Subject: RE: Cat Stevens.
From:
Big Al Whittle
Date: 22 Jul 04 - 07:18 PM
No I don't think I'm being simplistic, or simple minded or whatever. My feelings and thoughts are as profound as the next mans.
Last year I lost a good friend, a guy called Roger Brooks, a Nottingham lad About the same age as Cat, maybe a year or two younger. He was physically beautiful, he was far better guitarist than Cat, his songs were stunning - some of the best songs written this century, a great performer - a committed musician. He just happened along in the middle of the great contemporary versus traditional debate, so mediocities obstructed his career.
His songs were never played on the folk radio programs even. His status never really rose much above that of floor singer in England. he never had much more recognition than the guy reading the mole catcher from an exercise book and getting that wrong. So he ended up gigging pubs mostly abroad - presumably mostly to people who couldn't understand the wit and lyricism of his song writing.
then we have Jack Hudson. Gifted with a voice of such depth and sweetness - yet festival organisers would rather let his talents go unheard by a decent sized audience.....
Did Cat write morning has broken, I seem to remember singing it in primary school fifty years ago.
One thing I feel pretty certain of, is that if he had had any appreciation at all of what God had given him - not just in terms of talent, but in terms of recognition. how exceptional was his financial and artistic success when placed along side of much more talented men.
then whatever his route to God - Christian , Buddha, Moslem - it wouldn't involve such self conscious spirituality. A bit like TS Eliot's poetry after he found Anglicanism, somehow there is diminishment in his humanity.
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sj
