Editing Al Stewart (section)

===Alan Parsons years (1975–1978)===
Stewart followed ''Past, Present and Future'' with ''[[Modern Times (Al Stewart album)|Modern Times]]'' (1975), in which the songs were lighter on historical references and more of a return to the theme of short stories set to music. Significantly, though, it was the first of his albums to be produced by [[Alan Parsons]].

In a highly positive retrospective review of ''Modern Times'', [[AllMusic]] senior editor [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] described the album as "exquisite". Erlewine wrote that the album "establishes Stewart's classic sound of folky narratives and Lennonesque melodies, all wrapped up in a lush, layered production from Alan Parsons. The production gives epics like the title track a real sense of grandeur that makes their sentiments resonate strongly."<ref>{{cite web |last=Thomas |first=Stephen |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/modern-times-mw0000084071 |title=Modern Times – Al Stewart : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=6 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202204751/http://www.allmusic.com/album/modern-times-mw0000084071 |archive-date=2 February 2013 }}</ref>

''Modern Times'' produced Stewart's first hit single, "Carol". The album reached No. 30 in the US and received substantial airplay on album-oriented stations some 30 years before [[Bob Dylan]] would release an album of the [[Modern Times (Bob Dylan album)|same name]].

Stewart's contract with [[Sony Music Entertainment|CBS Records]] expired at this point, and he signed to [[RCA Records]] for the world outside North America. His first two albums for RCA, ''[[Year of the Cat (album)|Year of the Cat]]'' (released on [[Janus Records]] in the US, then reissued by [[Arista Records]] after Janus folded) and ''[[Time Passages]]'' (released in the U.S. on Arista), set the style for his later work and have been his biggest-selling recordings.<ref>"Al Stewart's passing time very well after 'Time Passages'", St. Petersburg Times, 11 January 1979, retrieved from [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CxMOAAAAIBAJ&dq=year-of-the-cat%20time-passages%20successful%20al%20stewart&sjid=NnwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6484%2C1794892 Google News Archive]</ref>

Stewart told Kaya Burgess of ''[[The Times]]'': "When I finished ''Year of the Cat'', I thought: 'If this isn't a hit, then I can't make a hit.' We finally got the formula exactly right."<ref name="Kaya Burgess" />

Stewart had all of the music and orchestration written and completely recorded before he had a title for any of the songs. He mentioned in a Canadian radio interview that he has done this for six of his albums, and he often writes four different sets of lyrics for each song.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ciut.fm/index.php/shows-2/interview-with-al-stewart/ |title=Interview With Al Stewart |website=www.ciut.fm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927191244/http://www.ciut.fm/index.php/shows-2/interview-with-al-stewart/ |archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref>

Both albums reached the top ten in the US, with ''Year of the Cat'' peaking at No. 5 and ''Time Passages'' at No. 10, and both albums produced hit singles in the US ("Year of the Cat" No. 8, and "On the Border", #42; "Time Passages" No. 7 and "[[Song on the Radio]]", #29). Meanwhile, "Year of the Cat" became Stewart's first chart single in Britain, where it peaked at No. 31. It was a huge success at London's Capital Radio, reaching number 2 on their Capital Countdown chart. The overwhelming success of these songs on the two albums, both of which still receive substantial radio airplay on classic-rock/pop format radio stations, has perhaps later overshadowed the depth and range of Stewart's body of songwriting.<ref>{{cite web |author=David Dudley |url=http://www.miaminewtimes.com/1995-10-12/music/living-in-the-past |title=Living in the Past – Page 1 – Music |work=Miami New Times |date=12 October 1995 |access-date=6 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728204325/http://www.miaminewtimes.com/1995-10-12/music/living-in-the-past/ |archive-date=28 July 2012 }}</ref>