Russians & Americans

rdf:langString Russians & Americans

rdf:langString Russians & Americans

rdf:langString Russians n americans.gif

rdf:langString EMI

rdf:langString Collectors' Choice Music

rdf:langString UK: RCA

rdf:langString US: Passport

rdf:langString May 1984

rdf:langString Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, CA; Orca Studios, Encino, CA; Abbey Road Studios, London; Kendun Studios, Burbank, CA

rdf:langString studio

rdf:langString Russians & Americans is the tenth studio album by Al Stewart released in 1984. The album featured many of the musicians from his short-lived backing band, Shot In The Dark, along with a number of studio musicians. The album was released on LP and then CD in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The US version deleted two tracks found on the UK version of the album and substituted two new tracks in their stead. In 1993, EMI (UK) released a compilation with tracks from both versions and three live tracks from "The Blue Album". The album was re-released on the Collector's Choice label in 2007, with all tracks from both issues. The track "1-2-3" is a cover of the Len Barry hit from 1965. However, instead of the romantic lyrics put forth with the original, Stewart has altered them using the context of political overreach and how such victimises other nations and indigenous peoples. In fact, very few of the song's lines escape change excepting: "One, two, three, that's how elementary it's gonna be" and "...Like taking candy from a baby." Known for his songs that use historical events as inspiration, Stewart instead focused on the very real tensions between the two superpowers of 1983.