Clocking in at only 36 minutes or so, Mr Stevens (now Mr
Islam) does not waste any of this time carving out a stunning album that leaves
you wanting more. Even the closing track, the title track (which might be known
to some of you as the theme music from The Extras) only goes for 1 minute,
finishing before it even began. In some
ways, a musically simple album, there are just so many lovely tracks to enjoy.
The lesser known tracks like “Miles from Nowhere” are “Longer Boats” are great,
and then there is the hits like “Wild World”, a break up song where Stevens
gives his ex some advice. It’s a curious track, because depending on how you
view it, it’s a man showing genuine concern for his ex, but on the other hand
it could be viewed in rather cynically. The highlight of the whole album
though, is the ultimate generation gap song, “Father and Son”, where Stevens,
singing as two characters, the father and then the son, perfectly sums up a
situation where the older father is trying to impart the wisdom of experience
to his son, yet the son feels that his thoughts and feelings and not being
heard, which drives him away. Forget your Westlife and countless other covers
of this song, you can’t beat the original. If you don’t know this track, see
the link.
One other thing that I can’t explain – I have no idea who or
what the Tillerman is (but I hope the tea was enjoyed). Happy to hear any
theories on this topic.
As we move into the teens, #19 brings us into the nineties,
and an album from one of favourite artists – but not the critically acclaimed
album.
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