Tell 'Em I'm Gone

Such a joy when I take me long drives. One if my favorite CD’s never tire of Cat Steven’s Yusuf

In one of the highlights on his superb 2007 DVD "Yusuf's Cafe Session," Yusuf Islam recast his Cat Stevens classic "Peace Train" as a twelve bar blues, to excellent effect. While this seemed like a surprising move at the time, in retrospect it appears quite natural. Like many British musicians of the 1960s, the young Steven Georgiou was deeply enamored of, and influenced by, American Blues and R&B, and he clearly wished to pay homage to that early influence.While that long-ago love affair with African American music was only sporadically evident in the gentle folk arrangements of his legendary albums of the seventies--in songs such as "The Hurt," and to a lesser degree on his cover of Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night"--it has at long last come to fruition, and is in full flower here. Of the ten songs that comprise "Tell 'Em I'm Gone," fully half are covers of chestnuts that have long been staples in the Blues canon. Three of the remaining five songs, penned by Yusuf, are closer in style and tone to down-and-dirty Southern roots music than they are to anything we may have come to expect. "Gold Digger," in particular, a full-tilt moaner about exploited South African miners, sounds as though it could have been written by Leadbelly. (The two other songs, "Cat and the Dog Trap," and "Doors," hearken back to the Cat Stevens days, and would have fitted comfortably onto his previous release, "Roadsinger.")The lyrics on the Yusuf-penned numbers, often autobiographical, slightly rough around the edges, and much more direct than the exotic, sometimes surrealistic musings of his youth, also seem to owe something to the bluntness of the Blues. Who could have imagined, forty years ago, that the man who wrote "Longer Boats" and "Into White" would one day pen lyrics like:"I was born in the West EndIn the summer of '48Above a small cafe..."While perhaps not his most haunting or evocative offerings, they may be among his most revealing.An impressive array of guests helps Yusuf to reconnect with his earliest musical inspiration, including harmonica great Charlie Musselwhite, and the magnificent North African ensemble Tinariwen, whose hypnotic chanting and pulsing guitars lend the proceedings, in places, an almost other-worldly flavor. Yusuf's own son, the musician Yoriyos, contributes backing vocals. Finally, stellar production from the always-amazing Rick Rubin ensures that all the performers are showcased to their best advantage.Throughout, the album is superb, consistently surprising, and surprisingly consistent. It's wonderful to see an established artist like Yusuf refusing to rest on his laurels, and continuing to explore uncharted territory, expanding his musical palette after so many years. Where he'll end up--well, I guess only God really knows.

I just received my copies and I love the disc first off it is soooooooooooo coool! What major art design and the CD booklet has soo much in it!! I never thought I'd hear Yusuf / Cat Stevens do the blues and some of his favorite cover songs And They happen to be some of my favorite as well. I love his rendition of "Dying to Live" and "You Are My Sunshine" with the lyric african hidden under the music in middle .. a lot of meaning in it and very original .His Vocals are better than ever hmm that deep bass dynamic and he is sharing with us quite alot to our hearts ..so be open! ... he really delivers so many messages in this music about humanityand our beautiful struggle that life is .. I love "Mr. Boss Man" he is so on point with it !! He is definitely one who HAS BEEN 'there' to the moon and back .. and knows the blues .. toured with Jimi Hendrix and was a part of the British Invasion ..etc.... that's depth and one can really hear it in this album. . the musical arrangements are so fierce .award winnning ..... smooth and grinding .. I can not stop listening to it. I bought a few additional copies here on Amazon for holiday gifts as well ... If I could rate it 10 I would .. It has really sent me into a place of reflection and .. I like it .. it's deep! and the song "Doors" is so deeply Encouraging to venture out in life .. as he sings it with seeking certainty .. like a testimony .. xoxxox The Blues are definitely not to be sung by people that have been drinking milk all Their life and Yusuf/Cat has thart journey that comes so deeply clear in his delivery and voice .. that we get glimpses of whats deep in his heart .. a whole new language and genre that he does so well!!! ... you have to be there or be open to it from a person Who has lived it .. and The Cat has ... Kudos to Rick Rubin, RT and The Cat ...it's an amazing bluesy hope mixed album !! and The Blues Legends are so proud of you Yusuf for giving your original take on the covers .. and putting some hope in there too with that spirit of yours!I higthly recommend this album!! Love and Music always.

I've been a fan of Cat Stevens for a very long time; his music is a vital part of the soundtrack to my life-I was born in 1961. ...And then he vanished for such a long time.I am so happy he's back, because the music now is so good, so full of energy and something ineffable that I can't quite put my finger on.So...'Tell 'Em I'm Gone' is more bluesy, more gutsy than either 'An Other Cup' (which may just be my favourite album of all time for anyone) or 'Roadsinger'; it feels as if Yusuf is continuing to evolve, slowly coming back to the world-and thats a good thing, as we all have to live in this world.My favourite tracks right now are 'Gold Digger', with a fabulously catchy chorus, 'Cat & the Dog Trap', which feels like pure Cat Stevens, and an incredible version of 'You are My Sunshine', which elevates a potentially cheesy cover into something else that fits right here and now. I've only heard the whole thing twice, but I'm grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire Cat.Life would definitely be greyer without this man's music.

I think this album marks the real return of Cat Stevens as opposed to Yusuf. Its largely acoustic qualities remind me of 'The Tea for the Tillerman' era but for the most part this is a bluesy album interspersed in parts with Stevie Wonder 'Superstition' type rhythms and synthesisers. Half the album is original and the rest is made up of covers, but his take on those covers make them sound like Cat Stevens originals and are probably marginally stronger than the new material. Whilst I liked 'An Other Cup' and 'Roadsinger', I thought they betrayed an identity crisis - was he Yusuf or Cat Stevens? As a result I thought they lacked cohesion.This time however he most definitely sounds like Cat and is all the better for it. He may not have reached the dizzy heights of his heyday but this is an excellent return to form. Any fan of the 1970's Stevens should buy this.

Tell 'Em I'm Gone is not just a new album. It is probably a new chapter in the life of Yusuf / Cat Stevens. He has created something here that includes both, his own compositions, but also cover songs of his idols from his youth. The music he has developed, delivers feelings of peace and nostalgia, yet it sounds new and inspiring. The album is exciting and touching at the same time. Innovative and nostalgic. All title, the cover versions are characterized by its uniqueness. Exellent !!!

Having liked Cat Stevens since I first heard him sing Mathew & Son and Love my dog. The changing of his name, irrespective of any motive, does not diminish his beliefs depicted in such sons ( from an earlier CD) "Where do the children play" that are a true measure of such a man/singer. Cat/ Yusuf has conscious and commitment to both entertain and raise awareness of others in us all. I recommend this CD needless to say.

Saw Yusuf on a morning TV show talking about this CD and I just had to buy it. I have not been disappointed and as some of the songs go back to my youth I can sing along because still remember all the words!!! I think any age group would enjoy this music if they like folk/traditional songs.