== Yusuf - the Roadsinger is back ==

Cat Stevens, who's name officially is Yusuf Islam since 1977, is back!
Without making much noise, he has published his new album "Roadsinger" in
May.

My father is a huge fan of this artists and, of course, immediately set out to get
the CD and now we listen to it in the car all the time. Now I want to review this lovely,
harmonic album.
First, I will tell you about Yusuf himself because I think that knowing some facts
about his life will help understand the album and you will be able to get an acurate
impression.

Who is Yusuf?
Yusuf is the singer Yusuf Islam who amazed the world with his beautiful music under
the name Cat Stevens until 1977. In 1966 he already had a name in the music
scene when he published the song "Matthew & Son". From 1970 on more songs
followed that went on to became his greatest hits. Among these are "Lady D'Arbanville", ,
"Moonshadow" and the already often-covered "Father and Son". His own version of
the English church song "Morning has broken" will always be conntected to his
name!
When the singer converted to the Islam religion in 1977, he started calling himself
Yusuf Islam and stopped making music altogether until 1995! Only then he
started to find his way back into music again, starting with islamic songs.
He was not fond of playing guitar anymore as he regarded it as a too western-
influenced instrument, but one of his (now six!) children convinced him to pick up
his guitar again.
Slowly, Yusuf started to do charity concerts and he came back into the world of
music step by step. With his album "An other Cup" he returned full force in November
2006. He recieved the "Echo" award for his lifetime achievement.
Yusuf donates a lot of the money he makes with his records now. He provides
help to charitable organisations, especially for children in need.
Now he comes back to mesmerize with "Roadsinger".

Roadsinger
The CD also carries the name ,,To warm you through the night", which seems very
appropriate as the music is very warm and harmonic. I will now describe the songs on
the album.

1. Welcome Home
This song sets a very rythmic beginning to the album, with an accustic guitar and
very soft drums slowly introducing Yusuf. But then there is only his voice, that
tells us of a long way and a place where you will be welcome in the end. "Time rolls
on", he sings in a most peaceful voice that has not changed after all these years.

2. Thinking 'Bout You
This song is very romantic and reflective - a musical commitment of love.
Yusuf sings of the deep feelings that rise in him when he thinks about the person
this song is adressed to. He tells the listener how beautiful and natural this love is.
The words that you say,
lightens up the burdens of the day.
Whatever you do,
makes us want to follow you.
Whatever they say,
Whatever they do,
I'll always love you.

3. Everytime I dream
This songs is a little more relaxt and reminds me a lot of Yusufs style of music in the
70s. He sings about love, fear and strange paths that lie before him. In the back-
ground a trumpelt can be heard and altogether the song sounds a little more wild
like the ones that came before.

4. The Rain
This track is multifaceted and exciting. Of course Yusuf plays guitar on this track
again, but the somewhat gloomy mood is supported by a violion that has it's own
little solo part after the first minute of the song. Yusuf's singing shows fear, strength
and hope all at the same time, as his voice sways back and forth between these
expressions.
The song tells us of the rain and the misery that rains down on the world. Yusuf
does not only sing about this but he supports the imagery with the instruments
and the timbre. In the song, he asks himself if anything can be done against this
"rain".

5. World O'Darkness
The topic of The Rain seems to be continued in this song. Yusuf sings about all
the evil in the world and that nobody is really interested in the people around him/her.
To him it is a world where the sun does not shine and where the younger people
think of simply going away. Only a few have the courage to stay and go the way that
lead beyong the darkness.
Some sons dream of leaving,
while they're young at heart,
but few choose the path towards the land beyond the dark

6. Be What You Must
This song is playful and a bit happier again. Yusuf sings in the way that is so typical
for him - calm and peacefully. He tells us of the many ways he has walked and a
children's choir sings along with him. The choir joins him in the chorus. The song
also has a weistful sounding piano part that gently ends the song.
Be you dust or be you star
To be what you must, just reach out for what you are.

7. This Glas World
To me this is the best song of the album because it once again reminds me of
Cat Stevens in the 70s. There are also many more instruments in this song and
Yusuf's singing swells up to show what he can really do. His voice swings in an
oriental sounding way that the listener wouldn't expect. Yusuf's "glass world" seems
to be a happy, better place.

8. Roadsinger
The title song of the album lasts a little over four minutes and tells us of the journey
of the roadsinger who roams through the land, on the search for luck that every
human being might be on. The song is very picturesque and narrative. It sounds
like country music in some parts and the returning line "Where do you go, where do
you go?" wiill be stuck in your head!

9. All Kind Of Roses
My father listens to this song again and again. It seems to be a hymn to all things
beautiful that came from God's creation. Yusuf sings about all kinds of roses
growing in his garden, all kind of children playingin his yard and so many different
creatures living on his land. The song portrays the fascination with life itself.
Yusuf's religious beliefs are also manfisted in this song:
All kinds of lanterns, light up the dark,
but there's only one God, only one God, has a place in my heart

10. Dream On (Until..)
This song is truely beautiful and perfect to relax or reflect on things. The voice is
doubled in this song which fits perfectly. It makes it alluring and the saxophone
supports the lovely mood that is created.
Yusuf sings about dreaming yourself through the night and darkness.
Sadly, this song only lasts two minutes.

11. Shamsia
This beautiful instrumental piece is a wonderful way to end the album. The piano
and violin make the song sounds longing and maybe even a little sad. Inside you
head you will see the roadsinger wander on through the night after he has song
to you about all the things he has seen and realized.

