cat stevens sucks
Timothy Herrick
to truly describe him.
What can I say, I don’t like him or his music. He is so not Bob Dylan.
Perhaps he exists for the sole purpose that, in comparison, Donovan can have
soul and James Taylor can have balls.
Okay, so why I am ranting today on Cat Stevens.
Well, today on NPR Liam Nielson, one of radio’s worst personalities, whose
soft interviews make marshmellow seem like cement, interviewed Cat Stevens.
Okay, apparently Cat Stevens has a new record out , A is for Allah. I thought
A was for Another Talentless Has Been, but that’s not the case.
So, she asks him about Salmon Rushdie. How, he didn’t agree with the death
contract, the Fatwa. So, he explains, oh, I was just pointing out that Koran
Law does allow for the death contract and then the press picked it up. So, it
was the "media’s fault." Does Liam ask, well, do you agree with that
interpretation of Koran Law, or why didn’t you then come out with a strong
statement condeming the Fatwa, or supporting Salmon Rushdie and free speech,
etc. No. Cat was left off the hook.
Then it was the media’s fault again concerning some weird thing that happened
a few weeks ago where he was prohibited from going to Isreal. He was alleged
to have given money to Hamas, you know, the terrorist organization. The
Isreal goverment blew this out of proportion, apparently. Of course, Liam
doesn’t ask, how he feels about Isreal, or if he has ever given money to
Hamas and he never denied giving money to Hamas. He never came clean. Very
fishy.
NPR is usually pretty good. Today was not one of those days.
So, what really pisses me off. Look, his music sucks, we know that. And they
played some of his new record, which sounded so stupid that it makes Tea for
The Tillerman seem like Blood on the tracks. But the thing is, how come no
record in 20 years. I mean, when Dylan was Born Again, as a song writer, he
expressed the joy of his faith, etc, in some exciting and provactive music.
Why couldn’t Cat do the same with Islam? Maybe some of the misconceptions
and misunderstandings could have been erased. Maybe there could have been
peace in the mid-east.
No, apparently, Cat’s Islam forbids music, or western music, or some such
crap. Seems pretty narrow minded to me. Well, he was never Rumi was he.
A is for Allah, Give me a break. A is for asshole and the fact is, Cat
Stevens never had the lyrical or musical chops to be compared to Bob Dylan,
and the fact that the Jew from Minnesota created the category of singer
songer writer, which now has to include this idiot who is trying to regain
some of his fame with re releases of his crappy records yet who is allowed
not to defend his beliefs or lack of musical accomplishment or failure to
express himself, is a friggin out rage.
NPR should be ashamed. The prints of Harold and Maude should be destroyed.
Salmon Rushdie should kick his ass.
John Beavers
slamfest? I think Cat Stevens wrote some good stuff, but nobody's forcing
you to like it. Relax, it's going to be ok.
John Travis Beavers
-"Feel fit beatnik man out to make it rich..."
Nikolas T
by the way, npr's reporter is not liam nielson - her name is lian hanson. at
any rate i don't like her interviews either.
- nik t.
christina.
Cat Stevens Sucks. In fact, he sucks so bad that the word sucks is inadequate
to truly describe him.>>>
are you on drugs? cat stevens was great. wild world, hard-headed woman, into
white, sad lisa. 8l
-christina.
---------------------------
this talk of peace and brotherhood,
what might be the cost?
the man who did it long ago,
they hung him on the cross
long ago, far away
things like that don't happen
no more nowadays
(do they?)
------------------------
robertandrews
news:57.921fcd...@aol.com...
>Cat Stevens Sucks. In fact, he sucks so bad that the word sucks is
inadequate to truly describe him.
We shouldn't confuse music with politics. I like many of Cat Stevens'
earlier songs; he's got his own style of songwriting & singing. Some of his
songs move me, like Peace Train & Father & Son. Maybe he's a bit sugary,
but I think he was a legitimate artist -- not worse than James Taylor, Jim
Croce, etc.
I won't buy his remastered CDs, because I won't support his politics. The
fatwa (or sentence of death) issued to Rushdie did not have great support
among all Muslims. To some, this was the equivalent of some fanatic
assassinating a doctor for performing an abortion. All Islam should not be
judged by the decrees of the Ayatollah.
Cat Stevens should apologize for his comments, rather than rationalize them.
If he's anti-Israel he should have the courage to say it. It's wrong to
call for the death of anyone, unless they have been convicted & sentenced by
an honest jury in an honest system (and many are, in principle, against
capital punishment). It's horrifyingly wrong to sentence someone to death
for a work of fiction. If there's a conflict between the human heart &
religious law, I think compassionate & intelligent people usually go with
the former. If Cat Stevens doesn't understand that, he's just as bad as
George W. Bush.
