Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

To draw upon a wide variety of images and give them life is a fundamental part of being human, it is the soul of creativity, it is the heart of storytelling; and as each drop of inspiration collects on the surface of those we wish to see illuminated by these tales of fantastic lives and hopes of a better tomorrow, so the King Of A Land is revealed, and it not one of wealth or supposed divine right, but the man or woman who lives to encourage his fellow traveller on this short voyage of life to be better, to do more for others, who lives with compassion in their hearts.

Yusef Islam and Cat Stevens, two sides of a coin joined by belief and spirit, an artist of integrity, a voice of sheer bliss, and a survivor who has confronted the prejudice of a generation and come out the other side in a way that sees his latest studio album resonate with stunning vibrancy and groove that might have been considered unconceivable even just a few short years ago.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise though, the consistency of his studio output has never been in question, but what is intriguing for the listener of old and the relative newcomer who has poured over the back catalogue as though they were ancient manuscripts, is the duality in which he now presents, the acceptance perhaps of the Cat Stevens name alongside that of Yusef. It is in this twin drive that the music over the last three albums, The Laughing Apple, Tea For The Tillerman 2, and now King Of A Land, that the artist has really come back into focus.

Across tracks such as Pagan Run, He Is True, Another Night In The Rain, Son Of Mary, The Boy Who Knew How To Climb Walls, and How Good It Feels, Cat Stevens presents a kaleidoscope of music that is of faith, of style, of beauty, to an audience who feel the sense of Folk and Rock, of the call to prayer with stunning appreciation.

A magnificently presented album, to be King Of A Land is a responsibility, to be its story teller is an honour.

Ian D. Hall