Marking the start of a long-running creative partnership with producer (and former Yardbird) Paul Samwell-Smith, the album includes the deeply Romantic “Lady D’Arbanville”, The spiritually uplifting ‘I Think I See The Light’, the tongue-in-cheek ‘Pop Star’ and the heart-rendering ‘Trouble’ – which has connected with many a tormented soul including Elliott Smith, Chris Cornell and John Frusciante who have all covered the song.ĥ0 years on, the songs on ‘Mona Bone Jakon’ still sound as fresh as the day they were recorded. Through its stunning and often overlooked crop of songs we encounter an artist who has discovered himself but is unsure of whet It is deeply revealing of the man he was becoming and the journey he was embarking on that would last a lifetime. Inspired by a near-fatal battle with TB and extended period of convalescence during which he studied classical music, metaphysical literature and meditative self-reflection, Mona Bone Jakon is equal parts painful torment, self-referential humour and spiritual awakening. The album represents one of the most profound artistic metamorphoses of the 20th Century: the cleanly shaven Carnaby Street pop-star incarnation of Cat Stevens, who brought us ‘I Love My Dog’ and ‘Matthew & Son,’ fades into the mist of a bygone era, emerging from the shadows as a new man, musician, and authentic lyrical master of metaphor, whose songs would help define a new genre for a generation of music lovers, and pave the way for a poignan April 1970 Island Records saw the release of ‘Mona Bone Jakon’.
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