Tea for the Tillerman

A perfect little package of 3-minute acoustic guitar pop gems. Great song writing, beautifully recorded, sequenced and presented. Has Father and Son on it - objectively an all-time great song.

Mona Bone Jakon only began Cat Stevens' comeback. Seven months later, he returned with Tea for the Tillerman, an album in the same chamber-group style, employing the same musicians and producer, but with a far more confident tone. Mona Bone Jakon had been full of references to death, but Tea for the Tillerman was not about dying; it was about living in the modern world while rejecting it in favor of spiritual fulfillment. It began with a statement of purpose, "Where Do the Children Play?," in which Stevens questioned the value of technology and progress. "Wild World" found the singer being dumped by a girl, but making the novel suggestion that she should stay with him because she was incapable of handling things without him. "Sad Lisa" might have been about the same girl after she tried and failed to make her way; now, she seemed depressed to the point of psychosis. The rest of the album veered between two themes: the conflict between the young and the old, and religion as an answer to life's questions. Tea for the Tillerman was the story of a young man's search for spiritual meaning in a soulless class society he found abhorrent. He hadn't yet reached his destination, but he was confident he was going in the right direction, traveling at his own, unhurried pace. The album's rejection of contemporary life and its yearning for something more struck a chord with listeners in an era in which traditional verities had been shaken. It didn't hurt, of course, that Stevens had lost none of his ability to craft a catchy pop melody; the album may have been full of angst, but it wasn't hard to sing along to. As a result, Tea for the Tillerman became a big seller and, for the second time in four years, its creator became a pop star.

A masterpiece by a musical genius. Cat Stevens is a master storyteller. Wish we could have more music by him, but his personal and religious choices are his own. Songs of my youth all abound here (it's before my time, but Cat Stevens was a mainstay in my house growing up). Wild World and Father and Son are some of the best songs ever to grace my ears and I get tears listening to them to this day. Some weaker songs make this a 4.5/5, but I just can't give this album, that meant so much to me growing up, anything other than a 5/5.

A few good songs here and there, but otherwise utterly boring.

I don't know how you can listen to this and not have a smile on your face. Just a joy. Best track: Father and Son

Great fan of this album- was all set to give it 4* (purely for preferring Teaser and the Firecat) but then listened again and was hit by the emotional depth, the wonderful melodies, the great simplicity of the songwriting and arrangements across the record. Bookends don't come much better than "Where do the Children Play" and "Father and Son" (plus the brilliant title track).

Il est arrivé dans ce générateur avec un statut de favori, et force est de constater qu'il n'a pas déçu. Après une entame tonitruante, Cat Stevens ayant déjà creusé l'écart avec ses principaux concurrents (Gene Clark qui ?) au bout de quatre chansons décide de poser le jeu et faire courir ses adversaires. Une dernière action de classe en fin d'album avec Father And Son permet à Yusuf de terminer la partie sur une bonne note sans avoir été mis en difficulté une seule seconde.

I've never really been a Cat Stevens fan, TBH. He's a little too chill for my taste. That said, the songwriting is pretty damn solid. This album was apparently his big "here I am world" moment and it shows with songs like "Wild World" that have stood the test of time and been covered a thousand times. Mostly, this album is kind of ho-hum for me. It's not offensive or exciting. It just... is.

It’s full of heart and soul. Incredible guitar work and earnest vocals. Father and Son made me tear up.

Started this record on the way to drop the kid off at daycare, toying with a joke around Cat Stevens singing “where do the children play”; ended it half a day later driving back with the kid listening to “Father and Son” wondering what portion of my eyes’ moistness I could ascribe to hayfever. One of our group’s silent members loves Cat Stevens and will shake his head for my finding the man’s records too earnest for my taste, taking me back to misty recollections of weird, late 70’s children’s’ tv optimism, but the sheer commitment, the smart production, and the ear worms put him up there regardless of my never-trust-a-hippy reflexes.

