Morning Has Broken is an OLD Christian hymn. It's been an Easter morning song for me (and others) since Cat released it. Lucky to have seen him live right after Teaser and the Fire Cat came out.
The first time I heard “Morning Has Broken” in church I said "I can't believe they are playing a Cat Stevens song in church !" Little did I know that the song is probably about a hundred years old, and Cat just replaced the beautiful lyrics with beautiful lyrics of his own !
My husband played this track on his way home from the hospital after our son was born. Our boy is 45 now, with three sons of his own. Thank you for this reaction. It's meant a lot.
Even more hard-hitting as a parent when you question whether you have allowed them to be the person they have meant to be, or suppressed them by ordering to listen, or "be quiet". Definately hearing this in my teens/20s/30s and now 40s as a dad, it makes you reassess your point of view and advice given and taken You always want to prevent kids making mistakes, but do you do it to the point they are not experiencing life?
@@philwill0123 If you don't tell them somebody else will - that's the risk we take. But i'm confident that if I've made it as far as to produce a child, and care enough to want to encourage them to think for themself - I certainly do not want some single, childless, godless teacher telling them what they 'may' be because of, muh times.
It's hard to find singer-songwriters with this level of maturity nowadays. Those are some good cuts you picked too. If these guys ever do an album side, Foreigner Suite would be cool. Obviously if going with hits, Peace Train has to be mentioned but there's just a lot to enjoy from Cat.
Cat Stevens originally wrote "Father and Son" as part of a proposed musical project starring Nigel Hawthorne, called Revolussia, that was set during the Russian Revolution, and could also have become a film; the song was about a boy who wanted to join the revolution against the wishes of his conservative farmer father. The musical project faded away when Stevens contracted tuberculosis in 1969. He was close to death at the time of his admittance to the King Edward VII Hospital in Midhurst, West Sussex.[1] After a year-long period of convalescence in the hospital and a collapsed lung, the project was shelved, but "Father and Son" remained, now in a broader context that reflected not just the societal conflict of Stevens' time, but also captured the impulses of older and younger generations in general. "Father and Son" received substantial airplay on progressive rock and album-oriented rock radio formats, and played a key role in establishing Stevens as a new voice worthy of attention. In 1970 it was only put on the B-side of Stevens' single "Moon Shadow" (Island Records). Interviewed soon after the release of "Father and Son", Stevens was asked if the song was autobiographical. Responding to the interviewer from Disc, he said, "I've never really understood my father, but he always let me do whatever I wanted-he let me go. 'Father And Son' is for those people who can't break loose."[1
It always had huge meaning for me. I was only 9 when it came out but my older sister loved Cat and "Tea for the Tillerman" was a constant presence in my teens, especially this song.
@@andyandalex Believe it or not, my dad turned me on to you guys a couple years back. He was 68 and an avid Andy and Alex supporter. I will carry on that support. Thanks guys. One last thing....he would’ve been thrilled to see you gents react to The Moody Blues “Question”. They were his favorite.
Re-listen to this song while keeping in mind that the first and third verse is the Father's voice and the second and fourth verse is the son's voice. To me that's what makes the song epic 🧡
Plus, while the father is singing the 3rd verse, the son is singing softly in the background, and while the son is singing the 4th verse, the father is singing softly in the background. Very clever.
There is a version for the 50th anniversary where he re recorded it as duet with himself as an old man singing the fathers part. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B_H5XuIb5WM.html
I'm glad you pointed that out. I'm not sure the guys caught that on the first listen. I'm not sure l did before l read the lyrics in the liner notes way back when.
The second and fourth verses are the son's response. From his point of view the father is not listening to him and he feels he doesn't understand what he is going through and has to leave. adds a whole new lair to this powerful song.
Was checking the comments before I commented it myself. When I realized it (many years ago), it changed the dynamic and complexity of the song. One of my favorites
Exactly, the "friendly" fatherly advice is not accepted as the son's never been given a chance to express his point of view and also disagrees with what he's been told all his life, "If they were right, I'd agree but it's them they know not me".
