Artist of the Week: Cat Stevens!

Koga · 05-08-2006, 09:22 AM

Cat Stevens

Genre: folk rock, singer-songwriter
Years active: 1966-1978

Discography:
Matthew and Son (1966)
New Masters (1967)
Mona Bone Jakon (1970)
Tea for the Tillerman (1970)
Teaser and the Firecat (1971)
Catch Bull at Four (1972)
Foreigner (1973)
Buddha and the Chocolate Box (1974)
Numbers (1975)
Izitso (1977)
Back to Earth (1978)

Koga · 05-08-2006, 09:30 AM

I'm not sure how familiar you are with this singer, because he has stopped recording a long time ago. I'm sure you know a few of his songs, though, some of them probably as a cover version. His most famous songs include: The First Cut is the Deepest (covered by Rod Steward), Wild World (covered by a variety of artists), Father and Son (covered by Ronan Keating), Peace Train, Moonshadow, Morning Has Broken and Matthew and Son.

His songs get quite some radio play over here, but I became familiar with him through a best of CD my father has. It was actually my little brother who often listened to it. I like many of his songs, and I prefer the originals to the covers, because I also really like his singing voice. Although he recorded quite a lot of songs between 1966 and 1978, he stopped recording altogether when he converted to Islam after a near death experience and changed his name to Yusuf Islam.

I recently got a DVD of a concert of his Majikat show. On the DVD there's also a very interesting interview of his life as a musician and his decision to convert to Islam.

Some of my other favourites include: Another Saturday Night, Sad Lisa, Where Do The Children Play, and Tuesday's Dead.

**Booyakasha** · 05-08-2006, 01:37 PM

I heard he legally changed his name to Yusef Islam when he converted. You know, in keeping with the Moslem tradition of taking on a goofier name than the one you were born with (JOKE).

Cat Stevens is pretty good, even if his music is less...energetic than I like. (I prefer music that gets the blood moving. Hair metal does the trick.)

Koga · 05-08-2006, 04:33 PM

I like Cat Stevens as much as I like for example, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. I think the most important part of music is the melody, which is why I don't like genres like Rap, R&B and very heavy metal.

**Booyakasha** · 05-08-2006, 05:25 PM

Well, maybe musicality doesn't matter as much to me as rock-itude does.

***CaptHayfever*** · 05-08-2006, 05:27 PM

Actually, Boo, his birth name is pretty goofy: Stephen Demetre Georgiou.

Cat rules. I heard he started performing again a couple years ago (his name's still Yusef, but it's his old songs along with new stuff).

And remember, "I'm-a man, not a boy, and there are things you can't avoid; you have to face them when you're not prepared to face them!"

Koga · 05-09-2006, 05:21 AM

Yeah, I read that one his wikipedia page, when I was looking for his discography. I hadn't heard anything about it before that.

**Booyakasha** · 05-10-2006, 12:21 PM

His goofy birth-name is the fault of his goofy foreigner parents. I'm sure that if his parents had had the decency to be British, his name would have been something totally normal, like Neville Chauncey Maximillian Smythenbottom LXVIIIIIIII.

Koga · 05-11-2006, 03:40 PM

I think Stephen Georgiou is still better than Yusuf Islam.

05-08-2006, 09:22 AM	#1
Koga Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: The Netherlands Gender: Posts: 17,093 Thanks: 104 Thanked 173 Times in 116 Posts Points: 105,195.41 Bank: 18,107.46 Total Points: 123,302.87 Donate	Artist of the Week: Cat Stevens! Cat Stevens Genre: folk rock, singer-songwriter Years active: 1966-1978 Discography: Matthew and Son (1966) New Masters (1967) Mona Bone Jakon (1970) Tea for the Tillerman (1970) Teaser and the Firecat (1971) Catch Bull at Four (1972) Foreigner (1973) Buddha and the Chocolate Box (1974) Numbers (1975) Izitso (1977) Back to Earth (1978)

05-08-2006, 01:37 PM	#3
Booyakasha Mod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 6,840 Thanks: 75 Thanked 354 Times in 228 Posts Points: 10,805.99 Bank: 21,470.81 Total Points: 32,276.80 Donate	I heard he legally changed his name to Yusef Islam when he converted. You know, in keeping with the Moslem tradition of taking on a goofier name than the one you were born with (JOKE). Cat Stevens is pretty good, even if his music is less...energetic than I like. (I prefer music that gets the blood moving. Hair metal does the trick.) __________________ Boo--the only dude bad enough to rescue the president Last edited by Booyakasha; 05-08-2006 at 01:48 PM.