In my opinion, Tea for the Tillerman (and his followup Teaser and the Firecat) are the two best folk albums of the 1970’s. Just great from start to finish. “Wild World” is an obvious standout and gives the album it’s needed pop hit, but “Father and Son” is one of the best songs - in any genre - ever written.

This is my favorite album of all time, must listen!

This is an absolutely amazing start to this project! This is my first time ever listening to Cat Stevens. Such clean guitar acoustics and soulful lyrics.

Far be it from me to come barging back in here and start throwing my weight around but this is so good. I've always thought Cat Stevens has some good tracks but existed all on one level, a sort of airy fairy very light folk sound. I've had him all wrong, this album is really really good. When Wide World came on I was pleased to hear this was a Cat song, but Sad Lisa really got me listening. From then on there are regular gut punches and tear jerks. It's got a rich, full sound and his voice has a wonderful quality that can jump from lightness to great depth at the spin of a wheel.

Instant 5 stars for me. This is one of my all time favorites, and one I revisit frequently. Another one I have a hard time even putting into words. What can be said about Father and Son? or But I Might Die Tonight? Spent the day listening to various mixes of this album. Tea for the Tillerman 2 is wild. Love the addition of strings.

My mom wore through 2 Lps of this one. I really enjoy it too.

Listened to Cat Stevens multiple times before, but haven't heard any tunes in a while, so this is a quite pleasing listening experience.

4.5/5, some of my favorite Cat Stevens songs on this one

Absolutely love this album. Spoke to many moments and thoughts currently experiencing. 11/11/2020

I mean, it's Cat Stevens

The over-amped mic capturing the plectrum scraping the strings on "Wild World" is, in my opinion, the single worse recording decision in the history of popular music. Otherwise a great album

I have recently bought a turntable to play my handful of high school and university vinyls. It's a bluetooth turntable so that I can listen to surviving 7 record albums on my speakers. Somewhere along the way, I suppose it was "on the road to find out", this much played & beloved album disappeared. Cat Stevens music is unique in both sound and lyrics.

How happy I was to listen to this today. I wish I had better words to talk about it. It's beautiful. It's both nostalgic and timeless. A few limited observations among many: The lyrics of "Into White" intrigued me. I love the build-up in "Miles from Nowhere" as his search progresses. And as the father of a teenage son, "Father and Son" caught me by surprise and took the wind out of me.

Beautiful songwriting and great lyrics, but the dynamics are really what got me. Stevens is equally powerful whether he be a whispering breeze or a howling gale. In a genre that can often find itself with the dynamics of a snack pack of vanilla pudding, this was quite refreshing.

Flawless.

Really enjoyed way more than I thought I would!

In my collection already

Love this album

Beautiful. Truly.

5 stars!

