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Yusuf is a talented singer and songwriter with an interesting past – in the 1960s and '70s he was the internationally famous pop singer Cat Stevens, whose thoughtful, soulful songs often had a spiritual bent. After the release of his 1978 album Back to Earth, Cat Stevens walked away from his career in music, embracing the Muslim faith and taking the name Yusuf Islam. In 2006, he released the album An Other Cup, credited to Yusuf, that found him gingerly easing back into the folk-influenced pop that made him famous, and since then, Yusuf has been making music that aims to strike a balance between the musical personality of his most famous work and his present-day spiritual focus and his dreams of a more just, peaceful, and generous world. In terms of this match of form and content, 2023's King of a Land may be the best album Yusuf has delivered since returning to popular music (and like his last several releases, it's credited to Yusuf/Cat Stevens, suggesting he's at peace with his musical past while wanting to remind us he's not exactly the man he used to be). Working with Paul Samwell-Smith, who produced the bulk of his 1970s work, on King of a Land Yusuf writes melodies that are more artful than his best-known hits but have a very recognizable warmth, and a mood that finds room for both joy and gravity. The lyrics are open in his devotion to God and our shared need for a more merciful world. The album's artwork features illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds, portraying a young boy in situations that match the stories and themes of the songs, and many of the tunes feel like fables for young and old, songs whose messages are clear but express their lessons with a gentle touch that doesn't feel doctrinaire or judgemental. (Significantly, "Son of Mary" is a compact retelling of the life of Jesus, subtly but firmly affirming that we all worship the same God). King of a Land is not quite pop-folk in the way "Peace Train" or "Moonshadow" were, yet the music is engaging and seems intended to soothe a troubled spirit, and though Yusuf's voice is just a bit sandy around the edges compared to his salad days, his performances are passionate without histrionics and speak of a wisdom he wants to share with all willing to listen. It's a well crafted and often moving album that mixes a bit of Cat Stevens' sound with Yusuf's heart and soul, and it honors both with skill and sincerity.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
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Paul Samwell-Smith, Producer - Jel Jongen, Trombone - Serge Plume, Trumpet - Carlo Mertens, Trombone - Russ Kunkel, Drums, Percussion - Eric Appapoulay, 12 String Guitar - Cat Stevens, Producer, Keyboards, Synthesizer - David Hefti, Mixer, Engineer - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist - Bruce Lynch, Keyboards, Acoustic Bass - Jason Yarde, Arranger
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Paul Samwell-Smith, Producer - Russ Kunkel, Drums, Percussion - Eric Appapoulay, Slide Guitar - Cat Stevens, Producer, Backing Vocals, Synthesizer - David Hefti, Mixer, Engineer - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Peter Vettese, Flute, Keyboards, Piccolo, Tuba, Strings - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist - Bruce Lynch, Bass Guitar - Angel Kids, Chorus
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Paul Samwell-Smith, Producer - Beverley Skeete, Backing Vocals - Jel Jongen, Trombone - Serge Plume, Trumpet - Carlo Mertens, Trombone - Russ Kunkel, Drums, Claps - Eric Appapoulay, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Cat Stevens, Producer, Synthesizer, Claps - Paul Hicks, Mixer - David Hefti, Engineer - Michelle John, Backing Vocals - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Peter Vettese, Keyboards, Organ - Daniel Thomas, Backing Vocals - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist - Bruce Lynch, Acoustic Bass - Jon Ashton-Thomas, Arranger
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Paul Samwell-Smith, Producer, Backing Vocals - Cat Stevens, Producer, Keyboards, Organ, Backing Vocals - David Hefti, Mixer, Engineer - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Peter Vettese, Mellotron - Kwame Yeboah, Backing Vocals - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist - Bruce Lynch, Bass Guitar - Hanna Roos, Soprano Vocals
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Paul Samwell-Smith, Producer - Cat Stevens, Producer - Paul Hicks, Mixer - David Hefti, Engineer - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Peter Vettese, Piano - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist - Stefan Fuhr, Bass - Marlon Browden, Drums - Jo Ambros, Electric Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Paul Samwell-Smith, Producer - Cat Stevens, Producer, Guitar, Backing Vocals - Frank Schellenberger, Keyboards - David Hefti, Mixer, Engineer - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Kwame Yeboah, Synthesizer - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist - Stefan Fuhr, Bass - Marlon Browden, Drums - Jo Ambros, Electric Guitar
