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"...I'll Tell You Everything I've Learned...
And Love...Is All He
Said..."
Arriving onto a panting
public in September 1972 - Steven Georgiou's sixth album (his fourth for Island
Records UK, A&M Records USA) has always had something of a poor man's
relationship to the two absolute joys that preceded it - "Tea For The
Tillerman" (November 1970) and "Teaser And The Firecat"
(September 1971). I can recall despite its huge-selling No. 2 and No. 1 status
in the UK and USA, it wasn't critically well received and only a few years later
- always the Cat Stevens album that got sold in first when cash got tight.
Well in 2019, "Catch
Bull At Four" is a whopping 47 years old and I would argue that its one to
return to for three good reasons - there are enough great songs to savour, the December
1999 audio transfer is absolutely gorgeous (eventually released globally in
August 2000) and its still cheaper than a Nigel Farage milkshake. "Can't
Keep It In" indeed - here are the bullish details...
UK released August 2000 -
"Catch Bull At Four" by CAT STEVENS on Island IMCD 271/546 886-2 (Barcode
731454688628) is a straightforward transfer of the 1972 album Remastered onto
CD and plays out as follows (39:40 minutes):
1. Sitting [Side 1]
2. The Boy With The Moon
& Star On His Head
3. Angelsea
4. Silent Sunlight
5. Can't Keep It In
6. 18th Avenue (Kansas City
Nightmare) [Side 2]
7. Freezing Steel
8. O' Caritas
9. Sweet Scarlet
10. Ruins
Tracks 1 to 10 are his sixth
studio album "Catch Bull At Four" - released September 1972 in the UK
on Island Records ILPS 9206 and October 1972 in the USA on A&M Records SP
4365. Produced by PAUL SAMWELL-SMITH - it peaked at No. 2 in the UK and No. 1
on the US LP charts.
CAT STEVENS - Lead Vocals,
Piano, Synthesiser, Diamond Organ, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar and
Mandolin
ALUN DAVIES - Acoustic
(Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7) and Spanish Guitar (Track 4)
JEAN ROUSSEL - Organ and
Piano
ALAN JAMES - Bass (Vocals on
Track 3)
GERRY CONWAY - Drums
Guests:
Linda Lewis - Backing Vocals
on "Angelsea"
Del Newman - Strings on
"Silent Sunlight" and "18th Avenue (Kansas City Nightmare)"
Andreas Toumazis - Bouzouki
on "O' Caritas"
As with all of these 'Island
Remasters' CD issues, the 12-page booklet reproduces only the original LP
artwork (the lyrics that were on the inner gatefold, the players pictured, Cat
Stevens rear photo etc) with no new liner notes - which is a shame. The
see-through spine has a cover artwork montage of the nine Island/A&M
Records LPs issued between April 1970 through to January 1979 - "Mona Bona
Jakon" to "Back To Earth" as well as two Greatest Hits sets (all
now part of the 'Island Remasters' series of CDs).
But the big news here is the
TED JENSEN Remaster from original two-track analogue master tapes done at
Sterling Sound Studios in New York in December 1999. Jensen has managed to
instil new life into these recordings – the acoustic led numbers like "Ruins"
and particularly "The Boy With A Moon & Star On His Head" sound
glorious – clean too – but not supressed – while band-led tunes like the
synth-led "Angelsea", the pop single "Can’t Keep It In", the
Side 2 opener "18th Avenue (Kansas City Nightmare)" and
the house of "Freezing Steel" electric guitar chugger are now
bursting with revelatory audio.
For sure Side 2 is weak - "Sweet
Scarlet" and "O' Caritas" still underwhelming and even odd – but
the I’m on my way song "Sitting" and the album sleeper "Ruins"
feels like rediscoveries waiting for you in the digital ether. But for me the
album’s masterpiece has always been the moving and beautifully simple acoustic
melody of "The Boy With A Moon & Star On His Head" – surely one
of prettiest songs and those final lyrics always manage to floor me every time
– I’ll tell you everything I’ve learned – and love is all he said – indeed.
Cat Stevens would give us the
sophisticated but misunderstood "Foreigner" album in July 1973 that
itself would go up to an impressive No. 3 in the USA and UK respectively (check
out the stunning Side 1 Foreigner Suite collection of connecting songs). In the
meantime check out the gift that someone left, the basket by the door, the man
with the cool hat and nice smile on the rear cover urging you get a guiding
wheel...(will do Cat)...