Cat Stevens or Yusuf, his now adapted stage name, had already a couple of projects released when this dropped but this hit like a bomb. Especially 'Wild World' was and still is a huge success. The album is full of peacefull and soft Folk Pop tunes that are all really cute and interesting. 'Where Do the Children Play?' opens the album with soft guitar notes and slowly builds up into more and more but not anxious tension that releases into a final vocal climax. A beautiful song with a great structure and sound that keeps you interested throughout. This is an incredible song with many great moments both lyrically and instrumentally. The following 'Hard Headed Woman' is a much softer approach with the strings that at one point take most of the attention before the vocals explode out of nothing and completley contradict the start. It is a lovely song but I feel that at times it is a little streched rather than needed especially near the end. The already mentioned 'Wild World' follows and I do think that it's the best song on the album. The chorus is super catchy and the structure is a great mix between conventional and special. The same can be said about the tension that it creates and releases perfectly for the chorus to start again. A perfect song with perfect execution. This is how a Folk Pop song should be done. The more sentimental 'Sad Lisa' switches the guitar with a piano and creates a very sad sounding and emotionally dense track that is amplified even more with the mourning strings that let the song flow through the bridge. 'Miles From Nowhere' closes the albums first half with another great song that really shows the more fast-paced side of the album. It is a really great blend between the Folk Pop of before with more Rock influence. The only thing that I criticise about this song is that the verse can feel a little bland compared to chorus and bridge. The short but sweet 'But I Might Die Tonight' starts the second side with another really good song that again has a little bit of Rock sprinkled in. The "ah-ah-ah" part is really good and for being so short, the song has quite the moments. 'Longer Boats' starts by sounding a lot like a Beach Boys inspired song and that typical vocal harmony style is kept throughout even if it is much less present than what is standard with the Beach Boys. But overall the song is much more average and isn't all that interesting compared to most this project offers. The much more classic Folk inspired 'Into White' is a similar case of being not bad but much more average than most other songs. It's really cute and all but a very peaceful guitar and vocal sound but I'm just not widely interested with what is going on. The by far longest song is 'On the Road to Find Out' is again a rather uninteresting song with the few moments that are being pretty overshadowed. But the length doesn't really matter here which is a pretty good sign because it doesn't get super tiring. Just before the album finishes we get another classic. This time 'Father and Son' is a really simple but hypnotising song that shows the lyrical and songwriting abillity Cat Stevens has in the fullest potential. It's a really lovely song that really sticks out in this second half. This is a really emotional and deeply connecting song. The one minute long title track 'Tea for the Tillerman' closes the album as a kind of outro that mainly plays with piano to create a song that sounds like a final symphonic end to this album. favourites: Wild World, Where Do the Children Play?, Father and Son least favourites: On the Road to Find Out, Into White Rating: decent 8 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Trevligare än när han dömer Salman Rushdie till döden i alla fall. Duktig låtskrivare med en lätt frikyrklig ton.

Less spaced-out than Donnovan, less insincere than James Taylor, Stevens is undeniably melodic, consistently rhythmic and surprisingly not annoying; everything I'd expected he wouldn't be. Given how insanely catchy the closer/title track is, I'm shocked it's only lasts a minute. But given his virility as a folk-pop peddler, leaving them wanting more is exactly the right thing to do.

I need to apologize: I totally thought Cat Stevens was the guy behind Cats In The Cradle. I guess him being named Cat and the song having Cat’s in the title confused me for years. Totally different dude. This guy sings a lot like Peter Gabriel. I could listen to this style of early 70’s singer-songwriter music all day. Toss it in the Jim Croce/Todd Rundgren/Carole King/Labi Siffre collection. Just a bunch of really well written and performed songs. I listened to this four times before writing a review not because I was unsure of my rating or thoughts, just because I enjoyed it that much.

What a beauty. One of The Ones. One of the special albums. Stunning songs, great instrumentation and powerful vocals. Musical balm.

A real banger, from start to finish.

Yes

Was unsure at first however true music and it is very fun yet cute

Beautiful album - such a delicate tenderness to it.

Peaceful and sweet. Put me at ease.

This is pretty much the gold standard for singer songwriters of the 1970s, both for it's quality and for its themes of reflection and search for meaning. Beautiful, melodic songs, with balanced, elegant arrangements. There's something in Stevens' delivery that makes him seem like he was beamed in from another time, long ago - a pop star Thoreau come to tell us, "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!" He's still on the journey himself at this point, of course. But it's delightful to ride along with him for a while. Listen in a sunny window, cup of tea at hand. Fave Songs: Wild World, Sad Lisa, Father and Son, Hard Headed Woman

Classic Cat right here. In my adolescence I used to think this guy was corny as fuck, but in my adulthood his earnest charm has been slowly eroding my defenses and, at 40, I reckon I could say I'm a fan. I'm a guitar teacher and have taught his tunes for years, but it was more from wanting to share the wider repertoire of guitar with students than from being a fan. Well... rock on... no, that's not right.. folk on, Mr. Cat!

Cat Stevens reflects on the world in front of him as he sees it, asking fundamental questions and offering humble advice. He tends to come at you slowly and then all at once with a jolt of emotion as if his patience has run out. It’s during these 0-60 moments with this sense that he’s betrayed or surprised himself with outburst that he carries a unique sincerity. Where do the children play. Miles from nowhere. On the road to find out.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens has a great voice and great lyrics. Not a single instrument is out of place on this album.

