Tea For the Tillerman

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Performer: Cat Stevens
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Cat Stevens (vocals, guitar); Alun Davies (guitar); John Rostein (violin); John Ryan (bass); Harvey Burns (drums). This is a limited edition digipak. Personnel: Cat Stevens (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Alun Davies (guitar); John Rostein (violin); John Ryan (bass); Harvey Burns (drums). Producer: Paul Samwell-Smith. Reissue producer: Bill Levenson. Digitally remastered by Bill Levenson (December 1999, Sterling Sound, New York, New York). TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN is one of Cat Stevens's finest albums, and a gem in the crown of early 1970s singer/songwriterdom. Stevens manages to have his cake and eat it too, simultaneously achieving pop accessibility and artistic relevance. While inviting rhythms (buoyed by Stevens's dynamic acoustic strumming) and pop hooks abound, the feel is decidedly gentle and spare. Apart from the occasional string section, Stevens is accompanied only by a three-piece band as he sings his introspective lyrics with appreciable fervor. While there are some relatively conventional love songs here ("Hard Headed Woman," "Wild World"), the most memorable moments come when Stevens's lyrics venture further afield. "Father and Son" is a poignant but realistic and unsentimental portrait of the generation gap, capable of reducing any given dad or junior to tears. "On the Road to Find Out" and "But I Might Die Tonight" reflect Stevens's existential dilemmas, and the resulting spiritual quest that would later lead him to embrace the Islamic faith. The graceful beauty of arrangements, performances, and songs makes TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN a folk-rock classic.

Rolling Stone (2/18/71, p.50) - "...Cat's melodies and lyrics are disarmingly, deceptively simple. He seems to fasten without effort onto tunes with a life of their own..." Rolling Stone (2/18/71, p.50) - "...Cat's melodies and lyrics are disarmingly, deceptively, simple. He seems to fasten without effort onto tunes with a life of their own..." CMJ (7/24/00, p.24) - "...Classic folk-pop....gorgeously remastered...breathing new life into tunes...while remaining faithful to the albums' original majesty..." Goldmine - Sound 5 Stars - Classic, Indispensable Q (Magazine) (p.124) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN was his second album of 1970 and it turned him into an international star..."

Cat Stevens's debut single found its way to the U.K. charts while he was still in his teens. He became an international star with 1970's TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN, which showed an evolution in his style. With his distinctive voice, memorable melodies, and sensitive, socially conscious lyrics, Stevens typified the singer-songwriter aesthetic of the early '70s. His records from that period were incredibly successful, familiar to anyone growing up at the time. Over the years, his music grew a little less accessible, and by the end of the '70s he had converted to Islam, changed his name to Yusuf Islam, and retired from pop music. A 2006 comeback album, recorded under his new name, was a lovely return to form.

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