Any Cat Stevens Fans?

Betsy · #1 04-10-2008, 06:12 PM

OK....don't boo me. My insecurity can't take it.

I bought a DVD off of Amazon called Yusuf's Cafe...Dec. 2007 release

He does a live concert WITH a band and has his old guitar playin' pal Alun Davies with him. There are drums, a saxophone, and lots of other instruments. (I though he said, his religion only allowed him to use a drum and his voice?)

Well, it is kind of cool to hear him sing some of the oldies in concert. Then there is a documentry from the BBC and it shows old Cat Stevens videos with him narrating.

All this for $12. I haven't watched the whole thing yet, so maybe I haven't seen the "come join our religion" segment. But I gotta say, I liked it.

It is fun to see rock stars get old. FM members have gray hair...so does Yusuf.

petep9000 · #2 04-10-2008, 06:34 PM

Many years ago (say, 1987 or so) I was prowling through an old used record store on Bleeker street in The Village, I found the 'Uncirculated Rumours' boot on vinyl so I picked them up. But, I also picked up an old Cat Steven's album. Whichever one that had 'Wild World' on it. I just remember how well I thought it was recorded, and how nice and warm the vinyl sounded. I loved 'Wild World'.

jannieC · #3 04-10-2008, 07:49 PM

Father and Son is one of my all time favorite songs. Tea for the Tillerman reminds me of my childhood. I haven't heard any of his newer music but I do remember seeing him perform on something recently and it made me all verklempt.

Phoenix · #4 04-10-2008, 11:15 PM

I have a childerens book written by cat stevens back in the seventies!

Ghost_Tracker · #5 04-12-2008, 07:59 PM

I can't call myself a "fan" but I like his song "Peace Train."

"10,000 Maniacs" did a nice remake of that when they first became popular.

Also, not trying to "politicize" things but I was greatly insulted and bothered when George W. Busche prohibited him from re-entering the country. Didn't like that one little bit, as the saying goes.

Ghost_Tracker · #6 04-12-2008, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petep9000

.... But, I also picked up an old Cat Steven's album. Whichever one that had 'Wild World' on it. I just remember how well I thought it was recorded, and how nice and warm the vinyl sounded. I loved 'Wild World'.

OH YEAH I FORGOT about the song "Wild World." I like that one a lot too. Speaking of remakes, there was a group called "The Jets" that did a nice remake of that one.

I love that line, "It's hard to get by . . . just before you smile, girl."

GODDESS6 · #7 04-13-2008, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jannieC

Father and Son is one of my all time favorite songs. Tea for the Tillerman reminds me of my childhood. I haven't heard any of his newer music but I do remember seeing him perform on something recently and it made me all verklempt.

that's my mom's favorite album~ i grew up on cat & still love him to this day~ great talent~

suzyvermoesen · #8 04-13-2008, 02:19 PM

I too love Cat Stevens. I watched a concert of his which was aired on the BBC last year. He performed as Yusuf Islam and did some new songs but also some of his older ones like Where do the children play,Father and son and Don't let me be misunderstood. I even kept it on a dvd because i like it so much. (Tea for the tillerman is one of my favorite albums)
And i was amazed at how little he has changed over the years ! He really must have a painting in the attic

David · #9 04-13-2008, 07:03 PM

I like Peace Train. (Also, I like to clap.)

And didn't Dolly Parnell or somebody do a remake of that song?

dnightshade · #10 04-14-2008, 10:58 AM

"Peace Train" and "Moonshadow" are probably two of my all-time favorite songs!

strandinthewind · #11 04-14-2008, 11:54 AM

I love his stuff. He was, however, excoriated in 1989, to wit:

On February 21, 1989, Yusuf Islam [Cat] addressed students at Kingston University in London about his journey to Islam and was asked about the controversy in the Muslim world and the fatwa calling for Salman Rushdie's execution. He replied, "He must be killed. The Qur'an makes it clear - if someone defames the prophet, then he must die."

Newspapers quickly denounced what was seen as Yusuf Islam's support for the assassination of Rushdie and the next day Yusuf released a statement saying that he was not personally encouraging anybody to be a vigilante, and that he was only stating that blasphemy is a capital offense according to the Qur'an.

However on March 8, 1989, while speaking in London's Regents Park Mosque, Yusuf Islam was asked by a Christian Science Monitor reporter how he would "cope with the idea of killing a writer for writing a book." He is reported to have replied:

In Islam there is a line between let's say freedom and the line which is then transgressed into immorality and irresponsibility and I think as far as this writer is concerned, unfortunately, he has been irresponsible with his freedom of speech. Salman Rushdie or indeed any writer who abuses the prophet, or indeed any prophet, under Islamic law, the sentence for that is actually death. It's got to be seen as a deterrent, so that other people should not commit the same mistake again.

Two months later Yusuf Islam appeared on a British television courtroom-style program, Hypotheticals.

In the episode, ("A Satanic Scenario") Stevens/Islam is videoed having this exchange with moderator and Queens Counsel Geoffrey Robertson:

Robertson: You don't think that this man deserves to die?
Y. Islam: Who, Salman Rushdie?
Robertson: Yes.
Y. Islam: Yes, yes.
Robertson: And do you have a duty to be his executioner?
Y. Islam: Uh, no, not necessarily, unless we were in an Islamic state and I was ordered by a judge or by the authority to carry out such an act - perhaps, yes.

The content of the broadcast was reported in the New York Times on May 23, 1989, a week before the show's planned airing. Also reported was that several Muslim participants complained about the way the show was edited, leaving out the interpretation of Islamic law on which they were basing their responses to the hypothetical question posed.

In a later 1989 interview Yusuf Islam also seemed to reaffirm his earlier comments:

[Rather than go to a demonstration to burn an effigy of the author Salman Rushdie] I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing.

[If Rushdie turned up at my doorstep looking for help] I might ring somebody who might do more damage to him than he would like. I'd try to phone the Ayatollah Khomeini and tell him exactly where this man is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Ste...Salman_Rushdie

I suppose it depends on which version one believes. Personally, I think he is a man of peace, but those comments are hard to get around

mikeschmike · #12 04-14-2008, 02:17 PM

^ It's a twenty year old interview. Is it still worth being disturbed over?

Wait a minute...this the the ledge. Dusty old interviews are like the gospel around here!

strandinthewind · #13 04-14-2008, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeschmike

^ It's a twenty year old interview. Is it still worth being disturbed over?

Wait a minute...this the the ledge. Dusty old interviews are like the gospel around here!

Well, he seemingly advocated a hit on someone. It was a huge deal at the time that has affected his rep. since then and seemingly was the part of the reason he was on the no-fly list. So, it's relevant I guess

mikeschmike · #14 04-14-2008, 02:27 PM

^ Okay.

So what does that have to do with people discussing his music? Just seems a little out of place.

strandinthewind · #15 04-14-2008, 02:46 PM

^^

Ghost Tracker brought it up and I was responding to that. Also, someone mentioned the 10,000 Maniacs version of Peace Train, which they later said they would remove from all subsequent pressings of "In My Tribe" for this reason. So, it is relevant in this thread's discussion of his music and those who covered him. But, if it's offensive, I can remove the post