Every day we get a singer songwriter my hatred for Dylan and Cohen grows

i like cat stevens as a songwriter, i dislike cat stevens as a performer adore this album cover, why is there a guy conjuring lightning way in the back

Cat Stevens was also a regular on the potty training playlist, but my interest didn't make it past childhood even in a Greatest Hits style. Listening to this, I am reminded of why - songs are pretty but simple, with my overall impression on the nursery rhyme side of things. Still, "Father And Son" offers good mystical advice, "Miles From Nowhere" would make a neat cremation epitaph, and the title track is odd and majestic.

Folk music framed as a children's book: whimsical, playful, and a bit intense at times. Stevens is particularly good at building songs with this intensity, giving it a sort of build and fall. To that extent, I think Stevens is an excellent songwriter. That being said, it doesn't resonate with me very much. No fault of the music, it just doesn't stick with me.

This is maybe one of the most just not for me albums out there. This is like Raffi for adults.

Cat Stevens sucks

Probably not my favourite Cat Stevens album. Catch Bull At Four deserves that accolade but an exceptional album still. I’m a sucker for an outright troubadour and Cat Stevens was the original of that genre. Full of lovely songs which just melt you into your sofa and make you think all is right in the world. Stand out track for me is Father and Son which I guess every father and son can relate to at one time or another. It’s a lovely song with poignant lyrics which don’t actually resolve the conflict. You have to make your own mind up. I often listen to this track and follow it immediately with the Peter Gabriel track of the same name which has more softer and outwardly loving lyrics compared to the harsher relationship breakdown depicted by Cat. 5/5 3/1/26

Was shocked to see how much I enjoyed this, especially with that corny ass cover

5 out of 5 Cat fucking Stevens. So soulful and sad; cannot help but crying. This whole album rocks.

Really good vibes - already knew 2 of the songs

Classic.

Masterpiece, plain and simple

Such a beautiful album and a lovely voice. Wild World has always been one of my favorite songs.

Love this album

I like it 😼

I had heard some of the more successful tracks from this before, but unsuprisingly the whole thing is stellar. Yusuf/Cat has a great voice, and the guitar-dominant production is really quite rich and complex. Add some great lyrics and you have some top of the line songs. Easy 5 stars! And the super deluxe version from 2020 has some good outtakes as well as some great loose singles (like "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out")!

wonderful album! fav songs: wild world and where do the children play

classic

First album that has been genuinely great on this list and that people actually need to listen to

This guitar work is really impressive. Actually, a lot of the instrumental work is really masterfully crafted and played. Some of his vocal ornamentations are a little, odd, I think. He's got a really great, but kind of simple, voice. When he pushes it and does these little embellishments, I think it actually takes away from the song. They're not frequent, so it's a little nitpicky of me. This is an example of really great song writing, both lyrically and musically. This one took a minute for me to really start enjoying it. It doesn't come on very strong (not that it comes on poorly), but I think this album really wants to get to know you and vice versa. If you do that (let it know you and get to know it), I think this is a really incredible album. It helps that it hides some gems right at the end. Favorite Song(s): Wild World, Father and Son, Tea for the Tillerman

Love it. Own it. A masterpiece

This guy really knows how to pack a punch (lyrically)

Thoughts during my listen: Hard Headed Woman is my favourite new song to me Did not know Wild World was a Cat Stevens song, I learn something new every day I feel like Sad Lisa has some sufi/ghazal influence in it's melody and the way he sings the chorus Longer boats sounds so different to all the previous tracks, really grabs your attention Had no idea Father and Son was off this album, thank you once again to guardians of the galaxy for introducing me to this classic, it always brings tears to my eyes Overall: A beautiful album full of longing for simpler times and rejection of the modern world, wrapped up in gentle guitar melodies and Steven's soothing voice to guide you through it.

Father and Son will always make me cry

I love this album. I think it’s mostly sentimental though. There are some incredible songs on here and then some songs that regularly skip. I do think Cat Stevens did something amazing with this album though. Incredible melodies, guitar work, and lyrics.

