foreigner / new album

[italianrover]

well sorry i dont know where i have to post this, in the YI forum or here cause is about both CS and YI...

btw, i was thinking about the connection between heaven / where ture love goes (the new song) and foreigner, since this song is a new version of the last part of the foreigner suite

foreigner to me is surely the most 'dark' and pessimistic cat stevens album - a song like The Hurt and many other references here and there through all the album show a man who was in a very bad mood at that point of his life; also, for a man who was always very spiritual, this is i think the only album where he says some very negative thigns about religion; his voice is angry, almost violent and desperate, through all the album

musically, tho, i think is one of the best cat stevens album ever, tho back in the 70s i didnt like it at all - must be because now i'm a big fan of certain early 70s black music (stevie wonder, the temptations - he took a lot from songs like papa was a rolling stone for the Foreigner album - the philly sound...)

so i was thinking: did yusuf rewrote the last part of the foreigner suite only because he like foreigner so much he too, or because he was important to re-think how he was in that period of his life and wanted to show how he is changed now? i mean: i was desperate back then, now i'm an happy man:look, the same music can be ok for two such different feelings...

i dont know, jus tmy two euro :-)

[1976]

nice post tho.

[Daddy-o]

It is a nice post and a great album, as covered in an other thread somewhere not so far from here! We should amalgamate this thread!

Foreigner is sadly overlooked, it's an absolute masterpiece. The Hurt, in particular was a radical change of style for the Cat, then. I personally don't see the song as being from someone in a bad mood. The opposite IMHO. The Hurt in particular is uplifting and supportive, in spite of a failed relationship or spiritual disenchantment it offers advice from someone who's found it. "Turn your heart to the bright sun, love will come your way". Get out of that couch potato bed sit, keep searching, you'll get there, kind of approach. There's a great spiritual yearning, seeking the truth and true love. It's all connected. The Suite itself is really from a man in love with life and whoever was in his dreams at the time. The meaning still leaves for us to choose though! Now we have the update of the 'Heaven must've programmed you' segment, which relates in a more spiritual way. It works just great.

[italianrover]

thanx 1976 and daddy-o

daddy-o, that might be true for the part of the song you quoted, but what about: "You say you want to seek the truth but it's hard to find, no one to help you, your friend dont have the time"

also: "so you turn to any phoey mouth with a tale to tell, but he's just a hoaxer dont you know selling peace and RELIGION"

[Daddy-o]

Exactly italianrover

[Ortega]

wellywell! May I write some words on Foreigner? It's IMVVVHO the best track that CS has ever recorded. Tho it's not been produced by PSS it still sounds right!

A great piece of music (ok, me is a proghead). But I'm also into "short" songs :-)

[Golden Sands]

ortega said:

wellywell! May I write some words on Foreigner? It's IMVVVHO the best track that CS has ever recorded. Tho it's not been produced by PSS it still sounds right!

I too am starting to think that foreigner was CS's best song ever. I think the lyrics basically summerize all his feelings during his musical career. I love the beginning:
"There are no words I can use, because the meaning still leaves for you choose"

How true! that's his best line ever.

The lyrics, being sad and desperate, fit perfectly with the blues style.. but the one problem in the song is Cat stevens himself, his voice doesn't really work with this style.. it took me a long time to get used to this song. I think if stevie wonder or a blues artist sings this song, it would be perfect.

[matthew]

italianrover said:

this is i think the only album where he says some very negative thigns about religion;

such as ...any examples

italianrover said:

look, the same music can be ok for two such different feelings...

i don't think that i understand most of his lyrics

[Ortega]

zaidkh said:

but the one problem in the song is Cat stevens himself, his voice doesn't really work with this style.. it took me a long time to get used to this song. I think if stevie wonder or a blues artist sings this song, it would be perfect.

Can't really agree on that! I think the lyrics as well as the melodies fit very well with Cat's voice.
...say you will, don't say you can't... Great!

The first thing that came to my mind when I heard Foreigner was...Thick As A Brick by Jethro Tull...must have been the zeitgeist!

[waterice]

I love Thick as A Brick !!!!!

Waterice

[davidlaurent]

yes very good lp in 1972, one year before foreigner

cat say he listen a lot jethro tull, and ian anderson love cat stevens music too, gerry gonway
say that to ian because he play as drummer of course on the 1982' lp "broadsword and the beast" of tull.