[MakoMako]

Hey all. Recently while having dinner at my house, my dad had guests over, my dad mentioned I played guitar. So, of course, he made me get it and play it for his friends. After they heard of the few songs that I did myself that just blurted out, "You'd love Cat Stevens!!"

I didn't think much of it for a while, but I finally look him up, and I realized I've heard quite a few of his songs, I just never knew who it was. Well, now that I know and that I finally got a hold of some of his songs, I'm really interested in learning them. It sounds like alot of his songs rely VERY heavily on rhythem. Well, I was just wondering two things:

1 - Anyone else a fan, with some songs to suggest?

2 - Is there anything unique about the WAY he plays?

I've been playing alot like Dave Matthews for a while now, even with single-note-picking I tend to strum not caring if I hit a string or two with it, unless it just sounds horrid that is. Anyway, I was just curious about this.

~Note: I just got back from a trip, explaining why I'm just starting to post again.

[arasguitarist]

Hey all. Recently while having dinner at my house, my dad had guests over, my dad mentioned I played guitar. So, of course, he made me get it and play it for his friends. After they heard of the few songs that I did myself that just blurted out, "You'd love Cat Stevens!!"

I didn't think much of it for a while, but I finally look him up, and I realized I've heard quite a few of his songs, I just never knew who it was. Well, now that I know and that I finally got a hold of some of his songs, I'm really interested in learning them. It sounds like alot of his songs rely VERY heavily on rhythem. Well, I was just wondering two things:

1 - Anyone else a fan, with some songs to suggest?

2 - Is there anything unique about the WAY he plays?

I've been playing alot like Dave Matthews for a while now, even with single-note-picking I tend to strum not caring if I hit a string or two with it, unless it just sounds horrid that is. Anyway, I was just curious about this.

~Note: I just got back from a trip, explaining why I'm just starting to post again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yea, Im a Cat Stevens fan. My favorite song, and only song that I know on the guitar is "First Cut is the Deepest". He has plenty of other great songs as well, I just tend to listen to them instead.

His playing style is simple strumming with some advanced quick picking. As you said, he is very rhythmatic and uses a good rhythm to flow out his songs.

[knot4reel91]

Definately im a tremendous Cat Stevens fan.

favorite has gotta be father and son

[rayvon87]

Yep, Father and Son is a definite.

I quite like Cat Stevens. You should try Moonshadow and Peace Train also. I think some of his best stuff was off the 'Tea for the Tillerman' album. Check out http://catstevens.com for his stuff, there's tabs and lyrics and all that.

For something sort of along the lines, you could take a look at Harry Chapin's 'Cat's in the Cradle'

Yea, Im a Cat Stevens fan. My favorite song, and only song that I know on the guitar is "First Cut is the Deepest".

While his version is the original and the best, you can't go past Sheryl Crow's version. I think she did pretty well on that one.

This post has been edited by rayvon87: 24 February 2006 - 06:32 AM

[dadfad]

I used to like quite a few of his tunes in the late 60's-early 70's and did a few of them. Moonshadow was one of them. If you like Cat Stevens, I would highly suggest this. The movie "Harold and Maude" is on VHS and DVD. You often see it on sale "for cheap" in the super-market or drug-store racks where they have cheapo old-movies (1971?). The movie itself is pretty good (black-humor) and has (had) a cult-following when it came out (I once dated a girl who'd seen it at the theater over twenty times, and that was not rare. Myself I saw it twice, on dates with two different girls.) Anyway, back to the point... The soundtrack is by Cat Stevens (and there's a lot of music in that movie too). Get the VHS or DVD. A pretty decent movie, a lot of good Cat Stevens music.

This is mostly for young guys who weren't around back then and might never have heard of the movie (or Cat for that matter). Anyway, yeah, he did some pretty decent stuff.

[cichlid_dmb]

my favorite is probably "the wind." great melody and finger-picking.
"hard headed woman" is good, too.

[gummyworms_tbr]

I'm doing Morning Has Broken at my father's wedding (this was arranged, but not written by Cat Stevens).

[brenton7]

Yeah, I got Cat Stevens best of a year or two ago, a must have for any fan of his work. I'd reccomend "Father and Son," "First Cut...", "Wild World" and "Lady D'Arbanville" acoustically, but that whole album has greats on it. His music relies a lot on harmonies though. I've never really bothered doing any of his songs but the picking isn't too difficult, and the chords are easy to form.

