Sparks of Ancient Light

Sparks of Ancient Light is the sixteenth studio album by Al Stewart. It came out on 15 September 2008.

The album has songs about important people from history. These include British prime minister Lord Salisbury, the former Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and the 34th U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In his songs, Stewart talks about ideas like "certainty and uncertainty." He shows how history can sometimes be easy to understand, but other times it can be hard to know for sure. One song, "Elvis at the Wheel," even has a music video. The video was filmed in Arizona and shared with fans in December 2013.

Critical reception

A reviewer from Allmusic liked how the album was made. He said Al Stewart's good points, like his nice melodies, smooth singing, skilled guitar playing, and thoughtful songs about history, were clear and strong in this album.

Track listing

Here are the songs on the album Sparks of Ancient Light:

1. "Lord Salisbury" - 3:26
2. "(A Child's View Of) The Eisenhower Years" - 3:11
3. "The Ear of the Night" - 3:06
4. "Hanno the Navigator" - 4:17
5. "Shah of Shahs" - 5:03
6. "Angry Bird" - 2:42
7. "The Loneliest Place on the Map" - 3:31
8. "Sleepwalking" - 4:31
9. "Football Hero" - 5:38
10. "Elvis at the Wheel" - 3:10
11. "Silver Kettle" - 3:56
12. "Like William McKinley" - 4:15

Personnel

Musicians

The album has many talented musicians. Laurence Juber plays acoustic and electric guitar. Jim Cox plays organ and piano. John "Hot Fat Reynolds" Ferraro plays percussion and drums. There are also string players. Eric Gorfain plays violin. Daphne Chen plays violin. Leah Katz plays viola. Richard Dodd plays cello. Rick Baptist plays the trumpet.

Production

Laurence Juber worked as arranger, producer, and engineer. Greg Townley helped with engineering and mixing. Joe Gastwirt did the mastering. Buzz Person took photographs. Aaron Walk helped. Steve Chapman managed the project.

Allusions and historical references

The album has songs about important people and events in history. Lord Salisbury is about Robert Cecil, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1895 to 1902. Hanno the Navigator is about Hanno the Navigator, an explorer from the 5th century BCE who sailed along the coast of Africa. Elvis at the Wheel tells how Elvis Presley saw a cloud that looked like Joseph Stalin turning into Jesus, and this inspired him to change his life. Shah Of Shahs describes the end of the Pahlavi dynasty and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s escape from Iran in 1979 after the Islamic revolution.