Please call my music taste eclectic. It sounds better than weird!

WHY DID I BUY IT?

It was watching the TV ads for this album that convinced me to get it. I was singing along, thinking how I liked all the tracks on the advert and how much I wanted the CD. So I got this for my birthday or Christmas last year – it came out in 2003.

AM I A HIPPY?

I’m not a hippy. Okay, so I’ve been a vegetarian for over half my life and I always go round the house barefoot, but I still don’t think I’m a hippy. I only just caught the end of the ‘60s, being born in October 1969, but I do think the 1970s had the best TV. The album has tracks on it from 1967 to 1978, so it covers the era well.

Of course, Cat Stevens is no longer a long-haired hippy. In fact, he’s no longer Cat Stevens! He is now Yusuf Islam, a Muslim and only released this album to raise funds for his charity work.

Now, as you might have guessed, this album would clear a club in seconds, this is not a big dance floor filler. Of course, if your ideal party is one where you feel woozy just inhaling the smoke as you walk in, well, this would be ideal. Personally, I put this on for background music. It is calming, relaxing and easy to lose yourself in.

At around 1 hour 18 minutes, this also means you don’t have to get up to change CDs too much – ideal for a perfectly chilled evening or an afternoon nap to music! It has 24 tracks on it, with my favourite being the second song on the album – Father and Son. Try not to groan too loudly, but I first heard the Boyzone version of this and actually love that one too. It’s just a beautiful, haunting song.

AM I GOING TO WRITE A TRACK-BY-TRACK REVIEW?

I’m not going to write a track-by-track review, as it would just be too long and boring and you’d all skim through the middle part, missing the bit where I crack a hilarious joke and get my baps out. So I’ll just try to give you a feeling for it and my opinion, but I will add a track listing at the end, for those wanting to see if their favourites are included.

Another of the best tracks here is Morning Is Broken, which has a beautiful piano accompaniment. This song was one of my favourite hymns at school. Being an atheist from a young age, I refused to sing most hymns out of protest, but this one is so pretty that I usually joined it at assembly. (The modern version of O Jesus I Have Promised is the other one I love.)

So this reminds me of my schooldays, which were generally happy times. I can almost transport myself back to those old assembly days, a room which seemed vast compared to my size, with edges that never seemed to be dusted…

Wild World is another song where I knew the cover version better than the original, but both versions are really good. Cat’s version is slightly slower than I expect, with more gentleness and tenderness, less oomph. Let’s face it, your Gran’s not going to be shocked by hearing this album! Compared to chart albums by today’s singers, The Very Best Of Cat Stevens seems rather tame. No swearing, no sexual moaning (I just bought Kelis’ album!!), just laid-back love, peace and nature. Sounds good to me.

The First Cut Is The Deepest is another song that has found renewed fame when released by other artists. Cat’s version is my favourite. There is just so much emotion in his voice, whereas these days, artists tend to rely a lot on vocoders, heavy bass beats and effects added on in post-production. Sometimes hearing such natural, unpolluted vocals can be very refreshing.

IS THIS ALBUM PERFECT?

That’s not to say that this album is perfect or that all CDs should be like this. I love all kinds of music really and love the variety. I like being able to play Les Miserables then Alla Pugacheva (She’s Russian) then Eminem then Cat Stevens. I don’t love every track on this CD, but how many albums are there, where you honestly love each and every track on it?

The Very Best Of… can seem slightly samey with several songs of a similar tempo. Sometimes you can play it and it washes over you, in the way that my Dido album does. Other times, it can affect me as deeply as a Pink Floyd album. At University, I would de-stress by listening to The Floyd alone in a dark room. Cat Stevens induces a similar feeling, but without the aggression of Pink Floyd. You may feel angry, but don’t rebel, just lie back and chill. Okay Cat, whatever you say…

There isn’t a bad track on this CD, nothing that would make me skip it. Well, that would take effort and by this time, when you’re horizontal with your eyes partially closed (Must be a touch typist…); you just can’t be bothered, unless it’s VERY bad. And it isn’t.

So some tracks waft around for a few minutes – Lady D’Arbanville, Oh Very Young, Moonshadow, Don’t Be Shy, Into White – before disappearing into the ether, leaving no trace of them ever having been there.

