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Cat Stevens: Mona Bone Jakon

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Island Records
Released: 1970.04.01
Time:
 35:16
Category: Pop/Rock
Producer(s): Paul Samwell-Smith
Rating: *********. (9/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.catstevens.com and www.yusufislam.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2007.09.12
Price in €: 9,99



 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Lady d'Arbanville (C.Stevens) - 3:45
[2] Maybe You're Right (C.Stevens) - 3:25
[3] Pop Star (C.Stevens) - 4:13
[4] I Think I See the Light (C.Stevens) - 3:55
[5] Trouble (C.Stevens) - 2:49
[6] Mona Bone Jakon (C.Stevens) - 1:42
[7] I Wish, I Wish (C.Stevens) - 3:50
[8] Katmandu (C.Stevens) - 3:22
[9] Time (C.Stevens) - 1:26
[10] Fill My Eyes (C.Stevens) - 3:00
[11] Lilywhite (C.Stevens) - 3:41

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Cat Stevens - Guitar, Arranger, Keyboards, Vocals, Illustrations

Peter Gabriel - Flute
Harvey Burns - Percussion
Alun Davies - Guitar
John Ryan - Bass
Del Newman - Arranger

Paul Samwell-Smith - Producer
Michael Bobak - Engineer
Ted Jensen - Re-Mastering
Bill Levenson - Reissue Supervisor
Mike Diehl - Reissue Design
Beth Stempel - Reissue Coordinator
Richard Stirling - Photography


 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s

1970 LP A&M SP-4260
1990 CD A&M 213160
1993 CD Island Masters 35
2000 CD Island 5468832
2000 CD A&M 490672
2000 CD A&M 546883
2004 LP Universal/Island 060248423511

1970's MONA BONE JAKON was Cat Stevens's third album, yet it bore little relation to the pop-oriented sound of his 1967releases. In the interim Stevens had become disillusioned with the pop scene, then became seriously ill and spent a year convalescing. When he returned with this album his sound had grown folksier and his songs more reflective and emotionally straightforward. Acoustic guitar and spare backing by bass, keys, and drums framed these new compositions that dealtwith the trials of fame ("Pop Star"), personal hardship ("Trouble"), and faith ("I Think I See the Light"). Althoughthe quality of the songwriting here does not quite match what Stevens would achieve on his following releases, it is strong nonetheless, and goes a good length toward establishinghis trademark sound. Of particular note is Stevens' voice: a rich, variable baritone that he exploits on MONA BONE JAKON to excellent effect. The results--warm, intimate, and immediately appealing--put Stevens in the running with the best singer-songwriters of the early '70s, and paved the way for his next release, the watershed TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN.




Mona Bone Jakon marked the beginning of the Cat Stevens we know and love, forming alongside Teaser & the Firecat and Tea for the Tillerman the creative heart of Stevens's oeuvre. Though previous releases showcased his sticky burr of a voice and flashes of his songwriting brilliance, it was on Mona Bone that Stevens became disillusioned enough with the music industry to write more deeply introspective and personal songs. It's interesting to note that his disavowal of the biz (wryly commented upon in the song "Pop Star") coincides with his increasing popularity. You can hear Stevens finding his distinctive voice and sound on the first few bars of "Lady D'Arbanville" in all its baroque, emotive glory. "I Think I See the Light" marks the beginning of Stevens's lyrical spiritual pursuits, and "Trouble" stands among the best tracks in his career. All in all, Mona Bone Jakon is a delight, and because it never achieved the Top 40 radio ubiquity of later albums, it sounds fresh and distinct.

