Catch Bull At Four (50th Anniversary Remaster) Cat Stevens (Yusuf)

• 1 Sitting (50th Anniversary Remaster) 03:11
• 2 The Boy With A Moon And Star On His Head (50th Anniversary Remaster) 05:57
• 3 Angelsea (50th Anniversary Remaster) 04:30
• 4 Silent Sunlight (50th Anniversary Remaster) 02:59
• 5 Can't Keep It In (50th Anniversary Remaster) 02:58
• 6 18th Avenue (Kansas City Nightmare) (50th Anniversary Remaster) 04:21
• 7 Freezing Steel (50th Anniversary Remaster) 03:40
• 8 O' Caritas (50th Anniversary Remaster) 03:41
• 9 Sweet Scarlet (50th Anniversary Remaster) 03:49
• 10 Ruins (50th Anniversary Remaster) 04:24
• Total Runtime 39:30

Info for Catch Bull At Four (50th Anniversary Remaster)

Das Album "Catch Bull At Four“ feiert 50-Jähriges Jubiläum und erscheint zu diesem Anlass mit einer neu gemasterten Jubiläumsausgabe. Das ursprünglich 1972 erschienene Album wurde mit Platin ausgezeichnet und war außerdem Cat Stevens' erfolgreichstes Chart-Album aller Zeiten. In den Songs auf "Catch Bull At Four“ setzt sich der Künstler mit seinem schwindelerregenden Aufstieg zum Ruhm auseinander und vertieft sich gleichzeitig in seine spirituelle Reise. Diese Suche nach dem Sinn wird auch im Titel des Albums deutlich, der sich auf die Herausforderung und die Kraft bezieht, die man auf der Suche nach Erleuchtung aufbringen muss. Auch klanglich spiegeln die Songs eine stilistische Veränderung wider und machen das sechste Studioalbum des britischen Singer-Songwriter damit einzigartig.

Obwohl Catch Bull At Four eine Weiterentwicklung des klassischen akustischen Cat Stevens-Sounds darstellt, ist es thematisch unverkennbar eine Fortsetzung seiner früheren Arbeit. O Caritas" und "Ruins" sind beide in den vorausschauenden ökologischen und gesellschaftlichen Anliegen verwurzelt, die in seinen früheren Alben bis in die späten 1960er Jahre zurückreichen. Auch "Sweet Scarlet" und "Silent Sunlight" entspringen der gleichen Sensibilität, die viele seiner beliebtesten Lieder prägte und die bereits so viel tiefe Verehrung bei Legionen von Fans weltweit hervorgerufen hatte. Und doch ist es "Boy With The Moon And Star On His Head", wohl das Kronjuwel des Albums, das gleichzeitig der bekannteste Song zu sein scheint und gleichzeitig neue Wege in Bezug auf zeitlose Folk-Erzählungen beschreitet. Die mystische Geschichte eines Mannes, der an seinem Hochzeitstag eine Übertretung begeht, aus der ein gesegnetes Kind hervorgeht, das zu einem weisen Weisen heranwächst, der von Menschen aus nah und fern verehrt wird, fühlt sich an, als gehöre sie in eine Sammlung der größten epischen Gedichte der Welt oder in die Sagen und Legenden einer Zeit, die heute der Geschichte verloren gegangen ist. Dieses Lied zeugt vielleicht mehr als alle anderen von Cat Stevens' tiefem und transzendentem spirituellen Bewusstsein. Großartig arrangierte Bedeutungsebenen und eine betörende Symbolik entfalten sich, um über das zutiefst Persönliche zu sprechen und gleichzeitig einen Kommentar zu den Grundlagen der allgemeinen menschlichen Erfahrung abzugeben.

Catch Bull At Four ist ein Meilenstein auf der künstlerischen Reise von Yusuf / Cat Stevens. Die zuversichtliche Entwicklung des Albums über die Sicherheit seines bewährten und beliebten akustischen Sounds hinaus spricht Bände über Cats Abenteuerlust und seine Bereitschaft, selbstbewusst ins Unbekannte vorzustoßen. Das Album ist kühn, aufregend und strotzt nur so vor intensiver Leidenschaft für Wissen und Erfahrung. Catch Bull At Four dokumentiert das Wachstum in allen Bereichen von Cat Stevens' Wesen, von seinen tiefgründigen Songwriting-Gaben bis hin zu seinem Engagement für spirituelle Suche, und doch ist es in seinem Kern auf unverrückbaren Fundamenten von Frieden, Freundlichkeit und Demut aufgebaut. Wenn wir auf dieses erstaunliche Werk von vor fünf Jahrzehnten zurückblicken, verstehen wir jetzt vielleicht am besten, dass Yusuf / Cat Stevens tatsächlich die zentrale Figur des Albums ist, der Junge mit Mond und Stern auf dem Kopf, und Catch Bull At Four zeigt, dass seine Botschaft auf jedem Schritt seines Weges konstant und wahr geblieben ist.

Cat Stevens, Spanische Gitarre, Akustische Gitarre, Elektrische Gitarre, Elektrische Mandoline, Klavier, Elektrisches Klavier, Böhm Diamond Orgel, RMI Keyboard, Synthesizer, Schlagzeug, Perkussion, Gesang, Hintergrundgesang
Alun Davies, Akustische Gitarre, Spanische Gitarre, Hintergrundgesang
Gerry Conway, Schlagzeug, Perkussion, Hintergrundgesang
Jean Roussel, Klavier, Orgel
Alan James, Bass, Hintergrundgesang
Del Newman, Streicher-Arrangement
C.S. Choir ("Freezing Steel", "O Caritas")

Digitally remastered

Cat Stevens
grew from being a teen idol of the 1960s into one of the most influential singer-songwriters of all time. In addition to his vast musical achievements, his lifelong spiritual quest has added intrigue and depth to a groundbreaking career.

