Vinyl pressing of the album, Tea For The Tillerman, is one of Cat Stevens's finest albums, and a gem in the crown of early 1970s singer/songwriterdom. Apart from the occasional string section, Stevens is accompanied only by a three-piece band as he sings his introspective lyrics with appreciable fervor. There are some relatively conventional love songs here, "Hard Headed Woman" and "Wild World". The song "Father and Son" is a poignant but realistic and unsentimental portrait of the generation gap, capable of reducing any given Dad or junior to tears. "On the Road to Find Out" and "But I Might Die Tonight" reflect Stevens's existential dilemmas, and the resulting spiritual quest that would later lead him to embrace the Islamic faith. The graceful beauty of arrangements, performances, and songs makes this album a folk-rock classic. |
