Tea for the Tillerman

Familiar with several of the songs, but never listened to the album. This is a great album but on some songs they've done an annoying thing with the dynamics. It's all acoustic, so sometimes it's really quiet, then they make it really loud. So, either you can't hear what's happening, or it sometimes gets really loud. That's costing it a star in the rating. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #205 Best Songs Where Do The Children Play? Hard Headed Woman Wild World On The Road To Find Out Father And Son Tea For The Tillerman

almost a 4 but kind of boring

Short, good, and sweet. A solid album, but I can't say I really know any of his work, nor does it seem particularly amazing?

ripetitivo, ma due canzoni belle

Some all-time tracks I've heard many times, some that don't get played often. Can't argue with the songwriting quality or musicianship, and his career can attest to that.

Una maravilla de álbum. Es apabullante la que grabase estas canciones con poco más de veinte años. Lo podría escuchar varias veces seguidas.

Very pleasant. I like the folk influences and double bass sound. But a bit hippy for me. I didn’t know “wild world” was a Cat Steven’s song, or “Father and Son”. In fact, I didn’t even know the titles of them, you just hear cover versions around. And it’s representative of the mawkish sentiment that puts me off. I would probably prefer the album without the hits! Overall, though, it’s an alright album. I guess.

Fantastic.

i have never particularly liked cat stevens. his brand of melancholy really does just bring me down and i don't care for his voice. that said, i recognize this is a pretty damn good album. well done, cat stevens, you got me

Enjoyed this album. I have Cat Steven's Greatest Hits album, but this one filled in some gaps. 3.65/5 stars = 4.

A lovely album that I genuinely enjoyed. With classics like "Wild World" and "Father and Son," it’s hard not to get a little nostalgic. Cat Stevens has a way of making you feel all the feels.

It is alright. He has a great voice but a lot of the songs sound the same

Sad Lisa and Father and Son are bangers, some sub par tracks towards the end brings this from a 5 to a 4

Simply put, this is a lovely album. The opener is a strong start as Stevens passionately questions where the children play in our ever changing world. What a voice and songwriter. The range in his vocals carry this album but the instrumental arrangements and skill do so much to fill this album out. I really didn’t appreciate Cat Stevens as much as I should have, I ran thru this album several times after it popped up on the generator and I confidently give this classic 5 stars

7/10

nice

Интересно

A real mixed bag IMO. There are the fairly obvious two big highlights I don't need to mention by name, and they are great. The title track featured in Extras, which is OK. And then some mostly forgettable stuff that got a bit too samey. Unpopular opinion but Sad Lisa's mawkish and particularly syrupy strings didn't work for me at all.

Boring, but classic

A wonderful and emotional record that contains stupendous hits like Father and Son and pleads to be bigger than it's parts, like acres of sky

Excellent

Incredible Everything on the album is very good and I may single out every single song, but Miles From Nowhere is that song that ties everything together. Brilliant song. Longer Boats is so good, that chorus just gets better and bigger each time. When the drums kick in, so good. Where Do The Children Play has a similar vibe, where the last chorus is the same thing but he sings in a manner that lifts the song even more. Father and Son, Tea, Sad Lisa, all massive great songs, and then Wild World is on another level The strings on Into White are incredible

I like it! Knew a lot more than I thought

Sweetest Warmest Gentlest

Oddly mixed and very bland. Has some sweeter moments, but largely forgettable and uninteresting. The big hits are decent, but nothing else to see here. Top tracks: Wild World, Father And Son

Enjoyable ig I thought I had already gotten this

This album had just enough good stuff on it for me to give it a four. I'm not sure poor Salman Rushdie would agree though!

Buenas canciones Folk setenteras. Míticas Wild World y Father And Son. Agradable, sencillo

Nice album with some classic songs and a few new ones for me. Pretty laid back and can put it on as background music.

knew a lot of the songs already but really liked that it led me to ‘magdalena’ by the monkees

Not really my jam, but bad... will try to revisit it.

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: 9/1001 Yeah... I don't even know that I can pretend to bullshit an objective review for how good this album is. I have listened to it on repeat all day and each listen just resolidifies there's not a bad song here as each one grows on. The music is homey and folky, the vocal delivery is hard hitting yet smooth, it's tranquil, reflective, moving, and just absolutley beautiful. The first track, Where Do The Children Play is as relevant today as ever, the progression overall is amazingly sticked together, the production is so simple yet so powerful. It's warm and familiar and wholly capable of bringing you to tears. It's just phenomenal. Yeah... Just wow. Podium (Extended): 1. Father and Son 2. Where Do The Children Play? 3. Miles From Nowhere 4. Wild World 5. On The Road To Find Out Honorable mention: Everything else. For sure. It feels strange to say it's flawless, but it just is. Such a simple production with such a heavy progression of absolute art. It's a beautiful piece of art that is a must listen, one that I'll come back to many times for years to come. I give Cat Steven's/Yusufs Tea For The Tillerman 5/5 stars.

I'm not inclined to really love acoustic guitar folk music but listening to this album for the first time brought to my attention the updated version of "Father and Son" that has him, aged ~72, singing in the role of the father against a recording of him at 22 as the son. The original version was Fine but the combination of his young and old voices in the update is surprisingly affecting.

Between a 3 and 4 on this, but I’ll go with 3 for now and potentially edit later. I was pleasantly surprised by this album because I’ve heard Father and Son, but don’t get the hype. The songs were pleasant, uplifting, and smooth.

Not resonating with me. I can tell the songs are well crafted, and the performances are solid. Just not my type of music

Waited the whole album for cats in the cradle, imagine my disappointment

So excited to finally get a Cat Stevens album! Very nice, will be adding this to my playlists.

