Since 2020, Yusuf / Cat Stevens’ iconic 1970s albums have been remastered and reissued in celebration of their enduring popularity more than a half century later. Next up is his 1973 album, Foreigner, which has been released on July 26, 2024, via A&M/UMe, in a variety of newly remastered formats including vinyl for the first time since its original release. It’s available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
The album, recorded in the heart of Jamaica, continued the singer-songwriter’s tremendous run of success, reaching #3 on both the U.S. and U.K. charts. The new LP edition comes on 180-gram black vinyl with a replica 12” lyric card insert; it will also return to CD for the first time since its reissue in 2000, complete with a 16-page booklet. The initial production run of the vinyl and CD versions will feature the super rare color front cover, originally released only on the original A&M pressings in 1973.
The title follows the legendary singer-songwriter’s acclaimed multi-format reissues for Mona Bone Jakon, Tea for the Tillerman, Teaser and the Firecat, Harold and Maude, and most recently Catch Bull At Four. Many are available here.
From the June announcement: Foreigner, released in 1973, was Stevens’ fifth LP with Island Records/A&M and represents the adventurous, risk-taking streak in his character. In addition to the radical shift away from his more familiar acoustic sound in favour of a smoother, more luxurious American sound, the album is also entirely self-produced – the first time he had worked fully independently in this way. He chose to record predominantly in Jamaica and recruited an all-star band from the R&B world including drummer Bernard Purdie, guitarist Phil Upchurch and the Tower of Power horn section in order to help realize his soulful vision. As a result, Foreigner is one of the most creative of all Stevens albums: the entire first side consists of the 18-minute opus, “Foreigner Suite,” which transports the listener on an epic journey of compelling grooves and deeply layered lyrical meaning, and the album’s second side includes the Top 40 hit, “The Hurt,” which exemplifies the authenticity of his relationship with soul music.
Related: Our review of a 2016 Cat Stevens concert at New York’s Beacon Theatre
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationI was really hoping for a CD deluxe set re-issue, as they did for his first three albums, that would have included the quadraphonic mix. The vocals at the end of “Foreigner Suite” are really incredible in quad.