The laughling apple

Description

For the 50th anniversary of his recording career, Yusuf / Cat Stevens offers us an album blending original compositions and reinterpretations of some of his most famous songs. Accompanied by producer Paul Samwell-Smith, the artist infuses new vigor into the sound that made him successful. Fifty years after the release of "Matthew & Son," his first album released by Decca / DERAM, Yusuf / Cat Stevens returns with "The Laughing Apple," an album in which the artist reflects on his travels and shares with the younger generation the lessons of a lifetime. Like many albums from the 60s, this new album is composed half of original songs and half of covers, the latter having the particularity of being those of Yusuf's own pieces. The artist indeed wished to honor some of his oldest compositions by recording them as they should have been recorded originally. "The Laughing Apple" benefits from the participation of Paul Samwell-Smith, the producer of Yusuf's early records at Island, notably the legendary "Tea for the Tillerman." Listening to this new album, it is clear that the chemistry between the artist and the producer works better than ever. The participation of Alun Davies in this project completes the reunion of the main artisans of this inimitable sound that made Cat Stevens successful. For the first time since 1972, Yusuf illustrated the album himself, creating eleven original works, each illustrating one of the songs on the record. Yusuf is currently working on various projects that, in the coming years, should further explore the themes addressed by this album.