I appreciate you playing Cat Stevens A& A. My daughter spent her childhood in hospitals having major surgeries and with ear phones on, Cat Stevens was her best medicine. " Lisa Lisa" was her favorite.!!
@@allisonreed7682 Thank you. She is doing well her Spina Bifida is all physical she deals with it extremely well and she is Still listening to Cat Stevens today.!!
For a whole album project you guys can’t go wrong with Cat Stevens “ Tea for the Tillerman” or “Teaser and the Firecat “ from 1970 and 1971. Although his catalog is great, those two albums were Cat at his peak. Personally my favorite Cat Stevens song is Trouble off Mona Bone Jakon. His music was in a cult movie hit “ Harold and Maude” it’s a weird movie you guys might enjoy and might be for your movie section.
Harold & Maud is one of my favourite films! I read the book aged about 15 and then late one night it came on TV and I made my dad stay up and watch it with me. Soundtrack is of course sublime and we were huge Cat fans. "Where will the children play" and "Oh very young" are two of my favourites.
I'm fond of his songs "Peace Train" and "Moon Shadow", and you'll definitely want to catch his version of an older song, "Morning Has Broken" for the goosebump factor (it uses the melody from a Scottish hymn, and keyboardist Rick Wakeman (later of Yes) plays on it and was actually going to record it first....that led to a little brewhaha of him not getting paid for performing on the record, which was a huge hit, but Cat paid him back later saying it was a mix up). Cat also got into a bit of a kerfuffle when he supported a death sentence for author Salmon Rushdie after the novel "Satanic Verses" did not land well with some people....in any case, he got cancelled in the 90s version of cancellation, in that people removed covers of Cat songs from their own records and that kind of thing, but he repudiated that he ever had said that, despite it having been part of a live interview. Not sure whatever became of that, but it's always been hard for me to reconcile the humanist Cat who wrote so many great folk rock songs of the hippie era with the some of the stories swirling around him. He may have just been kind of a flake. BUT while we're on the subject of great British hippie singer songwriters of the 60s/70s, it is HIGH TIME you guys checked out Donovan. His music is equally childlike and sometimes overly sincere ("Atlantis," HA!) but he writes great lyrics and really also had an ear for groove - please god, someday, you MUST check out the incandescently groovey Barabajagal, and you will thank me for that! But also his greater hits, Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow, Season of the Witch..... lots to discover there.
I'm one of the people who was disgusted with Cat Stevens for supporting the fatwa against Salman Rushdie. And frankly, I'm still not satisfied with his explanation...which as far as I know, was kind of a "Gee, I was new to Islam and naive and didn't realize what I was doing." Bull. You don't go endorsing a death sentence on somebody for not agreeing with your religious beliefs and then just blow it off. That said, I always loved his early songs, and I'm still trying to feel good about listening to them again. But it's very hard to reconcile.
@@jpmnewyork I was like you - I was angered by his support of the Fatwa. But as time goes by and I get older I realize that most of the people who get into religion as adults seem to go hardcore. They are still trying to find their way in their new faith and that usually results in unquestioning loyalty and strict adherence to doctrine. As they grow in the religion they begin to see more of the nuances and hypocrisies and that changes them - he's said as much. Stevens is much different now than he was 35 years ago - he dresses differently, he's embraced his old music again and he is often accompanied by his wife at award shows and concerts.
This song makes me cry everytime I hear it. I'm 61 and our son is 17 and we are having the talks about what he wants to do and how he looks at life. I never got the chance to have deep meaningful conversations about life with my father and it's important for me to always be there for my son and listen to his thoughts and feelings. Great, great, song and story. Thanks guys! Can't wait for the next Cat Stevens masterpiece.
I played and sang this a lot when it came out. Trying to figure out my place in the world in my teens, the lower "father" verses were like "yeah, whatever dad" to me while the higher "son" verses were the ones I felt so strongly. Fifty years later, my own 22-year old son texted me and asked if I had ever heard of this song. Yeah, I had. I pulled my old Cat Stevens songbook out of the bookcase and it fell open to this song because had played it so much back in the day. I started playing it again and of course I see the father's perspective now too. I was once like you are now.
New here! Cat Stevens was ( I say was because the old songs of his are my favorites) a remarkable singer, songwriter and a beautiful guitar player. Father and Son is a gorgeous song! And your delight for it is wonderful. The song is simply stated, simply played but it packs such a punch. It delights me that a song like this is so appreciated by the both of you. Edit-and after watching just one of your videos I was hooked. I’ve watched quite a few song reaction channels and you guys are the most thoughtful, knowledgeable and appreciative about music. Thanks guys, I wish you luck with your channel!
You didn't mention this, but the 2nd and 4th verses are the son's responses, and I absolutely love in the second set of verses how the father sings in the foreground and the son in the background and then it switches. Immaculate!
Hey Linda, not a lot of people spot that, so well done to you! I think every parent goes through this situation, i know i did, did i handle it well? To this day i don't know, but my kids turned out great anyway!
And you really need to do Harold and Maude as a movie selection because not only is it an amazing piece of film but the entire soundtrack is Cat Stevens. Iconic!
Trouble was a soundtrack for my life at too many times. Also a Jaguar Hearse, or coach as those in the funeral industry would call it, is absolutely epic.
"Taxi" is the only Chapin song I like. My first husband listened to him constantly and that's one of the many reasons I left him! He owned every one of Harry's albums and if you listened to all of them you would know how many of his songs were just trash, probably only about 5% were decent songs.
For some reason, this was the first song I listened to the morning after my husband's untimely death. Brings tears to my eyes every damn time. Love Andy's emotional reaction to it.
A couple of years ago, Yusuf/Cat Stevens released a new version of Father and Son where he re-recorded the “father” sections, so it’s a duet with his younger self. It’s kind of amazing
The entire Tea For The Tillerman is great. The albums title track "Tea for the Tillerman" is very short, but beautiful. "Sad Lisa" has superb lyrics and melodic elements.
"Sad Lisa" is criminally under-rated and under-played .. It's my clear favourite Cat Stevens song and it always gives me the old tingle up the spine .. Cheers, Wayne
So many wonderful Cat Stevens songs for you to find! "Moonshadow" got lots of airplay for good reason, "Where Do the Children Play" and "Oh Very Young" are beautiful, and "Sitting" has some Elton John-rock-vibes. Dive in!
My Dad and I had issues in my early life. When I gave him a cassette tape with only this song recorded on it for Fathers day once, when I was in college about 23, our relationship started to improve after that.
Beautifully thought provoking song. Circle of Life. I was the son’s age when first hearing this. Now am father’s age. It’s all so true…Thanks Next Cat Stevens - Peace Train
You just hit my all time favorite Cat, but Oh Very Young is a close second. Can’t go wrong with anything you choose to do of his next. Keep up the amazing work gents!
All Cat Stevens' songs are like this -- very reflective and introspective. "Moonshadow", "Peace Train", "Morning Has Broken" ... They're all brilliant! Thanks for this reaction, guys!
Cat Stevens is so great. He is a Seeker, and his life story is written in his Music. “PopStar”; “Longer Boats” ;”Moonshadow”; “Home in the Sky”. All brilliant. We’ll done guys.
The entire Tea for the Tillerman album is worth a listen, perhaps on Patreon. I would recommend Peace Train or Bitter Blue for some faster paced tunes!
I saw Cat/Yusuf perform this song a few years ago, in a theatre within yards of where he grew up in London. It was a very emotional performance that so many of us dads identified with. He was a brilliant songwriter in the 60s and that performance confirmed that he still has it.
He also did the soundtrack for the film, Harold and Maude. The thing with Cat Stevens for me....it's his pipes, they strike something that releases serotonin in me
I would probably suggest "Peace Train" just because it was a big hit for him. But "Morning Has Broken" or "Oh Very Young" would be my two favorite melodies. Another song you might consider is "Roadsinger", a more recent song from when he returned to performing.
Have always love Cat Steven's music. He is a great singer songwriter with a very unique sounding voice. One of my first albums I ever bought was his "Tea For The Tillerman". The whole album is great. So is the album "Teaser & The Firecat". His first big hits were "Matthew & Son", "I Love My Dog" & "The First Cut Is The Deepest" in 1967. He has had so many great songs in his career such as "Father & Son", "Wild World", "Moonshadow", "Peace Train", "Morning Has Broken" etc. He is still recording & performing live & his voice still sounds great.
I can't remember which one you did earlier, but "Peace Train" is his biggest banger. It should be next, just to get the feel for his wide production range.
I wonder if the guys caught that the verses were alternating between father and son. I think that's something that takes more than 1 listen to catch - and when you do, it goes from mere "goosebumps" to downright lump in throat. I used to cry when I listened to this as a kid.
one of a kind. If you weren't tearing up a bit during this one you're maybe not human. The emotional expression and weight of this song is like few others
One of my favorite songs by cat Stevens I always liked how the father had the calm voice and then when the son sang he elevated his voice to show the stress that a young person may experience
Amazing call and response between a father and son. Sends chills down my spine every time I hear it. So many incredible songs to get to from this epic singer songwriter. Sitting, Moon Shadow, Oh Very Young, Where do the Children Play, Peace Train, etc. He also wrote and recorded one of Rod Stewarts biggest hits, The First Cut is the Deepest.
I've listened to this song and played this song hundreds of times on the guitar, from the 70's up to today. And like others have said, listening with you and watching your reactions makes it feel like the first listening. Chills. Love your channel. Cat Stevens is THE reason I took up guitar. He has SO many amazing songs. Keep exploring his stuff.
Wonderful song, thank you. He completely remade this album for it's 50th anniversary, great as the original. On this song he sang the father parts and used the original recording for the son parts, so he was singing with his 50 year younger self. Amazingly incredible.
I lost my dad last year and hearing this song, which was so true for me 50 years ago, brought me immediately to tears. Thanks for bringing out this new important song.
Hey, Andy & Alex, I've been rewatching your reactions to David Bowie's album, "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" on Patreon. Jazzed that you two love this incredible album! 😻
That album changed my life! I just love that on the back of the album cover at the bottom in small type are the instructions "TO BE PLAYED AT MAXIMUM VOLUME"
You two have always had a deep understanding , education and connection with music but Us old timers are so proud to see how you have grown since the early days of your work. Keep searching for the meaning of things and look for signs that come to us through out our lives that we sometimes ignore…anyway, Cat Stevens…walked away from all of it at the very height of his career. He moved to the Middle East , became a Muslim and followed a religious path. We didn’t hear from him again for years and years …fell off the face of the earth . I listen to His huge hit Peace Train and it for-shadows his future at that point . My biggest influences musically at that point in my life was Elton John, Bowie and Cat Stevens . Pretty fascinating story and life choice he made when he walked away from his dream to follow his calling . I remember seeing him years later on a music show. He was old and gray and he sang two songs , Peace Train and Father and Son. I cried watching and listening to him . I was filled with frustration of all the great music he robbed us of all those years…it would take me a long time to come to respect that choice he made to walk away from the fame and fortune. Anyway boys, keep up the great work !!! Personal request , please give “ The Ballad of Danny Bailey” by Elton John a listen , think you’ll love it!😎
Woke up at this morning to the delight of seeing you review Father and Son. What a great review about a masterpiece of a song. I still get chills listening to it. You might hit Moonshadow or Peace Train next.
It’s nice to see a friendship where you can rib him about a daddy issues and he doesn’t get mad LOL You guys are always thoughtful and among my favorite reactors 👍
So imagine.... 1970..... you are 17 years old and just had a baby boy 2 months ago. You buy this album and take it home, smoke a Doobie and then hear this song.....It was a real influence and true then as it is true today when I am 67 with three grown kids and 4 grand kids who have all heard this song.
This really brings back memories. I'm 68 now, and I took Leslie Harris, the Christina Applegate of our school, to see Cat Stevens in concert in 1972. Ahh, I remember it well. Next, check out "Sad LIsa", absolutely gorgeous. Thanks again guys. Love your reviews.
Love Andy's face in this one, goosebumps alright. 'Where Do the Children Play' and 'Peace Train' are the next essentials. For a more obscure but absolutely beautiful song: 'Sad Lisa'
I'm 58 and this song changes meaning as you go through life: timeless. "Oh Very Young" and "Morning Has Broken" are just phenomenal. Cat Steven's is still bringing it. He's genuine and that's what makes him great.
I have been listening to this song for over 50 years, and every single time it brings tears to my eyes, as a son many years ago and as a father and grandfather now, the power, love and emotion of this song has never faded. I think I may have even seen Andy do a surreptitious tear wipe during the song...
This song is for every father who has had a son and every son who has had a father. My dad is long gone but this song still brings a tear to this old son’s eye.
Gotta love Cat Stevens. We just heard "Peace Train" in the car last night. He seemed to be operating in a different realm than most artists, from the late 60s-late-70s, before he left the Western pop music world. There's one song of his from 1977's "Izitso" album I often think about which is "(I Never Wanted) To Be a Star." Summed up where he was at by then.
Oh how I love his beautiful voice. His lyrics are so deep and true. I listen to him often and have since the mid 70s. Never get tired of him . I also think he’s gorgeous.
Yes, Andy, again you got this song. Goose bumps the whole song. Super emotional. That's why we live Cat Stevens. All of his music is emotional. This is definitely an S tier.
I really admire that he changes his voice when he is speaking as the Father and again as the Son. The Son's voice seems more anxious, the Fathers is a little slower and calmer.
It's moving to hear interviews with Cat/Yusuf today, and how now he's singing from the father's point of view. When he wrote it, he was writing from the son's. Excellent, universal song. P.S.: Cat Stevens/Yusuf has also always done the cover art for his albums.
I learned at least 20 songs from his records back in the 1970's on my guitar and we played them all the time around college. This song changes as you get older and it makes so much sense. My Dad has been gone for 13 years but I still think of him every day and still try to make my parents happy even though I am nearly 67.
One of his very best. You only touched on his voice. As great as the instrumentation is, his voice is what puts it over the top. Not just the tone, which is phenomenal, but the way it carries the message through. He goes very soft for a while, then really belts it out. 'Where Do The Children Play' is another must-hear.
I still find this song as crushing as I did 40 years ago as a teenager, battling everything. As the dad of a senior I hope that I can balance the me of then with the dad of now.
So many beautiful, and personal, songs by Cat Stevens. Wrote some of the most poignant love songs of my generation. His songs are the musical score to the film, Harold and Maude, a cult fave and a movie about unconditional love. Such a voice, full of emotional connection. He's still - or should I say made a comeback after his son came home with a guitar and told him to get back to playing it - making music. Check out his YT channel - ru-vid.com/show-UCo0pv-U5bTDLlfdROjmCCGg
A sure sign of an S tier song is that no matter when it ends, it is entirely too soon. You just simply need more. I have always felt this way about "Wish You Were Here" and the same holds true for this song. It is, as you say, immaculate. Well reviewed, fellas.
This is such a great album 💜 The movie "Harold and Maude" has a Cat Stevens soundtrack. I sang Moonshadow to my middle child every night. Of course I had to change the lyrics a bit. I left that comment before, worth repeating
This is my favorite Cat Stevens song. So impactful. What is even crazier is that he was a young man when he wrote it. My father passes 27 years ago and this brings a flood of emotions every time I hear it.
This song hit me in the gut when I first heard it in 1971, when I was 15 and immediately became my favorite. Here we are 51 years later and I think it still is. It still chokes me up even though I never had a father. In fact the whole album is stellar; "Into White", "Sad Lisa" in particular. Cheers guys ✌
One of my personal faves and thus a recommendation from me, is "On the Road to Find Out" which captures the 'searching for yourself' ethic that was kinda prevalent in those days (ie, 1970/71). Also a rousing chorus and last verse! Glad you guys enjoyed this one -- it's definitely one of Cat's best!
frustrating isn't it. They will never cover these amazing songs because they are not the big hits. On the road to find out, and Oh very young, have far better dynamics, but only those with the albums will know. The top voted song will always be a song for the masses.
@@jmpmusva I agree 100%, my favorite songs are rarely the ones that are best known. Although Cat is known for his beautiful ballads I still prefer to listen to his harder edged songs.
