Time Passages
| Time Passages | |
|---|---|
| Studio album by Al Stewart | |
| Released | 8 September 1978[1] |
| Recorded | June 1978 |
| Studios | Davlen Studios, Los Angeles |
| Genres | Soft rock folk rock |
| Length | 44:38 |
| Labels | UK: RCA (original release) EMI (1991 reissue) US: Arista (original release) Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (audiophile release) Rhino (2004 remaster) |
| Producer | Alan Parsons |
| Al Stewart chronology | |
| Year of the Cat (1976) Time Passages (1978) 24 Carrots (1980) | |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
Time Passages is the eighth studio album by Al Stewart, released in September 1978. It is the follow-up to his 1976 album Year of the Cat. Like "Year of the Cat" and 1975's Modern Times, it was produced by Alan Parsons. The album's title track (which, when edited, reached number 7 on the Billboard charts) and "End of the Day" were both co-written by Peter White. The title track occupied number 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts for 10 weeks.
A digitally remastered version of the album was released in 2004.
Artwork
The album's front and back cover were designed by Hipgnosis. As Storm Thorgerson stated in For the Love of Vinyl: The Album Art of Hipgnosis, "For Al's Time Passages we showed a radio being tuned on the shelf of a kitchen window but at the same time "tuning" the view of the landscape outside the window". The front cover photograph was taken at Indian Route 42, Monument Valley, Arizona.[4]
Track listing
Songs written by Al Stewart unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Time Passages" | Al Stewart; Peter White | 6:41 |
| 2. | "Valentina Way" | 4:04 | |
| 3. | "Life in Dark Water" | 5:49 | |
| 4. | "A Man for All Seasons" | 5:50 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Almost Lucy" | 3:43 | |
| 2. | "The Palace of Versailles" | 5:20 | |
| 3. | "Timeless Skies" | 3:34 | |
| 4. | "Song on the Radio" | 6:22 | |
| 5. | "End of the Day" | Al Stewart; Peter White | 3:11 |
Historical references
- "A Man For All Seasons" refers to Sir Thomas More, statesman under Henry VIII of England (misidentified by Stewart as "Henry Plantagenet"[5]) and a Catholic martyr.
- "The Palace of Versailles", refers to the actual Palace of Versailles, the former residence of the French Kings and a key site in early days of the French Revolution. The lyrics contain specific allusions to many events and figures of the revolution.
- "Life in Dark Water" – references the Mary Celeste, questioning the usage of the inaccurate term "Marie Celeste". (Also see J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement)
Personnel
- Al Stewart - guitars, keyboards, vocals
- Peter White - guitars, lead guitar (tracks 1, 2 and 9), keyboards, accordion
- J. Peter Robinson - grand piano, organ on "Valentina Way"
- Peter Solley - synthesizer on "Palace of Versailles"
- Peter Wood - keyboards, organ, piano
- Tim Renwick - electric guitar, lead guitar (tracks 3, 4, 5 and 6)
- Robin Lamble - bass guitar
- Mark Goldenberg - rhythm guitar on "Valentina Way"
- Phil Kenzie - alto saxophone on tracks 1 and 8
- Stuart Elliott - drums (except track 2)
- Jeff Porcaro - drums on "Valentina Way"
- Al Perkins - pedal steel guitar
- Bill Linnane - guitar
- Art Tripp lll, Lindsay Elliott - percussion
- Brian Huddy, Joe Puerta, David Pack, James R. West, Krysia Kristianne, Jeff Borgeson - backing vocals
- Andrew Powell - string arrangements
Charts
- Weekly charts — Year-end charts
- Chart (1978) — Peak
position - Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[6] — 15
- Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[7] — 8
- Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] — 28
- German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] — 8
- New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10] — 33
- UK Albums (Official Charts)[11] — 39
- US Billboard 200[12] — 10
- Chart (1978) — Position
- Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[13] — 63
- Chart (1979) — Position
- German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] — 20
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[16] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- Back to citation "BPI".
- Back to citation AllMusic review
- Back to citation The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 672.
- Back to citation "Musical Maps".
- Back to citation Nichols, Thomas M. (Spring 2001). "Soldiers and War: A Top Ten List". International Journal. 56 (2). Canadian International Council: 312–323, 317 n.1. doi:10.2307/40203558. JSTOR 40203558. “In a 1980 interview, Stewart lamented his reference in the song about More to Henry Plantagenet when he meant Henry Tudor. How many of his fans caught the error is unknown.”
- Back to citation Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 294. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- Back to citation "Top RPM Albums: Image 0071a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- Back to citation "Dutchcharts.nl – Al Stewart – Time Passages" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
- Back to citation "Offiziellecharts.de – Al Stewart – Time Passages" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
- Back to citation "Charts.nz – Al Stewart – Time Passages". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
- Back to citation "Official Albums Chart on 15/10/1978 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
- Back to citation "Al Stewart Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
- Back to citation "Top RPM Albums: Image 0069". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- Back to citation "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1979. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
- Back to citation "British album certifications – Al Stewart – Time Passages". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 April 2022. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Time Passages Al Stewart in the "Search:" field.
- Back to citation "American album certifications – Al Stewart – Time Passages". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
