al stewart prog or not ?

The location is there: ‘Prog Related’. The problem is that especially between the end of the 60s and the beginning of the 70s, progressive music was a wave that swept the world, influencing more or less all the artists on the market. Italy in particular (I was there) was very affected by the phenomenon and even artists, that I would struggle to consider rock like Riccardo Cocciante or Opera, had vague Prog influences.

Do we want to create the category Pop Prog and then Battisti would perhaps make some sense?

But going back to he topic: Al Stewart, the prog influences are not only present in the two best known albums: ‘Past, Present and Future’ & ‘Year of the Cat’, but already from the first work ‘Bedsitter Images’, which is dated 1967, in some tracks we can find traces of Prog if not in the construction of the songs in the arrangement and in the use of instruments.

I quote a few tracks from memory: ‘A Long Way Down From Stephanie’, ‘Beleeka Doodle Day’, ‘Cleave To Me’.

Let us remember that at that time Prog was not yet known as such, there were the Moody Blues and Procol Harum, and the masterpieces that would pave the way for the Golden Age were still to come: 1969 In the Court... 1969 Tommy etc... The albeit vague prog influences in the aforementioned tracks therefore acquire a wider dimension when compared to the period, as an autonomous choice of the author to make a certain type of music rather than follow the wave a few years later when prog was also consolidated as a business.

However, it is certainly not only for "Bedsitter Images" that I think Al Stewart could be here. For example "Love Chronicles" (1969) outside the 18-minute title track, which I consider more of an elongated song than a suite, there is "Ballad Of Mary Foster" which despite a somewhat sparse arrangement has a vaguely Prog construction. Also worthy of note is "Life & Life Only" with an interesting, somewhat psi-esque ending.

From the following album "Zero She Flies" I point out the beautiful "Manuscript" which reminded me of the best Procol Harum, especially in the use of keyboards.

The following album "Orange" (1972) definitely has a more marked prog imprint. The album highlight "The news from Spain" would not look out of place on an album by Procol Harum or Barclay James Harvest. Also worthy of note is the instrumental track "Once an orage, always an orange" with its slightly baroque tones and a guitar sound that recalls, even in the composition, Steve Howe and "Night of the 4th of may" for the slightly psychedelic crescendo, especially in the use of keyboards like Vanilla Fudge or Deep Purple. Interesting even if less classifiable in the Prog field is also "Songs out of clay".

The influences from Steve Howe and, less marked, from Yes in general become more evident in the following album "Past, Present And Future" (1972). I think that the majority of those present on this forum know "Nostradamus" the main reason why this thread is most likely open. But I would like to point out the magnificent "Road to Moscow". Here too the sounds of the more acoustic Steve Howe are very evident as in the composition embellished by the strings in crescendo.

Sorry but I know Battisti quite well, my sister was a fan, and from memory I can't think of anything even comparable to these two songs.
In addition, from the same album there are also "Old Admirals" and "Last Day Of June 1934" which have, especially the first, vague Prog sounds.

I don't want to go on with the whole discography and I leave out the most famous work "the Year of the Cat", which perhaps has only the sound of Prog, but in my opinion the excursions into the field of Prog by the artist have been if not frequent at least periodic throughout his career. I quote from memory "Life in dark water" and "Palace of Versailles" from Time Passeges (1978), "Rocks in the Ocean" from 24 Carrots (1980) and "Helen and Cassandra" from Last Days of the Century (1988).

In conclusion, in my very personal opinion, if you ask me if Al Stewart is proper Prog, I too have my doubts, but then probably 50% of the artists on progarchives shouldn't be there. According to this (strict) principle, not even Pink Floyd, by their own declaration, should be here!
But if you ask me if Al Stewart should or shouldn't be here, the matter is completely different.
I'll start by saying that I've been a member and a regular visitor to the site for many years precisely because of the courage to break with certain patterns. Courageous inclusions like Legendary Pink Dots, David Sylvian and in the years to follow Kauan, EF, Black Country New Road etc... are more than welcome because they contribute to keeping Prog alive and not a dead language spoken only in the narrow circles of NeoProg.

So under this beautiful extended umbrella of Prog, why a sensitive and innovative artist like Al Stewart doesn't find space for me is just as inexplicable as the fact that Battisti is there instead.

Greetings and happy Prog to all

Ps: sorry if I didn't link all the songs mentioned. They are all available on YouTube and anyone who wants to learn more just copy and paste the title :)