| Numbers A Pythagorean Theory Tale | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 November 1975 | |||
| Recorded | October 1975, Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada | |||
| Genre | Soft rock, folk rock | |||
| Length | 33:38 | |||
| Label | Island (UK/Europe) A&M (US/Canada) | |||
| Producer | Cat Stevens | |||
| Cat Stevens chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Numbers is the ninth studio album, and the first concept album by singer/songwriter Cat Stevens released in November 1975.
The album Numbers, subtitled "A Pythagorean Theory Tale," was based on a fictional planet in a far-off galaxy named Polygor. The album included a booklet with excerpts from a planned book of the same name written by Chris Bryant and Allan Scott. The booklet features pen-and-ink illustrations drawn by Stevens. [2]
The concept of the album is a fantastic spiritual musical which is set on the planet Polygor. In the story there is a castle with a number machine. This machine exists to fulfill the sole purpose of the planet – to disperse numbers to the rest of the universe: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 (but notably not 0). The nine inhabitants of Polygor, the Polygons, are Monad, Dupey, Trezlar, Cubis, Qizlo, Hexidor, Septo, Octav, and Novim. As the first lines of the book say, they "followed a life of routine that had existed for as long as any could remember. ... It was, therefore, all the more shocking when on an ordinary day things first started to go wrong." The change takes the form of Jzero, who comes from nowhere as a slave and eventually confuses everybody with his simple truth. [2]
Upon its initial release in late 1975 both fans and critics were confused by the concept and the lack of the sort of "catchy" music that they had been used to from Stevens, and although the album eventually achieved gold status, it sold far less than his previous four albums and was considered a critical failure. At one point A&M Records (his American record label) contemplated terminating his contract, but he still had two albums left to make for them. Stevens continued to be bitter about the process of fame and the pressures to make money for his label, and distanced himself from participating in promotion for the album.
Confronted with an ultimatum from the label along the lines of "make a pop record or else," he set out to make one of the more expensive records of his career, 1977's Izitso , which yielded several hits. The success of Izitso showed the label that he was still hit-worthy, but Stevens was now in process of embracing the faith of Islam, and after supplying the album Back to Earth , he opted out of the music business altogether, changed his name to Yusuf Islam, and devoted himself to the Islamic faith, education, and humanitarian work. But he would officially return to pop music with the release of An Other Cup in 2006.
In 1994, Numbers was released as a limited edition along with the albums Izitso and Back to Earth in a box set called Three from the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab label. This box is no longer available and is thus highly prized among collectors.
All the tracks were written by Cat Stevens. The original LP broke with tradition and called the second side "Side 0", a reference to Jzero.[ original research? ]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada) [4] | Gold | 50,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Strait Out of the Box is the first box set album by American country music artist George Strait. It contains four albums' worth of music, dating from 1976 to 1995. It mainly consists of Strait's singles, except for a select few that he decided to exclude. They were replaced by his choice of album cuts and several studio outtakes. It also contains his three singles recorded in the 1970s for indie label D Records, one of which, "I Just Can't Go on Dying Like This", was re-recorded for Strait's 2013 album Love Is Everything.
Barnstorm is the debut studio album by the American band Barnstorm, which was formed by guitarist Joe Walsh after he left the James Gang. The album was released in October 1972 on the labels ABC and Dunhill. It was the first album to be recorded at Caribou Ranch in Colorado.
Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 4 October 1975. The title is a spoonerism on the phrase "West of the Rockies", the album having been recorded at Caribou Ranch in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Souvenirs is the second studio solo album by the American rock singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg. The album was released in late 1974, on the label Epic Records. The album reached No. 17 on the Billboard 200 in March 1975 and was certified double platinum by the RIAA. Joe Walsh produced the album and played on ten of the eleven tracks.
My Father's Eyes is the second studio album by then-teenage Christian singer-songwriter Amy Grant, released in 1979 on Myrrh Records. My Father's Eyes was a turning point in Grant's career. It gave her her first Christian number-one hit in the title track, as well as the Top Ten Christian hit "Faith Walkin' People." The album would be certified gold in 1987 and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary.
No Mystery (1975) is the fifth studio album by jazz-rock fusion band Return to Forever.
Playing Possum is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on April 21, 1975.
Cyclone is the eighth studio album by Tangerine Dream and the first in their canon to feature proper vocals and lyrics. The cover is a painting by band leader Edgar Froese.
