Cat Stevens - Matthew And Son (1967) Part 1 (Full Album)

Track List: 1-4

1. Cat Stevens - Matthew & Son (0:00)
2. Cat Stevens - I Love My Dog (2:44)
3. Cat Stevens - Here Comes My Baby (5:07)
4. Cat Stevens - Bring Another Bottle Baby (8:05)

Matthew and Son is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, released in March 1967.
Stevens began writing songs during his early teenage years. His earliest influences included the sound of early British bands, such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, influenced by popular American rhythm and blues. At the same time, folk influences from artists such as Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel left a strong mark on him, along with some of the musicals being performed so close to his childhood home in Soho that he could often hear them drifting through his room. Stevens's older brother, David Gordon, attracted the attention of music producer Mike Hurst, formerly of the Springfields, in the hope of finding a producer interested in his younger brother's music. After a demo was recorded, a deal was struck between the two. The album was not released until 1967; however, recording began on 10 July 1966, with a few advance singles appearing around that time.
Although the album was not released until 1967, the first advance single, "I Love My Dog", was released in 1966. It was initially recorded only by Stevens' guitars, piano and vocals. Hurst, however, encouraged Stevens to add a staccato and tympani–and–viola arrangement; this was something that had not been done before on pop music songs. Session bassist John Paul Jones played on the first singles two years before becoming a member of Led Zeppelin. The lyrics for the B-side of the first single, "Portobello Road", were written by Kim Fowley, who encouraged Stevens to compose a melody for the song. The single initially reached No. 28 on the UK charts, followed by "Matthew and Son", the next single and title track, which went to No. 2 on the UK charts, making Stevens into a popular and clean-cut teenage crooner.
Music critic Robert Christgau of The Village Voice later called Matthew and Son "a rarity: a forgotten record that shouldn't be", and said that both its title track and "I Love My Dog" were "two rock songs we should have heard more of in 1967". AllMusic's Bruce Eder gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars and said that "it's very distant from the sound that Stevens was ultimately known for, and in many ways, it's more dated than what he did for Island/A&M, but it's much more self-consciously accessible, arranged in different styles".

[kataja]

This album was like treasure bag opened to me. I remember these songs from my childhood. At that time I didn't recognise the performer. He made a paramount effect to me in the '70. Later on I started to collect all his albums for my musical archive. And for my surprise I found this profound album with all my special songs again. 😊

[hqztonners]

Great album!
Havent heard some of these beauties for years.
Great memories,
Great singing!

[michaelcolors]

Cat Stevens has a style that has Chinese roots, as if he took his past incarnations of experiences to this "new" UK world and wrapped them together -- for all of our benefits!! ♥️🏋️💜