Until I found the one I needed at my side

Dear friends,

The day after Thanksgiving and I actually don't feel like a giant grotesque but that's not gonna stop me from going for a huffing and puffing run. For all you people that view joggers at stop lights with secret derision, I'll be the dumpy one with the cranberry colored face looking miserable.

So my mom came over last night for the feast and she told me that she'd heard the new Yusuf Islam AKA Cat Stevens AKA The Cat and found it too preachy. I responded with an "Oops, that's one of my Christmas gifts to you." She laughed her chiming laugh and said, "Oh, but there's one song on it that's beautiful so it's okay." Parental save or honest comment? Who knows? The point is he's back (kinda) in good, albeit slightly deeper, voice and he's feeling religiously mystical. So much so that he remakes his classic I Think I See the Light* and boy, does he mean it this time. The original's frantic, almost aggressive tone is changed with a slinkier, more confident take. While I prefer the desperation of the original, I admire the re-examination. From the profane to the sacred, indeed.

two songs...

I Think I See the Light/Cat Stevens (YouSendIt download)

I Think I See the Light/Yusuf Islam (YouSendIt download)

a video...

Heaven/Where True Love Goes/Yusuf Islam



Buy An Other Cup by Yusuf Islam.

Enjoy your leftovers!

Love, D

* If you're a fan of Harold and Maude, this is the song that starts playing when Bud Cort's Harold decides to take the plunge and bed Ruth Gordon's feisty septuagenarian Maude. Cat Stevens' cries of "So shine/shine/shine!" go perfectly with the look on Harold's face as he lies in her bed looking completely at peace. A great pairing of song and image; aural confetti to a well made choice.

** On a related note, because I am a fan of embarrassing and unnecessary autobiographical detail, you should know that Harold and Maude was the absurdly inappropriate film that was playing during my first attempt to seduce The Monkey. I invited him over, plied him with food and drink, put on the movie and watched him watch it. To this day, when I think about him sitting on my couch, staring at the screen, lips stained with red wine, pizza box at his feet, I wonder if he had any idea what was going on. Either way, I'm thankful he stuck around to find out.