"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolour in the rain". Poetry... "But the drum-beat strains of the night remain In the rhythm of the newborn day". Erm... I have no words. Genius.
Hello team, have a look at the Chinese calender every year is named after an animal, so you should be able to find out what year it was, love QLD Australia thank you so very much
@@tvgator1 Yeah, especially when you think of the quality of music that was coming out in them days. You had to be REALLY good to get noticed and airplay.
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolour in the rain..." isn't that the greatest song lyric ever written? The whole piece is a work of pure genius.
Pichouli us an Indian essential oil if often used by women of the hippy era as an inexpensive perfume. Year of the Cat refers an astrological sign in Chinese/Vietnamese astrology As others have said, this is a unique masterpiece and one of the best singles of the 70's, which is saying something. The song and its amazing arrangement is high high level stuff.
Don't totally agree. I'm sure the kids today tell stories in their 'songs'. It's just that us oldies can't understand 'em. :) Oh, agree that this is a masterpiece. A universal banger, and no mistake.
I love watching people react to this song, especially when that sax comes in. Al Stewart's girlfriend at the time he was writing the song had a Vietnamese calendar, and it was in the Year of the Cat. The lyrics tell a story of a tourist in Morocco that meets a beautiful woman in a silk dress with whom he has a one-night stand, then in the morning he realizes that the tour bus left without him so he's going to stay with her. The arrangement and the lyrics are beautifully crafted. This song and "On the Border" are my favorites by him, but he has many fantastic songs.
An awesome piece engineered by the great Alan Parsons, so was time Passages, Alan said let's put in the saxophone and Al Stewart wasn't crazy about it but told Alan Parsons ok put it in, so glad he did, all these solo instruments that combine so smoothly with one another and not create an cotrastrophy with all the instruments and oh so smoothly with Al's vocals, very well engineered
I love this and On The Border too, but I love the entire Past, Present and Future album the most (start-to-finish), especially Old Admirals, Roads to Moscow, Nostradamus and even ... for their quirky nature, Terminal Eyes and Soho (Needless TO Say). I also love Time Passages, Song On The Radio and End Of The Day from the Time Passages album. Such a unique singer, great song writing and accompanying group.
Gorgeous melodies and beautiful lyrics. It's a MASTERPIECE. The first line '...strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre contemplating a crime..." is a reference to the classic Humphrey Bogart/Ingrid Bergman film CASSABLANCA. Patchouli is a perfumed oil, btw. And, yes this song definitely brings to mind a sunny summer day bursting with bright colors.
The maltes falcon was much superior to casablanca. PETER peter Lorrie out did Bogart in The Maltes Falcon, INCREDIBLE! Nobody Bogarted Bogart but Peter Lorrie did in the Maltes Falcon!He Bogarted, Bogy! Maltes Falcon.
Patchouli is really nicely used here. Al’s songs are atmospheric and then this one, I can feel the warm air and I can smell all the smells of the marketplace. Al Stewart is a genius.
Al Stewart is a great Scottish singer-songwriter & folk-rock musician. He was big in the 70's. I had his album "Year Of The Cat" & "Time Passages". All the songs on both are great. "Year Of The Cat" is one of my favorites songs. Love the sax solo.
One of the most melodic songs ever composed. The use of strings, woodwinds and keys combined with flawless time changes and flamenco guitar work makes this a genuine masterpiece. It gets better with time and wine💯%.
when my grandson was a baby and crying and we couldn't seem to get him to stop, I would put this song on and it worked every time. He is 5 years old and still loves the song..it's hypnotic...great reaction !!
One of my younger aunt’s was my baby sitter when as was a baby, and she got the LP with that song, and I still have the LP, my apologies not still alive and every time I go to my hometown, I go to visit her… I love my aunt, besides that she introduced me to the music in the early 70’s
This song creates a sense of nostalgia even if its the first time you have heard it. Wherever you are when this is played, it classes up the joint just a bit.
My favorite part of this song is when the acoustic guitar leads into the electric guitar which leads into the sax. I never realized how special this song was when it was out in the 1970s but I've grown to really appreciate it. She comes out of the sun with a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain. What fantastic lyrics.
You must also listen to "On The Border", another hit of his with all sorts of references to gun running during the Spanish Civil War, and yet another catchy tune which can stay in your head for hours or days
If you want to hear the very best of Al Stewart you must listen to "Roads to Moscow" (the guitar work is terrific) as well as "Nostradamus". Roads to Moscow tells the story of the German invasion of Russia during WW2 through the eyes of a Russian soldier. Unfortunately, now we have the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine and it is devastating.
This is just an incredible piece of music. The writing is like a novel, the musicianship is first-rate, and the production and arrangement is dynamic and brilliant. I think that's the bass you're hearing.
Patchouli is a flower, often used as a type of incense. That sound towards the end of the song is a guitar. Love this song, and thoroughly enjoyed your reaction.
