Cat Stevens - Foreigner
List Price:
Our Price: $5.17
You Save: $6.81 (57%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.39 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Artist: Cat StevensEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2000-07-25
Music Label: A&M
Soundtracks:
- Foreigner Suite
- The Hurt
- How Many Times
- Later
- 100 I Dream
Music reviews of Foreigner
Music Review: Not his best work
Rating: 4 Stars
I guess quite a few Cat Stevens fans got excited when this album was released, but I wasn't one of them. I can't give it fewer than four stars, just because it's Cat Stevens and for its time (and its place in his career) it's rather daringly experimental. But it's not one of my favorites.
For one thing, "Foreigner Suite" itself seems to me to be much ado about nothing. My reaction, then and now, was about what it was to Jethro Tull's _Thick as a Brick_: hmm, this is interesting, I guess. (And _Thick as a Brick_ grew on me; this didn't.)
For another, the four shorter songs are mostly unremarkable. Three of them just sit there. The best of the four, "The Hurt," would have been better if it had been better produced, but it's always sounded to me as though the instruments are out of tune with one another.
Paul Samwell-Smith would never have allowed that to happen. But Cat produced this one himself, and I think his production was far less successful than on the later _Numbers_.
Cat completists (of whom I am one) will want this one, and it _is_ worth listening to. But to my own mind, it seems to be much overrated and too self-consciously "progressive."
Now here's a little history for the uninitiated:
"Cat Stevens" was the stage name of Steven Georgiou, who was born in the U.K. in 1948 of a Cypriot father and a Swedish mother. Something of a musical prodigy, he released his first two albums well before he was twenty years old and was on his way to becoming a "pop star." He then fell victim to a terrible case of tuberculosis. When he returned to singing and songwriting, he had taken a decidedly more reflective turn and found himself delivering absolutely beautiful stuff with no apparent commercial potential. That was fine with him; he was no longer particularly interested in commercial success. But, perhaps ironically, his delicate confessional songs and his deliberate avoidance of "commercial-ness" turned him into a huge international star.
Well, he eventually (1977) became a Muslim and adopted the name "Yusuf Islam" (after the biblical dream-interpreter Joseph). At about that time he also left the music industry. He has since recorded a couple of albums about Islam, but his last collection of commercial music was _Footsteps In The Dark_ (ostensibly a second volume of his "greatest hits," but in fact a set of lesser-known favorites and a handful of tunes not available elsewhere).
You can feel safe in ignoring the comments from people who think he has become "rigid" and/or "intolerant." The simple fact is that nearly every Cat Stevens album (the exceptions being his first two) is filled with "spiritual seeking," and he eventually found what he was looking for in Islam. His "recent" (actually, 1989-90) remarks on Salman Rushdie were not what you probably think they were (and in particular he didn't call for Rushdie's death). He's no more "rigid" or "intolerant" than the rest of us; he's simply a religiously observant Muslim, that's all. There's a problem here only for people who think seekers should never get around to finding, or that traditional religion is more "dogmatic" than irreligion.
His songs don't need to "transcend" their creator in order to be great; there's no need to run down Yusuf in order to elevate Cat. And since they _were_ written during his "seeker" stage, they're suitable for everybody -- future Muslims or not.
Description of Foreigner
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.Classic Rock CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Classic Rock CDs
Paul Mccartney, Wings - Wings at the Speed of SoundRelease date: 1996-09-24; Music CD
Best price: $269.99
Small Faces - BoxedRelease date: 1997-11-01; Music CD
Best price: $43.38
Dr John - Gris GrisRelease date: 1994-07-15; Music CD
Price in other shops:
![Eric Clapton: Live in Hyde Park [VHS] Image](/images/Eric-Clapton-Live-in-Hyde-Park-VHS-6304817037-X.jpg){kind=small}
Eric Clapton: Live in Hyde Park [VHS]Warner Bros / Wea; Release date: 1998-02-17; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.75
Price in other shops:
![Human Highway [VHS] Image](/images/Human-Highway-VHS-6303589219-X.jpg){kind=small}
Human Highway [VHS]Warner Bros / Wea; Release date: 1995-08-08; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $120.79
![The Monkees - Head [VHS] Image](/images/The-Monkees-Head-VHS-6303337023-X.jpg){kind=small}
The Monkees - Head [VHS]Rhino / Wea; Release date: 1995-01-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.42
Price in other shops:
![Live & Loud [VHS] Image](/images/Live-Loud-VHS-630276193X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Ozzy Osbourne - Live & Loud [VHS]Sony; Release date: 1993-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $3.96
Price in other shops:
![Unplugged [VHS] Image](/images/Unplugged-VHS-6302639859-X.jpg){kind=small}
Bruce Springsteen - Unplugged [VHS]Sony; Release date: 1992-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops:
![Peter Gabriel - P.O.V. [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel - P.O.V. [VHS]Virgin Records Us; Release date: 1992-06-29; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $121.90
![Past to Present [VHS] Image](/images/Past-to-Present-VHS-6301817664-X.jpg){kind=small}
Toto - Past to Present [VHS]Sony; Release date: 1991-07-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $72.82
Similar CDs
Cat Stevens - The Very Best of Cat StevensRelease date: 2000-03-28; Music CD
Best price: $8.20
Price in other shops:
Yusuf - An Other CupRelease date: 2006-11-14; Music CD
Best price: $3.95
Price in other shops:
Yusuf Islam - Roadsinger (To Warm You Through The Night)Release date: 2009-05-05; Music CD
Best price: $2.84
Price in other shops:
Cat Stevens - Matthew & Son (Exp)Release date: 2004-01-26; Music CD
Best price: $4.13
Price in other shops:
Cat Stevens - NumbersRelease date: 2001-02-13; Music CD
Best price: $4.17
Price in other shops:
Cat Stevens - Buddha And The Chocolate BoxRelease date: 2000-07-25; Music CD
Best price: $5.06
Price in other shops:
Cat Stevens - Mona Bone JakonRelease date: 2000-05-23; Music CD
Best price: $5.01
Price in other shops:
Cat Stevens - Catch Bull at FourRelease date: 2000-07-25; Music CD
Best price: $4.58
Price in other shops:
Cat Stevens - Teaser & The FirecatRelease date: 2000-05-23; Music CD
Best price: $6.33
Price in other shops:
Cat Stevens - Tea for the TillermanRelease date: 2000-05-23; Music CD
Best price: $6.33
Price in other shops: