A Beach Full of Shells Al Stewart

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CD

  • Release Date: 06/21/2005
  • Sales Rank: 34,950
  • Label: APPLESEED RECORDS
  • UPC: 611587108821

Listener Rating: (2 ratings)

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  • Overview
  • Tracks
  • Editorial Reviews
  • Customer Reviews
  • Details & Credits
Track List
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A Beach Full of Shells

1LISTENThe Immelman Turn 4:39
2LISTENMr. Lear 3:00
3LISTENRoyal Courtship 4:10
4LISTENRain Barrel 4:00
5LISTENSomewhere in England 6:56
6LISTENKatherine of Oregon 3:07
7LISTENMona Lisa Talking 4:26
8LISTENClass of '58 4:10
9LISTENOut in the Snow 2:51
10LISTENMy Egyptian Couch 2:18
11LISTENGina in the Kings Road 3:49
12LISTENBeacon Street 2:20
13LISTENAnniversary 2:53

About this Artist

Editorial Reviews

Al Stewart has always had a distinctive vocal style -- making his radio hits like "Year of the Cat" immediately recognizable -- while also possessing a knack for writing tuneful pop songs. A Beach Full of Shells qualifies as his first U.S. release since 1995, and while it's been some time since the singer conquered the pop charts, both his vocal style and craftsmanship remains intact. It would be a mistake, however, to view Stewart as no more than the maker of pop confections specially designed for a mass radio audience. The cover of A Beach Full of Shells offers the first clue of a playful mind that enjoys the weight of words: there are two types of shells on the beach, one from the sea, the other for use in a gun. The complexity of his approach is best experienced on "Somewhere in England 1915," a lengthy song (nearly seven minutes) with shifting dream imagery. Weaving fantasy with brief references to World War I, the narrator eventually wakes up 90 years later to find himself on the edge -- the song seems to suggest -- of yet another war. Stewart accomplishes all of this without ever being obvious, giving the song a subtle quality as it reveals its surprises to the listener. This, however, is only one of many moods on A Beach Full of Shells. "Katherine of Oregon" is as light as air, a pleasant, flowing ballad with nice acoustic guitar and light percussion, while "Mona Lisa Talking" shifts through a number of intriguing chord changes to offer a little common sense advice. A Beach Full of Shells probably doesn't spell Stewart's return to the Top 40, but it is a solid effort that will certainly please fans. Ronnie D. Lankford Jr., All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

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  • Ratings: 2Reviews: 2

A Beach Full of Shellsby Anonymous

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November 07, 2007: I've listened to the music of Al Stewart since his first album, and it's clear: he's second to none as a songwriter, singer, and musician, including Mr. Dylan, Morrison, McCartney, Brown, and Carol King. And what a voice!

A Beach Full of Shellsby Anonymous

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October 31, 2005: I have been an Al Stewart fan since Year of the Cat, and own all of his albums. For many years I considered Time Passages his best, and thought he could never match it. But Famous Last Words came close--I have considered those his two best ever since. Well, they are still one-two (or two-one, I'm not sure which I like better), but A Beach Full of Shells is #3, yes even ahead of the outstanding Year of the Cat. The melodies catch you quickly--you won't have to listen 10 times, not even 3, before you can sing along. The subject matter is his typical history/politics/geography, and his sense of humor is as good as ever. Lyrically, maybe he is not as deep here as in much of his earlier work, but he is perhaps more clever--you would expect some of these double entendres and subtle plays from Elvis Costello. It is amazing to hear such commercial pop from an artist 27 years after his heyday, and if this had been released after his megahits Time Passages and Song on the Radio, he might have continued his chart success with "Class of '58" or "Mr. Lear" or "Rain Barrel" or "Mona Lisa Talking" ("The Immelman Turn" is a great pop tune, but can you imagine radio execs putting THAT on their playlists?). But nearly 3 decades after he has faded from the charts, his fans make up a tiny percentage of the music-buying masses, so this will not get significant airplay and only long-time fans are likely to hear it. For any Al Stewart fans who buy only some of his releases, I enthusiastically recommend this one.