The singer Cat Stevens called a “genius”
Cat Stevens’ legend status was cemented when he played the famed Sunday afternoon slot at Glastonbury Festival, but it was a badge of honour he’s been wearing for a long time. His pioneering sound made him an icon, blurring the lines between rock, folk, and even traditional Islamic music as he continuously pushed the boundaries of form. It’s that adventurous and experimental spirit that Stevens looks up to in other artists, declaring one performer a genius for that exact reason.
For someone like Stevens, also known as Yusuf, he’s spoilt for choice when it comes to idols. While it took him a little while to break through and become known as an artist, he worked with an incredible class of musicians from the very start. In the mid to late 1960s, he performed with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and the Walker Brothers. His songs were performed by Rod Stewart, and he worked with members of the Yardbirds. All in all, Stevens has always been a deeply respected name and an artist beloved by so many.
He has an incredible class of peers. He emerged on the folk scene during what is considered to be its most exciting era, the 1960s and ‘70s. But when it comes to the musician he admires most, he looked beyond his own genre to find vital inspiration elsewhere.
That’s something especially important when it comes to attempting to renew creativity. In the early 1970s, after releasing a run of beloved albums and hits like ‘Wild World’ and ‘Father and Son’, Stevens hit a point of artistic burnout. The demand for musicians to continuously create more and new stuff must get exhausting, forcing them to behave like machines and need a constant flowing source of inspiration and output. When he faltered in his songwriting, he turned to one artist and one album for help.
“Talking Book blew me away when I was going through a dry period in my writing,” he said, referencing Stevie Wonder’s 1972 album. “I heard Stevie Wonder and thought that I couldn’t improve on what he’s done, he’s such a genius!” he said. “I just fell in love with it, it was black soul music from that era, but sounds totally, totally now.”
Stevie Wonder and Cat Stevens’ music is impossible to compare. They both move in vastly different genres and sonics that are worlds apart. Wonder dominates in the arena of soul-infused pop and R&B, while Stevens is a cultish folk figure. However, both continuously pushed as the confines of the genres they were labelled as, constantly looking around for new sounds, instruments or styles they could adopt. During a period of struggle when it came to songwriting, Wonder’s development on Talking Book was inspiring.
Talking Book is largely considered as a turning point for Wonder. It marked a moment of increased artistic freedom as he relied less on his Motown label for direction and began wandering down his own path. The album also saw heavier use of synthesisers and keyboards, which would come to define his sound. With the obvious skill and training in his playing, merged with the funky rhythms he’s king of, the album is a perfect mix of technicality and energy.
Stevens noted that, too, when reflecting on the album’s impact. “One [of the] things he developed was the protection of funk through the electronics of synthesiser, keyboard and singing,” he said. “I think Sly had a lot to do with influencing Stevie at the time as well,” he added, referencing Sly and the Family Stone as another deeply influential troupe.
In 1973, when Stevens returned with Foreigner, it was a chance of pace. After a run of four consecutive platinum and gold albums with Mona Bone Jakon, Tea for the Tillerman, Teaser and the Firecat, and Catch Bull at Four, he thought his sound was now too predictable. But thanks to the impact of Stevie Wonder, his comeback was something new and fresh, borrowing from the influence of R&B and a dose of bravery provided by Wonder’s own experimentation.