Masterpiece is the only way to describe this tune. This is a journey riding wave to wave of different instruments and the transitions are so tastefully executed.
Al Stewart was watching the movie "Casablanca" (a Bogart movie with Peter Lorrie as one of its stars) when he was inspired to write this song. By the time the movie was over he had finished the song, except for the course. He couldn't come up with anything to tie the song together. He showed the song to his Vietnamese girlfriend and her response was oh it's so mysterious, like a cat. Then she casually mentioned that, in Vietnam right now, it's the year of the cat. Something in Al Stewart clicked and he finished the song. Interestingly, once he recorded the song, he didn't think much of it. Most popular songs don't have a full orchestra, it's too long, and so on. Since the song was so long, he put it on the album as the last song on side 2 because he didn't anyone would ever listen to it. The song ended up being his biggest hit and completely changing his life. Today he says the song is kind of like a rich uncle that keeps giving him money.
But is it really better than: Yeah, gotta say what's up to my nigga Slick Rick For those who don't like it, eat a dick But for those who with me, sing that shit As it go a little something like this Lodi dodi, we likes to party Let's ask the reviewers what they think, shall we?
Patchouli oil is a very strong scent and was used quite a bit by the hippie crowd. It's made a comeback recently - it's one of those scents that you either love or hate, and once you know what it smells like, you will always be able to instantly recognize it. Very distinctive.
Recording. The track is noted for its lengthy instrumental sections-over four minutes of the 6:40 album version is instrumental, including a long, melodic series of solos that encompass cello, violin, piano, acoustic guitar, distorted electric guitar, synthesizer and saxophone. Thank you. This song is a masterpiece. I got the album when it was released and still have and play it.
Hear this song and you're imprinted for life. I know where and when I first heard it. Every listen since takes me back to 1976 and the feel of that time. Not yet born? Think 2006 - it'll work. Al Stewart says he saw his then-girlfriend's Vietnamese astrology book opened to "The Year of the Cat" and thought it would make a good song title. It certainly did. As the story's narrator, Al sees his one night leading to involvement in a new place, with a mysterious and charming woman. By missing his bus and losing his ticket - no accident, but a choice - he commits to a Year of the Cat. A "year", for he says "... you know sometime you're bound to leave her, but for now you're going to stay..." . The album cover is cat-themed in endless detail. A woman in a complete cat suit sits before a dresser and mirror, readying for a night out. From below a striped tail curls into view. We see in the mirror her face made up with whiskers and framed by a pointy-eared hood. Oh-oh... she's pulling a clawed glove onto her one upraised hand. Jeez, Al! A year of this? I'm starting to suspect it wasn't all purring and drumbeat strains with a certain girlfriend. The beginning, though must've been sublime to elicit this musical gem. And that's part of this song's long-lived appeal, for who doesn't hear a soundtrack for their life, and recall a perfectly scripted scene with that long-ago lover? Or imagine it, at least, a touch more poetic than it was. Morocco. Bazaar. Like Peter Lorre, contemplating a crime. "She comes out of the sun in a silk dress, running ... like a watercolor, in the rain". A year that begins this way just might be worth some claw scars. Yes. It would. Play it again, Sam.
This is a song that I would word it as a musical stream. The instruments are the gentle twist and turns the stream leisurely takes your mind down ever so softly and gives your soul the ride of musical euphoria. I get goosebumps every time I listen to it. Your heart and soul has just been sedated by the sounds that came into your mind through your ears. Wow how music can change your mind and open so many windows to the world. Patchouli, an aromatic oil obtained from a Southeast Asian shrub, which is used in perfumery. Al Chamberlin
This is a great song. No chorus, just the refrain, "The Year Of The Cat". And it had a bridge, which is seldom heard these days. The song was extremely well mixed (by Alan Parsons). It is extremely rich with sounds, and yes, the piano is played throughout! This is one of my favourite songs.
I wonder if „Bogart movie“ and „Peter Lorre“ rang any bell or they just overheard it. These phrases add a lot of „paint“ to the picture Al describes in this 70‘s masterpiece.
A great song vocally and musically. Did well on the charts as did his follow up hit TIME PASSAGES which to me is also a winner. Al said the movie CASA BLANCA inspired him to write the song.
Always loved this track since I was a kid. I especially love how the violin, acoustic guitar, electric guitar,and saxophone solos just blend so effortlessly one after the other. A beautifully arranged song. To quote Greg Kihn,"they don't write 'em like that anymore".
This song is such a time machine. IMO when a song can return you back to an earlier snapshot of your journey, wrapped in feelings long forgotten...not a lot of songs have that level of magic.
This is a song I listened to endlessly after my hero big brother drowned in 1976. Shawn was almost 9, and I was 7, and this song came out about 6 months later...so it is sooo tied up with memories in my heart. A magical hurt that soothes me. ❤❤❤❤❤
The Guys in my Top Ten of Artists...I love this guy!! So many great memories!! Patchouli Oil is what hippys wear...great old perfume.. If you went to any rock or folk festival in England in the 60's through to the 80's... You would have smelt it every where... Try out Al's "On the Border" In fact the whole Album "The year of the Cat" is a masterpiece... I've carried it with me through my life!!