Tod Nelson - Amazon.com essential recording



Zwischen 1967 und 69 war der Londoner Cat Stevens ein musikalisches Beat-Leichtgewicht, das mit harmlosen Stücken wie "Matthew & Son" oder "The First Cut Is The Deepest" in den Charts ganz oben mitmischte. Dann erlitt der schmächtige Interpret einen Kreislaufkollaps und musste sich wegen offener Tuberkolose (und angeblichem Alkoholismus) für drei Monate im Krankenhaus behandeln lassen. Ein wegweisender Einschnitt im Leben des introvertierten Grüblers, denn im Spital beschäftigte er sich mit asiatischer Literatur, fernöstlichen Religionen und Meditationstechniken. Zurück im "richtigen Leben" veröffentlichte der bekennende Romantiker 1970 das introspektive Album Mona Bone Jakon, das Zeugnis ablegte von der dramatischen Wandlung seiner Lebensumstände. Darauf zu hören sind die Einsichten eines Grüblers, der an das Gute im Menschen, vor allem aber an die Weitsicht Gottes bei der Schöpfung glaubt. Cat Stevens fixierte seine Arbeit mit diesem Album auf einen schlicht strukturierten Sound, der von der spartanischen Intensität seines Protagonisten lebte, einem balladesken Stil, der kraft seiner Intensität immer für eine Gänsehaut gut war (und ist!). Und "Lady D'Arbanville" ist bis heute eine der schönsten Balladen der Welt.

Michael Fuchs-Gamböck - Amazon.de



Die 10 000 Maniacs trällerten sich mit dem Peace Train zum Hit, vor kurzem gelang den soften Rockern von Mr. Big mit Wild World ein Volltreffer. Beide Stücke stammen aus dem reichlich gecoverten Repertoire von Cat Stevens. Der Londoner Sänger mit dem zarten Stimmschmelz, der 1978 zum moslemischen Glauben konvertierte, hatte seine potenteste Schaffenszeit Anfang der 70er. Damals entstanden die Alben Mona Bone Jakon, auf dem Stevens der holden Lady D'Arbanville seine berühmte Hommage widmete, Tea For The Tillerman (258 153) mit dem originalen Wild World und dem Generationen-Duett Father And Son sowie Teaser And The Firecat (258 131), auf dem sich neben Peace Train der Schmusewelthit Morning Has Broken findet.

© Audio



Cat Stevens virtually disappeared from the British pop scene in 1968, at the age of 20, after a meteoric start to his career. He had contracted tuberculosis and spent a year recovering, from both his illness and the strain of being a teenage pop star, before returning to action in the spring of 1970 -- as a very different 22-year-old -- with Mona Bone Jakon. Fans who knew him from 1967 must have been surprised. Under the production aegis of former Yardbird Paul Samwell-Smith, he introduced a group of simple, heartfelt songs played in spare arrangements on acoustic guitars and keyboards and driven by a restrained rhythm section. Built on folk and blues structures, but with characteristically compelling melodies, Stevens' new compositions were tentative, fragmentary statements that alluded to his recent "Trouble," including the triviality of being a "Pop Star." But these were the words of a desperate man in search of salvation. Mona Bone Jakon was dominated by images of death, but the album was also about survival and hope. Stevens' craggy voice, with its odd breaks of tone and occasional huskiness, lent these sometimes sketchy songs depth, and the understated instrumentation further emphasized their seriousness. If Stevens was working out private demons on Mona Bone Jakon, he was well attuned to a similar world-weariness in pop culture. His listeners may not have shared his exact experience, but after the 1960s they certainly understood his sense of being wounded, his spiritual yearning, and his hesitant optimism. Mona Bone Jakon was only a modest success upon its initial release, but it attracted attention in the wake of the commercial breakthrough of its follow-up, Tea for the Tillerman.

William Ruhlmann - All Music Guide



Though his career spanned a little over a decade, Cat Stevens has provided immeasurable influence and inspiration for nearly three generations of aspiring singer-songwriters. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of his commercial breakthrough in America, the artist currently known as Yusuf Islam is enjoying an extensive reissue series of his classic folk-pop, kicking off the proceedings with the re-release of three of his most renowned works to date. Mona Bone Jakon and Tea For The Tillerman, both from 1970, and 1972's brilliant Teaser And The Firecat have been gorgeously remastered, and the effort breathes new life into tunes like "Father And Son" and "Moonshadow," while remaining faithful to the albums' original majesty by preserving the artwork, packaging and song tracks in their original form.

