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"...Coming To Win Us..."
To date I've purchased two
of these 50th Anniversary Reissues - "Mona Bone Jakon" and
"Tea For The Tillerman" - both albums originally issued in 1970.
They
are part of an ongoing series of reissues entitled The Yusuf / Cat Stevens
Cat-O-Log Collection. But in order to get a lay of the land on this new version of "Tea For The Tillerman", we
need to backtrack a little.
Not surprisingly and following on from the
bare-bones single CD remaster of 2000, Universal subjected both November 1970's
"Tea For The Tillerman" and its popular September 1971 follow-up
album "Teaser And The Firecat" (UK release dates) to their chunky 2CD
DELUXE EDITION Series in November 2008 – another Ted Jensen Remaster with
eleven new Previously Unreleased bonus tracks on CD2 of "Tillerman".
You would therefore think that
they would all turn here in December
2020 on this New 2CD Deluxe Edition Remaster along with more for our audio
delectation – but actually – no. Six have survived the transfer - Wild World (Demo Version, Recorded 1969), Miles From Nowhere (Demo
Version, Recorded 1969), Longer Boats (Live At The Troubadour, Recorded 1970), Into
White (Live At The Troubadour, Recorded 1970), On The Road To Find Out (Live at
KCET-TV, Recorded in Los Angeles, 1971) and Tea For The Tillerman (Live At The
BBC, Recorded 1970 for BBC Radio 1's "Sounds Of The Seventies" at the
Playhouse Theatre). Not even the Super Deluxe Edition 5CD Box Set has the
remaining five – one live track recorded in Japan in 1976, two from the Majikat
Earth Tour of 1976 and two more recorded 2006 at Yusuf's Café.
So any fan
wanting the lot will need to keep that 2008 2CD Deluxe Edition – which frankly
seems a bit lax. But given the gorgeous new Audio on this 2020 version, new
Unreleased actually worth owning and its rather spiffing presentation, there is
still oodles to be gleeful about. Let's
deal with what we have...
UK released 4 December 2020
- "Tea For The Tillerman: 2CD Deluxe Edition" by CAT STEVENS on
Universal UMC/Cat-O-Log/Island Records 0602508395253 (Barcode 602508395253) is a 2CD Reissue and
Remaster with 14 Bonus Tracks (on CD2) that plays out as follows:
CD1 "Tea For The
Tillerman, 2020 Remaster" (36:51 minutes):
1. Where Do The Children Play? [Side 1]
2. Hard Headed Woman
3. Wild World
4. Sad Lisa
5. Miles From Nowhere
6. But I Might Die Tonight [Side 2]
7. Longer Boats
8. Into White
9. On The Road To Find Out
10. Father And Son
11. Tea For The Tillerman
Tracks 1 to 11 are his fourth studio album
"Tea For The Tillerman" - released November 1970 in the UK on Island
Records ILPS 9135 and January 1971 in the USA on A&M Records SP-4280.
Produced by PAUL SAMWELL-SMITH - it peaked at No. 20 in the UK and No. 8 in the
USA.
CD2 "Tea For The
Tillerman, Demos, Alternate Versions, Bonus Tracks, Live Recordings" (45:21
minutes):
1. Wild World (Demo)
2. Miles From Nowhere
(Studio Demo)
3. But I Might Die Tonight (Deep End Movie Version)
4. Can This Be Love? (Album
Out-Take)
5. Honey Man (Duet with
Elton John recorded October 1967, first issued October 2001 on the "On The
Road To Find Out" 4CD Long Box Set, Reissued June 2008 in a smaller
Digibook Format as "Cat Stevens")
6. If You Want To Sing Out
Sing out (Demo)
7. Don’t Be Shy (Demo)
8. Wild World (Live At The
Troubadour, December 1970)
9. Longer Boats (Live At The
Troubadour, December 1970)
10. Into White (Live At The
Troubadour, December 1970)
11. On The Road To Find Out (Live at KCET-TV Studios, Los Angeles USA, 8
June 1971)
12. Where Do The Children
Play? (Live at KCET-TV Studios, Los Angeles USA, 8
June 1971)
13. Father And Son (Cat
Stevens In Concert, 27 November 1971)
14. Tea For The Tillerman
(BBC Live Recording, 16 June 1970)
The hardback book with
embossed front-cover artwork that precisely mimics the original British LPs
that comes with these 2CD Deluxe Editions is gorgeous and of course the same
generic artwork will make a row of titled spines stretching right up his last
album on Island Records "Back To Earth" in December 1978. To date
(January 2022), there have been three (see list below). Unfortunately once the
shrink-wrap is torn open, the titled sticker has nowhere to go and worse, the
credits page on the rear simply falls off (don't know why they can't simply
paste these bloody things on).
But once inside, those minor
niggles fade. There is a newly laid out 28-page booklet with notes from Yusuf,
guitarist Alun Davies and Producer Paul Samwell-Smith that replaces the 12-page
inlay of the old 2000 CD version. Anyone who had the original UK and US LPs on
Island and A&M Records will remember fondly the Gatefold Sleeve with that
cauldron photo on the inside and the lyrics in tiny print on the rear. The
looking down photo is now on the inside flaps and the lyrics smartly abutting
text that deals with every song.