Don't think I'd ever be in a mood to listen to this.

I enjoyed this less than expected. Sort of bored most of the time. Wild World is pretty great, but man I couldn't get into some of the slower stuff. I like his singing and I'm a sucker for this 70s folks style.

Eh he's fine

This album has a lot of his hits, which are great, but overall I think he has better stuff. This is still a really good album, but it’s just not my favorite work of his.

This is really not my thing

Car Stevens makes a not good but not bad singer-songwriter album. 7/10

kind of monotonous but an interesting story, like how in 2020 Stevens sings along with the original 1970 22-year-old self. kinda cool but just not super interesting music.

Good as a background track. Would like it if my significant other played this at theirs.

6/10

Genre: Folk Pop (Singer/Songwriter) If you’ve got a mom raised in the 70s, chances are this is one of her favorite records (I speak from experience). A warm, folksy, sweet and earnest little record, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens crafted a very wonderful album. Full of emotion and passion, this is one of those albums that will continue to sound good for years to come. Miles from Nowhere crushes me, as does Father and Son. Great stuff. 4/5

no brzdąka się na tej gitarce

I loved his voice and really enjoyed this album.

Classic

La portada me ha dado mal royo. pensaba que no le conocia pero en la tercera cancion he caido en la cuenta. Se me ha hecho bola igualmente. Pensaba que iba a ser peor, "Into White" no ha estado mal. No se si al final mejora el disco o solo me he acostumbrado, creo que tiene potencial y no ha sido tan desagradable pero no me a inspirado mucho.

beautiful album from start to finish!

Master class in storytelling and song composition. Beautiful album with two undeniable hits, wild world and father and son.

Just insanely catchy and beautiful. I've heard a few of these, but not all of them. The non-singles are pretty great too.

Playful, Painful, Authentic Beautiful folk songs whose melodies move with Brahms-like complexity. The lyrics, as tender and devastating as Celtic ballads, somehow never lose their light. This is authentic storytelling in a pastoral setting that romanticizes nature and one’s inner life from a place of admittedly answerless wisdom. Where Do the Children Play? A strong opening to the album that showcases Yusef’s lyrical subtlety and vocal power. Deceptively simple melodic turns display a musical intelligence that for the rest of the album will not disappoint. The themes may be worldly here, but this songwriting is personal. Hard Headed Woman Wonderful chord progressions, along with shifts done just right, accent the depth of these courageously simple lyrics about seeking, companionship, betterment, and blessing. Wild World The only song on the album that I was already aware of. More tender and forgiving in its album setting than its pop culture references make it seem. Father and Son Moving and relatable portrayal of the parent-child relationship. A tender song about loss, loneliness, and mutual desperation. Honest and empathetic, this narrator knows both sides. Tea for the Tillerman A short and joyful conclusion, almost like a nursery rhyme. Rectifying, as if Yusef refuses his listener the chance to walk away with any pessimism. If we take tillerman to mean farmer, this concluding song is at once a pastoral call for respite from toil, as well as an encouragement in the face of life’s continuation: the summation of the album’s main themes. For my taste, I would have preferred the overall production to have been more acoustic, paired down. The album suffers from its post-electric place in folk history.

Excellent album from start to finish. Couple classics with no skips. 11 songs, 37 minutes. Auto + .5 from me. This is in that 4-5 star range easily.

I really like Cat Stevens's voice. Wild World and Father & Son alone makes this at minimum a 4 star album. I'd give it 4.5 if I could.

4/5

Took me back to my youth. Can definitely hear his influence in today's artists.

really really nice! unfortunately ‘wild world’ will always make me think of the episode of skins where tony gets hit by a bus and then they randomly have a musical number set to that song. *fav tracks: but i might die tonight; on the road to find out*

so so beautiful. the perfect length for something so densely packed with emotion, ending with one of the most heartbreaking songs of all time to me and a bittersweet coda final track. i love the texture of his voice, the way it sounds like a mentor telling stories and giving advice even as a young man. i just checked his exact age and he was TWENTY-TWO when this came out? some people just have a perspective and writing ability that is so innate that it blows my mind to hear what they're capable of writing at such a young age.

Surprisingly good! Expected some kind of children’s music

Fine

This one was okay, but nothing I was really drawn to. Must note it's not my preferred genre of music, so that might influence my takes, but the vocals and instrumentals were a bit simple for me but not simple enough that they were poignant in that way (Father and Son is exception, it worked there). Wild World was also solid, great beat which really carried it.

Looking forward to this one.

mitt sämsta take: cat stevens e inte så gidd

Enjoyed parts of this album! Where do the children play? Was probably my favorite. Lots of skippable songs for me in the middle

Sounds like Christian-adjacent campfire stuff. Fake wisdom and that limp “don’t worry” glaze. Tea for the Tillerman is spiritual wallpaper for cowards.

Not my favorite

Some sad getting old bops. Probably won’t listen again ever

This was really good.

pretty good

Interesting songwriting. Interesting voice that swings into grating at times. It's funny how there's a vibe to lyrics from this time that I can only describe as Boomer. Probably won't listen again but glad I got to.

Three lifelong favourites (Wild World, Sad Lisa, Father and Son) and the rest of the album is great too - I only discovered Where Do The Children Play and Into White around ten years ago.

3/5

eh

This was quite an easy listen, with some clear standouts like "Where Do the Children Play" and "Sad Lisa" especially the violin and string ensemble towards the end which was a real mood lifter despite the name of the song. There were some interesting techniques explored with the vocals, and overall the album as a whole receives a 3/5.

