About a year ago, when we reported on Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, recording an album with Rick Rubin producing and Richard Thompson adding guitar, it wasn’t known that the result would be a half-covers record. Yet is is. “Tell ‘Em I’m Gone,” out on October 27th, features, alongside, Yusuf originals, a very interesting selection, including “The Devil Came From Kansas” from PROCOL HARUM’s "A Salty Dog" and Edgar Winter’s “Dying To Live” as well as traditionals “You Are My Sunshine” and, rearranged for a title track, “Take This Hammer” plus “Big Boss Man” as popularized by Elvis.
As for the further guests, there are – perhaps, to enforce the American slant of the album – Bonnie “Prince” Billy and blues harpist Charlie Musselwhite, yet also Mali’s finest group TINARIWEN, while the mixing was undertaken by Cat and ex-YARBIRD Paul Samwell-Smith, who produced Steven’s finest run of platters in the ’70s, from “Mona Bone Jakon” to “Catch Bull At Four.” All in all, sounds fantastic. And here’s the full song list:
Tell ‘Em I’m Gone
1. I Was Raised In Babylon
2. Big Boss Man
3. Dying To Live
4. You Are My Sunshine
5. Editing Floor Blues
6. Cat And The Dog Trap
7. Gold Digger
8. The Devil Came From Kansas
9. Tell ‘Em I’m Gone
10. Doors
