Midas Shadow

The story behind

There are songs that, when played, invite you to unravel layers of history and sound. *Midas Shadow*, for example, takes us to a particular moment in Al Stewart's career. What's interesting about how this track, and indeed much of the album Year of the Cat, came about is that Stewart used to have all the music and arrangements ready, recorded, and orchestrated, before deciding on titles or lyrics. He himself mentioned in interviews that this was a usual practice for him, even writing up to four different versions of lyrics for the same melody. This way of working allows the music to dictate the path, and then he takes care of finding the narrative that fits. The album Year of the Cat, released in 1976, was a key point for Al Stewart. It was produced and the sound engineering was handled by Alan Parsons. The record got a big boost thanks to the lead single, "Year of the Cat", which became a hit and reached the top five in the United States. Another cut from the album, "On the Border", also had its moment, reaching number 47 in Canada. The song Midas Shadow, with a duration of 3:10, adds to this collection of compositions that explore Stewart's ability to intertwine captivating melodies with historical and narrative themes, a style he cultivated since his participation in the British folk revival in the 60s and 70s.