Ron Hart - Nov 10, 2000
CMJ.com
 

 L y r i c s


Lady D'Arbanville

My Lady d'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still?
I'll wake you tomorrow
and you will be my fill, yes, you will be my fill.

My Lady d'Arbanville why does it grieve me so?
But your heart seems so silent.
Why do you breathe so low, why do you breathe so low,

My Lady d'Arbanville why do you sleep so still?
I'll wake you tomorrow
and you will be my fill, yes, you will be my fill.

My Lady d'Arbanville, you look so cold tonight.
Your lips feel like winter,
your skin has turned to white, your skin has turned to white.

My Lady d'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still?
I'll wake you tomorrow
and you will be my fill, yes, you will be my fill.

La la la la la....

My Lady d'Arbanville why do you grieve me so?
But your heart seems so silent.
Why do you breathe so low, why do you breathe so low,

I loved you my lady, though in your grave you lie,
I'll always be with you
This rose will never die, this rose will never die.

I loved you my lady, though in your grave you lie,
I'll always be with you
This rose will never die, this rose will never die.


Maybe You're Right

Now maybe you're right and maybe you're wrong
But I ain't gonna argue with you no more
I've done it for too long.
It was getting so good why then, where did it go?
I can't think about it no more tell me if you know.
You were loving me, I was loving you
But now there aint nothing but regretting
nothing, nothing but regretting everything we do.

I put up with your lies like you put up with mine,
But God knows we should have stopped somewhere,
we could have taken the time,
But time has turned, yes, some call it the end.
So tell me, tell me did you really love me like a friend?
You know you don't have to pretend,
It's all over now It'll never happen again, no no no,
it'll never happen again , it won't happen again
Never, never, never, it'll never happen again
No, no, no, no.....

So maybe you're right, and maybe you're wrong
But I ain't gonna argue with you no more
I've done it for too long.
It was getting so good why then, where did it go?
I can't think about it no more tell me if you know.
You were loving me, I was loving you
But now there aint nothing but regretting
nothing, nothing but regretting everything we do.


Pop Star

Yes I'm going to be a pop star.
Yes I'm going to be a pop star, now.
Yes I'm going to be a pop star.
Oh mama, mama see me, mama, mama see me
I'm a pop star.

Yes, I'm going on the T.V. now.
Yes, I'm going on the T.V. now.
Yes, I'm going on the T.V. now.
Oh mama, mama see me, mama, mama see me
on the T.V.

Yes, I'm going on my first gig.
Yes, I'm going on my first gig.
Yes, I'm going on my first gig.
Oh mama, mama see me, mama, mama see me
on my first gig.

Now listen to me,
La da na la, na da la...

Well, I'm going to the cold bank, cold bank.
Yes, I'm going to the cold bank.
Yes, I'm going to the cold bank.
Oh mama, mama see me, mama, mama see me
at the cold bank.

Mama see me!
La da na la, na da la...

Well, I'm coming, coming, coming home now.
Yes, I'm coming, coming, coming home now.
Yes, I'm coming, coming, coming home now.
Oh mama, mama see me, mama, mama see me
I'm home.


I Think I See The Light

I used to trust nobody, trusting even less their words,
until I found somebody, there was no one I preferred,
my heart was made of stone, my eyes saw only misty grey,
Until you came into my life girl, I saw everyone that way.
Until I found the one I needed at my side,
I think I would have been a sad man all my life.

I think I see the light
coming to me, comming through me
giving me a second sight.
So Shine shine shine
Shine shine shine
shine shine shine
shine shine shine

I used to walk alone, every step seemed the same.
This world was not my home, so there was nothing much to gain.
Look up and see the clouds, look down and see the cold floor.
Until you came into my life girl, I saw nothing, nothing more.
Until I found the one I needed at my side,
I think I would have been a sad man all my life.

