Tea For The Tillerman 2

after been a fan of cat stevens for many years & have original album,was good to hear a rework of the album,still sounds as good as ever.

I have both CD & Vinyl of the original and I have always considered this one of my all time favourite albums.I was listening on Amazon Music to 'Cat Stephens' when suddenly it was apparent that it was not the original but the original revisited VERY FAITHFULLY. Yusuf recorded this in 2019 and released in September 2020- Its taken this long for me to realise it. I loved every revamped note, his voice is still exceptional even at 70 when he recorded it as his sixteenth studio album. I sincerely hope he enjoyed making it because I really enjoy listening to it, I am certain it stands through the time and even if you are new to Cat Stephens - Yusuf's - music, this will hopefully be a most enjoyable listen. Thank you so very much Yusuf Islam.JC

When I first heard that Yusuf/Cat Stevens had re-recorded TFTT I wasn't sure what to expect. I've heard artists re-record their songs years later and they've sounded generic, dated and bland. This isn't the case with this album.Where do the children play was the first 'single' released from the album, and to hear a 72 year old Cat sing this song from that perspective makes the song even more sombre and the accompanying video is fantastic.(Another reminder of everything that is ecologically wrong in the world today.)The same can be said for "Father & Son"... to duet with his younger self from a live 1970 recording is genius. It is just as good as the original, and I'm starting to prefer the new version."On the road to find out" was one of my least favourite songs on the original album. I found at just over 5 minutes long it just dragged on. The new version, for me, is one of the standout tracks. I prefer the new arrangement in it's 'minor' key especially along with it's music video.But I might Die Tonight was always one of my favourite songs, but at just under 2 minutes long I felt it was too short. When i first heard the reimagined version it blew me away.... I had it on repeat...playing loud. For what may have been just a 'tucked away album track' for many, it now stands out on its own as a very powerful song. With it's welcoming additional lyrics in the last minute. It's definitely one of the strongest songs on the album.I really didn't know what to think of Wild World when I first heard... it's starting to grow on me, but I was expecting it be on the same lines musically as the Mandela concert from 2003, with its tribal chants and pounding drums.... but for a song that's been covered countless times I guess he wanted to do something completely different.Tea for the tillerman will always be a classic album, and maybe in time, this new recording will also become a classic in it's own right.

I received the album this morning and immediately listened to it. I have been a fan for all of the 50 years and was eager to hear this take on some of my all time favourite songs. I was not disappointed. It is an excellent album and I particularly liked and enjoyed Miles From Nowhere, On the Road to Nowhere and Father and Son. What a great concept to have Yusuf as the father contrasted with Cat as the son. Inspired.But. The album in general lacks the emotion of the original. Yusuf still has a fine voice and hold his own, but he now sounds like he has somewhat lost the urgency power and passion I have always heard in Cat Stevens.I am not unhappy to have TFTT2, but I still very much prefer the original.Thank you Cat / Yusuf Stevens for all the music.

Don't be fooled into thinking that this is simply a new recording of old material. While in some ways it is familiar in other ways it is new and exciting. I have always been a fan of the original and if you liked that you won't be disappointed by this new album. Some tracks are fairly true to the original but with subtle changes such as modified lyrics. Father and Son is a stroke of genius with Yusuf as the father and Cat Stevens as the son. Changes to other tracks are more radical and the biggest change is Wild World which could be a completely new song that should be released as a single. The new arrangement and addition of the clarinet solo is superb. Longer Boats has been heavily modified with new lyrics and a rap section but it works . Overall this is an album worthy of 5 stars and one that I would highly recommend.

Well i couldn't wait to get this on the turntable. I have a huge smile on my face as i write this down. Is it any good? That's a difficult question if you compare it to one of the greatest albums ever produced. I can confirm it is beautifully recorded, sounds amazing and he has been playful and thoughtful in the making of this record. Longerboats has been reworked, given the lyrics and Yusuf's beliefs it isn't surprising. I actually prefer the new version of Father & Son, he hasn't messed with it, but i think it quite wonderful. I'm not going to say anymore other than this record will not be left on the shelf collecting dust, it is brilliant in its own right. It is an old friend, that you know and love, re-imagined.I'm sure some will put it down, but if you are prepared for a re-imagined TFTT, then you are in for a treat.Oh, all the packaging has been beautifully produced too.

For those of you who are undecided, you'd be missing a right treat here. As I'm relaxing with Yusuf in the background and a glass of cold beer in my hand, I can feel the day's work fatigue sliding from my head all the way to my toes. And as for the art work on the sleeve and the page inside, well, they'll be framed and hung on the wall in my mini bar at home, no doubt about that.My verdict folks: Just buy a copy. It'd be the best few quid you've spent. I didn't discover Yusuf until a few years ago myself, and he's just as current today as he was all those years ago. Class never outdates.