"Buddah And The Chocolate Box" by CAT STEVENS – March 1974 UK Album on Island Records and April 1974 in the USA on A&M Records – featuring Alun Davies of Sweet Thursday, Mark Warner of Quantum Jump, Jean Roussel of Hanson, Gerry Conway of Fairport Convention, Jim Ryan, Bruce Lynch, Roland Harker and more with Arrangements by Jean Roussel and Del Newman (August 2000 UK Universal/Island 1CD Reissue – Cat Stevens Remasters Series – Ted Jensen Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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1974

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"...Oh Very Young..."

I've always loved March 1974's "Buddah And The Chocolate Box" (or least parts of it), though I can also recall that years later many cited it as the beginning of a Cat Stevens musical decline. 

That slide continued with the silly "Numbers" album in November 1975, "Izitso" in April 1977 and "Back To Earth" in December 1978 – three more adrift Seventies albums that no one really cared about then and it has remained that way ever since (he became Yusef Islam and retired in 1980).

Back to 1974 and definitely time for a reappraisal of the wee sweetie that is "Buddah And The Chocolate Box", especially given the gorgeous and revealing CD Remaster/Transfer. Done by Ted Jensen in New York for Island's 'Cat Stevens Remasters' series (11 titles pictured on the inlay spine, nine studio albums and two hits compilations) – this reissue is an Audio gem and one that is largely forgotten too. Time to unwrap the gold foils and get to the candy dandies underneath...

UK released August 2000 - "Buddah And The Chocolate Box" by CAT STEVENS on Universal/Island Remasters IMCD 273/546 888-2 (Barcode 731454688826) is a straightforward CD transfer and is part of the Cat Stevens Remasters Series that plays out as follows (32:25 minutes): 

1. Music [Side 1]
2. Oh Very Young 
3. Sun/C79 
4. Ghost Town 
5. Jesus 
6. Ready [Side 2]
7. King Of Trees 
8. A Bad Penny 
9. Home In The Sky 
Tracks 1 to 9 are his eighth studio album "Buddah And The Chocolate Box" – released late March 1974 in the UK on Island Records ILPS 9274 and early April 1974 in the USA on A&M Records SP 3623. Produced by PAUL SAMWELL-SMITH and CAT STEVENS – it peaked at No. 3 in the UK and No. 2 in the USA. Note: technically both the front cover and label of all original LPs credited the album title as "Cat Stevens’ Buddah And The Chocolate Box" – but over the years has simply become known as "Buddah And The Chocolate Box". 

Principal Band:
CAT STEVENS – Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards and Synth 
ALUN DAVIES (of Sweet Thursday) – Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals 
JEAN ROUSSEL (of Hanson) – Keyboards 
BRUCE LYNCH – Bass 
GERRY CONWAY (of Fairport Convention) – Drums and backing Vocals 

Guests: 
Mark Warner (later of Quantum Jump) with Jim Ryan on Guitars 
Roland Harker on Banjo 
Various Backing Singers (14 first names only)
String Arrangements on "A Bad Penny" by Jean Roussel and "Music" by Del Newman

The 12-page booklet reproduces the original LP's artwork - lyrics, musician credits, the tray of chocolate Buddah figures is beneath the see-through CD tray and so on - but there are no new liner notes (more's the pity). Even if the dark-coloured rear makes reading anything on it virtually impossible, with its 'Cat Stevens Remasters' pictures of album-covers down the see-through spine, this reissue stills makes for a pretty CD jewel case to look at. 

But the real fireworks come in the Remaster - handled by a vastly experienced and long-time Audio Engineer TED JENSEN. By 1974, Cat had his band down tight and the analogue simplicity of say 1970's "Tea For A Tillerman" and 1971's "Teaser And The Firecat" had given way to the studio sophistication of "Foreigner" in 1973. "Buddah..." is a beautifully recorded album and this CD Remaster reflects those original production values. To the music...

You're immediately whomped with a funky piano - Cat being a lover of life amidst a sea of materialistic fools. The Production pours on strings, synths and backing vocals - its neck-jerking Rock strut assuring us that new music can enlighten and save us. Stevens is clearly at war with himself - fame, money and a lack of purpose in God's plan clearly eating him up (did that ending). What follows will surely be one of his fan's faves "Oh Very Young" - as sweet a song as he's ever written about children and growing up in jeans soon full of patches and other compromises. I think the female backing singers make the melody sing - though with only first names in the musician credits - we can't say who does the lead vocal. 

Another total album winner comes in the shape of the double-song "Sun/C79" - his synth playing and that "...sit you down..." break is genius. On the road again and she was in Seat C79 - a drug-habit woman that took his heart but he still couldn't remember what colour her eyes were. Again the clarity of that nightmarish opening to "Ghost Town" is impressive - that Gallagher and Lyle Drums, Bass and Harmonica opening whacking your speakers with real intent - followed up by piano and pedal steel (a far better song than I remember). Side 1 ends with the very personal "Jesus" where an icon is remembered. And in the dark evening when Cat is lost for inspiration - our hero still turns to the thought that his example and "...love will lead the blind..." 

Huge treated acoustic guitars open Side 2's "Ready" - Cat kept awake with her wide Lily smile - hope in her ways - and again the backing singers and Production values just Rock. "King Of Trees" starts quietly with piano soon to be joined by Band-like organ - a guardian of days in the forest - evergreens coming to take him back to peace. A Clavinet and his hurting vocal gives "A Bad Penny" a power but I think the strings are a tad overdone. It ends on "Home In The Sky" - a wall of Acapella voices giving way to organ and piano - a nice tune but again ever so slightly overdone. 

19 March 2001 would see all three of his final Seventies studio albums also join the Cat Stevens Remasters series in the UK - November 1975's "Numbers (A Pythagorean Theory Tale)" on Universal/Island IMCD 277 (Barcode 731454689021), April 1977's "Izitso" on IMCD 278 (Barcode 731454689120) and December 1978's "Back To Earth" on IMCD 279 (Barcode 731454689229). 

I've also reviewed "Mona Bone Jakon" (1970), "Catch Bull At Four" (1972) and "Foreigner" (1973) in the Cat Stevens Remasters series, as well as the two Deluxe Edition 2CD Reissues of "Tea For A Tillerman" (1970) and "Teaser And The Firecat" (1971) and the "On The Road To Find Out" 4CD Box Set career retrospective from October 2001 - reissued June 2008 as a Book Set (see separate reviews for all). 

"Buddah And The Chocolate Box" is a good Cat Stevens' album rather than a great one, but even in half-measures, I've always loved the positivity and beauty in the man's melodies. There is a lot to rediscover here and it's online for less than a fiver in certain places - now that is sweet...