Cat Stevens’ first two albums, released in the 1960’s, were not great, let’s just get that out of the way. They were successful, and they were amusing, but they were not great. Cat Stevens himself did not appear to be an artist who was on … Continue reading Time
In my day, or rather in my parents’ day, Tea for the Tillerman was the record that everyone owned, and honestly, kids these days will never know. Everyone needs to grow up with this album; it is so full of wisdom and comfort. Every song … Continue reading Tea for the Tillerman
One thing should have been clear about the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, to anyone who was paying attention to his songwriting: he never meant to spend his life being a pop star. Still, it was a shock to many when he decided to … Continue reading Sun/C79
“I keep on wondering if I sleep too long, will I always wake up the same or so?” Cat Stevens asks the deep questions. Who are we and how do we navigate our journey through this world? In his case, the answer turned out to … Continue reading Sitting
Remember when sensitive singer-songwriters were cool? Or, conversely, remember when sensitive singer-songwriters were uncool? I don’t think the raging debate over whether being sensitive and feelsy is cool or uncool will ever be resolved, but I can tell you one thing: Cat Stevens will never … Continue reading Silent Sunlight
Please don’t DM me about this, supportive friends and family. I am not sad. (Also, learn the correct spelling of my name.) That having been said, this is totally my sad-girl jam. It’s a certain spirit-raiser and makes me feel fuzzy. Of all the people … Continue reading Sad Lisa
It’s hard to believe that in 1972 Cat Stevens’ albums were the kind of bestsellers that nearly everyone went out and bought. I mean, that’s hard to imagine just logistically, because in their day they had to physically walk to the record store, in the … Continue reading Ruins
What rock music has always needed is more bouzouki. Just step away from the three-guitar format and let some other instruments take the spotlight. Obviously, I enjoy diversification, which rock’n’roll sometimes needs a good shot of. Up steps Cat Stevens with his Greek heritage and … Continue reading Rubylove
Remember when everybody seemed to own at least one Cat Stevens album? Usually it was Tea for the Tillerman, but there were others and there was at least one in every stack of vinyl. It was a phenomenon. Cat Stevens himself no longer exists as … Continue reading Ready
In 1977, shortly before retiring from pop music, Cat Stevens would write a song called (I Never Wanted) To Be a Star. His gripes with the music industry were genuine and he took his retirement a lot more seriously than most others who threaten to … Continue reading Pop Star
Lady Garfunkel's Song of the Day 