About as close as you can get to a perfect song. Everything about it is great...lyrics, singing, and those incredible instrumentals, each featuring a new element. Fantastic!
Al stewart is a fantastic composer, songwriter, and musician. I have always used jazzy, folky, smooth tunes. He always has had a great band to back him up. My favorite dong by him is Time Passages that has a great guitar and sax solo. I like this song to but I Time Passages a little better than this one. Still, both are great songs with great vocals from Al. These are the type of songs where you pnt on headphones and drift away. Love them!
Patchouli was a very popular kind of perfume in the 70ˋs it smells very intense…very good choice of music, btw! Yes, On The Border is a must too and also Time Passages is worth to hear.
I love the strings coming in after the bridge. So luxurious. Then from there it just starts to ascend with the flamenco guitar, to the electric guitar and then when you think you've hit the summit - in comes the sax. Just a glorious arrangement with fantastic lyrics.
So... the song is intended to put you in like a Henry Bogart Casablanca Moroccan marketplace kind of feel. You can smell the fragrance of incense and patchouli in the air... Superb purest lyrics, great music - 70's was a magical decade for singer songwriters!!
You just opened up the wonderous world of Al Stewart. Congratulations and please enjoy your wonderful trip through history, accompanied by intricate and beautiful music. A lot to explore here. Year of the Cat, is just the tip of the iceberg!
Was so thrilled watching you too enjoy this song….been one of my favorites for a while and so happy to see young people enjoying these timeless tunes!,,, love your videos,,, peace and love always!
Hey guys, patchouli is a flowering plant. The oil from it is used as a fragrance, like incense. My great grandmother used it all the time in her furniture. That was back in the 1970s, like this song, but I'm not sure if it's used as much these days.
@@martinrogerson4887 If it wasn't for my great grandmother, and her whole house smelling like it, I probably would've never known what it is! And I can honestly say I don't think I've smelled it anywhere since! Lol
WITHOUT EXCEPTION I HAVE WATCHED NUMEROUS PEOPLE LISTEN TO THIS SONG AND COME AWAY ABSOLUTELY MOVED BEYOND DESCRIPTION FLABBERGHASTED BY THE INCREDIBLE SOUNDS TO THE POINT THEY ARE SPEECHLESS!! NEVER HAVE I SEEN ANYONE SAY AFTER LISTENING TO THIS SONG " OH IT WAS PRETTY GOOD"" NO THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY STUNNED EMOTIONALLY AND COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED!!
Hmmm sounds to me that you don't watch ones tell an honest opinion. Just ones that placate to people like you. You got all up in your feels because someone don't see things the way you do. I promise it will be ok
Pachoolee is an herb that’s made into an essential oil that people wore in the 60’s. It had come back over the years and many women (lesbian) wore it. I know I misspelled the word but you get me. This is a great song that i liked back when it was on the radio, but it really didn’t hit me until just a few years ago when i actually could hear how the instrumentation just shined all throughout the song. He really did let the musicians go for it, not only did the lyrics tell the story, the music did as well. Enjoy!
I fell in love with this song completely when I was 18 Y/O in 1976. I am going to see Al Stewart at Daryl's (Hall) House next month and and so thrilled!
Always amazes me that you can get together such incredible talent like this and get this sound from all theses people and create one of the most incredible jazz rock songs ever. Everybody is in sync with each other their timing is perfect every solo done incredibly well, the pocket as far as rhythm goes is tight like a fine woman in a tight dress.
It's from a Chinese calendar. 1975 was the year of the cat. That gave the song title and he wrote lyrics from watching a Bogart movie that had Peter Lorre.
I knew as soon as you started watching that you would love this masterpiece of poetry and music. There are so many treasures and delights to find in this song. I was 17 in 1976 in Manchester UK when this came out. We reacted just the same as you. Thanks.
Great song, perfect reaction! Back in the day this song and Ajá by Steely Dan were the two songs you would listen to when testing speakers at the stereo store. It’s a tough one to decipher the lyrics, but it sounds SO good.
You’ve got to watch the 15 year old UA-cam video of this song live. The pianist begins by playing “As Time Goes By” and it morphs into the intro of Year of the Cat. And you can see him playing the piano throughout until the very end. Astounding.
Patchouli, bringing me back to a time long ago. High School, concerts, beautiful young ladies smelling like flowers. Sweet memories of yesteryear. These songs are taken me back, thank you.
Patchouly is an oil that is very deep fragrance . Kind of like perfume or cologne but it’s much richer and last longer . Patchouly oil , go check it out !
Al Stewart was a 12 string wizard. Roads to Moscow is beyond great. Especially with what is going on now. Thank you Asia and BJ. Great memories for me. God Bless.
