Additional information
When Cat Stevens converted to Islam and adopted the name Yusuf Islam in 1977, he was determined to give up his musical career, not because his new religion required it (in fact, his Imam in London encouraged him to continue in music), but because he felt he needed to dedicate himself to study and avoid the anti-religious aspects of the music business. Starting in 1981, however, he began making occasional recordings, and this album, its title deliberately contrasting with the 1984 Cat Stevens compilation Footsteps in the Dark: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2, gathers together tracks dating from then to 2006, perhaps signaling that the singer is dipping a toe in the water and contemplating a musical return. Stevens/Islam is in good voice throughout the album, which, not surprisingly, reveals a heavy Middle Eastern influence in its music and is performed partly in Arabic, with the lyrics expressing religious sentiments. Old Cat Stevens songs "The Wind," "Wild World," and "Peace Train" are re-recorded with new arrangements and fit right in, while "Angel of War" (an antiwar song) seems to have roughly the same melody as the Cat Stevens song "Lady d'Arbanville," even in a percussive African arrangement. ~ William Ruhlmann
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