This album is the work a musical genius. It is nuance in a wonderful way, with sad
songs as well es up beat ones. Yusuf is back in full force and allow us to learn
about his life through his music . The name might have changedm but beautiful
music is still the same, as good as ever.
My father has been a fan of Cat Stevens from the first minute in and he is absolutely
satisfied with the CD. We listen to it all day long. He also thinks that this album
connects to his old works fronm the 70s perfectly. It brings back what made im stand
out between all the other musicians who tried to use the folklore genre back then.

The extra DVD
In the edition we have, a DVD is also contained on which you can find even more
awesome stuff! When you play the DVD, you get to a very beautiful menu (see
picture I uploaded). There you can choose if you want to watch the music video of
"Boots&Sand", the video "Fishing with Yusuf and Al", the Roadsinger Van Makeover
or the "Peace Train Blues".

"Boots&Sand" begins with a little cartoon in which a man that resmebles Yusuf
is being searched for, but he keeps disappearing again. Then the actual video
starts. Yusuf is riding a van through a desert-like landscape with a group of
gypsie-like people of all ages. Children and animals are also among them. When
they stabnd by the road and nobody wants to help them or pick them up,
they start walking through this desert. They all seems content and happy. The
video is very joyous and happy and it is exciting to see Yusuf himself.

,,Fishing with Yusuf and Al" is an interview-like conversation

Pictures

The cover of the album. I left the rating sticker on.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

between Yusuf and
Alun Davies. They are fishing under the Macclesfield Bridge near the London Zoo.
Yusuf tells Alun what his entry into the music scene in the 60s was like. He actually
wanted to be a musical composer, but then Deram offered him a contract and
he was given a chance to publish his music.
He tells Al that his music was heavily influenced by how he turned to religion and
researched all kinds of them after a time of hard illnes. Yusuf tells us even more
about his life, but I don't want to give everything away aleady! ;)

The Roadsinger Van Makeover shows how a group of artists paint a VW bus with
Yusuf and Cat Stevens pictures. They use album covers and illustrations for
that and the result is very beautiful! Then Yusuf himself comes over and drives
the van, truely happy as well!

The song "Peace Train" is a little photo show with pictures of Yusuf and his musicians
in a recording studio. You can see the instruments and all the technical stuff that
makes recording an album possible! It is quite interesting to see these people in
action and the person who took the photographs must be an expert on 'capturing
the moment'.

The packaging
"Roadsinger" has a beautiful cover and packaging! It is made to looks like a little
book. The cover shows a dark street with a latern. Yusuf leans against a wall, his
guitar in his arms and his hat on the ground. On the other side of the road the van
is parked. It is the same van that is featured in the make over on the extra DVD.
On the back of the CD case the picture of the cover goes on. You can see the rear
end of the van. In the left upper corner it says "To Warm You Through the Night" in
brown writing. Below that you get the tracklist in white font without any numbers.
Below that the content of the DVD is listed.
In much smaler, brown writing it says that all songs were written and produced by
Yusuf if not noted otherwise.
The website adresses www.yusufislam.com, www.catstevens.com and
www.island50.com are also given.
There are also the symbols of the companies, an age rating for the DVD and
the sign that tells us that the DVD is free of any regional code which means that you
can play it everywhere in the world.
In the upper right corner you get a relatively small barcode.
The booklet is conncted to the packaging like a book. If you open the CD case you
get the main CD on the left and next to that the booklet starts with picture of Yusuf
who walks into the desert with his guitar and his hat in his hand.
The following pages are like a scrap book with the lyrics shown on little notepad
oages next to photographs of children, buildings, instruments, landscapes and
even Yusuf himself, but you never see his full face.
The last page can be folded out. It shows a red room with a sofa, a shisha pipe
and two guitars - next to that you get the "Dream On" lyrics.
On the last page you get the DVD on the right. On the page on the left further
information on the people who worked on the album is provided. In white writing
it says "All Praise be to God, the Lord of the Universe" above all this.

The main CD is beige with a picture of the van in the middle. Above that it says
"yusuf" in quite small letters with "roadsinger" in slightly bigger, red writing below
that. The DVD is black with a smaller picture of the van from the back.

Price
My father bought the CD at a record shop in Germany for €21.95 which equals £18.93.
At Amazon.co.uk you can get "Roadsinger" for £7.98, but it will not contain the extra
DVD which is a shame. Amazon offers to get it for you from other sellers but I
have never tried this.
Hmv.co.uk also sells the edition without the DVD for £8.99.

Conclusion
This CD is a masterwork and writing this review has brought it even closer to my
heart. Yusuf really goes back to the roots and this album makes up for his long
absence from the music business!
The songs are about long weays to walk and journeys he made during his absence
had Yusu gives he listener the feeling of being allowed into his world and also
being allowed to profit from his experiences.
The new album "An other Cup" that came before this one was lovely, but it did
not connect to his worldwide success as Cat Stevens as splendidly as "Roadsinger"
does.
I can absolutely recommend this CD. The DVD I described is also a pleasure to
watch and worth the money. It is fun to watch Yusuf while he is fishing and
seeing the man behind this great music. When you listen to the CD you will want
to know what made Yusuf the man he is now.
The artistic effort behind the cover, case and booklet is also another plus! Watching
the van makeover will give the cover of the album even more aspects.
I am rating this record five stars which can not express how great it is!

[I published this review in German on www.ciao.de under the name "RoundaboutFlorence"]
[The copyright of the song lyrics, album design and DVD content lies with Yusuf
and I have no intention of violating it.]