Upon release, the box set was met with little fanfare and did not chart.[ citation needed ] Entertainment Weekly 's David Browne and Los Angeles Times ' Robert Hilburn both thought the box set was inferior to The Very Best of Cat Stevens . [20] [18] The Guardian 's John Aizlewood notes: "The forgotten artist is often worth reintroducing. [...] His eponymous four-CD box set chronicles a lavishly gifted, if wet, talent." [15] Miami Herald 's Howard Cohen thought there were far too many tracks in the box set, and wrote that the new songs "fail to advance one's appreciation of the artist". [17] Goldmine 's Dave Thompson noted the "seamless" song transitions and concluded that "the box is unquestionably a magnificent edifice", with the additional notes from Stevens providing an "irresistible glimpse" into the making of his records. [21] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 's Shane Harrison gave the box set an "A" grade, noting that it had plenty to offer for hardcore fans, but may be too overwhelming for casual fans. [19]
A contemporary review by The New Rolling Stone Album Guide states that it "offers just about all the Cat Stevens anyone should ever need, including a handful of rarities." [16] AllMusic's Lindsay Planer also praised the improved quality of earlier Deram tracks. [14]
Yusuf Islam, commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion streams. His musical style consists of folk, rock, pop, and, later in his career, Islamic music. Following two decades in which he performed only music which met strict religious standards, he returned to making secular music in 2006. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. He has received two honorary doctorates and awards for promoting peace as well as other humanitarian awards.
The Beatles Anthology is a multimedia retrospective project consisting of a television documentary, a three-volume set of double albums, and a book describing the history of the Beatles. Beatles members Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr participated in the making of the works, which are sometimes referred to collectively as the Anthology project, while John Lennon appears in archival interviews.
Tea for the Tillerman is the fourth studio album by singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, released in November 1970.
With the Lights Out is a box set by the American rock band Nirvana, released on November 23, 2004. It contains three CDs and one DVD of previously rare or unreleased material, including B-sides, demos, and rehearsal and live recordings. The title comes from the lyrics of Nirvana's 1991 single "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
Mona Bone Jakon is the third studio album by singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, released in April 1970 on the Island Records label in the United Kingdom and on A&M in the United States and Canada.
Let Love Rule is the debut studio album of American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on September 6, 1989, by Virgin Records. Then-wife Lisa Bonet wrote the lyrics to "Fear" and co-wrote the lyrics on the song "Rosemary"; other than that the album is virtually a one-man Kravitz show, as he wrote and produced all the songs and played nearly all the instruments.
Soundtrack to the Apocalypse is a box set by the American thrash metal band Slayer. Released November 25, 2003 through American Recordings, the three–disc CD and DVD set features music from previous albums, unreleased material, and live film. A deluxe edition version was released and featured everything from the standard edition, with the addition of 14 live tracks. The box set's name originated from an alternative title for 2001's God Hates Us All. After discussing among themselves the idea of the box set, the band informed their record company, who initially disliked but later approved the idea. A bonus disc was included in some versions.
"I Love My Dog" is a song written by Cat Stevens, and was his first single, appearing the following year on his debut album Matthew and Son. Stevens later acknowledged that he had essentially written the lyrics to the music of American jazz multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef's "The Plum Blossom", from his 1961 Eastern Sounds. Stevens indicated that he "told Yusef Lateef about it, gave him a big cheque, and in fact, started paying him royalties." The song is now released with credits that include Yusef Lateef.
Gold is a two-CD compilation of classic singles and album tracks by British singer-songwriter, Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam. It is part of Universal Music's series of double-disc anthologies derived from their extensive back catalog. The track list starts with Stevens' early British hit "Matthew & Son" and ends with a new recording by Islam, "Indian Ocean", recorded and first released as a digital download on the iTunes Music Store to benefit 2004 Asian tsunami relief efforts.
"Wild World" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. It first appeared on his fourth album, Tea for the Tillerman (1970). Released as a single in September 1970 by Island Records and A&M Records, "Wild World" saw significant commercial success, garnering attention for its themes of love and heartbreak, and has been covered numerous times since its release. Maxi Priest and Mr. Big had successful cover versions of the song, released in 1988 and 1993.
Numbers is the ninth studio album, and the first concept album by singer/songwriter Cat Stevens released in November 1975.
Majikat is a CD and DVD live album by British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. It was recorded during the US leg of Stevens' Earth Tour 1976, but was not released until 2004, by which time the artist was known as Yusuf Islam.
Eastern Sounds is a studio album by the jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer Yusef Lateef. It was released in April 1962 through Prestige Records on their Moodsville imprint. The recording was made in September 1961. The album features Lateef's continued exploration of Middle Eastern music, which were incorporated into his version of hard bop with a quartet featuring Barry Harris on piano. The opening track features Lateef on Chinese globular flute, generally called xun. The fusing of musical genres was not a new thing in jazz or for Lateef as his 1957 album Prayer to the East incorporated the shehnai and Middle Eastern influences in playing jazz standards. In addition to original compositions by Lateef, Eastern Sounds includes covers of themes from the films Spartacus and The Robe, which have been sampled by producers Nujabes and Blockhead, respectively.
"Father and Son" is a popular song written and performed by English singer-songwriter Cat Stevens on his 1970 album Tea for the Tillerman. The song frames a heartbreaking exchange between a father not understanding a son's desire to break away and shape a new life, and the son who cannot really explain himself but knows that it is time for him to seek his own destiny.
The Very Best of Cat Stevens is the title of a compilation album by Cat Stevens. There are multiple albums released with this title. The first was released by Polygram on its recently acquired Island Records label in January 1990. Its cover picture appears to be a reference to the Teaser and the Firecat album cover; both feature a boy in a top hat, "Teaser", accompanied by an orange cat, "Firecat", beside a fence with a full moon overhead.
"Matthew and Son" is a song written and released by singer-songwriter Cat Stevens in 1966. Following his discovery by producer and manager Mike Hurst, Stevens debuted professionally in the music business with the release of his single "I Love My Dog" in September 1966. The song's surprising commercial success established his idiosyncratic songwriting style and extended his contract with Deram Records. "Matthew and Son" was musically inspired by a previous song he had written, while the lyrics were inspired by his girlfriend at the time, who worked a lot. Musically, the song is a baroque pop song with both brass and string arrangements while the lyrics tells the tale of the titular company exploiting their timid workers. "Matthew and Son" was recorded on 1 December 1966 at Decca Studios in London with Hurst producing.
Alun Davies is a Welsh guitarist, studio musician, recording artist, and composer who rose to fame primarily with his supporting guitar work and backing vocals as accompanist for English musician Cat Stevens, from early 1970 to 1977.
This article lists the discography of British-Emirati singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. It also includes the albums he has released since he converted to Islam and adopted the name Yusuf Islam, as well as albums he released since he started being credited as Yusuf / Cat Stevens.
"Lady D'Arbanville" is a song written and recorded by Cat Stevens and released in April 1970. It subsequently appeared on his third album, Mona Bone Jakon, released later that year. It was his first single released after signing a contract with Island Records, with the encouragement of his new producer, Paul Samwell-Smith, fostering a folk rock direction. "Lady D'Arbanville" has a madrigal sound, and was written about Stevens' former girlfriend, Patti D'Arbanville, metaphorically laying her to rest.
The Nirvana bootleg recordings are a number of recordings of musical performances by the American rock band Nirvana, which were previously not officially released by the band, or under any other legal authority. The recordings consist of both live performances and outtakes from studio sessions unavailable as a legal release.