FORTY years ago, Al Stewart played the first Glastonbury and his latest live offering is well named.
Musically, Uncorked is a premier cru; a vintage with hints of troubadour, packed with spicy flamenco notes and held together by zesty guitar. But Stewart also takes us on a whimsical travelogue, with tales of life in the navy to an account of the French Revolution.
Palace Of Versailles, in particular, ought to be cringe-inducing with its pixie-lyrics, but, like the rest of the album, it works because the words play second fiddle.
Stewart’s fruity rhythm guitar is a perfect aperitif to Dave Nachmanoff’s Appellation Contrôlée of acoustic soloing. On News from Spain, Stewart declares that Nachmanoff has the ‘unenviable job’ of playing a Rick Wakeman solo.
Listening to this, the keyboardist might just see it the other way round. Uncorked has a heady vibe, but decant the glorious guitar playing and leave the lyrics as sediment to avoid a sickly aftertaste.
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