From Amazon.com
Taking the Bull by The Horns
Album Rating: (4 of 5 stars)
Review Comments: After the massive success of his albums Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat, Cat Stevens began to show the mental strains of stardom though the music on Catch Bull at Four. He started off with his usual meditative style with the Top 40 single "Sitting" and letting out a joyful cry with "Can't Keep It In," but the second half found him wishing he could get aboard a UFO and get away from everything in "Freezing Steel." Finally, as he sings in the war-torn walk through "Ruins," Stevens cries for the lost paradise of Eden and wonders where we all went wrong.
In the old side one and two days of vinyl, the happy was side one, the sad was side two. Stevens seemed to intentionally break these emotions into half here, walking you into his dilemmas after hooking you with his typical sounds one the first side. The lovely fairy tale that is "The Boy With The Moon and Stars on His Head" would be disillusioned by the deeply sad woman of "Sweet Scarlet." "Ah, but the song carries on," Stevens sings to Scarlet, even though he sounds more pained than ever before.
The music is still beautiful, despite the anguish that has begun to creep in. The urgency of some of the songs (like "Ruins") pushes Stevens more than he had done before, which means there are no peacemakers like "Morning Has Broken" to be found here. And by the next Cat Stevens album, Foreigner, it was obvious Stevens felt he could no longer relate to what he was doing and that he believed himself to be turning more and more into an outsider. "Catch Bull at Four" is the album that shows Cat as he started trying to navigate that space.
Classic Cat
Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)
Review Comments: These are lesser known songs by Cat Stevens. But they should all be hits. Some are power songs and some are poetic little ballads. All are great. This and Mona Bone Jakon are my favorite of Cat's. If youare a big fan they are both must haves.
Great CD
Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)
Review Comments: Wow, forgot how much I had liked so many of these songs. Great CD.
dick45
Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)
Review Comments: I like Cat Stevens and the price was excellent. Wish amazon would make their susper saver shipping a little faster.
One of the best.
Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)
Review Comments: This is not my favorite Cat album, but one of his best by far. Cat's lyrical quality and great folk music ability shine brilliantly on this album almost better than any other.
Check it out if you are a new Cat Stevens or Yusef fan, and if you are an old school fan, then you must own this album.
Purchases
1 Sitting
Purchases made through Amazon.com help support FolkAlley.com.
