Foreigner [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Yusuf/Cat Stevens

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 25, 2000)
• Original Release Date: July 1973
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B00004VW0V
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,467 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Foreigner Suite

2. The Hurt

3. How Many Times

4. Later

5. 100 I Dream

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If you need an early example of Cat Stevens's creative and spiritual restlessness, you needn't look further than this 1973 release. Following on the heels of worldwide successes such as Tea for the Tillerman, Mona Bone Jakon, and Teaser and the Firecat, the self-produced Foreigner must have been a jolt to fans of Stevens's melodic, often whimsical folk-pop songs. With a musically ambitious 18-minute title suite that seems more influenced by the ornate prog rock of contemporaries like Yes, Jethro Tull, and ELP, Stevens arguably reached beyond his grasp. Though the hit "The Hurt" hearkens back to earlier works, there's a musical aimlessness (particularly in the melodies) in the remaining three songs that seems very out of character with Stevens's typically incisive lyrics. It's an album of sometimes intriguing fragments that seems to lack the disciplined framework that might have brought them into focus. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece!, March 30, 2003

By	"cpg132" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Many fans and critics feel that Cat Stevens overstepped with this album. I couldn't disagree more. Being a Stevens fan and an accomplished musician myself, I recognize the title track, Foreigner Suite, for what it is. A Masterpiece!

I have been listening to this track for thirty years and I still discover musical nuances that I hadn't heard before. The arrangements, orchestrations, phrasings and lyrics in this 18 minute opus are nothing less than genius. If Mozart were alive in the 20th/21st century he would be writing music like this. If one views Foreigner Suite as a mere album track it would be a mistake. This work is a symphony.

Every part transitions so seamlessly into the next that the 18 minutes seem like 8. The emotions Foreigner Suite elicits range from joy to sadness, from exuberance to melancholy.

I can't think of an artist, other than perhaps Elton John, who could write music with such consistent emotion and quality. Not only could Cat Stevens write such achingly beautiful and complex music but he, along with several accomplished backup musicians, could perform it flawlessly live. I will never forget the two times I experienced Foreigner Suite live.

The first was on the hit ABC TV show of the seventies called "In Concert". It was on Friday nights at 11:30 and it was simulcast in stereo on local FM stations across the country, KSFX being the San Francisco station I would listen to. Back then there was no such thing as stereo television.

The second time I heard Foreigner Suite live was, in fact, live and in person. One of the best concerts I ever experienced was Cat Stevens at the Oakland Coliseum Arena in the mid seventies. He performed all eighteen minutes perfectly, before the days of computers and sequencers.

All that's left to say is, if you're new to Cat Stevens, you haven't heard his best until you've heard Foreigner Suite. If you're a true fan then I don't need to convince you. And if you're one of the people who dismissed this incredible work of art as mediocre after one or two listens because it didn't fit the mold of what you consider to be a "hit record" or a "Cat Stevens" record then you truly can't hear the music and nothing I say will change your mind. This record broke the mold and is a true masterpiece.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It doesn't get better than this, June 15, 2001

By	openmyeyes - See all my reviews

I purchased this CD re-release about 4 years ago, perhaps a different mix than the one referred to by Mr Vincze in his review. My CD version sounds just like the original vinyl release without the scratches. I own all except 1 or 2 releases by CS and saw him perform live twice. I care nothing about his spiritual quest, but his work is some of the greatest in all of pop music. Foreigner Suite is my favorite of all Cat's albums, followed by Numbers. This was a great musical experiment. I was in dis-belief the first 3 times I listened to the cut "Foreigner Suite". I couldn't believe that such a wonderful, musical, joyful, intense and l-o-n-g cut had been released by a major artist.

Foreigner and Numbers are very different from his great commercial albums (Tea & Teaser) but if you are a Cat fan you should give these albums a chance.

This CD rates in my top-10 "desert island essentials".

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genious!!, October 12, 2001

By A Customer

I have to admit, I liked the song Foreigner Suite when I first heard it, but I didn't love it. With this, you HAVE to listen to it a few times, especially if you were expecting his "tillerman" sound to come out of it. Now, I LOVE IT!!! Again, I didn't like How Many Times and 100 I Dream at first either, and now I love them too. This might be the kind of album some have to get used to, but it's certainly worth it to give it a few listens.