Wild world (Cat Stevens) (LP 3971 - 3974)

Cat Stevens  Tea for the Tillerman (CD, Island Records, 1970) *****  

Cat Stevens  Teaser and the Firecat (CD, Island Records, 1971) *****

Cat Stevens  Catch Bull at Four (Vinyl, Island Records, 1972) ***

Cat Stevens  Numbers (Vinyl, Island Records, 1975) ****    

Genre: Folk-rock, pop 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi, Little Red Bookshop

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Father and Son (Tea for the Tillerman)

Gear costume: Moonshadow (Teaser and the Firecat)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6

Active compensatory factors: I am mostly content with a compilation of the hits - he's had a lot of them! However, I am also keen to keep supplementing that compilation with his albums.

Along the way I've accumulated these four, beginning with two classics from the early seventies. Tea for the Tillerman was his fourth album and includes a fair portion of his best known songs: Where Do the Children Play?, Hard Headed Woman, Wild World, and Father and Son.

It became a hit album for Cat Stevens - making him a pop star again (even though he was beginning to reject mass adulation in favour of a more spiritual path). Quite a quandry. 

Teaser and the Firecat was an even bigger seller! More great Cat Stevens songs were on this album - among them Morning Has Broken, Moonshadow, and Peace Train. The musicians on these two albums were totally in sympatico with Cat Stevens. Most notably his fellow guitarist Alun Davies.

The follow up to these two extraordinary records was Catch Bull at Four. Sitting, and Can't Keep It In continued the hits on a set of songs that hinted at his dissatisfaction with the pop world. It must be said, it doesn't have the inspired pop songs of his previous albums.

Numbers is a concept album from 1975. It is subtitled A Pythagorean Theory Tale (yes, really), and is based on a fictional planet in a far-off galaxy named Polygor. The story is set in a castle that has a number machine and at that point my eyes glaze over. 

But wait! Don't write this album off - although Banapple Gas is the only really catchy song to emerge from the confusing concept, the music is gorgeous and the singing by Cat and his choir is sublime. This is an under-rated gem in his catalogue.

Of further note: the one, the only, Suzanne Lynch appears on backing vocals. Yay! Suzanne!!

Where do they all belong? A few to catch up on at some stage - Mona Bone Jakon, Foreigner, Buddha in the Chocolate Box.

All nights, all days (Yusef/Cat Stevens) (LP 2225)

Yusef/ Cat Stevens  King Of A Land (Vinyl, Dark Horse Records/ Cat O Log Records, 2023) ***  

Genre: Pop rock, Dark Horse Records, children's music

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Highness

Gear costume: King Of A Land

Active compensatory factors: I must admit to a tinge of disappointment with this record. While reading a review of it in Mojo Magazine, I noticed it came out via Dhani Harrison's rebuilt Dark Horse Records.

So, I needed a copy. When it arrived the record's label is a bespoke one with an illustration used instead of the familiar Dark Horse icon. I get that this is partly a kid's record (as you can tell from the cover) but still, c'mon.

The theme/message of peace and light are well conveyed in the music and there is no doubting Yusef's sincerity, but I'm not sure how many times I'll play this in the future, compared to say, Tea For The Tillerman.

Having noted that, it's still a lovely sounding record (nice to see Bruce Lynch still appearing with Yusef - I admire that kind of loyalty), and Yusef/Cat still sounds great vocally.

Where do they all belong? More Cat Stevens on the way when we get to the S's.

Young warrior (Alun Davies) (LP 713)

Alun Davies  Daydo (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1972) *** 

Genre: Folk rock 

Places I remember: Second hand shop in Woodville

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Vale Of Tears

Gear costume: Market Place, Portobello Road

Active compensatory factors: I took a punt on this album because of the Cat Stevens connection and the arresting cover. Alun Davies has been Cat's guitarist foil from 1970 onwards (and he appeared on Cat's re-emergence in 2005 under his adopted name - Yusuf Islam).

At times you can imagine Cat Steven's voice in songs - Old Bourbon for instance. The man himself is on piano on the album, co-produces along with Paul Samwell-Smith and contributes the lovely Portobello Road (contains some excellent banjo on that one -  Mumford and Sons surely have a copy of this album!)

It's a cool sound that Davies creates and the six songs he contributes are good ones. Ultimately though he doesn't have that seventies Cat Stevens midas touch and so the album lives in the shadow of that charismatic character.  

Where do they all belong? A fine addition to the folk rock genre all the same.