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Although best known for yielding three top 40 hits – “Moonshadow,” “Peace Train” and “Morning Has Broken” – Teaser and the Firecat (1971) hides some lesser known treasures among its ten songs. It’s also the pinnacle of Cat Stevens’ chart and artistic successes, capping off an incredible three album run that includes the previous year’s Mona Bone Jakon and Tea for the Tillerman.

Teaser and the Firecat (1971, A&M Records)

Side A

  A1. “The Wind”
Short, simple and sweet, “The Wind” is a breathtaking little tune that kicks off the album in fine fashion. Used to great effect in Wes Anderson’s 1998 coming-of-age film, Rushmore, “The Wind” continues to inspire and is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

  A2. “Rubylove”
The dual bouzuki plucking and Greek lyrics are a nice touch and they make “Rubylove” a stand-out track in Stevens’ seventies catalog.

  A3. “If I Laugh”
Cat Stevens’ best songs are also his most simple. Dominated by acoustic guitar picking and strumming, this gentle folk-rock tune finds Stevens in a pensive mood, trying his best to talk himself out of a funk brought on by a failed relationship. The directness of the lyrics works well with the unadorned accompaniment as he sings, “If I laugh just a little bit maybe I can recall the way that I used to be, before you, and sleep at night — and dream.”

  A4. “Changes IV”
Stevens heats things up with this upbeat tune. Built on top of furious strumming acoustic guitars and his trademark rapid-fire clapping, “Changes IV” finds the artist urging for spiritual renewal. Unfortunately, his message of change comes across more as a sermon or self-help lecture than a rousing pop song.

  A5. “How Can I Tell You”
Returning to the love songs of the first three tracks of the side, “How Can I Tell You” is not one of his strongest lyrically. Set against a pretty melody and fairly straightforward acoustic instrumentation, the rhymes are a bit too obvious and precious: “When I look and you’re not there I need to know you, need to feel my arms around you. Feel my arms around you, like a sea around a shore.”

Side B

  B1. “Tuesday’s Dead”
Possessing an infectious island lilt, driving rhythm, and punctuated by some well-placed kick drum, “Tuesday’s Dead” is a fine upbeat spiritual rumination that references the artist’s constant search for rebirth. Of course, a song like this one foreshadows the path he would take a few years later when he converted to Islam and retired from the music business.

  B2. “Morning Has Broken”
Even as a non-believer I can enjoy a well written religious pop song (see Dylan’s “Slow Train” and “Every Grain of Sand”) and “Morning is Broken” is certainly a treat for people of any (or no) religion. Although often credited to Stevens, the song originally appeared in the second edition of Songs of Praise (published in 1931), to the tune “Bunessan,” arranged by the composer Martin Shaw. It’s a gentle hymn that falls squarely with Stevens’ more child-friendly hits and remains the definitve version of the song.

  B3. “Bitterblue”
Once the overlayed guitars start-a-strumming you know you’re in for a tasty pop confection. Perhaps the most rousing track on the record, “Bitterblue” is one of my favorite Cat Stevens songs and deserves a place among his greatest hits.

  B4. “Moonshadow”
There’s a child-like sense of wonder to many of Cat Stevens’ most beloved songs (not to mention the album cover art) and “Moonshadow” is one of his best known gems that fit this vein. “Moonshadow” appeals, literally, to people of all ages and it takes a real cynic to dismiss it as anything but a classic.

  B5. “Peace Train”
I find the lyrics to this hit single to be a little naive and cliched. It does feature a nice arrangement with some killer hand claps, but as far as Cat Stevens’ popular tunes, I rank this one close to the bottom.

The Bottom Line

Teaser and the Firecat is really the pinnacle of Cat Stevens career, as it finds the artist perfectly balancing his romantic ruminations with his spiritual searching, his folk leanings with his pop sheen. Most importantly, it houses some hidden gems that nicely compliment the cross-generational mega-singles that have become part of our popular culture.

Editor’s Note: JamsBio is partnering with Universal Music Enterprises to celebrate the release of roadsinger, a set of brand new songs from one of rock’s most beloved troubadors – Cat Stevens. Enter to win autographed memorabilia and Cat Stevens’ complete CD catalog by (1) playing the Cat Stevens edition “Scrumbler” puzzle game, (2) and sharing memories tied to Cat Stevens’ amazing music. Join the fun!

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