The Album Thing: Cat Stevens, Tea for the Tillerman

Day “whatever” of the record album thingie. It’s a Facebook fad that’s going around. You’re supposed to post a picture of albums you especially love. Since I’m going to the trouble to share it on social media, I might as well share it here, too. I’m glad I was invited to do this, because it’s a fun way to reminisce about music that changed my world (at least, my musical world). I invite all my friends to participate in this one. The original rules said “no explanations,” but to heck with that. I want to explain.

I was five when Tea for the Tillerman came out. The hits from this album were all over the radio when I was young, but it was my older cousins in Michigan who really impressed me with this music. Sue Ann, especially, was an accomplished singer and guitarist, and she sang lots of Cat Stevens’s songs. Ohh I was so impressed by that! I was probably about twelve when I got a guitar, so this album was seven years old by then. I was immersed in acoustic singer/songwriter music while most my age were listening to KC and the Sunshine Band.

“Where Do the Children Play?” . . . I learned to play all the songs on this album, pretty much. The chords are easy, and a beginning guitarist can strum them and learn basic patterns. The singing parts are interesting, and the words thoughtful, even at times spiritual.

“Into White” is another favorite from this album. I love the simple, lovely pictures painted by these lyrics. I still sometimes play this on the guitar.

For anyone wondering what Cat Stevens (a.k.a. Steven Demetre Georgiou; now Yusuf Islam, “Joe Islam”) is up to now, here’s a fairly recent NPR Tiny Desk concert.