Al Stewart
Modern Times
Play Modern Times
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MOG Editorial Review
It didn't mark his commercial breakthrough, but Modern Times certainly marked the moment when Stewart started to perfect the folksy pop-rock that brought him fame throughout the rest of the '70s. While he'd started out creating folk-rock had a throwback feel, Modern Times found him embracing melodic pop as well, and the result is nothing short of ear-pleasing. Songs like opener "Carol" have subtle folk flare, certainly, but Stewart's soothing vocals and concise songwriting push it into a rock sound of its own time. By the time you arrive at the massive eight-plus-minute title track, it's hard to deny that Modern Times was more than a tongue-in-cheek title, allowing Al Stewart to become a man of his own time.
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AMG Review of Modern Times
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music GuideSurely the title is a bit of an allusion to the Past, Present and Future of its predecessor, but Modern Times also brought Al Stewart into the present, establishing his classic sound of folky narratives and Lennonesque melodies, all wrapped up in a lush, layered production from Alan Parsons. Hearing this production makes it clear that this is what was missing from Past, since it gives epics like the title track a real sense of grandeur that makes their sentiments resonate strongly. But it's not just the improvement in production that makes Modern Times the beginning of Stewart's classic period -- his songwriting has leapt up and met his ambitions, as it retains the historical sweep of his earlier material but melds it to a melodic sensibility that's alternately comforting and haunting. This skill is apparent throughout Modern Times, and is married to a sound that is its equivalent, making this an exquisite pop-prog gem.
 "Modern Times")
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