Really pleasant album to listen to. Lovely songwriting and some beautiful acoustic guitar work throughout. The album felt very real and pure. Classic

Easy listening, solid song writing and has Father and Son which could be one of the greatest ever written. 3.5/5. Raising to 4.

very relaxing, sounds lovely, and i realized I did know a few of these songs already.

It’s alright, too simple for me. 5/10

good

Perfect album written by a musical genius

Awesome album. Loved it. Almost every song built to something cool and they were just really great songs. Fave song: Miles From Nowhere Honorable Mentions: Wild World, Father and Son, and Where Do the Children Play?

folk genre is not something i listen to. found this album to be just okay

Folk music done really well, instrumental and the vocals were a good mix. Pretty but too simple. Favourite Song: On the Road to Find Out

it's alright but i'm not really fan. i think i just don't like folk music.

8 or 9 nicely written pop folk songs with a few more songs thrown in. While the songs are nice I can't help but find them a bit schmaltzy, even Father and Son. Stevens also doesn't have much, lyrically of musically, that makes him unique, and I find the louder moments with drums to mostly not work. An exception to all of that is the opener, Where Do the Children Play?, which I like quite a bit and which climaxes nicely. Otherwise it's mostly forgettable. (I also can't help but agree with folks who say that Wild World comes off as condescending, and even if that was intentional it doesn't make me like it more.)

This one was a huge surprise, what a fantastic album. Listened on holiday in Crete. Sometimes simple songs, but others with such beautiful orchestral arrangements. The strings in Sad Lisa were incredible, and absolute highlight. Some songs I knew already, including Wild World, Father and Son, and Tea for the Tillerman (admittedly as the Extras theme tune). Loved this, will return.

Solid enough album, sounds very much in the mould of other early 70s singer songwriters, towards the poppier end of the spectrum, more James Taylor than John Martyn. Pleasant enough and some nice songs but no real edge to anything and nothing that surprises. Nice escapist Sunday afternoon music.

*Replayable*

Nice little treat to acoustics.

A whole bunch of very enjoyable tunes.

This couldn’t be over fast enough. And because it wasn’t, we stopped it. Even the album’s standout – “Wild World” – failed to bring merriment, proving in the moment only that familiarity is a fickle thing. (While at times the pleasure of recognition overrides any critical faculty, at others it breeds only contempt.) And this was a contemptuous experience; a chimney of exhausting whimsy that befouled and smogged the air. Never again, please.

Cat delivered three perfect albums in a row with no weaknesses. This one may be the most perfect.

Occasionally mysoginist

Every song bangs

Alright; very similar to Nick Drake so will be an interesting test of Wills rym bias

I may be a tiny bit biased but this is one of my favourite albums of all time

Another album I have no expectations for. From the cover art, maybe something about childhood? Oh, it's another crusty singer-songwriter from the 70s. As I read in another review, I look forward to the older generation of editors to die so we can reappraise a lot of these albums as simply boring and not very good. Father and Son was pretty good, I can understand why people like it.

It’s just so fucking good.

I just don’t get it… I just find this record so twee!

Not really heard or thought about Cat Stevens for a long time and it’s not until I played the album that the various inescapable famous tracks hit me. It’s a decent enough listen even if Ronan Keating and Ricky Gervais have done their best to taint it. I just don’t see when I’d come back to listen to this though.

Wild

Didn't love it. Kind of boring.

Having seen Harold and Maude 100 times, I knew Cat Stevens was a prominent feature of the film's acoustic feel, but I hadn't realised that almost the entirety of this one album was used to soundtrack the film. Felt strange - like listening to a 'best of' album, having never been properly introduced to the musician. Great melodies and lyrics throughout.

Solid

Nije moj stil muzike ali je izuzetno prijatan album sa nekim nevjerovatno dobrim pjesmama.

quiet easy listening

Nice album, but I find Cat Stevens a bit cheesy unfortunately, like a grandpa that does not understand the contemporary world.

I enjoyed it, one or two I recognised father and son in particular. Was a different mood than I was expecting.

Maybe closer to 4 stars when compared to Teaser and the Firecat, but for me Cat will always be an automatic 5 given how influential he's been in carving out my own music taste. I remember as a young kid feeling like I "discovered" him because it wasn't my parents, siblings, or friends who showed him to me- I found him all on my own listening to the oldies station and instantly he became a my guy. Tea for the Tillerman rules.

this was actually super nice. Every song feels super cozy and peaceful. Super Nice for the night before my birthday. :) 9/10

An excellent addition to the beginning of the singer songwriter era. It was album perfect for its time. Wild World, Father snd Son, and On the Road to Find Out expressed the turmoil that was occurring among young men in the Viet Nam era. It also represents the growing divide between the authority of the Silent generation and the restless Baby Boomers.

Veldig ålreit

Would give 3.5 stars if I could. I enjoyed this

Somewhat similar sounding throughout, this is a nice collection of 3 & 1/2 minute folk pop songs, with a few all time classics spread throughout.

It’s unfair to have “Father And Son” on the album because it obviously boosts a rating.

Good but not really my usual stuff. Just nice background music mostly. I do like it but it's not compelling to me.

Geiles singer-/songwriter Album einfach. Lieb die markannte Stimme, die Melodien, die Harmonien, die Arrangements und wie das Album aufgebaut ist. Einfach starkes songwriting

It took me a good four listens before it really clicked. I could tell there was something special going on, but it took a bit to fully land. I love it now - absolutely gorgeous string arrangements and really dig his voice. Favourite tracks: Wild World, Sad Lisa, Longer Boats, On the Road to Find Out, Father and Son, Tea for the Tillerman.

Great album. Hadn't listened to much Cat Stevens before. Much enjoy.