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Paul Samwell-Smith, Producer - Russ Kunkel, Claps - Eric Appapoulay, Electric Guitar, 12 String Guitar - Cat Stevens, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Organ, Synthesizer, Brass - Paul Hicks, Mixer - David Hefti, Engineer - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Peter Vettese, Keyboards - Martin Allcock, Fretless Bass - Alun Davies, Claps - Kwame Yeboah, Drums, Shaker - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Russ Kunkel, Bass Drums - Cat Stevens, Producer, Keyboards, Synthesizer - David Hefti, Mixer, Engineer - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Peter Vettese, Additional Keyboards - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist - Bruce Lynch, Bass Guitar
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Paul Samwell-Smith, Producer - Beverley Skeete, Backing Vocals - Pete Murray, Piano - Nick Wollage, Engineer - Nick Ingman, Orchestral Arranger - Frank Ricotti, Percussion - Cat Stevens, Producer - Paul Hicks, Mixer - Frank Schellenberger, Keyboards - David Hefti, Engineer - Michelle John, Backing Vocals - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Steve Pearce, Bass Guitar - Daniel Thomas, Backing Vocals - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist - Stefan Fuhr, Bass - Marlon Browden, Drums - Jo Ambros, Electric Guitar - Jon Ashton-Thomas, Arranger, Bass Guitar, Percussion
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Eric Appapoulay, Slide Guitar, Background Vocals - Cat Stevens, Producer, Background Vocals, Bass, Synthesizer - Paul Hicks, Mixer - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Kwame Yeboah, Drums, Background Vocals - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Paul Samwell-Smith, Producer - Russ Kunkel, Cymbals, Drums - Nick Wollage, Arranger - Cat Stevens, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, Synthesizer - David Hefti, Mixer, Engineer - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Peter Vettese, Keyboards - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist - Bruce Lynch, Bass Guitar - Hanna Roos, Soprano Vocals
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Cat Stevens, Producer, Keyboards, Background Vocals, Claps - Paul Hicks, Mixer - Mazen Murad, Engineer - Yusuf / Cat Stevens, MainArtist - Bruce Lynch, Bass Guitar
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Album review
Yusuf is a talented singer and songwriter with an interesting past – in the 1960s and '70s he was the internationally famous pop singer Cat Stevens, whose thoughtful, soulful songs often had a spiritual bent. After the release of his 1978 album Back to Earth, Cat Stevens walked away from his career in music, embracing the Muslim faith and taking the name Yusuf Islam. In 2006, he released the album An Other Cup, credited to Yusuf, that found him gingerly easing back into the folk-influenced pop that made him famous, and since then, Yusuf has been making music that aims to strike a balance between the musical personality of his most famous work and his present-day spiritual focus and his dreams of a more just, peaceful, and generous world. In terms of this match of form and content, 2023's King of a Land may be the best album Yusuf has delivered since returning to popular music (and like his last several releases, it's credited to Yusuf/Cat Stevens, suggesting he's at peace with his musical past while wanting to remind us he's not exactly the man he used to be). Working with Paul Samwell-Smith, who produced the bulk of his 1970s work, on King of a Land Yusuf writes melodies that are more artful than his best-known hits but have a very recognizable warmth, and a mood that finds room for both joy and gravity. The lyrics are open in his devotion to God and our shared need for a more merciful world. The album's artwork features illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds, portraying a young boy in situations that match the stories and themes of the songs, and many of the tunes feel like fables for young and old, songs whose messages are clear but express their lessons with a gentle touch that doesn't feel doctrinaire or judgemental. (Significantly, "Son of Mary" is a compact retelling of the life of Jesus, subtly but firmly affirming that we all worship the same God). King of a Land is not quite pop-folk in the way "Peace Train" or "Moonshadow" were, yet the music is engaging and seems intended to soothe a troubled spirit, and though Yusuf's voice is just a bit sandy around the edges compared to his salad days, his performances are passionate without histrionics and speak of a wisdom he wants to share with all willing to listen. It's a well crafted and often moving album that mixes a bit of Cat Stevens' sound with Yusuf's heart and soul, and it honors both with skill and sincerity.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:43:16
- Main artists: Cat Stevens
- Label: BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited. ℗ 2023 Cat-O-Log Records under exclusive licence to BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
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