Cat Stevens - The Very Best of Cat Stevens

Kicking off A&M's ambitious Cat Stevens reissue program is this 20-song introduction. The set surveys all of Stevens's stages, from the orchestrated late-1960s sides through his early-'70s peak to his more eclectic late-1970s experiments. Following the progression makes for an interesting endeavor as Stevens learns to harness his ambitious ideas with arrangements that don't obscure his rhapsodic messages. Few artists of his generation were more gifted when it came to plucking timeless melodies out of thin air, and his sumptuous voice was always able to movingly convey his bittersweet lyrics. As a career overview (including one previously unreleased cut) this set achieves its goal, hitting all of the chart successes along the way and basically defining his role as a sensitive '70s singer-songwriter, but some fans may opt for the classic early-'70s studio records, which find Stevens at his most consistently touching. --Marc Greilsamer Amazon.com essential recording

I can kick myself for waiting this long to buy this

About a month ago, I saw this on sale on a shelf, promptly bought it, and listened to it regularly ever since. Cat Stevens (now Yusaf Islam) has remarkable talent. "Morning Has Broken" reawakens fond memories of Sunday mornings at Church in the 70s, breakfast afterwards, and play time the rest of the day. "Wide World", possibly my first bike ride. The list goes on. I remember the songs when they were new, always meant to buy them, and finally got around to it. Hands down, my favorite song is "Father and Son". WOW!!! The lyrics are powerful.

Whether you have a sense of nostalgia for the music or you just want to hear something old that still sounds fresh today, this collection is for you. October 30, 2008

Good, good stuff

Yusef, we loved you then, we love you now... These are great songs--still love them, still sing them.... October 12, 2008

Cat Stevens

This is a good collection of his music, if your a Cat Stevens fan, His earlier music is the best.His voice has lots of depth, If you like folk music you'll like this. April 5, 2008

NOT the best

Look, many people aren't aware of it, but Cat Stevens had a very good career from 1975-1978. It's a VERY underrated three years in the legendary career of such a magnificent musician. True, Cat Stevens isn't perfect, but who is? That's right, NO one is perfect. Pick up the final three albums he made in the late 70's and get ready for some of the most splendid, melodic, and emotionally honest songwriting skills that will leave you totally satisfied.

This collection only gives you what radio stations have been playing for years in addition to a few more songs. Big deal. It's really not that much of a drastic leap forward in terms of capturing Cat Steven's best moments compared to his old Greatest Hits album from the mid 70's anyway. So just pick up the final three albums he created in the mid to late 70's and prepare yourself for one beautiful and honest ride of musical ideas. March 24, 2008

timeless music

if you like Cat Stevens most of these songs have stood the test of time. January 18, 2008

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