I was living in Morocco when I first heard this song.. It hit me then that there are references to the movie Casablanca with Humphry Bogart and Peter Lore.. the blue tiled walls near the market stalls reminds me of the Moroccan city of Fez.. Someone said this song imprints you.. I agree. . . I love this reaction.. The year of the Cat might be a reference to the Chinese calendar
Lush and atmospheric, is the best way for me to describe this gem, and much of Al Stewart's music. He has a knack for creating songs that evoke a feeling, and create a connection for the listener. Nice choice. 🤟😊
This was the theme tune for the long hot summer of 76 in the UK. Not a single beach party would go down without the whole album being played on repeat.
The year of the cat is one of the chinese years...but Al couldn't think of a title for the song for ages, but then he picked up a magazine with the Chinese year of the cat on it or his girlfriend had a mag with it on... But it's one of the chinese years..
The song came out in 1976. In the Vietnamese Zodiac Callendar Year of the cat was 1975. My uncle was telling me about this song while he was flying in Vietnam and a cassette tape was playing this song around sunset. He was enjoying a beer, a quiet part of the war. No strings, piano at first then he switched to Moog synthesizer for keys that sound like strings and chimes. Sax is like icing on the cake.
So wonderful to see young people of today enjoying this as much as we did back in the 70s... That light orchestral and then the saxophone coming always blows people away... Brilliant arrangement.
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolour in the rain". Poetry... "But the drum-beat strains of the night remain In the rhythm of the newborn day". Erm... I have no words. Genius.
The lyrics are perfect with this Beautiful sweeping masterpiece.
Hello team, have a look at the Chinese calender every year is named after an animal, so you should be able to find out what year it was, love QLD Australia thank you so very much
Beautifully phrased doesn't even begin to describe it...
I've heard this song a million times and could here it a million more. It is a true masterpiece!
Definitely! And they played the hell out of this when it came out (when I was a kid).
Absolutely. Stunning 😎
@@tvgator1 Yeah, especially when you think of the quality of music that was coming out in them days. You had to be REALLY good to get noticed and airplay.
So many memories when I hear this!!!
En parte gracias a Alan Parsosns
"She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolour in the rain..." isn't that the greatest song lyric ever written? The whole piece is a work of pure genius.
pretty damn close brother
@@phillipglass Is that comment a Homage to "The Sting?" :)
Pichouli us an Indian essential oil if often used by women of the hippy era as an inexpensive perfume. Year of the Cat refers an astrological sign in Chinese/Vietnamese astrology As others have said, this is a unique masterpiece and one of the best singles of the 70's, which is saying something. The song and its amazing arrangement is high high level stuff.
I bought my first record in London in 1960 just the odd 62 years ago :) and this is in my Top 10 of all time,my friend..
It also still comes in incense. Love, love, love this song since the first time I heard it as a teen!
Alan Parsons on the desk
TY!
@@warrenjg4598 I should have known.
What a combination:)
Patchouli is a scent, like a perfume. Smells sort of like sandalwood and hippies…😃
@Donatella Loncar
Covers up the weed smell...sometimes...!
@@jordan390a 😂😂😂
But you're not wrong.😆
@@jordan390a , not well enough, in my experience.😀
yeah came to say this. patchouli smells like hippie chicks
Yes the smell of hippie girls 🤤
He paints a picture and tells a story with his lyrics. Something that is sadly missing in today's music. An absolute masterpiece.
Don't totally agree. I'm sure the kids today tell stories in their 'songs'. It's just that us oldies can't understand 'em. :) Oh, agree that this is a masterpiece. A universal banger, and no mistake.
@@spoonunit03 probably do but not to this level.
Alan Parsons enginering
Absolutely!
Those songs are out there, they just don't make it to the mainstream anymore...
I love watching people react to this song, especially when that sax comes in. Al Stewart's girlfriend at the time he was writing the song had a Vietnamese calendar, and it was in the Year of the Cat. The lyrics tell a story of a tourist in Morocco that meets a beautiful woman in a silk dress with whom he has a one-night stand, then in the morning he realizes that the tour bus left without him so he's going to stay with her. The arrangement and the lyrics are beautifully crafted. This song and "On the Border" are my favorites by him, but he has many fantastic songs.
I love on the border.
An awesome piece engineered by the great Alan Parsons, so was time Passages, Alan said let's put in the saxophone and Al Stewart wasn't crazy about it but told Alan Parsons ok put it in, so glad he did, all these solo instruments that combine so smoothly with one another and not create an cotrastrophy with all the instruments and oh so smoothly with Al's vocals, very well engineered
I love this and On The Border too, but I love the entire Past, Present and Future album the most (start-to-finish), especially Old Admirals, Roads to Moscow, Nostradamus and even ... for their quirky nature, Terminal Eyes and Soho (Needless TO Say). I also love Time Passages, Song On The Radio and End Of The Day from the Time Passages album. Such a unique singer, great song writing and accompanying group.