Cat achieved early success in the mid 60s with “I Love My Dog” and “Matthew and Son”. He was a prolific songwriter writing songs such as “Here Comes My Baby” and “The First Cut Is The Deepest” for other artists; the latter, in particular, would go on to become an international hit on multiple occasions for a variety of artists.

In 1968 the heavy work load of touring, media commitments, and the perks of a pop-star lifestyle took its toll and Cat contracted a potentially fatal bout of tuberculosis which hospitalised him for several months. It was during this time that he began a significant process of inner reflection and meditation.

Following his recovery, and with a new perspective on the world, Cat underwent a profound musical transformation. He wrote some 40 songs and made fundamental changes to his lifestyle. His new sound was more stripped-down and intimate, his lyrics gained subtlety and an intuitive edge, and in his private life he began to explore a variety of spiritual paths.

The period of 1970 to 1974 would see Cat Stevens ascend into the upper echelons of musical superstardom. His 1970 album Tea for the Tillerman, which went gold in the U.S, contained the classics ‘Wild World’, ‘Hard Headed Woman’, ‘Where Do the Children Play?’, and ‘Father & Son’. However, it was unquestionably 1971’s Teaser and the Firecat that made Cat a true megastar. Songs such as ‘Morning Has Broken’, ‘Peace Train’ and ‘Moonshadow’ resonated with audiences worldwide and were embraced by a generation as anthems of peace and unity. The songs of this era would also go on to be appreciated by future generations, their timeless quality was shown when a cover of ‘Father & Son’ became a huge hit for the Irish pop band Boyzone in the 1990s.

In 1975 Cat experienced another momentous and life-changing event. Whilst swimming in the Pacific Ocean off Malibu he began to be swept out to sea. Fearing imminent death he called to God pleading that should he be saved he would dedicate his life to God’s service. At that moment a gentle wave delivered him to the shore and safety. A sequence of events was set in motion and, after receiving a copy of the Koran from his brother, he embraced Islam in 1977.

During his Islamic studies Cat felt a powerful affinity with the story of Joseph and decided to take its Arabic equivalent as his new name, becoming Yusuf Islam in 1978. He then amazed the world by walking away from fame and his career as a music star, to start a family and dedicate himself to charitable work.

“I wasn’t too worried about what people thought, people would get to understand, gradually, I said to myself. After all, everybody knew I was ‘on the road to find out.”

After getting married and having children, Yusuf became heavily involved with education and humanitarian relief. He helped to found the Muslim Aid charity and participated directly in their early initiatives throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe. In addition, he founded a Muslim primary school in North London in 1983. After years of ceaseless campaigning, in 1998 the school was awarded grant–maintained status, an historic first in the UK.

In the late 1990s, Yusuf and his wife, Fawziah, established the Small Kindness charity in response to the devastating conflicts in the Balkans. The charity focused its efforts on the needs of orphans, widows, and families. Small Kindness continues to help vulnerable victims of humanitarian disasters and has received international recognition for its work.

At this time Yusuf also began producing educational recordings on his own label, Mountain of Light, beginning in 1995 with The Life of the Last Prophet. From 2000 he concentrated on albums for a younger audience and produced some of the most popular CDs for children in the Muslim world including A is for Allah and I Look I See.

The tragic events of 9/11 motivated Yusuf to, once again, take to the global stage. He spoke out in the media against the atrocities, against fanaticism and war, and called for peace and unity. He began to perform some of his old repertoire again, notably ‘Peace Train’ on account of its message, however, these renditions would often be delivered without instruments in spoken word or a cappella arrangements.

In 2003 Yusuf received the ‘World Social Award’ in Germany from an International World Awards Jury for “dedicating his life to aiding the needy and the ill.” And in 2004 he was presented with the Man of Peace award by Mikhail Gorbachev on behalf of a committee of Nobel peace laureates for having worked to “alleviate the suffering of thousands of children and their parents and dedicating himself to promoting peace, reconciling people and the condemnation of terrorism.”

Yusuf’s full return to music making came in 2006 with the release of An Other Cup. The album was enthusiastically received, delighting audiences who had dreamt of hearing his soft voice, compelling melodies, and poignant lyrics once again. Three years later another new album, Roadsinger, cemented his reconnection with the music industry. The ‘Guess I’ll Take My Time’ tour followed which saw Yusuf perform songs from both his new and old catalogue throughout the UK in 2009, Australia in 2010, and the rest of Europe in 2011.

In 2012 Yusuf explored a new musical avenue with the staging of a musical called Moonshadow which was launched in Australia in May of that year. The story tells the magical tale of a young man and his Moonshadow’s struggle against an oncoming darkness. Using songs from throughout his career, the musical explores many of the themes and ideas that have informed his music. This adventure into new artistic forms may well prove to be just the tip of the iceberg as Yusuf is currently looking to new media for ways to express his artistic vision.

Yusuf’s return to music has been greeted with joy and excitement across the world but nowhere more so than in the USA. The emotional reaction to his performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in New York on the 10th April 2014 showed the love and appreciation that exists within the music industry for a legendary singer-songwriter who is truly considered one of their own. In 2016 the ‘Cat’s Attic’ tour gave the American public their opportunity to echo these feelings.

2017 marks 50 years since the release of ‘I Love My Dog’ and the start of Cat / Yusuf’s illustrious career. In that time he has charmed people’s’ hearts, entertained millions, and brought hope and assistance to those in need. He has had the courage to follow his convictions and the result has been a life of extraordinary adventures which he continues to share through his captivating songs.

This album contains no booklet.