6 Yusuf An Other Cup Atlantic | 2006 | Album Biography Comments (0) Read Full Page Digg Review Add del.icio.us   Yusuf is back in the pop market proper. The last time the singer/songwriter released a full album of tunes meant for the secular music world, he was still known as Cat Stevens, the year was 1978 and there was no such thing as a “no-fly list”. That was then . . . Now, the man who was responsible for some of those wistful 1970s iconic tunes like “Peace Train” and “Wild World” has returned with much of the same, but this time around there’s a bit more message than music. Yusuf (who recently dropped the surname of Islam – at least for his CD release) was never one of those artists who turned out a pretty pop tune just for the hell of it, though he cranked out some of the best of his time. He was a man who always had something to say, but the meaning behind his shimmering tunes always went down with such a huge spoonful of sugar that you would happily jump on his train . . . err bandwagon without question. The tunes on An Other Cup are also drenched in the same 70s shimmer but every track is overly obsessed with spirituality. Yusuf, a devout Muslim, doesn’t wave the book of any specific faith – he keeps his preachings generic with plenty of mentions of doing right during your time on earth – the kind of stuff any and every religion adheres to. “We’re gonna see whose right” he warns on “In the End” – whose title pretty much encompasses the theme of the album. For those wondering if the singer/songwriter would address the airline fiasco that surrounded his detention in the U.S. and quick deportation back to his U.K. homeland, the closest he gets is a cover of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”. “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good” wails the singer in his still light and airy voice. The song probably sums up perfectly what Yusuf would have shouted out if he had penned his own tune, but it still would have been nice to hear his own take on things. An Other Cup is a good first step in what will hopefully be lengthy return to the major music scene for Yusuf Islam, but let’s hope he doesn’t use such a heavy hand the next time around. Amy Wagner Comments (0) Help Support Kevchino - Use these links to buy new music.

Releases Yusuf - An Other Cup Atlantic - 2006 - Album Artist Website Yusuf - Official Website