STEWART, AL

Though he had more than a decade under his belt as a singer-songwriter, 1976 could well be called the year of Al Stewart given his commercial breakthrough. “When I finished YEAR OF THE CAT, I thought: ‘If this isn't a hit, then I can't make a hit,” he once recalled. “We finally got the formula exactly right.” Along with Stewart's appealing melodies and nuanced narratives, Alan Parsons' luxuriant production was a key part of that formula, elevating the Top 10 title track and such fine originals as “On The Border” and historical portrait “Lord Grenville.” The Platinum-certified collection is generally acknowledged as the Scottish performer's masterpiece, and we'll cue up YEAR OF THE CAT again to wish Al Stewart a happy birthday.