Right, and I read somewhere that Al drew inspiration from the movie "Casablanca," which is set in Morocco.
@@woodrowwilkins149 Wow, what a AWESOME last name !!!
“Silk dress runnin’ like a water color in the rain.” One of those lines every songwriter wishes they’d have written.
Gorgeous melodies and beautiful lyrics. It's a MASTERPIECE. The first line '...strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre contemplating a crime..." is a reference to the classic Humphrey Bogart/Ingrid Bergman film CASSABLANCA. Patchouli is a perfumed oil, btw. And, yes this song definitely brings to mind a sunny summer day bursting with bright colors.
Patchouli was particular to hippies and flower children was it not?
@@disillusionedanglophile7680 ..and Zendaya (and Rudy Giuliana)
The maltes falcon was much superior to casablanca. PETER peter Lorrie out did Bogart in The Maltes Falcon, INCREDIBLE! Nobody Bogarted Bogart but Peter Lorrie did in the Maltes Falcon!He Bogarted, Bogy! Maltes Falcon.
Patchouli is really nicely used here. Al’s songs are atmospheric and then this one, I can feel the warm air and I can smell all the smells of the marketplace. Al Stewart is a genius.
A lovely scent. Reminds of saltwater coastlines.
First time I ever heard of patchouli was Guiliana Rancic chic from Fashion Police
@@dizastro5437 Yeah, it's herbal rather than floral.
Al Stewart is a great Scottish singer-songwriter & folk-rock musician. He was big in the 70's. I had his album "Year Of The Cat" & "Time Passages". All the songs on both are great. "Year Of The Cat" is one of my favorites songs. Love the sax solo.
Those are excellent albums too to bottom
Born in Scotland but spent his whole childhood in England.
Time Passages is my favorite, period.
Just when you think it can't get no better a saxophone comes in out-of-left-field!
Exactly, takes you by surprise!
and then it plays on through the fadeout and leaves you wanting more
@@leonardshevlin7260 50 years later and we still want more:)
YESSIR 😲👍
One of the most melodic songs ever composed. The use of strings, woodwinds and keys combined with flawless time changes and flamenco guitar work makes this a genuine masterpiece. It gets better with time and wine💯%.
when my grandson was a baby and crying and we couldn't seem to get him to stop, I would put this song on and it worked every time. He is 5 years old and still loves the song..it's hypnotic...great reaction !!
One of my younger aunt’s was my baby sitter when as was a baby, and she got the LP with that song, and I still have the LP, my apologies not still alive and every time I go to my hometown, I go to visit her… I love my aunt, besides that she introduced me to the music in the early 70’s
The Year of the cat " AL Stewart" and Gerry Rafferty "Baker Street" are both masterpieces.
So true - hard to match
^^^ this
Masterpieces are sumthin you never get tired of.
This and "Time Passages", I can never hear too many times.
This song creates a sense of nostalgia even if its the first time you have heard it. Wherever you are when this is played, it classes up the joint just a bit.
Any song that begins with a Peter Lorre reference is okay by me.
That's one of the greatest opening lines of all time right there.
He could have fitted Sidney Green Street in there,somewhere:)
My favorite part of this song is when the acoustic guitar leads into the electric guitar which leads into the sax. I never realized how special this song was when it was out in the 1970s but I've grown to really appreciate it. She comes out of the sun with a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain. What fantastic lyrics.
You must also listen to "On The Border", another hit of his with all sorts of references to gun running during the Spanish Civil War, and yet another catchy tune which can stay in your head for hours or days
I love the piano intro to this song.
With Peter White it's amazing
"Year of the Cat" is AL Stewart's masterpiece.
I have always felt that this song would be absolutely perfect in a helicopter ride over New York City when that saxophone kicks in! :)
At night....
If you want to hear the very best of Al Stewart you must listen to "Roads to Moscow" (the guitar work is terrific) as well as "Nostradamus". Roads to Moscow tells the story of the German invasion of Russia during WW2 through the eyes of a Russian soldier. Unfortunately, now we have the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine and it is devastating.
"Roads To Moscow" is an absolute Masterpiece!
This is just an incredible piece of music. The writing is like a novel, the musicianship is first-rate, and the production and arrangement is dynamic and brilliant. I think that's the bass you're hearing.
Patchouli is a flower, often used as a type of incense.
That sound towards the end of the song is a guitar.
Love this song, and thoroughly enjoyed your reaction.
Asia, your smile lights up the world!! Your personality makes every reaction a beautiful experience!
Yes I agree she is delightful to watch 🙏♥️ she's a doll 😄
Masterpiece is the only way to describe this tune. This is a journey riding wave to wave of different instruments and the transitions are so tastefully executed.
This song pretty much defines the 1970’s vibe. It’s got everything you could want in a song.
It’s the most beautiful song ever written.
The next song from Al Stewart should be his other 70's hit "Time Passages".
