Matthew & Son captures the youthful exuberance and pop ambition of Cat Stevens’ as he was still discovering his true voice, years before his introspective folk era made him a household name. The album is certainly different than his 1971 smash hit Tea for the Tillerman which is the type of folksy charm everyone remembers him by. His debut album however is a lot different. Influenced by early British rock acts like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, as well as the poetic folk stylings of Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel, Stevens infused his debut with a theatrical flair that reflected both the pop charts and the London musicals he grew up hearing from his Soho apartment window. And while this feels more like a polished artifact of 1960’s baroque pop than the stripped-down songwriting of his later work, it remains a fascinating snapshot of Stevens’ artistic beginnings and an album that is honestly pretty woefully overlooked.
Standout Songs: “Here Comes My Baby”, “Matthew & Son”, “I Love My Dog”, “Portobello Road”, “I’ve Found A Love”
