Cat Stevens Catch Bull at Four 180g LP

On its original release in 1972, Cat Stevens' fourth LP on Island/A&M, Catch Bull at Four, spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200, making it his biggest album of all time. For its 50th anniversary, Island Records / UMe reissue a newly remastered version of Catch Bull at Four presented on 180g gatefold LP.

The picture of singer-songwriter Cat Stevens on the back of his 1972 album Catch Bull at Four is all smiles and louche charm — shirt unbuttoned, casual stance and cigarette in hand. The music on the record, though, was far from carefree. Stevens had been riding a tidal wave of success for his previous albums which twisted his head and soul. Even as he continued to seek spiritual enlightenment, he felt tethered to the material world and the commercial hunger of his record labels. That tension comes through even the loveliest songs on Catch, exemplified by the complex, prog-leaning arrangements for songs like '18th Avenue' and 'Angelsea,' and lyrics that longed for calm and comfort. Re-released this month to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the album sounds even more knotted up and glorious due to the remastering work of Mazen Murad who puts an extra sonic emphasis on Gerry Conway's drumming, the judicious use of synthesizer throughout these sessions and the other quirky details that added to the music's wobbly brilliance.