Asia & BJ, He is Scottish singer/songwriter, and his other well known song is "Time Passages". Phil Kenzie on saxophone.
On THe Border, Time Passages and Lord Grenville:)
You can listen to this song a thousand times and come out with something you didn’t catch before every time. A Masterpiece
Al Stewart was watching the movie "Casablanca" (a Bogart movie with Peter Lorrie as one of its stars) when he was inspired to write this song. By the time the movie was over he had finished the song, except for the course. He couldn't come up with anything to tie the song together. He showed the song to his Vietnamese girlfriend and her response was oh it's so mysterious, like a cat. Then she casually mentioned that, in Vietnam right now, it's the year of the cat. Something in Al Stewart clicked and he finished the song. Interestingly, once he recorded the song, he didn't think much of it. Most popular songs don't have a full orchestra, it's too long, and so on. Since the song was so long, he put it on the album as the last song on side 2 because he didn't anyone would ever listen to it. The song ended up being his biggest hit and completely changing his life. Today he says the song is kind of like a rich uncle that keeps giving him money.
Best lyric in history... "She comes out of the sun, in a silk dress...running like a watercolor in the rain." There's no better imagery out there.
But is it really better than:
Yeah, gotta say what's up to my nigga Slick Rick
For those who don't like it, eat a dick
But for those who with me, sing that shit
As it go a little something like this
Lodi dodi, we likes to party
Let's ask the reviewers what they think, shall we?
Patchouli oil is a very strong scent and was used quite a bit by the hippie crowd. It's made a comeback recently - it's one of those scents that you either love or hate, and once you know what it smells like, you will always be able to instantly recognize it. Very distinctive.
Yes, my beutiful hippe chick neighbor uses it and it drives me wild. Can't explain it.
And you remember that scent forever
Recording. The track is noted for its lengthy instrumental sections-over four minutes of the 6:40 album version is instrumental, including a long, melodic series of solos that encompass cello, violin, piano, acoustic guitar, distorted electric guitar, synthesizer and saxophone. Thank you. This song is a masterpiece. I got the album when it was released and still have and play it.
Hear this song and you're imprinted for life. I know where and when I first heard it. Every listen since takes me back to 1976 and the feel of that time. Not yet born? Think 2006 - it'll work.
Al Stewart says he saw his then-girlfriend's Vietnamese astrology book opened to "The Year of the Cat" and thought it would make a good song title. It certainly did. As the story's narrator, Al sees his one night leading to involvement in a new place, with a mysterious and charming woman. By missing his bus and losing his ticket - no accident, but a choice - he commits to a Year of the Cat. A "year", for he says "... you know sometime you're bound to leave her, but for now you're going to stay..." .
The album cover is cat-themed in endless detail. A woman in a complete cat suit sits before a dresser and mirror, readying for a night out. From below a striped tail curls into view. We see in the mirror her face made up with whiskers and framed by a pointy-eared hood. Oh-oh... she's pulling a clawed glove onto her one upraised hand. Jeez, Al! A year of this? I'm starting to suspect it wasn't all purring and drumbeat strains with a certain girlfriend. The beginning, though must've been sublime to elicit this musical gem.
And that's part of this song's long-lived appeal, for who doesn't hear a soundtrack for their life, and recall a perfectly scripted scene with that long-ago lover? Or imagine it, at least, a touch more poetic than it was. Morocco. Bazaar. Like Peter Lorre, contemplating a crime. "She comes out of the sun in a silk dress, running ... like a watercolor, in the rain". A year that begins this way just might be worth some claw scars. Yes. It would. Play it again, Sam.
One of my all time favorites especially for the instrumentals. Year of the Cat is part of the Vietnamese Zodiac. Years are named for animals.
This is a song that I would word it as a musical stream. The instruments are the gentle twist and turns the stream leisurely takes your mind down ever so softly and gives your soul the ride of musical euphoria. I get goosebumps every time I listen to it. Your heart and soul has just been sedated by the sounds that came into your mind through your ears. Wow how music can change your mind and open so many windows to the world. Patchouli, an aromatic oil obtained from a Southeast Asian shrub, which is used in perfumery. Al Chamberlin
The lyrics of this song is pure genius,, a masterpiece.
This is a great song. No chorus, just the refrain, "The Year Of The Cat". And it had a bridge, which is seldom heard these days. The song was extremely well mixed (by Alan Parsons). It is extremely rich with sounds, and yes, the piano is played throughout! This is one of my favourite songs.
I wonder if „Bogart movie“ and „Peter Lorre“ rang any bell or they just overheard it. These phrases add a lot of „paint“ to the picture Al describes in this 70‘s masterpiece.
A great song vocally and musically. Did well on the charts as did his follow up hit TIME PASSAGES which to me is also a winner. Al said the movie CASA BLANCA inspired him to write the song.
Always loved this track since I was a kid. I especially love how the violin, acoustic guitar, electric guitar,and saxophone solos just blend so effortlessly one after the other. A beautifully arranged song. To quote Greg Kihn,"they don't write 'em like that anymore".