Illusion were a British progressive rock band formed in 1977. They released two albums, Out of the Mist (1977) and Illusion (1978) on Island Records, before folding in 1979. A third release titled Enchanted Caress was released in 1990.
Izitso is the tenth studio album released by the British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens in April 1977. After the lacklustre Numbers, the album proved to be his comeback. The album updated the rhythmic folk rock and pop rock style of his earlier albums with the extensive use of synthesizers and other electronic music instruments, giving the album a more electronic rock and synthpop style, and anticipating elements of electro.
Two Sides of the Moon is the only solo studio album by the English rock musician Keith Moon, drummer for the Who. It peaked at No. 155 on the Billboard 200. The album title was credited to Ringo Starr. Rather than using the album as a chance to showcase his drumming skill, Moon sang lead vocals on all tracks, and played drums only on three of the tracks, although he played percussion on "Don't Worry Baby". The album features contributions from Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Joe Walsh of the Eagles, Jim Keltner, Bobby Keys, Klaus Voormann, John Sebastian, Flo & Eddie, Spencer Davis, Dick Dale, Suzi Quatro's sister Patti Quatro, Patti's bandmates from Fanny Jean Millington and Nickey Barclay, and future actor Miguel Ferrer.
Back to Earth is the eleventh studio album released by the British singer/songwriter Cat Stevens. It is the only album he recorded using the name Cat Stevens after his conversion to Islam until the release in September 2017 of The Laughing Apple, his fifteenth studio album. It was also the last album of contemporary Western music that he recorded until An Other Cup, 28 years later.
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.
"I'm in You" is the hit song released by Peter Frampton as a single from his album I'm in You, released in 1977. It rose to No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Cash Box Top 100 and in Canada, becoming his most successful single. The song was kept from reaching the top spot on Billboard by Andy Gibb's "I Just Want to Be Your Everything".
Friends in Love is a studio album by the American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Arista Records on April 14, 1982, in the United States. Her third album for the label, it was recorded during the winter of 1981-82, with production by Jay Graydon. It peaked at number 87 on the US Billboard 200. Singles from the album include the title track, a duet with singer Johnny Mathis, which made the Top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and follow-up "For You," which peaked at number 14 on the adult contemporary chart.
Men'll Be Boys is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Billy Dean. It was released in 1994 on Liberty Records as his final album for the label before Liberty's country music division was merged with Capitol Records Nashville. The album produced only two singles in "Cowboy Band" and "Men Will Be Boys", which respectively reached #24 and #60 on the Billboard country singles charts.
Night Lights is the third major label album by singer-songwriter Elliott Murphy produced by Steve Katz and recorded at Electric Lady Studio. It was reviewed by Dave Marsh in Rolling Stone, where he wrote "In 1973 and 1974 it seemed to many of us in New York that it was a tossup whether Bruce Springsteen, the native poet of the mean streets, or Elliott Murphy, the slumming suburbanite with the ironic eye would became a national hero." The album featured guest appearances by fellow Long Island native Billy Joel and former Velvet Underground member Doug Yule. The cover photo of Murphy standing in Times Square early one Sunday Morning was taken by photographer Michael Dakota although stylised by Steven Meisel. The song "Lady Stilletto" was thought to be an homage to Patti Smith.
Sharon O'Neill is the second studio album by New Zealand singer and songwriter Sharon O'Neill. Sharon O'Neill peaked at No. 5 in New Zealand in March 1980. The album was released in Australia in August 1980 under the titled Words, with the inclusion of "How Do You Talk to Boys".
Master of the Game is the fourteenth studio album by American keyboardist and record producer George Duke. It was released in 1979 through Epic Records. Recording sessions for this full-length album took place at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. The album features contributions from vocalists Lynn Davis, Josie James and Napoleon Murphy Brock, guitarists David Myles, Ray Obiedo and Roland Bautista, bassists Byron Miller and Freddie Washington, drummer Ricky Lawson, percussionist Sheila Escovedo, trombonist Bill Reichenbach, trumpeters Jerry Hey and Gary Grant, and saxophonist Gary Herbig.
King of a Land is the seventeenth studio album from British singer-songwriter Yusuf / Cat Stevens, released on 16 June 2023 by BMG Rights Management / Dark Horse Records. The recording featured children's music and religious music influences, and received positive reviews from critics.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)| Studio pop albums |
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