Cat Stevens Harold And Maude (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) 180g LP

TAS Rated 4/5 Music, 4/5 Sonics in the July/August 2022 Issue of The Absolute Sound!

Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the landmark film's release, this new 180g LP version of the soundtrack combines nine Cat Stevens originals as well as - for the first time - additional dialogue and instrumental music from the film. For the new set, previously unheard audio masters were unearthed in the Island Records archive for "Don't Be Shy" and "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out", and all audio has been remastered at London's world-renowned Abbey Road Studios. This new edition will also feature enhanced packaging including liner notes, lyrics, transcription of movie dialogue, and photos from the Paramount Pictures production.

The surprising thing about the film's soundtrack is that it didn't exist until 2007. In the movie, the songs by Cat Stevens serve as a kind of Greek chorus, reflecting Harold's spiritual development and the evolution of their relationship from friendship to romance. The music is so integral to the story it would have been easy to assume that a soundtrack had existed all along. But Stevens was hitting a peak in popularity when [Director Hal] Ashby approached him about using his songs, and he worried that the soundtrack, which compiled material from the two records he released in 1970, Mona Bone Jakon and Tea for the Tillerman, might confuse his audience. So no official soundtrack album was issued until 2007, when Cameron Crowe assembled a limited reissue on his Vinyl Films label. Now, a different assemblage put together for the film's 50th anniversary finally makes it widely available... you may find much to admire in this collection, which frames a world where love is better than a song, the answer lies within, you think you've seen the light, there's a million things to be, and Lord, though your body has been a good friend, you won't need it when you reach the end.

While my heart of hearts would rather have just the Stevens tunes, including the film's joyous theme 'If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out,' this is a great package that sounds fantastic and is packaged with a thick booklet that details the experiences of bringing the music to the movie and its lingering impact on pop culture.

There is an irrepressible charm to this soundtrack - think of its tender tone and life-affirming message as an instruction manual for healing a troubled soul.