I think I see the light
coming to me, comming through me
giving me a second sight.
So Shine shine shine
Shine shine shine
shine shine shine

I think I see the light
coming to me, comming through me
giving me a second sight.
So Shine shine shine
Shine shine shine
shine shine shine
shine shine shine
shine shine shine
shine shine shine


Trouble

Trouble
Oh trouble set me free
I have seen your face
And it's too much too much for me

Trouble
Oh trouble can't you see
You're eating my heart away
And there's nothing much left of me

I've drunk your wine
You have made your world mine
So won't you be fair
So won't you be fair

I don't want no more of you
So won't you be kind to me
Just let me go where
I'll have to go there

Trouble
Oh trouble move away
I have seen your face
and it's too much for me today

Trouble
Oh trouble can't you see
You have made me a wreck
Now won't you leave me in my misery

I've seen your eyes
and I can see death's disguise
Hangin' on me
Hangin' on me

I'm beat, I'm torn
Shattered and tossed and worn
Too shocking to see
Too shocking to see

Trouble
Oh trouble move from me
I have paid my debt
Now won't you leave me in my misery

Trouble
Oh trouble please be kind
I don't want no fight
And I haven't got a lot of time


Mona Bone Jakon

Yes, I've got a Mona Bone Jakon
But it won't be lonely for long.
Yes, I've got a Mona Bone Jakon
But it won't be lonely for long.

Yes, I've got my reasons and to me they're all true,
and I wouldn't change them, not even for you.

Yes, I've got a Mona Bone Jakon
But it won't be lonely for long.

Yeah!...


I Wish, I Wish

I wish I knew, I wish I knew
what makes me, me, and what makes you, you.
It's just another point of view, ooo.
A state of mind I'm going through, yes.
So what I see is never true, ahhh.

I wish I could tell, I wish I could tell
what makes a heaven what makes a hell.
And do I get to ring my bell, ooo.
Or land up in some dusty cell, no.
While others reach the big hotel, yeah.

I wish I had, I wish I had
the secret of good, and the secret of bad.
Why does this question drive me mad? ahhh.
'Cause I was taught when but a lad, yes,
That bad was good and good was bad, ahhh.

I wish I knew the mystery of
that thing called hate, and that thing called love.
What makes the in-between so rough? ahhh.
Why is it always push and shove? ahhh
I guess I just don't know enough, yes.


Katmandu

I sit beside the dark
Beneath the mire
Cold grey dusty day
The morning lake
Drinks up the sky

Kathmandu I'll soon be seeing you
And your strange bewildering time
Will hold me down

Pass me my hat and coat
Lock up the cabin
Slow night treat me right
until I go
Be nice to know

Kathmandu I'll soon be touching you
And your strange bewildering time
Will hold me down

Chop me some broken wood
We'll start a fire
White warm light the dawn
And help me see
Old satan's tree

Kathmandu I'll soon be touching you
And your strange bewildering time
Will hold me home.


Time

Time rise
Time fall
Time leaves you nothing,
nothing at all

Words, just words don't know
Words take you nowhere,
nowhere to go, to go.

Back....
I'm going back.
Ooo, going back.


Fill My Eyes

And in the morning when you fill my eyes
I knew that day I couldn't do,
Ahh, no wrong, I couldn't do.

And so my mind begins to memorize
'Cause time will never seem the same,
Ahh, no more, never again.

I'm just a coaster but my wheels won't go,
My legs are weak my heels are low.
I'm just a coaster but my wheels won't roll.
Can't make no headway on this road.

There's an empty space inside me now,
A wasteland deep beneath the snow,
So cold, nothing'll grow.

I'm just a coaster but my wheels won't go,
My legs are weak my heels are low.
I'm just a coaster but my wheels won't roll.
Can't make no headway on this road. What road?

And in the morning when you fill my eyes
I knew that day I couldn't do,
Ahh, no wrong, I couldn't do.


Lilywhite

Back up on the mended road
I pause
taking time to check the dial

And the Lilywhite
I never knew her name
But she'll be passing my way sometime again.

I raise my hand and touch the wheel
of change
taking time to check the dial

Thank the Lilywhite
I never knew her name
But she'll be passing my way sometime again.
But she'll be passing my way sometime again.

 M P 3   S a m p l e s


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