Numbers

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Product Description ------------------- A concept album with a spiritual flavor, Numbers soared to #13 in 1975 and includes the hit Banapple . .com ---- The legacy of singer-songwriter Cat Stevens is a distinct dichotomy: though he built his fame on a string of hit singles and bestselling albums, he seems as famous now for turning his back on that stardom for a life devoted to Islam, education, and charity. But Stevens's latter-day willingness to explore that past (finally allowing his original '70s albums to be remastered and reissued) only reinforces the old adage that hind is usually 20/20; some of the later collections that seemed so idiosyncratic at the time of their original releases now seem but part of the artist's larger spiritual quest. Nineteen seventy-five's Numbers is a good case in point, ostensibly a whimsical concept album (subtitled "A Pythagorean Theory Tale" and bearing a "WARNING: This album is not to be taken 2 seriously" advisory) about a distant planet whose inhabitants are charged with distributing numbers to the rest of the universe. Stevens sets up the tale in a fancifully illustrated booklet, leads off with the sprightly instrumental "Whistlestar," and then lets its characters inhabit a tellingly introspective slate of songs. Set against spare backdrops that subtly evoke everything from folk to baroque (incorporating sidemen like sax notable David Sanborn ( /exec/obidos/ts/artist-glance/72911/%24%7B0%7D ) and Art Garfunkel ( /exec/obidos/ts/artist-glance/69791/%24%7B0%7D )), those protagonists mouth restless spiritual and existential concerns not unlike the singer's own. Stevens also produced this fairy tale for children of all ages, insuring Numbers a very personal space in his canon, whether he took it "2 seriously" or not. --Jerry McCulley