Izitso [Original recording remastered]

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Though his fans may scarcely have realized it at the time, by the time of 1977's Izitso Cat Stevens's restless spiritual quest and unease with the trappings of fame was leading him to a personal watershed. Not long after, he would renounce his successful career and dedicate his life to charitable works and the study of Islam. Following the odd, self-produced "Pythagorean Theory Tale" that was his Numbers album, Stevens veered back toward the pop mainstream here, allowing producer David Kershenbaum to once again burnish his songs to familiar pop accessibility, utilizing everything from then-contemporary synthesizer sounds to the veteran Muscle Shoals rhythm section. But if tracks like the jaunty hit "Old Shoolyard" returned Stevens to familiar hit-machine territory, there was also a growing sense of worldly unease beneath the pop sheen, from the lovely, airy fatalism of "Life" to the career-crisis confessional "(I Never Wanted) To Be a Star." This would be Stevens's last gold record, and a surprisingly strong one from an artist on the verge of dropping out of show business for decades. --Jerry McCulley

Izitso,Cat Stevens,A&M,Album Rock,England,Folk-Rock,Pop,Pop/Rock,Popular Music,Rock,Rock/Pop,Singer/Songwriter,Soft Rock

Izitso [Original recording remastered]

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CATMANDO
Remember The Days Of Cat Stevens
A Sentimental Favorite
A creditable return to a more commercial sound for Cat
5ive stars for 5ive songs

Izitso
Cat Stevens
Manufacturer: A&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Numbers
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Buddha and the Chocolate Box
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ASIN: B000058TDZ
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard
Life
Killin' Time
Kypros
Bonfire
(I Never Wanted) To Be a Star
Crazy
Sweet Jamaica
Was Dog a Doughnut?
Child for a Day

Amazon.com

Though his fans may scarcely have realized it at the time, by the time of 1977's Izitso Cat Stevens's restless spiritual quest and unease with the trappings of fame was leading him to a personal watershed. Not long after, he would renounce his successful career and dedicate his life to charitable works and the study of Islam. Following the odd, self-produced "Pythagorean Theory Tale" that was his Numbers album, Stevens veered back toward the pop mainstream here, allowing producer David Kershenbaum to once again burnish his songs to familiar pop accessibility, utilizing everything from then-contemporary synthesizer sounds to the veteran Muscle Shoals rhythm section. But if tracks like the jaunty hit "Old Shoolyard" returned Stevens to familiar hit-machine territory, there was also a growing sense of worldly unease beneath the pop sheen, from the lovely, airy fatalism of "Life" to the career-crisis confessional "(I Never Wanted) To Be a Star." This would be Stevens's last gold record, and a surprisingly strong one from an artist on the verge of dropping out of show business for decades. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

CATMANDO.......2007-04-15

I'll make this short...if you like Cat Stevens, you will definitely enjoy this album!!! It is unlike the majority of his work, you know, kinda slow and folksy. Here he adds alittle KICK to his sound, ie, synthesizers. It also sounds better if you can tolorate a louder volume (or maybe that's just me?). From begining to end, it is a must have!!! My top three tracks would have to be
"BONFIRE"..."SWEET JAMAICA"...and "WAS DOG A DOUGHNUT". But, I guarantee the entire album is excellent and will be one of your favorites!!! BUY IT!!!

