When it was announced a few months ago that Yusuf aka Cat Stevens would not be releasing a popular remixed deluxe edition of his famous album "Tea For The Tillerman" on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his famous album "Tea For The Tillerman", many critical voices were raised. As the result shows, the experiment was worthwhile - the 72-year-old manages to give his classic album new relevance.
In the interview we meet a highly reflective and humorous Yusuf, who is enthusiastic about the new recording of his classic. One immediately believes him that it was above all a matter of the heart. As he explains in the interview, this project enabled him to build a bridge between the young Cat Stevens of yesteryear and the Yusuf of today.
eclipsed: Why did you decide to take the unusual approach of completely re-recording your classic "Tea For The Tillerman", rearranging the songs and even changing some of the lyrics?
LED ZEPPELIN - The last flight of the Zeppelin: the history of "Physical Graffiti" in the
mid-seventies Led Zeppelin had reached its second artistic zenith and documented this in a unique way with "Physical Graffiti", the band's only double album. Until today it is Robert Plant's favourite record with the group, probably also because the formation before and after has never been more expressive and multi-faceted. Released on February 24, 1975, "Physical Graffiti" was the first record in rock history to achieve platinum status through pre-orders alone.
Eight years after his comeback, the man who was once Cat Stevens has returned with the edgy album "Tell 'Em I'm Gone", indulging in blues, R&B and folk rock. The 66 year old Englishman with Greek and Swedish roots wants this to be understood as a homage to the music of his youth.
Last year, Yusuf, who is the only one who triggers an impulse among people over forty under his old stage name Cat Stevens, was inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. The overdue recognition of a musician who had a lasting influence on the sound of the seventies with his ingratiating folkpop. With his new record - the third since his comeback in 2006 - he pays homage to the blues. eclipsed met Yusuf in Berlin.
eclipsed: What do you associate with the blues?
With the new "Cat Stevens" record it has already hailed critics and fan cracks in great numbers. Seen impartially, this is a fresh, lively recording with which Yusuf pays tribute to his musical youthful love, the R&B. Yusuf and producer Rick Rubin have avoided all too typical clichés and standards - including Rubin's Alterswerk variant of skinning an artist's acoustic skeleton, as happened with Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond.