Not for me thanks.

I hadn't heard this in ages but I think a bit of maturity has set in that lets me hear this in a whole new light. I guess I always enjoyed the radio hits a bit but this really made perfect Saturday morning, quiet in the house, coffee drinking, cat in my lap, music. I heard the songs as stories being told, well crafted vignettes that capture a moment and then proceed to expertly describe the mood, pulling me in to a specific place and time. I really enjoyed this and am glad that it came up today - I think it was just what I needed!

Absolutely eclectic in sound and tonality. This is the Webster dictionary example for the sign of the times. Gorgeous sound, classics on here, beautiful work by Cat Stevens.

This was a big one in my parent's rotation. Father & son always hits. Some good tracks but lacking some kind of edge or POV for me? Pleasant, certainly and with a childlike innocence at times.

My personal favorite Cat Steven’s album. Lots of great songs, no down moments throughout

The first things that jump out to me are the abrupt dynamic changes; beyond just feeling quite foreign to me as an inhabitant of the post-Loudness Wars apocalyptic landscape, they reveal a deep insecurity that cuts through this entire collection - Stevens might be a Nice Guy but he still seems to feel like he has to get loud to be heard. (He's *not* shouting, don't accuse him of shouting.) And what does he have to get loud-but-not-too-loud about? The usual shit, mostly - rejection from girls, fake friends in the music industry, the requirement to fulfill his contractual obligations. Behind the veneer of Nice Guy-ness he's downright venomous - I hope the subject of "Wild World" feels like she dodged a bullet. No wonder John Belushi smashed this guy's guitar in *Animal House*. All that said, there's genuine talent on display here, which is part of what makes Stevens frustrating. I guess it's anthropologically interesting to hear the Sensitive Guitar Asshole template used by everyone from John Mayer to Billy Corgan being formed in real time. As a recovering Sensitive Guitar Asshole myself, I guess I should be more sympathetic - but my ongoing recovery is probably part of why I'm not.

Not a fan of the album. Only like Wild World

What a great lp. Cat Steven’s had several fine albums, but this one might have the most hits.

2,8/5

Good vibes nice songs

Another great album that I have - happy to hear it again today 4/5 #albumsky #musicsky #musicchallenge

Arrancamos la última semana de junio (si, ya sé que es cliché pero qué impresionante el paso del tiempo, de los años, ¡de la vida, la puta madre!) con un artista que, creo, sólo ubico de nombre. Luego de que le doy play a éste álbum, me recuerdo que lo ubicaba del soundtrack de "Rushmore" de Wes Anderson: peliculón ineludible. Folk rock tranca, relajadazo. Descubro también ahora que "Wild World", temazo eterno, es una canción de él. Imposible no destacar canciones como "Father and son" y todo el disco en sí. Gracias muchas. Hasta mañana

Brilliant

think I’m getting my period because I just burst into tears

What’s the tea? This album was not for me.

This sounds like something a family who like each other would listen to on RV trips growing up in the 70s

Perhaps it's because I'm coming hot off of a Nu Jazz Blues binge, but I didn't hate this. I certainly wouldn't elect to listen to it again, but it was nice not feeling like the day's album was actively trying to break me on a personal level.

I have always had a certain amount of love for Cat Stevens. I can’t listen to this all the time, but it’s pleasant enough sporadically.

Really pleasant - can definitely have this on in the foreground or background. 3.5.

Never heard of him before. After reading the description, imagined something else (worse). Was a pleasant listen.

My parents always disliked Cat Stevens. I never really understood it. This album was 70s perfection and I loved everything about it.

Tommy really liked it

Half of it was boring and half of it I really enjoyed, at least you're getting songs like Wild World and Father and Son

This was my first time hearing a Cat Stevens album and I have to tell you I really enjoyed this, I can't believe he was only 22 when he recorded this.

My personal fave Cat record. Every tune still holds up, from the classics to the (criminally) underplayed.

Maybe I was occupied and not paying attention but this flew by quickly. Will need another listen, but alot of the songs blended in to eachother, but a few great songs stood out - you know the ones

3 out of 5. First full album listen for Cat Stevens. Very pleasant and soft guitar playing that really stood out to me.

Schönes Album und toller Sound. Die klare Stimme fühlt sich manchmal an wie eine Umarmung..... aber was zum Fick ist aus dem Typen später geworden. Konvertiert zum Islam, wird Antisemit und fordert Tod von Rushdie.

Ein tolles Album, kurz knackig, jedes Lied einfach schöne 3 Minuten. Und mit Father and Son und Wild World einfach wahnsinnig tolle Hits mit dabei.

This sounds like Tenacious D trying to cover Neil Young, and it's fucking awesome. While I don't find this album perfect, there's so many times I found myself tapping along or humming like a fool to this thing. I'm not going to go into insane detail into each song, someone more intelligent than me has probably done that already. Nor did I look at what songs I was actually listening to while I listened to it; so excuse me. I still really enjoyed this thing. I've never heard of Cat Stevens before, so hoping (MASHALLAH) there's more to come.

Definitely going to be a bit biased by nostalgia on this one from years of listening to the former Stevens/Islam in the backseat as a kid. Funny enough, this wasn’t one of my favourites growing up because I always felt it was a bit dated/dry compared to some of the music my parents would put on but nowadays (especially when trawling through certain sections of this list) good lord is this fresh. Automatically better than 90% of his singer/songwriter contemporaries for making the accompanying instruments to his lyricism not feel like an afterthought. Even if you were to completely forego listening to the lyrics on a lot of these songs they would still just be incredibly pleasing to the ears.