Remember The Days Of Cat Stevens.......2007-02-08

Having very little experience with the Cat Stevens albums from the mid 70's I was actually drawn to 'Izitso' by way of a remix of one of it's songs.That aside I was heavily into his two classics 'Tea For The Tillerman' and 'Teaser And The Firecat' beforehand anyhow.In fact this 1977 recording is something I have just recently taken the time to really understand and get into.So what's the diagnosis? Simply put 'Izitso' puts Stevens in three very interesting musical positions-he is setting out to give his sound more of a bite then it had as well as to make a commercial comeback and expand his musical horizons.Yes those positions are completely contradictory but so was Cat Stevens at the time-claiming his intentions to turn his back on superstardom and begin a new spiritually based life.In spite of these ever present factors 'Izitso' succeeds beautifully.Main case in point is that Cat Stevens has updated his music,replacing earlier orchestral backing with contemporary electronics and synthesizers and punchier production.His comeback hit was "Remember The Days Of The Old Schoolyard" which uses a very loud synthesizer for the melody but it never makes you forgot what a flat out brilliant pop song it is.And the interesting truth of the matter is the "old' Stevens is represented best the delicate closing song "Child For A Day",a whimsical tune that could've even come off of 'Tillerman'.And as far as the punch in Cat Steven's new music goes he does so by incorperating more grooves and R&B,jazz and even funk into his sound.The funky rock groove of "Killin' Time'",which has a very anti arms message is the most uptempo song here.On "(I Never Wanted) To Be A Star" he declares his intentions for the future and his escape from celebrity,even referrencing his past music here and there.And like "Bonfire","Crazy" and the wonderful "Sweet Jamaica" the music has a lush,keyboard heavy jazzy soul feel to them.Chick Corea is a welcomed guest whose recognizable style went well with this fusion of styles.'Izitso' also contains two experimental instrumental ventures.The first of these is "Kypros" which was entirely written and performed by Stevens on a number of keyboards and synthesizers and harkens back to his cultural backround with a very Greek/Old English feel to the arrangment,and it does have a pretty melody.Probably the most innovative (and from what I read here most controversial) tune is "Was Dog A Doughnut?".Now this is a very early electro funk number (I in fact discovered the album through a DJ who sampled this song for a remix)that is really quite ahead of it's time in terms of sampling and the use of "funk breaks".Stevens plays drums in a very compelling manner while Chick Corea provides a wonderful fender rhodes solo.It is likely the only Cat Stevens song that you could break dance to.Taken together 'Izitso' is musically powerful and diverse and certainly marked a new beginning for an artist who for his own reasons was about to put his career to an abrupt stop.If Cat Stevens had continued on through the 70's (and maybe into the 80's) extending from the musical ideas of 'Izitso' then he would not only would have likely survived the disco era but made a whole new musical name for himself.So in many ways 'Izitso' stands in itsel,in one way a terric album but also as a bittersweet epitaph to a comeback that never was.

A Sentimental Favorite.......2005-08-08

This was the album, his next to last, that introduced me to Cat Stevens, and it remains one of my favorites, along with his early albums, TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN and TEASER AND THE FIRECAT. If not for my sentimental feelings toward the album, it might deserve only four stars, but Cat still shows in several spots that he can be a master at penning deep lyrics. My older brother had the album on 8-track (with two or three of the songs chopped in half - how annoying!), and I later owned the album on vinyl, cassette, and finally on CD. This album was quite a musical departure for Stevens, filled with synthesizers and often much more upbeat pop / rock with a bit harder edge than a lot of his work. Cat makes many love / romantic references along the way.

The tracks (in order)

1. (Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard - one of my favorite Cat Stevens songs. A catchy, upbeat pop song with Cat longing for his childhood and the simplicity that came with it, including first love. I love the occasional sounds of children playing in the background. This was the big "hit" of the album - I believe it made it to #11 on Billboard.

2. Life - effectively shifts back and forth between a quiet, slow ballad and a faster pop-ish tune, even incorporating some music with a real Greek feel to it. The song has as many shifts as Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. "Life - we make it what it is.

3. Killin' Time - Driving beat synthesizer with horn section and piano (or is it all synthesizer made to sound like horns and piano). The meaning of the lyrics is hard to understand, though the second verse seems to be about how people just kind of float through life, "thinking 'bout the things they might have done."

4. Kypros - a great upbeat, pop instrumental with a real Greek feel to it. The music has lots of layers that blend beautifully.

