I didn’t know this. I’m not a fan, but I like his old stuff. Perhaps he was hard up, but who cares? Sounds like he’s properly happy to be taking tea with the tillerman again.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-unlikely-return-of-cat-stevens
I’m being followed by a moon sausage.
Moon sausage, moon sausage.
Nice piece. That guy should contribute to the AW – when he’s not being an aquatic superhero..
There’s a good 3 or 4 page article/interview in either this or last months Mojo. Not available online I don’t think.
The bit about his son leaving a guitar lying about, and him picking it up and getting started again seems familiar. I’m sure I read that years ago.
He’s been “back” in terms of making music for quite a few years. But he’s back now as Cat Stevens, playing Cat Stevens material, doing some old.
The only time I saw him (supported by Baaba Maal & U2) he played plenty of old – Peace Train, Where Do the Children Play, The Wind, Wild World, Father & Son etc
Welcome Home
Lilywhite
Don’t Be Shy
Where Do The Children Play?
Thinking ‘Bout You
The Rain
Just Another Night
Miles From Nowhere
To Be What You Must
The Wind
Wild World
Boots And Sand
Ruins
Roadsinger
Father And Son
Peace Train
and last year it was wall to wall Cat
Here Comes My Baby
The First Cut Is the Deepest
People Get Ready
Oh Very Young
Moonshadow
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out
Maybe There’s a World
Fill My Eyes
The Boy With a Moon and Star on His Head
All Kinds of Roses
Another Saturday Night
A Bad Night
Northern Wind
I Love My Dog
I Wish, I Wish
Katmandu
Somewhere
Love Me Do
Where Do the Children Play?
Wild World
Sad Lisa
Into White
On the Road to Find Out
Father and Son
Matthew & Son
Tea for the Tillerman
How Can I Tell You
Encore:
Peace Train
Angelsea
Morning Has Broken
None more Cat
The only time I saw him was in the mid 80s, giving a talk at my student union called ‘Why I am a Muslim’. This was pre-Rushdie, but he got some stick in the Q+A about the role of women is Islam and so on. He handled the questions graciously enough, but I was no closer to being a Muslim when I left than I was to being Superman.
I’m sure I’ve told this on here before… should have posted on the ‘Rock stars who are tits’ thread.
I did the sound for Yusuf’s talk when I was at university, and took along my Teaser & Firecat sleeve. As I was packing the gear away, I asked him to sign it and said something like “such a shame you don’t play any more, I thought your songs were great”. Cue a long, loud, bad-tempered private lecture about the evils of the West, followed by a theatrical flounce.
I still think his songs are good. Not so sure about him.
Probably the article is written from the US perspective where being an “overt” Muslim is seen as being one and the same as “I hate you all and I want you and everyone you love to die”.
I have daily contact with Muslims, who have shown a notable tendency not to want to kill me, and this attitude alarms me. You can see where the election of Trump comes from.
Not quite sure where Joni stands on the Islam question, but she seems happy, at least.
https://imgur.com/gallery/nMicZ
“Is it because I is Canadian?”
Booyakasha!
Fo’ real.
On the booklet of my CD copy of Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter, the above photo is not included. Not surprising, perhaps.
A friend of mine is a Muslim. He has, to my knowledge, never tried to kill me. Although he usually offers Arabic coffee, which is maybe the same thing.
Anyway, he says he’s experiencing more prejudism now (in Sweden) than five years ago, which is when he arrived.
No Lady D’Arbanville, I notice.
Perhaps a little bit too licentious, for today’s Cat.
I heard him say that on Danny Baker’s BBC London show a few years ago.
He’s re-recorded 4 early Decca tracks from the ‘New Masters’ album on this – The Laughing Apple, I’m So Sleepy, Blackness Of The Night and Northern Wind. Nothing from the previous ‘Matthew And Son’ album though, I guess because that was a little too poppy. New Masters is a great album that bombed when it came out, but we have always loved it.
He owes me 1,500 dollars for royalty work I did in the early ’90s. Either he didn’t want to pay up or his royalty rep didn’t (maybe the rep pocketed the money himself).