Cat Stevens, who goes by Yusuf Islam these days, released issued his live album, Saturnight: Live From Tokyo in 1974 as an exclusive Japanese release. The proceeds of the album sales were donated to UNICEF, as Stevens had at the time recently become a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, the album 50+ years later enjoys its full worldwide release.
Here, Stevens fronts a small band, while making the most to bring his unique voice and guitar strumming to the fore. From the opening “Wild World” on through to “Oh Very Young One” and the piano-led “Sitting,” we are taken down deep in the romance and fancy of Cat Stevens’ world.
The plucking slip and slide of the classic “Lady D’Arbanville,” featuring bassist Bruce Lynch and drummer Gerry Conway, makes for an early semi-rocker. The organ-pumping cover of Sam Cooke’s “Another Saturday Night” marks the first time the band ever played this song live.
As expected, “Peace Train” gets the crowd clapping along. The heartbreaking and beautiful “Father And Son” features the most effecting vocal from Stevens on the record. Of the three covered from Buddha and the Chocolate Box, the album Stevens was supporting at the time, “King Of Trees” is the strongest with an honesty in Stevens’ voice that really cuts the listener to the quick. A rockin’ “Bitterblue” ends the dozen.
Saturnight: Live From Tokyo, released in multiple formats, was remastered from the original production master. This is a full digisleeve package with a 16-page booklet of lyrics and liner notes. For anyone curious about what Cat Stevens was like in concert during the peak of his career, Saturnight: Live From Tokyo is just what you’re looking for…and then some.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
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Saturnight: Live From Tokyo
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