5. Bonfire - maybe my least favorite, this is a medium-tempo song about love and sex. "Your love is like a bonfire, burning deep within me... I just take off my clothes and jump into the fire again... heat me baby, heat me" A little bit strange.

6. (I Never Wanted) To Be a Star - Cat looks back at his career with several references to earlier songs. "I was seventeen. You were working for MATTHEW AND SON. The Beatles met the queen. And I wrote I'M GONNA GET ME A GUN. It was like a dream in the star machine. Oh no - is it so, IZITSO... Just another bean in the star machine." Looking at it in retrospect, you can see that Cat Stevens is well into his religious conversion at this point. A great song.

7. Crazy - kind of a bouncy Jamaican or Greek feel to this one. A love song - "I'm crazy you baby..."

8. Sweet Jamaica - another love song, this one to "...my Sweet Jamaica, country mama, brown country girl."

9. Was Dog a Doughnut? - a very bouncy synth pop instrumental. Many people would probably find the song a bit hokey, as there is a dog bark several times randomly throughout the song, but the whole thing is catchy, fun, and charming. I remember this got some local airplay after (Remember the Days of) The Old Schoolyard, but I don't think it did anything on Billboard.

10. Child for a Day - This one was co-written by Paul Travis and Cat's brother, David Gordon (interesting that both brothers changed their last names from Georgiou. Someone elsewhere said that Yusuf Islam was born "Cat Stevens." He was actually born Steven [or was it Stephen?} Georgiou, took the stage name of Cat Stevens, and changed to Yusuf Islam when he converted to Islam.). From the music and lyrics, it's very surprising that the song is written by someone other than Cat Stevens, as it seems like trademark Cat Stevens from much earlier albums. A beautiful song with great lyrics. I especially love the lush piano instrumentation that appears at times in this song (probably electric piano or synthesized piano - oh well). The different instruments are masterfully blended throughout.

While this album doesn't have the traditional Cat Stevens sound to it, I think he adapted well to the use of synthesizers. This is a great timepiece of the era. Cat Stevens was a true original, and his presence in the music world is certainly missed.

Other than the first couple (pre-Mona Bone Jakon) album, where he hadn't yet found his style, and his final album, which seems to have a bit of filler at times, I would have to rate the whole Cat Stevens catalog five stars.

A creditable return to a more commercial sound for Cat.......2004-10-02

Izitso, issued in summer 1977, was at the time considered a return to form for Cat Stevens, who had (from a commercial point of view) lost his way somewhat in the previous few years. It mostly comprises concise, melodic pop songs which are essentially what Stevens' reputation was built on in the early 70s (and indeed, in a different style, in the late 60s). The hit single, Remember the days of the old schoolyard, is one of the most instantly appealing tracks on the record, but with the exception of the two instrumental tracks (one of which is rather silly and pointless) every song is very pleasant, and I come back to listen to the album at least as often as any of Stevens' others. The musical style and production is sophisticated compared with his early albums, and the new remastering really does justice to the recording. Although perhaps not quite as memorable as his very best work, it is probably the best of his last few albums and I would certainly recommend it to anyone thinking of buying some of Cat's lesser known records.

5ive stars for 5ive songs.......2003-11-10

If this is seen as something totally different that wasn't intended to sound like his previous work, you'll see this is a good album. If you want something to remind you of earlier albums, you will still like perhaps Child for a day, it sounds like something from earlier days. But the best songs [IMO] are Kypros - a mind-boggling masterpiece of an instrumental. Bonfire - the sound of a jazzy, romantic, relaxing evening around around a campfire with a soft wind blowing. I never wanted ot be a star - a beautiful melody incorporating tonnes of instruments. Crazy - a fun, synth song, very enjoyable. Sweet Jamaica - the best song on here, a cross between beautiful melody, disco ballad and country, with beautiful harmonica. Life reminds me of 18th Avenue and Was dog a donut is so different from his usual style but I luv it just the same. Old School yard is a gerat song too, and a hit. It's also a song of promise, "It aint ever too late to learn about love" Not long after this, her read the Qu'ran, learned about love and became a Muslim.

