories and the inimitable Al Stewart style of song, Sparks of Ancient Light is a must have acquisition.