For those who missed it, here's my Moonshadow parody:
Oh I've been thwarted by an Israeli
Israeli, Israeli
Been deported by an Israeli
Israeli, Israeli
And if I ever get my way
Salman Rushdie's gonna pay
Yes with the Mullahs I will pray
Oh we, do do do do, do do do
My Moolah will save the day
christopher m coyle
have drastically different rememberences of my childhood when i hear it, or
songs like "oh very, shiite"
overall, i find his music good, nothing out of the ordinary from the 70's singer
songwriter period, but he does write a nice song, but that's my opinion, i mean
to me whenever i hear "moonshadow" i am immediately drawn back to when i was
young and my father had it on the jukebox we had in our house, but so many other
songs have that same effect, for example the whole "my aim is true" album by
elvis costello, man, saying i heard that a few times would be an understatement,
but not all songs that bring back memories are masterpieces but it doesn't mean
i don't like them, moonshadow is great and "my aim is true" serve the same
effect and i love them, great songs, just on a different level, although i do
believe that "my aim is true" is for my nickel a great album
see, now this is how our subjects get off track, sorry
chris; mr tambourine man
robertandrews wrote:
--
“Yes, to dance beneath the diamond
sky with one hand waving free...”
-Bob Dylan “Mr. Tambourine Man”
number
he's no Dylan, but who is(except Bob of course).
Cat's music was fun and some bordered on being deep. I may be
somewhat biased, having been a young hippie when Cat was still
current. But much of his music holds up well to the test of time.
His dumbass, religious/politics since finding Allah, has made
it hard for me to enjoy his songs, as his beliefs get in my way.
You should find some of his stuff on the web, or copies of
others ,LPS( man I'm old), and give it a good listen.
I agree with others here, I would not support him , by paying
for his stuff now. That's what Napster's for.
I used to hope Cat, would find his way back, to the rational
world,but as it has been 20+ years,it seems unlikely.
I was so much older then, I younger than that now.........BD
-----------------------------------------------------------
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oldman
people off their axis, but apparently he has found peace with himself.
And that's the main thing isn't it? I don't care if he's a renegade
scientlogist, as long as he doing what he thinks is best is all that
matters really.
Man, if you listen to some his songs, they are all about how he doesn't
like fame, and that he's looking for peace etc.
well he's found it... who cares if he releases a couple rehashed
greatest hits because his bank account is getting low?
..and until he himself murders Salmon Rushdie, i could not care in the
least what he has to say about Fatwa.
-om
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christina.
I won't buy his remastered CDs, because I won't support his politics. The
fatwa (or sentence of death) issued to Rushdie did not have great support
among all Muslims. To some, this was the equivalent of some fanatic
assassinating a doctor for performing an abortion. All Islam should not be
judged by the decrees of the Ayatollah.>>>
he said that he never knowingly gave money to extremist groups.
i think you're right, though. although music can be political, i think mixing
his work when he was known as cat stevens and thinking it sucks based on his
current beliefs would be a loss for anyone who hasn't heard it.
i almost forgot about father and son :x that's a great song. i love
moonshadow, too.
-christina.
----------------------
and i guess it struck a NERVE.
----------------------
do i wanna do right?
of course,
but do i really wanna
feel i'm forced
to answer you?
hell no.
----------------------
christina.
<<<whenever i hear "moonshadow" i am immediately drawn back to when i was
young and my father had it on the jukebox we had in our house, but so many
other
songs have that same effect, for example the whole "my aim is true" album by
elvis costello, man, saying i heard that a few times would be an
understatement,
but not all songs that bring back memories are masterpieces but it doesn't mean
i don't like them, moonshadow is great and "my aim is true" serve the same
effect and i love them, great songs, just on a different level,>>>
i have tried, and i dont think i will EVER be able to like elvis costello. i
have a friend who loves him, so i borrowed a couple of cd's. horrrible. :x i
like veronica and miss macbeth, and... that's it. even tom waits, whom i
thought i would never like because his voice grates on my nerves (weird, i
guess, coming from a current bob fan, heh) but i've even begun to like some of
his stuff. costello still just doesn't do it.
robertandrews
>..and until he himself murders Salmon Rushdie, i could not care in the
least what he has to say about Fatwa.
Either that was meant with a truckload of sarcasm, or you have exonerated
some of the most brutal killers in history.