[MakoMako]

Thanks for the quick and helpful replies everyone. I went about and got a hold of some of the songs suggested, and even got a couple more just so I could get a better feel for how he plays. I'm already looking into learning "Lady d'Banville." It's a very nice sounding song, and I might even get a friend to double-team it with me if any are interested.

Thanks again everyone.

[Mark_Fambrough]

Wild World is one of my favorites

[dadfad]

Thanks for the quick and helpful replies everyone. I went about and got a hold of some of the songs suggested, and even got a couple more just so I could get a better feel for how he plays. I'm already looking into learning It's a very nice sounding song, and I might even get a friend to double-team it with me if any are interested.

Thanks again everyone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Should you see that movie I mentioned above (and I just saw the VHS in a rack at Walgreens last night for $2.99) there are tunes in it that are difficult (or impossible) to find on the released albums (including the movie's sound-track album). And "Lady d'Banville" is a great tune.

[mrbreeze]

Good ol' Yusef Islam. Poor guy can't even get back into the US.


All joking aside. I really like Cat's music. Father and Son is a great song as is Moonshadow.

I'll also find myself singing Peace Train on occasion (clap clap clap )


As mentioned above...The Best of Cat Stevens might not be a bad purchase to get started with.

[Fat rat]

Wasn't there some old movie with Cat Stevens?

[dadfad]

Wasn't there some old movie with Cat Stevens?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes.

I used to like quite a few of his tunes in the late 60's-early 70's and did a few of them. Moonshadow was one of them. If you like Cat Stevens, I would highly suggest this. The movie "Harold and Maude" is on VHS and DVD. You often see it on sale "for cheap" in the super-market or drug-store racks where they have cheapo old-movies (1971?). The movie itself is pretty good (black-humor) and has (had) a cult-following when it came out (I once dated a girl who'd seen it at the theater over twenty times, and that was not rare. Myself I saw it twice, on dates with two different girls.) Anyway, back to the point... The soundtrack is by Cat Stevens (and there's a lot of music in that movie too). Get the VHS or DVD. A pretty decent movie, a lot of good Cat Stevens music.

This is mostly for young guys who weren't around back then and might never have heard of the movie (or Cat for that matter). Anyway, yeah, he did some pretty decent stuff.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the quick and helpful replies everyone. I went about and got a hold of some of the songs suggested, and even got a couple more just so I could get a better feel for how he plays. I'm already looking into learning It's a very nice sounding song, and I might even get a friend to double-team it with me if any are interested.

Thanks again everyone.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Should you see that movie I mentioned above (and I just saw the VHS in a rack at Walgreens last night for $2.99) there are tunes in it that are difficult (or impossible) to find on the released albums (including the movie's sound-track album). And "Lady d'Banville" is a great tune.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Fat rat]

That's what I thought at first, but then I was like, "no that can't be him" Anyways, that was a kind of good movie. In a weird way.

[dadfad]

That's what I thought at first, but then I was like, "no that can't be him" Anyways, that was a kind of good movie. In a weird way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, it was pretty unusual. And given the day and time it was released it was very avant garde and controversial back then. And still a bit weird now even.

[okiejohn]

Cat Stevens, yes, there was certainly some good tunes that from that fella. I remember liking his stuff way back in the stone age, but there were some folks that weirded me out on Mr. Stevens.

I had a buddy that spend most of his days ingesting certain mushrooms, cactus, LSD, stuff like that, and he could get himself into some strange states of mind. You know the old saying about "birds of a feather?" Well, he could attract some strange folks into the tribe.

Seems that back in those days, people were always looking for "answers" that were hidden in the grooves of 33 1/3 r.p.m. vinyl discs. Some of the more enlightened heads were into Cat, and one of his records was supposed to have some important answers to some cosmic questions.

I don't remember which album it was...Tea For, or Mona Bone, but it was one of those. I had to listen to it, as I was given more credit than was due as to my ability to "understand". Well, it was beyond me whatever messages were supposed to be there, and I grew to dislike even hearing Cat Stevens.

Anyway, none of the group ever did any creepy crawlies, nor was anyone butchered over what Cat had to say, so I guess all is well that ends well, and I've noticed that I don't mind hearing Mr. Stevens now days.

[dadfad]

You needed to play it backwards, Oke. It said "The answer to the Question of Life is 42."

[okiejohn]

Damn, where were ya when I needed you?

[dadfad]

Damn, where were ya when I needed you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

(Geeze, I wish I had a nickel for every time somebody said that to me! )