This song is such a time machine. IMO when a song can return you back to an earlier snapshot of your journey, wrapped in feelings long forgotten...not a lot of songs have that level of magic.
This is a song I listened to endlessly after my hero big brother drowned in 1976. Shawn was almost 9, and I was 7, and this song came out about 6 months later...so it is sooo tied up with memories in my heart. A magical hurt that soothes me.
❤❤❤❤❤
Brilliant first time I heard it years ago and I've only grown to appreciate it more and more.... A truly great song!
I saw him in concert in Virginia in 2019, he still has it! He sings about history now, never about “boy meets girl” in his words. He is a treasure.
Als no longer on this planet
@@chuckyoneill9029 Al is alive and well, try fact checking before your next post.
The Guys in my Top Ten of Artists...I love this guy!! So many great memories!! Patchouli Oil is what hippys wear...great old perfume.. If you went to any rock or folk festival in England in the 60's through to the 80's... You would have smelt it every where... Try out Al's "On the Border" In fact the whole Album "The year of the Cat" is a masterpiece... I've carried it with me through my life!!
Patchouli is an essential oil for calming that was used in the 60's and 70's by the Hippie generation. I still have it as part of my self healing.
It was used as a deodorant in the 80’s and 90’s…..
It is still used in perfumes, especially men's cologne. Its scent is very strong.
About as close as you can get to a perfect song. Everything about it is great...lyrics, singing, and those incredible instrumentals, each featuring a new element. Fantastic!
Al stewart is a fantastic composer, songwriter, and musician. I have always used jazzy, folky, smooth tunes. He always has had a great band to back him up. My favorite dong by him is Time Passages that has a great guitar and sax solo. I like this song to but I Time Passages a little better than this one. Still, both are great songs with great vocals from Al. These are the type of songs where you pnt on headphones and drift away. Love them!
Patchouli is an essential oil, used in aromatherapy, sold in health stores. Was popular in the sixties.
Patchouli was a very popular kind of perfume in the 70ˋs it smells very intense…very good choice of music, btw! Yes, On The Border is a must too and also Time Passages is worth to hear.
That is the 70's right there. AMAZING song and artist(headcase). Rock on.
Yes. My junior high school days. I'll never forget this song 😊
I am a HUGE Al Stewart fan. Thank you for reacting to this.
Al was one of the great storytellers like Harry Chapin and other song writers back then.
Damn great territory you both are going into on your musical journey. This and his other hit Time Passages.
I LOVE Asia’s laugh, and BJ’s wisdom..
I love the strings coming in after the bridge. So luxurious. Then from there it just starts to ascend with the flamenco guitar, to the electric guitar and then when you think you've hit the summit - in comes the sax. Just a glorious arrangement with fantastic lyrics.
GREAT REACTION! Song was great in the 70s and still going strong,Listen to the whole album you will love it.
😎👍
One of my favourite songs. I never tire of hearing the poetry of the lyrics, the perfect delivery and the amazing music.
So... the song is intended to put you in like a Henry Bogart Casablanca Moroccan marketplace kind of feel. You can smell the fragrance of incense and patchouli in the air...
Superb purest lyrics, great music - 70's was a magical decade for singer songwriters!!
You just opened up the wonderous world of Al Stewart. Congratulations and please enjoy your wonderful trip through history, accompanied by intricate and beautiful music. A lot to explore here. Year of the Cat, is just the tip of the iceberg!
One of the best produced tunes and instrumentals along with the story line! I believe this won a Grammy for record of The Year!
Was so thrilled watching you too enjoy this song….been one of my favorites for a while and so happy to see young people enjoying these timeless tunes!,,, love your videos,,, peace and love always!
Many have said it's among the best songs ever recorded. I think it is. I have it on vinyl.
Hey guys, patchouli is a flowering plant. The oil from it is used as a fragrance, like incense. My great grandmother used it all the time in her furniture. That was back in the 1970s, like this song, but I'm not sure if it's used as much these days.
Thank you for finally answering what it is..only been wondering for 30 years! Your a legend cheers 🍻
@@martinrogerson4887 If it wasn't for my great grandmother, and her whole house smelling like it, I probably would've never known what it is! And I can honestly say I don't think I've smelled it anywhere since! Lol
one of the greatest songs ever!
WITHOUT EXCEPTION I HAVE WATCHED NUMEROUS PEOPLE LISTEN TO THIS SONG AND COME AWAY ABSOLUTELY MOVED BEYOND DESCRIPTION FLABBERGHASTED BY THE INCREDIBLE SOUNDS TO THE POINT THEY ARE SPEECHLESS!! NEVER HAVE I SEEN ANYONE SAY AFTER LISTENING TO THIS SONG " OH IT WAS PRETTY GOOD"" NO THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY STUNNED EMOTIONALLY AND COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED!!