Phil Long
> From: The Bob Dylan Discussion List
> [mailto:HWY...@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU]On Behalf Of Timothy Herrick
> Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2000 1:40 PM
> To: HWY...@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU
> Subject: cat stevens sucks
>
>
> Cat Stevens Sucks. In fact, he sucks so bad that the word sucks is inadequate
> to truly describe him.
>
> Perhaps he exists for the sole purpose that, in comparison, Donovan can have
> soul and James Taylor can have balls.
>
> Okay, so why I am ranting today on Cat Stevens.
>
> soft interviews make marshmellow seem like cement, interviewed Cat Stevens.
>
> Okay, apparently Cat Stevens has a new record out , A is for Allah. I thought
> A was for Another Talentless Has Been, but that s not the case.
> The prints of Harold and Maude should be destroyed.
Advocating the burning of media (movies or books) strikes me as positively, well, Islamic. While I
disagree about your assesment of Cat Stevens early music (I loved Tea for the Tillerman), to burn
his records because you don't like his religion is pretty narrow minded and fundementalist. Isn't
that what the tele-evangelists wanted people to do when the discovered "backmasking" on heavy metal
albums?
Phil
PLaw1
>NPR should be ashamed. The prints of Harold and Maude should be destroyed.
>Salmon Rushdie should kick his ass.
>
>
wow, must have witten this in a drunken stupor. a little harsh if you ask me.
pete law
Mike Lewis
albums? To my knowledge, he never supported terrorist causes,
but he is alleged to have had a bunch of people roughed up.
But, then again, Frank was "cool" and Cat Stevens isn't.
christina.
<<<You should find some of his stuff on the web, or copies of
others ,LPS( man I'm old), and give it a good listen.
I agree with others here, I would not support him , by paying
for his stuff now. That's what Napster's for.
I used to hope Cat, would find his way back, to the rational
world,but as it has been 20+ years,it seems unlikely.>>>
now, i think that's unfair. everybody is allowed to live their life. why is
he not in the rational world just because his beliefs don't match up with
yours? i heard him on modern rock live, and he was intelligent and polite to
all of the callers. he wasn't knocking them because they didn't believe what
he does.
number
does not preach love and peace for anyone except muslims. The
rest of us are on the same level as animals. Of course the old
testement teaches the same for all non jews. So yes Cat and all
religious fundamentalists need to get back to the rational world.
PEACE
christina.
<<<christina, I suggest you read some of what the Koran teaches. It
does not preach love and peace for anyone except muslims. The
rest of us are on the same level as animals. Of course the old
testement teaches the same for all non jews. So yes Cat and all
religious fundamentalists need to get back to the rational world.
PEACE>>>
almost all religious texts have contradictions, but that doesn't make all of
the people who believe in them bad. i have read some of the koran. my
granda's muslim. and my uncle's mormon. and my other uncle's methodist. my
dad is four square. my grandma's buddhist. i took a class on the old
testament. i've read a little. :P maybe you need to stop reading and start
meeting some people. i don't agree with some of the fundamentalists on tv, but
that doesn't mean they dont have the right to say and think what they would
like to think. they're not forcing me to believe in it. by listening or
buying a cat stevens greatest hits album, he's not making you promise to follow
in his religious beliefs.
Tumulty
<< He is so not Bob Dylan. >>
I nearly fell out of bed laughing when I read the above. I agree ofcourse. I
didn't agree with all of your post but I liked it a lot.
TuMuLTY
Robert Zimmerman
Bob
"christina." wrote:
> robert...@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> I won't buy his remastered CDs, because I won't support his politics. The
> fatwa (or sentence of death) issued to Rushdie did not have great support
> among all Muslims. To some, this was the equivalent of some fanatic
> assassinating a doctor for performing an abortion. All Islam should not be
> judged by the decrees of the Ayatollah.>>>
>
> he said that he never knowingly gave money to extremist groups.
>
> i think you're right, though. although music can be political, i think mixing
> his work when he was known as cat stevens and thinking it sucks based on his
> current beliefs would be a loss for anyone who hasn't heard it.
>
> i almost forgot about father and son :x that's a great song. i love
> moonshadow, too.
>
new_man2000
doesnt do
it for me. But how many people on this group agree with Dylans religious
views,
especially those around the time of slow train, etc. Quite the
fundamentalist leanings.
I agree with few of them, but am utterly fascinated with the way Dylan
communicates
his views on the world. I would suggest the same of Cat. Liking an artists
work is not
the same as endorsing their politics.
Steve
Robert Zimmerman <BobD...@iname.com> wrote in message
news:398D9F38...@iname.com...