Yusuf is a fantastic singer with an impressive range. Songwriting is superb too. I was impressed with the production and mixing, it all sounded polished. There's a special quality to guitar pieces you can picture every pluck of the strings and the reverberation of the strummed notes in the body. Beautiful and heartfelt album, I liked every track. Favourites Miles from nowhere, Wild World, On The Road to Find Out, Father and Son

You ever hear a bad song YUSUF ISLAM??? Didn’t think so mate. Alhamdulillah.

I enjoy the big tracks off this, wild world, father and son, where do the children play. + a couple others. But ultimately i found the album alright but pretty unremarkable 6/10

Yusuf Islam is a rare combination of a brilliant songwriter and a phenomenal singer. He really can paint a picture in my mind; something about listening to this album feels like going on a hike through a meadow with someone wise beyond their years. Equal parts melancholic and joyful, this is an album that you can put on in the background having your tea on a Sunday morning but also an album where actively listening to the lyrics pays dividends. The standout tracks here are obviously Wild World and Father And Son, but the deep cuts here are honestly just as good. The latter of which is a song that I listen to very rarely, I don't want to wear out how special and beautiful that song is. Each track is simultaneously simple and complex in its lyrics and composition, some albums are lucky to have one track included in the world's songbook and this one has two. You often hear people say "they don't make 'em like they used to" and you roll your eyes, but in the case of Yusuf Islam, it is 100% true. There is a beauty in the sincerity, optimism and tenderness of this album that doesn't appear in many other albums that I've heard. I honestly had to stop myself from listening to this a fifth time in a hope to preserve how this album makes me feel. Highlights: Where Do The Children Play?, Wild World, Longer Boats, Father And Son

I'm familiar with the name, but I can't say I recall listening to one of his albums. Holy crap! Wild World is his song?? Right on. I like this original version. I always am amazed how bands put out multiple albums in the same year back in the day. I love the strings on Sad Lisa. There's a bit of a Genesis vibe on his vocals, and I can tell this influenced Billy Joel, as well. Especially, on Miles From Nowhere. This is a solid album, but it's only a 3 from me, because it isn't something I'll ever search out to listen to again. The crazy thing is when this was over, my next cued up song was Aerodynamic by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and it flowed perfectly. Oh, baby baby, it's a Wild World, I tell ya.

One of those 70's singer-songwriters that are so earnest, gentle, and soulful in spirit--it reminds me of this group of Boomers I know who run a food co-op and often have such music playing in the background while they work to make their little corner of the world a better place. This music is very chill and philosophical--soothing like a warm cup of tea after working the fields. 3.5

This could be the most poetic collection of words ever but if it’s not presented in an interesting way, I’m not listening.

While I like folk music a lot, this didn't do a ton for me. To say some positives, the lyrics have an interesting spirituality to them, and I like Yusufs' (Cat Stevens') voice. Additionally, these songs aren't bad, but there are only a few I can really say I like a lot, my favorites being Hard Headed Woman, Wild World, and Father And Son. There are moments of songwriting genius across this, but it just doesn't really do it for me. Frankly, for folk songwriting of this era, some of this is pushed a little too pop for me, and I prefer a rawer take on this genre in general. Like I said, not really bad though, and I can imagine a lot of people would be really into this. I'm kind of between a 2 and a 3, honestly, this would probably be, most honestly like an exact 5/10, but I had to choose. Anyways, still give this a listen, I think this is for a lot of people. Edit: Thought about this a little more, 2 is probably a little harsh.

Very average 70s singer-songwriter. Best song is the last one, which also is super short.

Solid. Good sound. Good feeling.

Classic but generally not my thing

Really beautiful, classic “music” music. Strong, defined melodies, compositions with heavy piano accompanied by guitar and drums, clear and well-structured lyrics. And it’s good. I’d heard and loved Wild World and Father And Son before this, so it was nice to meet their family. Songs like Sad Lisa are just so beautiful, those string sections are incredible, so despite not being a particularly relatable or relevant song I just can’t resist smacking that like button. I honestly can't say much else about, just an absolute pleasure to listen to. Plays: 4 Most: Father And Son - came along and knocked Wild World out of an easy top spot. Least: Into White - I honestly just did not get this song, I mean I too want a simple garden and acres of sky etc etc but what is this song even about? Colours? Rating: 4.5 - but i'll round up, really loved listening to this.

beyond meh

Good music, entertaining rhythms, just not for me.

So chill. Great voice.

Clearly a stunning piece of art

Well this is a surprise. I haven't consiously listened to Cat Stevens before, but I have heard of him. I've heard Wild World before. I had to listen to this twice. The first time, I'm deciding between a 3 and a 4. Then I get into the second listen and it goes right past a 4. There's a not a bad song here, and the worst is still above average. Maybe I'm just in the right mood for this at the end of the day. It's a 4.5, but Father and Son alone makes me round up.

3.3

Som en dålig höstdag

Tempted to give this 5 stars. It's emotional, it's timeless, it has bangers. But I'll give it a strong 4-4.5 stars because it's not something I'll reach for as often as the other 5 star albums.

Good for chillout

This was on the higher end of folk for me which is still a 3. I could have this in the background and be fine with it.

So nice

Went in not expecting to like this at all. It was folksy but not overly so. 2.5⭐️ rounding down because it was still more folk than I care to listen to.

3.5 stars....extra star is because "Wild World" is here. Rounding down.

where will the children play is so yum, hard headed woman fine, WILD WORLD<333333 so nostalgic :[ , sad lisa strings go CRAZYYYYY, miles from nowhere….guess i’ll take my time….oh yeah…..to reach there.., but i might die tonight fire!!!!, longer boats v chill and fun, into white :(( , on the road to find out is sooooo cool, father and song saddest song ever Lol, tea for the tillerman…HAPPY DAY! wow this was such a cool album, obviously i have the nostalgia attached to a few of the songs but even the ones i didn’t know were really great<3 loved the strings and harmonies and guitar, his voice is heart breaking or angry when it needs to be and just. god. that was good

This is decent in a kind of slow rock, down tempo folk way, but not super memorable for me. I liked On the Road to Find Out as well.

