It’s been a while since Cat Stevens, now currently known as Yusuf, has released an album, His last one, Roadsinger, was issued in 2009, and charted well for him. It’s evident that his inclusion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has made him hungry for more activity after a more than 25 year sabbatical from the release of Back To Earth (1978) until his return with 2006’s An Other Cup. Unfortunately, Back To Earth left Cat Stevens with nothing to stand on as it generated no buzz, and fell flat. That came after the popular release of Izitso from 1977. However, while he could still chart singles, his strong charters ended at Buddha And The Chocolate Box, which contained “Oh Very Young”.
On October 27, Cat Stevens, recording as Yusuf, will release his next album, Tell ‘Em I’m Gone. Newly signed to Legacy Recordings, the new album will feature ten tracks (see below), a combination of covers, and original compositions. On Tell ‘Em I’m Gone, Yusuf will cover “Big Boss Man”, “Dying To Live”, “You Are My Sunshine”, “The Devil Came From Kansas”, and a new arrangement of “Take This Hammer”, now called “Tell ‘Em I’m Gone”.
In support, Yusuf is undertaking a six-date tour for the US in December, with stops in Chicago, Toronto, Boston, San Francisco, and LA, following an 8-date European tour in November. And fans, it has been over 35 years since a US tour by Cat Stevens/Yusuf has happened.
Last time I checked, Toronto wasn’t in the US.
I should have said North America.