Izitso
View on Discogs
View on Wikipedia
Album Summary
Izitso came rolling out in April of 1977 on A&M Records, and honey, it was unlike anything Cat Stevens had put his name on before. Produced by Stevens himself alongside Peter Henderson, the album was laid down in London and carried with it a new sonic vocabulary — synthesizers, electronic textures, and a bold experimental pop spirit that set it apart from the acoustic folk-rock that had made him a household name. This was a man in motion, spiritually and artistically, and the sessions bore the quiet but unmistakable weight of his deepening journey toward Islam, a transformation that was reshaping not just his music but the entire arc of his life and identity.
Reception
- The album found a respectable home on the charts, climbing to number 7 on the UK Albums Chart and holding its own in the United States, proving that Stevens still commanded a loyal and wide-reaching audience.
- Critical response was a mixed bag — some ears lit up at the adventurous synthesizer work and the willingness to push into new sonic territory, while others felt the album's eclectic nature kept it from reaching the emotional heights of his classic earlier records.
- The single '(Remember The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard' was the album's commercial heartbeat, earning heavy radio rotation and giving the project a familiar, warm anchor amid its more experimental currents.
Significance
- Izitso stands as a bold and restless document of Cat Stevens navigating a crossroads, marrying sharp pop craftsmanship to synthesizer-driven production in ways that felt ahead of the curve and foreshadowed the electronic wave washing over mainstream pop as the 1980s approached.
- The album's lyrical soul was steeped in spiritual and philosophical reflection, mirroring Stevens's profound engagement with Islam and cementing Izitso as a culturally significant artifact in the final act of his recording career before his retirement from the music industry.
- As one of the last studio albums Stevens would release before stepping away from music entirely, Izitso carries the bittersweet historical weight of a closing statement — the sound of a singular 1970s voice making his farewell on his own deeply personal terms.
Tracklist
-
A1 (Remember The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard 146
2:44
-
A2 Life 142
4:54
-
A3 Killin' Time 109
3:30
-
A4 Kypros 123
3:07
-
A5 Bonfire 110
4:07
-
B1 (I Never Wanted) To Be A Star 131
3:01
-
B2 Crazy 101
3:31
-
B3 Sweet Jamaica 102
3:27
-
B4 Was Dog A Doughnut? 102
4:14
-
B5 Child For A Day 139
4:25
Artist Details
Cat Stevens was a soulful British singer-songwriter born Steven Demetre Georgiou in London in 1948, who rose to international fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a warm, folk-tinged sound that felt like a gentle hand on a weary shoulder — records like Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat spoke straight to the hearts of a generation searching for meaning. His music blended acoustic folk, pop, and Eastern influences into something deeply personal and spiritually honest, making him one of the most beloved and introspective artists of his era. His story took a profound turn when he converted to Islam in 1977, taking the name Yusuf Islam and stepping away from the music world entirely, leaving behind a legacy that remains as rich and resonant as ever.