Hmmm sounds to me that you don't watch ones tell an honest opinion. Just ones that placate to people like you. You got all up in your feels because someone don't see things the way you do. I promise it will be ok
That "particular noise" at the end was a synthesizer 😅. You 2 are funny.
Pachoolee is an herb that’s made into an essential oil that people wore in the 60’s. It had come back over the years and many women (lesbian) wore it. I know I misspelled the word but you get me. This is a great song that i liked back when it was on the radio, but it really didn’t hit me until just a few years ago when i actually could hear how the instrumentation just shined all throughout the song. He really did let the musicians go for it, not only did the lyrics tell the story, the music did as well. Enjoy!
I fell in love with this song completely when I was 18 Y/O in 1976. I am going to see Al Stewart at Daryl's (Hall) House next month and and so thrilled!
Always amazes me that you can get together such incredible talent like this and get this sound from all theses people and create one of the most incredible jazz rock songs ever. Everybody is in sync with each other their timing is perfect every solo done incredibly well, the pocket as far as rhythm goes is tight like a fine woman in a tight dress.
It's from a Chinese calendar. 1975 was the year of the cat. That gave the song title and he wrote lyrics from watching a Bogart movie that had Peter Lorre.
So many great Scottish artists, especially in the 70s. OMG! Thank you!
His piano player used to play this rift to warm up. Al said he would write a song to it. The piano player said it was impossible. Guess what.
One of the most relaxing perfect songs. Still have my vinyl copy. Such a classic
This song is superb. It's one of the best produced songs ever recorded. It's got everything, without being overdone.
I knew as soon as you started watching that you would love this masterpiece of poetry and music. There are so many treasures and delights to find in this song. I was 17 in 1976 in Manchester UK when this came out. We reacted just the same as you. Thanks.
Great song, perfect reaction! Back in the day this song and Ajá by Steely Dan were the two songs you would listen to when testing speakers at the stereo store. It’s a tough one to decipher the lyrics, but it sounds SO good.
One of my all-time favorites. I love Al's gentle, soothing voice.
The arrangement of the instrumental section is pure genius.
You’ve got to watch the 15 year old UA-cam video of this song live. The pianist begins by playing “As Time Goes By” and it morphs into the intro of Year of the Cat. And you can see him playing the piano throughout until the very end. Astounding.
Great song great players and Al’s voice is so distinct! Nice rabbit hole to dive into! ❤️👌
Patchouli, bringing me back to a time long ago. High School, concerts, beautiful young ladies smelling like flowers. Sweet memories of yesteryear. These songs are taken me back, thank you.
Patchouly is an oil that is very deep fragrance . Kind of like perfume or cologne but it’s much richer and last longer . Patchouly oil , go check it out !
Welcome aboard! We were so honored to be living in the time (70's , 80's) of all these great musical artists.
Al Stewart was a 12 string wizard. Roads to Moscow is beyond great. Especially with what is going on now. Thank you Asia and BJ. Great memories for me. God Bless.
I bet you if you smelled Patchouli you would automatically say oh yeah I've smelled that smell before.
I have not heard this since I was a kid. So refreshing and nice!
And doesn’t it sound timelessly perfect in all ways.🤟
I was living in Morocco when I first heard this song.. It hit me then that there are references to the movie Casablanca with Humphry Bogart and Peter Lore.. the blue tiled walls near the market stalls reminds me of the Moroccan city of Fez.. Someone said this song imprints you.. I agree. . . I love this reaction.. The year of the Cat might be a reference to the Chinese calendar
Lush and atmospheric, is the best way for me to describe this gem, and much of Al Stewart's music. He has a knack for creating songs that evoke a feeling, and create a connection for the listener. Nice choice. 🤟😊
This was the theme tune for the long hot summer of 76 in the UK. Not a single beach party would go down without the whole album being played on repeat.
The year of the cat is one of the chinese years...but Al couldn't think of a title for the song for ages, but then he picked up a magazine with the Chinese year of the cat on it or his girlfriend had a mag with it on... But it's one of the chinese years..
Absolutely love this track. Stunning 😎👍
When I first heard this in 1976, I thought, WHAT? Where is my Rock! But By the end of the song, I would a lifelong fan. Thank you Al Stewart!
Pichouli oil was a big part of the hippie culture in the late 60s early 70s all the girls wore it and you could smell it everywhere (incense too)
The song came out in 1976. In the Vietnamese Zodiac Callendar Year of the cat was 1975. My uncle was telling me about this song while he was flying in Vietnam and a cassette tape was playing this song around sunset. He was enjoying a beer, a quiet part of the war. No strings, piano at first then he switched to Moog synthesizer for keys that sound like strings and chimes. Sax is like icing on the cake.
I can tell by your body language how much you dug this! You have good people making recommendations. Al is a treasure.
So wonderful to see young people of today enjoying this as much as we did back in the 70s... That light orchestral and then the saxophone coming always blows people away... Brilliant arrangement.