Year Of The Cat: 45th Anniversary

Personally, I bought this for the live set. I saw this tour, and discs 2&3 represent it perfectly. Coming off of 3 of Stewart's best albums, the set list is really strong, and the band perfectly complements the material. I've read complaints about the sound quality (of the live discs), and I just don't get it.The remastered studio album sounds great, noticeably better than the original.I don't understand why this box wasn't available in the US, considering that the album was much more successful here than in England. I'll quibble a bit. When I saw how expensive this thing was, I expected the book to be a hardcover. And while it's designed well, it would have benefitted from an interview with Alan Parsons, as well as with the studio and concert band members. But here's something I normally wouldn't care enough about to comment: the 4 postcards included are really quite nice. Oversized, well printed details from the album cover.A bit pricey, but I'm really glad I paid the bucks.

Al Stewart should rank among the best songwriters of our generation yet he has maintained an almost cult like status over his career. "Year of the Cat" was his breakthrough into the mainstream, and it remains one of the great studio albums of the 1970s with impeccable musicianship and some marvelous and memorable songwriting.This deluxe box set expands very nicely on the original release with a previously unreleased live concert recording of Al and band performing many of YOTC tracks plus other tracks from his equally great "Modern Times" LP. The remastered YOTC CD sounds great too. The accompanying book is a a little skimpy in detail but that's not such a big deal. You also get 4 YOTC post cards that are nice, although I'm not sure exactly what you'd do with them (frame perhaps?) For all Al Stewart fans, this box set is a no-brainer.

I have listened to the DTS 96/24 multichannel version quite a few times since purchase and I can say without hesitation that this version sounds fantastic. My setup is a Pioneer Elite SC-LX904, OPPO BDP103D, Sony UBP-X1100ES & Klipsch Reference Premier 7.1.4 setup with atmos modules. I have listened to the disc utilizing dts neural x & the Dolby digital 5.1 mix. Both sound great but the dts version is the better sounding of the two. For me though the highlights of the disc are of course On the Border & The year of the cat but Sand in your shoes & Flying Sorcery are both outstanding & Lord Grenville is also good. A bluray version would be great but this cd/dvd version is very, very good & is highly recommended to Al Stewart fans but also music fans in general.👍👍

If you liked this album in 1976, you will LOVE this remaster!!

Live version (2 CDs) in Seattle is great; 5.1 remix DVD sounds fantastic. Included booklet has a lot of good background on the YOTC album.

Al Stewart’s biggest selling album remains a classic. Esoteric has done a fine job with having this remastered and created a well thought out set with plenty of bonus material. The design is, largely, quite good with a nice solid cardboard box and a soft cover book covering the making of the album as well as some collector’s cards and a replica of the album advertising poster. We also get a 5.1 remix of the album done by Alan Parsons and a high def version of the stereo mix.There is a problem however. The cardboard sleeve that houses the individual releases can come out quite easily. The little ‘Wells’ for the discs allowed the DVD to be knocked loose and it arrived badly scratched. Likewise, the second CD with the live tracks.The design itself of the cardboard holder really needs to be redesigned. Given that I purchased this as an import, it’s going to be tough to do the return and get a replacement set as well.Don’t get me wrong, this is a fine set just the design portion coild have been done with a bit more finesse without adding substantial cost to the set.

I loved this album when it first came out and this box set version with extras does it justice.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this version. Done from original master tapes by original producer (Alan Parsons) what more could you ask for.

Great to have a lavish package with an outstanding 5.1 mix for this seminal 70s singer-songwriter

Abzocke. Zu teuer und soundtechnisch keine Verbesserung.

This album came along in the 70sAlan parsons remastered it 40 years later he did a first class job it's got a 5.1 copy along with a book like binder very atractive

A brilliant new remastered edition of a legendary album with an owesome surround 5.1 mix

Magnifico