Russians & Americans [Collector's Choice Bonus Tracks]

About Russians & Americans [Collector's Choice Bonus Tracks]

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. It 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) release 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 victimizes 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." more »