Average customer rating:

Audiophile sound quality?
AT LAST--3 FINE STEVENS ALBUMS ARE AVAILABLE AGAIN!
Finally, a full 3 album compilation.
Still Amazing after 20 Years!

Numbers/Izitso/Back to Earth
Cat Stevens
Manufacturer: Mobile Fidelity
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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General | Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

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Tea for the Tillerman
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ASIN: B000000IUV
Release Date: 1996-01-19

Tracks:

Whistlestar
Novim's Nightmare
Majik Of Majiks
Drywood
Banapple Gas
Land O' Free Love & Goodbye
Jzero
Home
Monad's Anthem

Tracks:

(Remember The Days Of The) Old School Yard
Life
Killin' Time
Kypros
Bonfire
(I Never Wanted) To Be A Star
Crazy
Sweet Jamacia
Was Dog A Doughnut
Child For A Day

Tracks:

Just Another Night
Daytime
Bad Brakes
Randy
The Artist
Last Love Song
Nascimento
Father
New York Times
Never

Customer Reviews:

Audiophile sound quality?.......2000-01-29

First of all I have to say I'm very happy with this set as it includes the last three Cat Stevens albums which are not available anywhere else. However, this "Original Master Recording" is sure not perfect in sound. Listen for example to the first song "Whistlestar" at the very beginning, and you can here some "hiss" sound. Hard to explain, but there's never "total silence" between tracks. Sometimes before a track starts, you hear the first seconds of the next track (VERY silently) before that track starts. The tapes seem to have copied through over the decades! Obviously the original analog masters tapes have "worn out", or this recording wasn't made from the "original masters" at all? I guess ULTRADISC should have taken a bit more care when producing this set. The other "normal" Cat Stevens CDs from my collection don't suffer this quality problem. Don't get me wrong - the sound quality is still fine, but I have expected much more qualitywise (I have other ULTRADISCs, f.e. Pink Floyd, which were much better than the normal releases) given the high standard that company normally offers. Certainly - taken the sound quality - it's not worth paying almost twice as much as for the other Cat Stevens CDs available. Anybody who would like to share his opinion with me, please send me an e-mail: tritico@gmx.net

AT LAST--3 FINE STEVENS ALBUMS ARE AVAILABLE AGAIN!.......1999-12-29

I received this box set for Christmas and have enjoyed it immensely! As a long-time Cat Stevens fan, I had been searching for two of these CDs for some time. NUMBERS is one of his very best, although most people will not know a single tune here (sorry, no hits on this one). Stevens vocals and musical arrangements are extraordinary. ITZITSO often offends some Stevens fans because of its liberal use of electronic instrumentation, but it is a true masterpiece full of creative melodies. BACK TO EARTH is not quite on the same level, but does contain some intriguing Stevens songs, including his scathing perspective on New York. The booklet included has all the song lyrics and original art, but (alas!), contains nothing new for the long-time Stevens fan.

Finally, a full 3 album compilation........1999-09-29

As someone who has valued the music of Cat Stevens more than any other artist since 1970 I must rejoice in the release of this compilation. I have been trying to 'rebuild' my Stevens collection since vinyl became obsolete and have been unable to locate these 3 albums on CD. I think his 'Numbers' album (Disc 2) ranks with his very best material and I and others who were so sorry to see him make a career change have to consider 'Back to Earth' (Disc 3) his farewell to the faithful. I'll always regret that we cannot look forward to new Stevens compositions but at least now I once again have it all. Thanks.

Still Amazing after 20 Years!.......1998-06-29

I have been looking for two of the "THREE" CD's for years! But they were out of print. I had them on vinyl and wore them out. I found them through another mail order company for over $100. What a bargain at amazon.com for around $60 and I received it in only a few days! If you want to hear some great Cat Stevens before he left the music behind for his new religion, then get "THREE"! You won't be disappointed.