Dåligt

I have loved this album for years.

This is the first album I’ve come across that I actually own. One of my favorites, great song writing, and chill vibes

There's a quite immediate and comforting feeling I get in my gut when I hear an album this immaculately written. I just love hearing a melody unfolding right before my ears and I somehow know exactly where it's going to go, but also didn't foresee quite how it would get there. A gorgeous, succinct and rewarding little record.

ok

There's punk and punk. No doubt this was an important band at the time. At the time I didn't get anything from this band

I am a simp for Yusuf. Can't get enough of him. This very well might be his best album, and it's in my short-list of all time favorites.

So great! Beautiful guitar work here by Cat Yusuf Stevens. He is a master of the melancholy.

Ooo, wild world is in this one. A lot sounds like it, a nice melancholy album. I was expecting it to be one of those where one song is expected to carry the album, but it wasn't. 4* Highlights: wild world

no ha estado mal la vd, me he añadido “father and son”. creo q volveré a escucharlo con mas atención.

My expectations were high and I was let down. Some good songwriting.

Not in to it.slow not good vocals.boring

I respect the artist and the song writing but I just can’t dig Cat.

enjoyable

Classic, sweet singer-songwriter stuff

Litt varierende, men jevnt over bra og et par knallsanger.

There's a chance I'm giving this a 5 only for its familiarity. Then again, it's good enough for me to build the level of familiarity required for it to deserve a 5.

Kändes som vaggvisor för vuxna ❤

Too much history with this album not to give it a 5.

El primer tema no me convenció, pero continué escuchando el álbum y me pareció hermoso. El cover de "Wild World" es excelente, y el tema "Sad Lisa" también. No solo sabe ser tierno / melancólico, sino que también tiene groove y energía por momentos.

kind of agitated me but maybe today was the wrong day for it, idk. I did like father & son & how it sounds like fight test

This is my second ever listen, and it’s inoffensive, occasionally charming and largely unexciting. There is nothing particularly edgy or challenging about any of it. It’s just Yousef/Cat with his guitar and some decent lyrics. It’s an intimate album, and there is al folkie kind of sound. Father and Son is a highlight, but otherwise I found little to excite me. It’s an album that you listen to when you have had too much to drink and you are in a reflective mood. Whack this on, and you will cry the sad tears of nostalgia and lost innocence. It’s fine.

Wild world

Some of the blandest nothing music I've ever heard in my entire life. not a single memorable melody or chord progression on the entire album. You could play this album on repeat as a form of water drop torture on people

This album was pretty ass, just boring. Cat Stevens has kinda good vocals, but this one was just boring for me.

This pinnacle of the singer-songwriter mountain fell on me when I had just turned 12, the most appropriate age for the music (and I don't mean that in a dismissive way, so was everything else on the radio). I don't think I can sort my affection now from my affection then, or even if I want to. The strings almost make me cringe, though. Please no more. Easily met my young need for socially engaged lyrics.

Two classics but the rest is inconsequential fluff.

I enjoy his songwriting but the music drifts into the background.

Maybe I'm in a funk? I just wasn't swept into these songs. They played on and I marveled at the strange doubled vocals and the odd habit Stevens has of plumbing the depth of his vocal range. The drum fills seemed oddly out of time with the rest of the band. I was tuned into these things as the songs missed the mark with me. I had never listened to a Cat Stevens record, and going in, I had this notion he was a wise onlooker commenting on the world in general. But I noticed a darker tone, almost paranoid, and it prompted me to read a review. While the review was positive, among other things, it spelled out "Wild World" as being written to a love interest who had left Stevens, and it threw that song into a whole new light. I always imagined it was him singing to his daughter about what to expect as she grew up. But, if that song really is the interior monologue of a troubled man having a hard time with a breakup — trying to convince the girl to stay by telling her how hard things will be without him — maybe it isn't me after all. It's all well and good, he's got a right to sing about what he wants to, but this listen didn't endear me to Stevens — it more or less did the opposite.

I think this was my first time listening to this, although I was familiar with the hits and the ones featured in the Harold & Maude soundtrack. Overall, good stuff. Some of it was a little twee for my liking, but the songs that have that gruff Cat Stevens rhythm are quite enjoyable. I wish there were a 3.5 button.

Cat / Yusuf always sounds just right. And tonight…this album was perfect.

Highlights: Sad Lisa, Miles From Nowhere. In a nutshell: the folk storyteller. Yusuf Islam suffers the same affliction as Randy Newman and Leonard Cohen- brilliant songwriter, limited vocal range that can be disengaging. There is some variety to the compositions though. Overall: 5/10

probably 2.5 stars if this platform had half star ratings. I'm really just not a huge fan of most "man sings softly and strums guitar" albums

Same review I had for Simon and Garfunkel: great songwriting, beautiful songs just boring. I will never say “I really want to hear some Cat Stevens right now.”

3+ Stars (9/15)

Listened

It’s nice, not great not terrible, easy to listen to

The music is boring, the drums suck, the lyrics suck, everything about this sucks. -5 stars.

A very enjoyable album, but I think I have to be in the mood for it.

Kinda interesting and nothing bad but just didn’t do much for me honestly. 3 stars

Understand why relevant to singer / songwriter, soft rock history, it’s still eh

I really like this album. Holds up incredibly well and great, warm energy.

