The Cat is back

Press, 7 July 1977, Page 11

The Cat is back

By

NEVIN TOPP

Cat Stevens “Izitso” (Island L-36121); Make no mistake, the Cat is back, ft after a couple of bum albums in the vein of “Foreigner.” In this new collection, Stevens has returned to his old - formula used in albums like “Tea For The Tillerman” and “Teaser And The Firecat.”

However, it is more advanced. more into “Buddah and the Chocolate Box,” and part of Stevens's way of saying he is

in the seventies is having Chick Corea playing keyboards on “Bonfire.” There are some fine songs on this album. “(Remember The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard” is beautifully put together, with fine vocal backing by Elkie Brooks. Even better is “Child For

~ Day,” which echoes Stevens’s cry on “Where Do Children Play” off “Tea For The Tillerman” — have adults forgotten their own childhood.

As always, Cat pulls out the simple love songs on “Crazy” and “Sweet Jamaica,” but nothing to match "Sad Lisa.”

He can show a great deal of concern both for himself, in “(I Never Wanted) To Be A Star,” which cunningly uses a number of song titles from earlier albums in the lyrics (a superb song) and on “Killin’ Time.”

The quality of musicianship is shown on two instrumentals, “Kypros” and “Was Dog A Doughnut.”

So the Cat is back. He could not stay away, in an album which once again reflects Stevens’s simplicity and quiet humility, but also a wistful sadness about human nature and its inability to perceive a better world. Steve Miller Band “Book of Dreams” (Mercury 6303 926): Interpreting Steve Miller’s “Book of Dreams” is not easy, and I have called on the services of the famed Viennese psychoanalyst, Dr Z. L. Hackenabush, to help.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Dr Hackenabush.”

“Veil, today ye have an most interestink case of p a r aschizoedipalnarcissim in this person calling himself Steve Miller.

“He starts off wi a rollink number, “Jet Airliner,” which begins wit a thunderink of guitars before slidink into some nice beat. But, der lyrics are weak, and der whole track is suggestive of escapism.

“Mr Miller, it seems is not capable of originality, he also steals, as on “Winterland,” which as on der line “when all the leaves are brown,” — shades of “California Dreamin’.”

“But, poor Mr Miller does hav problems, as on ‘True Fine Love,’ when he wants to find a lover ‘as sweet as your mother’. Der song is simple, but der lyrics tend to be again a bit weak.”

However, parts of Mr Miller are healthy. Or. “Jungle Love” it is back to der basic animal instincts of rock ’n’ roll in a me-Tarzan, you-Jane syndrome.

However, this healthy aspect is spoiled by der next two tracks called “Sacrifice” and “The Stake.”

“Sacrifice” is a quiet, almost dull number, in

which Mr Miller wishes to sacrifice himself — a typical piece of self-efface-ment. But, worse is to come. “The Stake” exhibits a classic case of der death wish, and on “My Own Star” he has great feelings of trying to be God, or omnipotent. However, do not worry, der patient is normal. Too normal, which is unfortunate for dere is nothing substantial to bite into as on “The Joker” and “Fly Like An Eagle” — another case of wishing to be omnipotent. And only if he would get past der stage of der elecktronic doodling, he would be even better — than normal.

Mark Williams “Taking It All In Stride” (EMI HSD 1055): This is the best album Mark Williams has put out so far in his musical career. It is a blend of local and overseas compositions a little old, a little new, something bright, something blue, and well-pro-duced by Alan Galbraith, who has worked well with the session musicians at his disposal. Mark has changed his style to some extent, as is evidenced by his tour with Sharon O’Neill as a duet, rather than a solo artist, and she helps him in lead vocals on “If There Is Still A Little Love.”

Another two good tracks on the album are the single releases, “Taking It All In Stride,” and the golden oldie “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore.” But, Fm surprised that “A House For Sale” has not been released as a single, because it is a w e 11-produced bouncy little number, and equal to it is the local composition by Geoff Murphy and lan Watkin, “This Is The Life.”