CAT STEVENS - THE EARLY TAPES (CD) IN SOUTH AFRICA

This collection opens with "I Love My Dog," which, showed that Stevens was willing to approach songwriting from unconventional angles even at that stage. The following track, "The First Cut Is the Deepest," would have been a perfect fit for the Righteous Brothers. The majority of the songs, which aren't as consistently great as his later work, are still impressive. "I'm So Sleepy" sounds similar to some of the tracks he'd be cutting in a few years, as does the Gordon Lightfoot-esque "Blackness of the Night" and "Where Are You," which wouldn't have been out of place on Mona Bone Jakon. Tracklist   I Love My Dog  2:22 The First Cut Is The Deepest  3:03 A Bad Night  3:14 I'm So Sleepy  2:23 Blackness Of The Night  2:31 School Is Out  2:59 Northern Wind  2:51 The View From The Top  3:35 Come On And Dance  2:10 Where Are You  3:04 Granny  3:13 Moonstone  2:18 Ceylon City  2:29 Kitty  2:20