Gold

Performer: Cat Stevens
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel include: Cat Stevens (vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion); Alun Davies (guitar); Peter Gabriel (flute); Rick Wakeman (piano); Herbie Flowers (bass guitar); Bernard "Pretty" Purdie (drums); Harvey Burns (percussion); Art Garfunkel (background vocals). The man who was born Steven Demetre Georgiou and would become Yusuf Islam, Cat Stevens enjoyed success with numerous singles in the late 1960s and early '70s, before converting to Islam and turning his back on secular pop in the late '70s. Though Stevens's music often gets overshadowed by his religious beliefs, the British singer/songwriter penned an impressive string of highly melodic folk-rock tunes, a point driven home by this excellent 2005 retrospective. Arranged in chronological order, the collection moves from Stevens's early work that marked him as an icon of London's Swinging '60s (the deceptively jubilant "Here Comes My Baby" and the oft-covered rock number "The First Cut Is the Deepest") to his early-'70s heyday (the effortlessly catchy "Wild World" and the lilting "Moonshadow"). Of particular note are "Don't Be Shy" and "If You Want to Sing Out Sing Out," two wonderfully uplifting songs featured prominently in the quirky, much-loved dark comedy HAROLD & MAUDE. Although Stevens's post-'71 output isn't quite up to par with earlier efforts, GOLD gathers the standout tunes from this era, and even adds "Indian Ocean," a thoughtful pop-tinged track, featuring admirer Ed Harcourt on Wurlitzer, that was recorded to benefit the survivors of the 2004 Asian tsunami.

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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