Just one of the best albums ever made

Classic Cat Stevens

One of my very earliest memories as a child was my dad singing me to sleep with the song “Tea for the Tillerman”. 10/10 album no notes.

There are a handful of good songs on this album - "Wild World", "Sad Lisa", "Longer Boats", "Father and Son" (which, fun fact, Cat Stevens sued The Flaming Lips over because "The Fight Song" has basically the same melody). But something about this album annoys me slightly. It's kind of... ingratiatingly quaint. It's also a bit monotonous. I'm not sure how to explain exactly what it is I don't quite like about this album but the cover art kinda also adds to it. It's so... children's book cozy. Why. -_-

Honestly? I was really impressed by how much I liked this. Way more than I would've expected. It's just a perfect pop album. Understated, confident, timeless songwriting. Doesn't feel dated or like an oldies radio station at all, unlike the Elton John album I got the day before. It has so much charm to it. Pretty blown away, honestly. Very, very good. It's not quite my thing enough to be a 5, but it is something special.

Enjoyed this, chill but thoughtful

No surprise but it’s a very good album, some of the songs have really easy to play chord progressions but the way he makes the songs around them makes them feel so much more complicated and interesting, it starts off strong strong with the first song and kind of drops off a bit for me with the next 3 songs, nothing drastic but they weren’t as enjoyable as the rest of the album, wild world isn’t a favourite of mine aswell. Fortunately though all of the songs after I consider to be much better. Favourites: longer boats, on the road to find out and father and son is a certified classic. Overall, 8/10.

I mean, this is and always has been exquisite, thanks dad

I can vote on this without listening to it, but I won't. I've got a particular connection with Into White and Longer Boats, but this is a great album without a bad track.

Lovely, peaceful, folky, not a bad word to say about this. Thanks dad, it's still fantastic.

From what I know about Cat Stevens is that he left his record label to focus more on his vision of folk/singer songwriter music with deep spiritual focus. Tea for the Tillerman is the results of his vision, and probably his most successful album. Some of the production choices are weird and not really playing to the strengths of Stevens, but maybe this is just a result of the time. I find there are some amazing songs on this album and the rest of it was just okay. I am not a big Cat Stevens fan, but gotta respect the man for sticking to his vision; and I think it paid off for him. Standouts: Where Do the Children Play?, Hard Headed Woman, Wild World, Father and Son

bien, muy bien

Love me some Yusuf. No skips. Comeback to this one all the time.

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

the songs that are good are peak goodness but there were a few that just kinda came and went fo me

I'd almost say enjoyed it more than some of my 4* albums, and yet....

This album is not exactly my style. It is a calm, cute, and quaint album, which is not my typical vibe. Overall, I think the album felt a little sleepy, which is why I had a difficult time maintaining my interest. The guitar was my favorite part of this album! I also liked the somber violin in Sad Lisa. My favorite song was Longer Boats, I feel it captured the lighthearted and fun nature of the album.

Tell Me, Where Do The Children Play? 1001 Albums Generator 32 (05/16/2025) Tea For The Tillerman is the fourth studio album by Cat Stevens, and sits smack dab in the middle of his most well acclaimed trilogy of albums. The style of Tea For The Tillerman is, despite what Wikipedia says, not rock for the most part. Aside from a few moments where the drums start knockin, this album is pure acoustic guitar-driven folk pop a la Simon And Garfunkel. Adorned with an adorable piece of art painted by Stevens himself (he went to Hammersmith School of Art for a year), Tea For The Tillerman caught my eye immediately after gracing my screen, and knowing nothing about the album going into it, I didn't know what to expect. The opening song, Where Do The Children Play? is a great distillation of the best aspects of this album. Opening with a simple, catchy melody played on an acoustic guitar and an organ with another acoustic strumming in the background before a bass and Cat's vocals come in, within 30 seconds, you have heard many of the sounds that you would get familiar with throughout the length of this album. In asking the titular question, Stevens questions the true benefits associated with the technological advancements that he had seen happen all around him. Specifically, the verses seem to hint at a level of skepticism at the ceaseless industrialization around him. With skyscrapers and roads being built everywhere, where can the children go to play? The two most well known songs on this album, and Stevens' most well known songs in general, are Wild World and Father And Son. The former was written about a real life relationship Stevens was in at the time, written as a warning to a love lost, and the latter is written as a conversation between a father and a son. The father gives his son advice and questions why he must leave and in the final verse, the son tells his father that it's his destiny and he will be okay. This song was famously featured in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and has been covered countless times. I also love Longer Boats, with its group vocals that sound straight out of the Caribbean. This album also has some really good chamber moments with more extended instrumentation, such as the piano and string ensemble on Sad Lisa. The only complaint I can provide about this album is that there are a few songs that are laid back to a fault. The biggest perpetrator is Into White, which features an okay guitar arpeggio part, but just failed to stick in my brain. On every relisten, I had to remind myself of this song's existence. The outro title track is short enough that I don't feel justified in complaining about it, but I don't really understand the purpose of having it here. Tea For The Tillerman was a nice surprise after a week of albums that ranged in quality from pretty bad to just above average. I will certainly be taking some time to explore Cat Stevens' albums that bookend it, as I have heard good things about both. 4/5. Favs: Where Do The Children Play? Longer Boats Father And Son Least Fav: Into White

He had a different, yet pleasant voice. Overall this album was pretty relaxing to listen to.

This album was amazing. I listened to it on a Sunday morning and the sun is shining. It was so peaceful and calming. Father and Sons is just so beautiful, I got some body chills listening to it.