I know Matthew and Son is a very famous song, but this isn’t a favourite of mine. I’m not quite sure why. It seems a bit jerky and almost disorganised. It also sounds as if it contains lots of flats and sharps, so it isn’t as easy on the ear as most of the others. (I’m no good at describing music technically, sorry; I can only do ‘from the heart’!)

ANIMAL LOVERS UNITE!

I Love My Dog has such a wonderful title and a great first line – “I love my dog, as much as I love you”. I’m sure fellow animal lovers will agree with this. Of course, I would be kissing the paws of my beloved companion right now, if she wasn’t fast asleep on my pillow.

Rubylove has a great guitar accompaniment that is really catchy, better than the vocals actually as I find this song slightly dull. I find it refreshing that as well as the clarity of the lyrics and pure vocal tone, you can also distinguish individual instruments on all of his songs. I’m trying not to sound very old here (and failing), but it makes a nice change to be able to pick out a piano or guitar, instead of modern chart stuff (especially dance and ‘gangsta’ rap), where it’s all an aural blur of bass and beats.

Here Comes My Baby is one of the fastest tracks on the album, another very familiar song and one to jiggle to, tapping your toes and waggling your head like those nodding dogs in the back of cars. If you like dancing to CDs, this is probably your best chance for a bop.

NOISY KIDS, ANYONE? (Here, have four.)

(Remember Of The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard is a fairly fast tempo too and one of the rare opportunities to hear a female voice on one of his songs. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of my favourites and I find the sound of playing kids in the background annoying too. I have four kids of my own and put on this album for a bit of peace and quiet, ha!

How Can I Tell You is another song I knew before buying the album. Unlike the others on the CD, I actually prefer the cover version by Malachi Cush (from Fame Academy) to Cat’s rendition. But a pretty song is a pretty song, whatever. (Unless the Scissor Sisters get hold of it!)

LOVE, PEACE AND RELIGION.

The last too tracks seem very typical of the 1960s-70s, with messages of peace. Being anti-war myself, I am always happy to hear songs in this vein. If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out is the final track on the CD and leaves a good impression, despite a slightly corny feel to the song.

The album comes in a LP-type shaped cover with the booklet being stored inside the front sleeve. The booklet contains a long, detailed biography of Cat to Yusuf with photos of him in his heyday and illustrations of his album covers. His religious conversion is stressed and there is an address to write to, where you can obtain a ‘free booklet, which explains his journey from Cat Stevens to Yusuf Islam’. Oh, I’m so tempted. (Not.)

It’s a shame the lyrics aren’t printed in the booklet, as I do like reading them and so many of these songs seem to have great lyrics, ones which seem very poetic and could probably stand alone.

THE SUMMARY BIT AT THE END FOR SKIMMERS

Overall, if you like Cat’s voice and style, this album is a must buy. It’s well worth the money for 24 tracks and you can play it anywhere, without offending anyone. My eleven year old just came in the room, in time to give you the opinion of the young. Yes, the album is “boring”. Then again, do I like McFly and Busted? No, no, NO!

In fact, when you leave your comments, please mention your age, as I’d be interested to see what each age group thinks to the album (or the sound of it, at any rate). I have a strong suspicion this will be purchased by very few people in their mid-twenties or younger. But let me know ;-)

TRACK LIST

Moonshadow
Father and Son
Morning Has Broken
Wild World
The First Cut Is The Deepest
Lady D’Arbanville
Oh Very Young
Matthew and Son
Sitting
Hard Headed Woman
I Love My Dog
Rubylove
Don’t Be Shy
Can’t Keep It In
Here Comes My Baby
Into White
(Remember The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard
Where Do The Children Play?
How Can I Tell You
Another Saturday Night
Sad Lisa
Just Another Night
Peace Train
If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out

All songs written by Cat Stevens, except for Morning Has Broken and Another Saturday Night.

SO HOW MUCH DO I HAVE TO FORK OUT THEN?

A quick search on Kelkoo suggests prices between £7.99 and £14.95 for this album, so shop around for a good deal or look on Ebay.