There are some tasty touches
– the titled US 45-single sleeve for Where Do The Children Play? On A&M
Records AM 1291 siding the text for that Side 1 song opener – a French
face-profile picture sleeve for Sad Lisa that was backed with Wild World on
Island 6014 042 – a rare Dutch picture sleeve for Father And Son with
Moonshadow on the flipside on Island 10 485 AT. There are publicity photos, live
shots of Cat with his right-hand man Alun Davies on acoustic guitars, two of
the British Mastertape Boxes, the album artwork, sheet music and even a rare
Dutch split photo issue 45 for Wild World that shows and tells us Jimmy Cliff
sings it, while Cat Stevens wrote it (Island 6014 024). It’s very pretty (see
photos provided) and well thought out. Let downs (as it is with all these 2CD
sets) – those missing tracks - CD2 merely listing its bonuses in the booklet
but with no discussion at all – a lazy approach. Also be careful removing the
actual CDs (both entirely Pink in colour to reflect the original famous British
label on Island Records) – they are tucked in tight into pouches built into the
walls of the hardback sleeves so are too damn easy to rip.
Ted Jensen - a long-standing
Audio Engineer of WEA catalogue renown – mastered both the 2000 single CD
reissue series and the 2CD Deluxe Edition in 2008 – and lovely they were too.
Here we get technology advanced by 20 years and GEOFF PESCHE at Abbey Road
having another go round in 2020. These '50th Anniversary' Reissues are gorgeous
– the liquid watery sound of the piano on "Sad Lisa" (recorded
through a Lesley) comes pounding out of your speakers like never before, the acoustic
clarity on the opening to "Father And Son" feeling bigger and more
spacious. John Ryan and his Double Bass on the flying saucers song "Longer
Boats" thumping away like a goodun. All the instruments are in your face
and in a clarity-way you would actually want. Impressive...
Not surprising that CD2
opens with the Demo of "Wild World" that first appeared in 2008 – it
has huge audio presence and even in its purely acoustic state – packs a serious
punch. From there we go to piano for "Miles To Nowhere" – his playing
just fantastic and featuring different fills to that of the recording version
(it also has Acoustic doubled onto it – great). Things dip dramatically with a
seriously overwrought "But I Might Die Tonight" done for the "Deep
End" movie – a far heavier and uglier version that you can’t help feel has
been dubbed from something other than a mastertape.
But things kick into the
stratosphere with a gorgeous unreleased outtake called "Can This Be Love?"
– what a discovery – acoustic, piano and double bass, drums – its fully formed
and would have been a stunning B-side to say "Father And Son" in both
tone and theme. The duet with Elton John "Honey Man" first showed on
the 2001 4CD Box Set "On The Road To Find Out" and is probably best
forgotten by both great men. Far better is a 2:59 minute Demo Version of "If
You Want To Sing Out Sing Out" – a finished version of which recorded in
February 1971 made its way onto the "Harold And Maude" film. Another
winner from that film is "Don’t Be Shy" (also recorded proper in
February 1971) which again turns up here in crystal clear 2:41 minute Demo form
– a beautiful little melody fans will thrill too.
Smartly that’s followed by "Wild
World" played live at the Troubadour in LA in December 1970 – a month
after the album came out in the UK – its audio almost mimicking that of the "Don’t
Be Shy" demo. Very well recorded, "Longer Boats" follows which
he announces is about spaceships. He carries on with a thing called "Into
White" – as pretty and as delicate as the LP version – and again – well
recorded for the day. And on it goes...
His first album for Island
Records "Mona Bone Jakon" issued in April 1970 was a good start - a
three-star effort 'getting' to the genuine five-star greatness of "Tea For
The Tillerman". In September 1971 when he issued "Teaser And The
Firecat" – there would be no doubt – Cat Stevens became a household name
and one of the artists carrying the burgeoning singer-songwriter flag of
excellence.
So, despite a few minor
whinges, anywhere beneath or around a British ten-spot for this new 2020 "Tea
For The Tillerman" 2CD Deluxe Edition and it quickly becomes an absolute
must buy for fans and unconverted alike.
Now, if I could only afford
that Super Deluxe Box Set, I’d put the kettle on...again...
Titles in The Yusuf/Cat
Stevens/Cat-O-Log Collection Series
50th Anniversary Reissues - Geoff Pesche Remasters at
Abbey Road
1. Mona Bone Jakon (April
1970 UK Original LP)
All 50th Anniversary Formats
UK/EU released 4 December 2020
On Universal UMC/Cat-O-Log
Records/Island Records
Single CD Version is
0602508820298
2CD Deluxe Edition Version
is 0602508395260
4CD/LP/12”/BLU RAY Super
Deluxe Box Set Version is 0602508395178
VINYL LP Version is
0602508820304
2. Tea For The Tillerman
(November 1970 UK Original LP)
All 50th Anniversary Formats
UK/EU released 4 December 2020
On Universal UMC/Cat-O-Log
Records/Island Records
Single CD Version is
06025088203598
2CD Deluxe Edition Version
is 0602508395253
5CD/LP/12”/BLU RAY Super
Deluxe Box Set Version is 0602508395086
VINYL LP Version is
0602508820311
3. Teaser And The Firecat
(September 1971 UK Original LP)
All 50th Anniversary Formats
UK/EU released 19 November 2021
On Universal UMC/Cat-O-Log
Records/Island Records
Single CD Version is
0602435513188
2CD Deluxe Edition Version
is 0602435513126
4CD/BLU RAY Super Deluxe Box
Set Version is 00602435949628
VINYL LP Version is
0602435513218
