Remember this young fella, actually the young fella is at the bottom.
If you missed this interview today on NPR’s ‘Talk Of The Nation’ stroll on over, you won’t be sorry!
It’s been way too long and he still sounds like ‘The Cat’!!
The Former Cat Stevens on His New CD
Talk of the Nation
December 18, 2006 · For a singer-songwriter who plays such gently inoffensive music, Yusuf Islam has made a lot of news. After a near-death experience in 1977 helped trigger a spiritual awakening, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens (and the man long ago known as Steven Demetre Georgiou) converted to Islam and retired from secular music-making in 1979.
Since then, Yusuf Islam has attracted both controversy — boycotts followed reports that he supported a fatwa against author Salman Rushdie in 1989 — and praise for his humanitarian work fighting famine.
After a nearly three-decade absence from secular pop music, the London-based singer returned in November with An Other Cup, which picks up more or less where he left off: with a collection of sweet, catchy, gently uplifting pop songs. In recent years, his classic ’70s material — which includes timeless hits such as “Wild World,” “Peace Train,” “Moonshadow” and many more — has been the subject of an extensive reissue campaign, aided by its continued placement on movie soundtracks.
Here, Yusuf Islam performs songs from throughout his career and chats with callers about his music, his spiritual life and the way the two combine and connect with each other.
Young Cat-1972
Near the end he plays and sings, solo, ‘Peace Train’!!
There are a couple of links, at site, so you can listen to a couple of the songs from his new album.
There are also a couple of links to related story’s.
So go on over and listen to the Interview, songs, and his thoughts, while you surf around!
He sounds wonderful. š
Thanks Jimstro. I saw on tv about his new album. I’ve missed him very much. In the 60’s his music meant a lot to me. It’s something special to me to know he’s back.
It’s nice to see he’s back making music again. I was of an age to be influenced by his music during his early years, and severely disappointed when he withdrew from his career. I felt betrayed. I still love his music and, I must admit, I still feel betrayed in an adolescent sort of way, though I do have empathy for the near-death drowning experience that led to his life-altering decision.
I’m fully capable of forgiving him, I think, but I still need to work on it. Maybe if I listen to him sing “Peace Train” at the link you provided, it will help. “..And I believe it could be, some day it’s going to come…”
Blueneck maybe I’m wrong, but where’s the forgiving? The man made a choice and he’s at peace with himself. I really do miss his music, but to me a person finding peace within themselves is worth more.
Oh, I said “in an adolescent way”, by which I hoped to indicate that it was clearly, even in my view, not a good thing. I agree with you completely that it is a childish view of his life choices, nonetheless, I was a child when I formed that opinion and have not had a reason or need to revisit those old feelings until more recently. It is sort of like if your best friend walked away from you when you were a vulnerable teenager – for his/her own very good reasons but you still feel empty and sort of betrayed. If you meet them again for the first time at a twenty-five year reunion, you’ll probably still have to deal with those feelings, even though the person may have made good choices for him/her self. I don’t think it’s necessarily an appropriate feeling, depending on the circumstances, but it is nonetheless a feeling, which I commented on because I think I wasn’t alone in having those feelings. It had nothing to do with his choices for himself, I just felt abandoned.
And, listening to him sing “Peace Train” again does help. As an adult, I identify with his more human image now. In the old days, I had an idealized view of him, which made it hard to accept his disappearance from the scene. I can’t make old feelings go away in a puff of smoke, it usually takes time and effort. Which I proved I’m willing to do by following the links and enjoying his new and old music and listening to him speak about his life in the interview.