Time Passages

Time Passages is the eighth studio album by Al Stewart, released in September of 1978. It is the follow-up to his 1976 album Year of the Cat. The album, like 1975's Modern Times and 1976's Year of the Cat, was once again produced by Alan Parsons. The album's title track (which, when edited, reached #7 on the Billboard charts) and "End of the Day" were both co-written by Peter White.

A digitally remastered version of the album was released in 2004.

Track listing

Historical references

Time Passages (song)

"Time Passages" is the title of a 1978 US Top Ten hit by singer-songwriter Al Stewart which was produced by Alan Parsons and was the title track for Stewart's 1978 album release. The single reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1978, "Time Passages" also spent ten weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Easy Listening chart, the longest stay at number one on this chart in the 1970s. The song is also of note of having the highest note ever hit on an alto saxophone by Phil Kenzie as a lead into the sax solo as Peter White's acoustic guitar solo was ending.

A radio edit of the song was often played instead of the album version, which is over six minutes long; however, both versions were heard over the airwaves during the late 1970s. The familiar final line to the chorus is, "Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight". Less lyrically complex than a typical Al Stewart composition - the singer's previous Top Ten hit "Year of the Cat" exemplifying his usual style - "Time Passages" was one of two songs on the Time Passages album written by Stewart with the intent of the tracks’ having hit single potential, the other being "Song on the Radio" which was the follow-up single and reached No. 29 Billboard and No. 27 Cash Box.