Past, Present and Future

Infobox Album |
Name = Past, Present and Future
Type = Album
Artist = Al Stewart


Released = March 1973 (UK), May 1974 (US)
Recorded = December 1972
Label = CBS (UK), Janus (US)
Genre = Rock
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://wc04.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dcfwxq95ldje link]
Last album = "Orange"
(1972)
This album = "Past, Present and Future"
(1973)
Next album = "Modern Times"
(1975)

"Past, Present and Future" is Al Stewart's fifth album, released in March 1973 in the UK and in May 1974 in the US. This album is considered Stewart's first "major album" and it reached #133 on the Billboard Rock Album chart in 1974. He had taken on a different approach than his previous, folkier work, an approach that would stay with him for most of his career. All songs on this record have historical themes, each song representing a decade of the 20th century. The final song, "Nostradamus," is about the famous supposed prophet and his prophecies.

Track listing

#"Old Admirals" – 5:54
#"Warren Harding" – 2:39
#"Soho (Needless to Say)" – 3:55
#"The Last Day of June 1934" – 4:45
#"Post World War Two Blues" – 4:17
#"Roads to Moscow" – 8:00
#"Terminal Eyes" – 3:22
#"Nostradamus" – 9:43

Charts

Album – Billboard (North America)

Personnel

* Al Stewart: Guitar, Vocal
* Tim Renwick: Guitar
* Peter Berryman: Guitar
* Isaac Guillory: Guitar
* B.J. Cole: Steel Guitar
* Bruce Thomas: Bass
* Brian Odgers: Bass
* John Wilson: Drums
* Peter Wood: Keyboards, Piano accordion
* Rick Wakeman: Keyboards
* Tim Hinkley: Keyboards
* Bob Andrews: Keyboards
* Bob Sargeant: Keyboards
* Alistair Anderson: English concertina
* Haim Romano: Mandolin
* Dave Swarbrick: Mandolin
* Luciano Bravo: Steel band
* Lennox James: Steel band
* Michael Oliver: Steel band
* Frank Ricotti: Percussion
* Roger Taylor: Percussion
* Francis Monkman: Moog synthesizer
* Krysia Kocjan: Backing vocal
* John Donelly: Backing vocal
* Mick Welton: Backing vocal
* Kevin Powers: Backing vocal
* Richard Hewson: String arrangements
* Mike "Clay" Stone- Engineer

Cover Art

The US album cover (Janus Records) is a photography-like rendition of the Marvel Comics character Dr. Strange using his Cloak of Levitation to travel through a hole created in the air into an alternative universe. The UK cover (CBS) is a gatefold affair, with a simple photo of Stewart leaning on a mantelpiece.