This album, great as it is, is one that I just don’t enjoy quite as much as I always think I will. I like it, quite a lot actually. It’s just that for someone with an affinity for this sort of singer-songwriter classic thing it falls just short of the masterpiece its reputation suggests. Wild World and Father and Son (a song that really only first had my attention when I read about Steven’s’ suit against the Flaming Lips for their fantastic song Fight Test) are bangers.

Fabulous album. Haven’t played it in a long time. Forgot how great it is.

Wholesome

Nice

Lovely, Just lovely

Dull as dishwater but hey it's got the boyzone song and the theme song from extras too

Alltså om det bara vore Wild World och Father and Son det handlade om skulle det så klart bli en femma. Två klassiska låtar. Världsklass! Men resten är ojämnt och till och med lite tråkigt. Det kan alltså bara bli en fyra.

Just a wonderful sound. such emotion.

God sangskrivning, følsomt, lidt lejrbålsagtigt, kort

Great folk rock songwriting here. This was Stevens' fourth album at only 22 years old too. Ready to take on the world at this point, Stevens was very reflective at this young age. That's heard in his storytelling, representing the young and spiritually enlightened voices out there. Don't have much else to say here, as someone not overly familiar with Cat Stevens, this was a pretty easy and comfortable listen. Best tracks: Where Do the Children Play?, Father and Son

Eh.

It was fairly average and mundane. For people of my age or generation there are a couple of tracks that are probably more well-known as covers by other artists. The original versions on this album were the highlights of the album.

its okay it feels like the album is for children LMAO

It was actually quite good even though I don't listen to much singer/songwriter type music

really good

is that caseoh on that album cover!!!! laughing emoji

Folk songs so catchy, an album full of hits.

Exceptional. Great tunes for a rainy Sunday morning. The Merry Minstrel.

Just beautiful

Decent enough folk pop, definitely one that could grow on me. But for first impressions, it didn't feel particularly memorable.

I think I'd probably give this a 4.5 if I could, but I'll round up because Father And Son and Tea For The Tillerman are both songs I've loved for years. There's something so simple about Cat Steven's writing. He's a storyteller but he's much more concise than someone like Bob Dylan. But, just like Dylan, he's been heavily covered by a wide range of artists and it's not hard to see why. This is a joy to listen to.

forgettable, couple of ok tracks

mies entspannt fav track father and son

Great voice and thoughtful lyrics.

Really good album

Super chill, beautiful lyrics, time seems to slip away.

Growing up, mum used to play this album a lot and I always loved it. Listening was an exercise in nostalgia and I still love it. Cat Stevens has a real ability to evoke emotion while making you sing and bop along. Rating: 5

This album is priceless. A remarkable voice.

I thought I would like this more because of Nick Drake but I honestly was kind of disappointed with how bland most of these songs are. "Father and Son" is a great song though. 6/10 Favourite: Father and Son Least Favourite: Longer Boats

Actually much more pleasant than I was expecting. Steven’s’ voice is really soothing and the instrumentals aren’t especially challenging but are well arranged and nice. The lyrics are largely excellent. But it’s just not really my thing.

Not really my thing, but I can see why it's on this list.

Cool vibe, it has 2 of my favourite songs

Deeply relaxing

Where Do The Children Play? - 3/4 Hard Headed Woman - 3/4 Wild World - 5/4 Sad Lisa - 2/4 Miles From Nowhere - 3/4 But I might Die Tonight - 2/4 Longer Boats - 2/4 Into White - 2/4 On The Road To Find Out - 3/4 Father And Son - 4/4 Tea For The Tillerman - 2/4

Hey it’s the guy from Skins! Feel bad giving it a 1 out of 5 because you guys think I’m mean but it’s gonna be really difficult/impossible to get a 5 star album on a first listen I think. I really liked Father & Son and obviously Wild World is a classic but the rest kind of was just lifeless. Sozinho.

pleasantly surprised, love the vibe!! gave me very much a mix of sting and simon and garfunkel, super epic. i listened to it at like sunrise aswell so it was perfect

This is like my kind of music that I didn’t know was my kind of music . Didn’t know I kind of liked folk . But here we are . It’s such an easy like summery listen it just makes me quite happy . The guitary type instruments really made me like this even more . Very solid . Many added to my playlist.

short and sweet!! i like it a lot! my favourite is "sad lisa" which has been added to my playlist. easy listen but probs wouldnt listen to any of the others again.

A few very lovely songs. The rest were sadly a bit boring in comparison. Was a bit disappointed because I had high hopes based on the songs I knew beforehand I also didn't like his voice on a few of the songs, a bit screechy 3 ⭐️

Ok

Fine mellow jams

Good folk rock album, little slow at times but what folk rock album isn't. 4/5

Not a Cat Stevens fan, but i can appreciate the songwriting.

A lovely acoustic album that's easy to listen to, and of course Wild World is a stonker.

Folk-ish vibes, vocals are fine. 2.8

Absolutely loved this! Such a fun album.

Nice, easy, mellow listen. Really enjoyed it.

I might be Miles from Nowhere while I listen to this album, but remember we live in a Wild World. Might need some Longer Boats.

Some good ‘70’s acoustic rock. Wild World and Father and Son are amazing.

Nem túl jó apukarock

steak for the son...

Clever and nostalgic

Classic acoustic rock. Favorite track: sad lisa other picks: where do the children play, father and son, wild world

boring unless ohhh baby baby it's a wild wuuurld

Lori- 4.5 Mike- 4 Michael- 4 Miles- 4.5 Cole- 3.5

4 Essential listening

Fav: Where Do The Children Play?; Wild World; Miles From Nowhere; Father and Son

Solid acoustic pop album, carried by two mega-hits.