Holy hell. I knew Cat Stevens from Wild World, but this is awesome. Like, when D&D thought up a bard they just wrote up what it felt like to listen to this album and you got someone who's pure musical expression could defeat mythical beasts.

Amazing

One of the great musical days of my life was buying almost all of Cat Steven’s records at a record store for like $5.

When the day after asking out a girl I've had the dice fall on Cat Stevens, I've suspected the answer would be no. Two masterhits, and a good baseline on this album. Could've been better, but it's enough.

A great album, the songs and voice is picturing an amazing picture Favs song - Wild World, Miles From Nowhere, Father And Son 5/5

This was such a huge album when I was a sophomore in high school. Great songs, real fun to hear on the radio and sing along to.. Also, females liked it as much or more as the guys (which was unusual), so it was played a lot at parties. Then it was followed the next year by an album almost as good, Teaser and the Firecat. The albums after that, NSM. Then we discovered he had 3 albums prior to TFTT that weren’t real good, but had some fine tunes on them. Hadn’t heard this in years and was afraid it wouldn’t hold up but it does.

absolutely loved it! this is what i think people say when they say they imagine me liking 70s music. this album!

Best storyteller

Top stuff. Father and son is of course a highlight

Fantastic album. Great songwriter.

9/10

This is my favourite Cat Stevens album. It is also the only one that I have owned. The consistency of the tone and overall quality of the songs keeps you engaged.

Beautiful, calming music from Yusuf, better known to the world as Cat Stevens. As always, his music is simple but engaging acoustic folk/pop. It will calm your nerves while it takes you on a journey. "Tea for Tillerman" is arguably his greatest album and includes some of his most well known songs, like "Wild World" and "Father and Son". The latter is one of his best songs, evoking generational gaps in politics, culture, and attitudes to war and peace that all remain relevant. I once purchased a used copy of this album at a record fair. When I got it home, I discovered that the wrong disc was in the record sleeve. This explained why the album was only a dollar. Anyway, I realize today that this is actually my first time listening to the entire album, a fact that was only obvious to me when I recognized the closing track as the end theme on Extras. I'm glad to have finally listened to it in its entirety as it's a beautiful album.

What a great fucking album.

The start and end of the album are better than any out there. There is an emotional weight to these songs that moves me to my core. On this listen the lesser-known tracks in the middle resonated with me as well. His artwork is fun too, just a great all around package. Rating: 4.9

Great album!

Beautiful performance by Stevens & co. All around lovely music.

Great

He’s so great

Shirt but sweet

Certified hood classic

Great album all round

What a masterpiece in it’s original composition. In a review I read he is pathetic - maybe yes, but in a beautifully emotive way that never becomes annoying over the whole length of the album. High quality music and an amazing voice, purely enjoyable. I really like the albums to be short to be listened in one piece and experienced as the piece of art it is. I strongly disliked the deluxe versions I found on youtube. But as soon as I created a playlist with the original songs I was at ease and fully enjoyed.

Great album 4.5

I found that I could sing every song on this album except two. what a banger!

this is one of my favourite albums of all time, amazing start to finish. flawless album!

Man er lige ved at kradse af turbekolose overlever og så leverer han en af de mest autentiske, ærlige og sårbare albums om mening, kærlighed, død og alt hvad livet har at byde på. Jeg resonerede meget med hello Lisa og troede naturligvis det handlede om en pige, men det eneste jeg kan finde på udtalelser om teksten er at han mener det i virkeligheden er ham selv som er Lisa. Virkelig smuk sang og jeg har virkelig lyst til at give det 5 bare for at jeg sikrer mig at jeg vender tilbage til det, selvom jeg ikke synes det er en perfect 5/5. folk rock/singer song writer, baroque med strygere og arrangementer og soft rock.

Gorgeous album. Beautifully written and performed.

It's a banger, ok. Poetic, calming, beautiful

classic 1970's folksy mellow rock with a few familiar songs mixed in.

Nice surprise album, very enjoyable. I never knew he made these songs but plan to listen to more of his music. 4.5 stars