Cat Stevens - Icon (2011)

This volume in Universal’s Icon series concentrates on material from two essential Cat Stevens albums, 1970’s Tea for the Tillerman and 1971’s Teaser and the Firecat. All of his late-‘70s mystical pop/rock material is wisely skipped, but there are only three other songs from the rest of Stevens’ discography: “Trouble,” “Oh Very Young,” and “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” (from Mona Bone Jakon, Buddha and the Chocolate Box, and the Harold & Maude soundtrack). These hits, along with the 1970-1971 golden greats "Wild World," "Peace Train," and "Moonshadow," make it a decent budget comp to pick up in a pinch. Two middling songs from his 2009 comeback album Roadsinger, and the odd choice of “Miles from Nowhere,” encourage seeking out a more concrete compilation, preferably one that also includes “Hard Headed Woman,” “Where Do the Children Play,” and material from Catch Bull at Four.~Icon Review by Jason Lymangrover