Tea for the Tillerman 2

by Cat Stevens, Yusuf

Overview

Most moviegoers will tell you that remakes and sequels are almost never as good as the originals, and for every The Godfather Part II you get four or five things like Exorcist II: The Heretic or Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. So why does Hollywood make them, and why do people pay to see them? Most of it can be chalked up to the notion of the pre-sold commodity -- people have a good idea of what to expect, even if the quality isn't up to snuff, and there's always the hope the filmmakers will beat the odds and they'll have the same fun they had a few years previous. One can only imagine Yusuf, the artist known as in his salad days as Cat Stevens, was thinking along these lines when he decided to make Tea for the Tillerman 2, a song-by-song remake of the 1970 album that became his international breakthrough hit. This time around, Yusuf and producer Paul Samwell-Smith (who also produced the original) have maintained the original sequence but given the tunes brand new arrangements, in effect giving fans a new and different version of one of their favorite albums. If the idea was to put these songs into a more modern context, that's not how it plays out; for the most part, Tea for the Tillerman 2 trades the early '70s folk-rock of the original for a sound reminiscent of mid- to late-'70s soft rock, going to a great deal of trouble to travel a very short distance. (The album's greatest concession to modern tastes is a rap-influenced section in "Longer Boats," which is only slightly less embarrassing than it sounds.) With a few exceptions, the songs hold up rather well in their pastoral optimism and cautious tone about the state of the busy world. However, these new interpretations don't bring out much that's fresh or enlightening, and where the voice of 22-year-old Cat Stevens was strong and versatile, the 72-year-old Yusuf sounds a bit fragile and weary (and he clearly can't hit all the high notes). He sounds emotionally committed to the material throughout, which sometimes helps and sometimes makes things worse in his painful sincerity, and the jazz-tango arrangement of "Wild World" is simply puzzling. 2009's Roadsinger and 2017's The Laughing Apple proved that Yusuf is still capable of writing fine songs and making them work in the studio. Tea for the Tillerman 2, on the other hand, is a curious misfire that trades strength and confidence for second-guessing and stylistic uncertainty. This isn't likely to win Yusuf any new fans or find favor with the millions who loved the original; while it's not quite as pointless a remake as Gus Van Sant's 1998 version of Psycho, it comes too close for anyone to recommend it. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	09/18/2020
Label:	A&M / Universal
UPC:	0602508886898

Tracks

1. Where Do the Children Play?
2. Hard Headed Woman
3. Wild World
4. Sad Lisa
5. Miles From Nowhere
6. But I Might Die Tonight
7. Longer Boats
8. Into White
9. On the Road to Find Out
10. Father and Son
11. Tea for the Tillerman

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Yusuf   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Spanish Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String)
Cat Stevens   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Yusuf Islam   Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Harpsichord,Guitar (12 String Acoustic),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Alun Davies   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Andy Caine   Vocals (Background)
Mary Carewe   Vocals (Background)
Pete Vettese   Organ,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Synthesizer Pads,Vocals (Background)
Jim Cregan   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Martin Allcock   Bass,Piano,Guitar (Bass)
Janet Ramus   Vocals (Background)
Brother Ali   Rap
Michael Henry   Vocals (Background)
Bruce Lynch   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Paul Samwell-Smith   Vocals (Background)
Eric Appapoulaye   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
John Ashton Thomas   String Conductor
Kwame Yeboah   Drums,Keyboards,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Andreas Andersson   Clarinet

Technical Credits

Yoriyos Adamos   Photography
Yusuf Islam   Producer
Daniel Cayotte   Studio Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Rhys Fagan   Photography
Nick Ingman   Arranger
Cat Stevens   Composer
Pete Vettese   Arranger
Yusuf   Design,Composer,Producer,Illustrations
David Hefti   Mixing,Engineer
Paul Samwell-Smith   Producer
John Ashton Thomas   Arranger,Recording Arranger,String Arrangements
Mazen Murad   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Christopher Nightingale   Vocal Arrangement
Julien Gauthier   Studio Work,Studio Assistant