05-08-2006, 05:25 PM	#5
Booyakasha Mod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 6,840 Thanks: 75 Thanked 354 Times in 228 Posts Points: 10,805.99 Bank: 21,470.81 Total Points: 32,276.80 Donate	Well, maybe musicality doesn't matter as much to me as rock-itude does. __________________ Boo--the only dude bad enough to rescue the president

05-10-2006, 12:21 PM	#8
Booyakasha Mod of War Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wisconsinland Gender: Posts: 6,840 Thanks: 75 Thanked 354 Times in 228 Posts Points: 10,805.99 Bank: 21,470.81 Total Points: 32,276.80 Donate	His goofy birth-name is the fault of his goofy foreigner parents. I'm sure that if his parents had had the decency to be British, his name would have been something totally normal, like Neville Chauncey Maximillian Smythenbottom LXVIIIIIIII. __________________ Boo--the only dude bad enough to rescue the president

05-08-2006, 09:30 AM	#2
Koga Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: The Netherlands Gender: Posts: 17,093 Thanks: 104 Thanked 173 Times in 116 Posts Points: 105,195.41 Bank: 18,107.46 Total Points: 123,302.87 Donate	I'm not sure how familiar you are with this singer, because he has stopped recording a long time ago. I'm sure you know a few of his songs, though, some of them probably as a cover version. His most famous songs include: The First Cut is the Deepest (covered by Rod Steward), Wild World (covered by a variety of artists), Father and Son (covered by Ronan Keating), Peace Train, Moonshadow, Morning Has Broken and Matthew and Son. His songs get quite some radio play over here, but I became familiar with him through a best of CD my father has. It was actually my little brother who often listened to it. I like many of his songs, and I prefer the originals to the covers, because I also really like his singing voice. Although he recorded quite a lot of songs between 1966 and 1978, he stopped recording altogether when he converted to Islam after a near death experience and changed his name to Yusuf Islam. I recently got a DVD of a concert of his Majikat show. On the DVD there's also a very interesting interview of his life as a musician and his decision to convert to Islam. Some of my other favourites include: Another Saturday Night, Sad Lisa, Where Do The Children Play, and Tuesday's Dead.

05-08-2006, 04:33 PM	#4
Koga Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: The Netherlands Gender: Posts: 17,093 Thanks: 104 Thanked 173 Times in 116 Posts Points: 105,195.41 Bank: 18,107.46 Total Points: 123,302.87 Donate	I like Cat Stevens as much as I like for example, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. I think the most important part of music is the melody, which is why I don't like genres like Rap, R&B and very heavy metal.

05-08-2006, 05:27 PM	#6
*CaptHayfever* Smash Supermod Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: (n) - the place where I am Gender: Posts: 19,401 Thanks: 170 Thanked 779 Times in 497 Posts Points: 108,405.95 Bank: 1,040.34 Total Points: 109,446.29 Donate	Actually, Boo, his birth name is pretty goofy: Stephen Demetre Georgiou. Cat rules. I heard he started performing again a couple years ago (his name's still Yusef, but it's his old songs along with new stuff). And remember, "I'm-a man, not a boy, and there are things you can't avoid; you have to face them when you're not prepared to face them!"

05-09-2006, 05:21 AM	#7
Koga Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: The Netherlands Gender: Posts: 17,093 Thanks: 104 Thanked 173 Times in 116 Posts Points: 105,195.41 Bank: 18,107.46 Total Points: 123,302.87 Donate	Yeah, I read that one his wikipedia page, when I was looking for his discography. I hadn't heard anything about it before that.

05-11-2006, 03:40 PM	#9
Koga Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: The Netherlands Gender: Posts: 17,093 Thanks: 104 Thanked 173 Times in 116 Posts Points: 105,195.41 Bank: 18,107.46 Total Points: 123,302.87 Donate	I think Stephen Georgiou is still better than Yusuf Islam.