Angle, Being Very Awkward

tour was entitled “‘Bamboozle” and it was in Cleveland complete flop- any- way. The idea behind “Bamboozle” 8,1976 was to try to carefully put together some of Cat’s old songs while intro- ducing his new material. The results Joni March was a mixture of two completely dif- Mitchell, ferent styles which came across as Angle, being very awkward. To complicate matters more Stevens yelled at the Cleveland fans and only performed Inner for about 45 minutes. L.A. Express This brings us to the presentand his latest concert tour. The “Majikat” tour displayed a careful organization of the Cat’s varied material--which is a hard to do. Most true followers of Cat agree that his recent music is the best he’s ever done and it shows a at Public Hall of great deal progress and true com- posing talent.But what about the greatest portion of Cat’s fans? Those who remember him for “ Hard Headed Women” and “Morning Has Broken” These are the people that Cat can’t forgetwhen he tours. “Majikat” appealed to ail of Cat’s by DAVE MENDLOVIC fans in a very peculiar way. He ac- hieved this goal by adding a mild The problem with most big names Reggae rhythm to all his songs-both in music is that the concert ap- old and new. pearance become larger events and The “Majikat” concert included a the recordings lose some quality with each release. ten-person backup crew plus a com- Friday the 13th, Joni plete magic show. Chuck Dent, Greg Mitchell was in a position to do what Smith (seen below) and Kathy she wanted, which was mostly new Schoppe, the main magicians, material. So left out the oldies that executed some very skillfull illusions made Miles of Aisles such a fine live including a levitation act. The various recording and chose to do much from magic acts were placed throughout her new Hissing of Summer Lawn’s the concert during periods when Cat her worstalbum in years. played only music. Someone like Joni Mitchell should To add to this huge production, stay away from doing new material which took three full-sized moving live. If an artists music is unique, then vans to bring, the backgroundcurtain unless you’refamiliar with the songs, by PAT PAOLUCCI had a section cut out and a movie they can all sound the same. to take shape. This album was his screen was placed behind it. On the first release after an 18-month stay in screen he showed The best part of Ms. Mitchell’s Cats back a tuberculosis sanitarium. graphic drawings which he drew to along with his music is her voice which was in top With a definite changeof character go latest album “Numbers, A Path- form. Her guitar playing also was and music style Stevens a tour Magic and a began ,Reggaerhythm specta- agorean Theory Tale. He also showed suprisingly good. with a new image. Instead ofthe clean cular were stage arrangement just a film of his “ficticious fruit”the ban- The L.A. Express did a fine job as cut “pop star” style, now some of the componentsthat went into Stevens, apple. The banapple is a cross be- an opening act and as Mitchell’s with long hair a beard and mustache, Cat Steven’s fourth concert tour in the tween a banana and an and band. Their sound is performed mellow and apple ac- backup jazz United States. quiet, some cording to his song everybodyis “get- heightened by musicians-Robbon “ very introspective songs. About this The tour, entitled 1976” Majlkat ting high on gas.” The Ford on electric guitar and Tom time his most famous album Tea For banapple song displayed a combination of Steven’s further explains that no one knows Scott’s replacement, David Luell on The Tillerman was released. Included talents. Included in the tour greatest “what goes inside, but it must be good horns. in this are most of his old favorites was a professional magic act that was ‘cause it’s certified.” Joni Mitchell’s “ high spot was when such as Sad Lisa,” “Where Do The woven into the concert. tastefully Cat wrapped the concert with a she did material from Court and ChildrenPlay,” and “Wild World.” up the concert was over two Although song called “Blue an old and Miles of Aisles. This was But too fans follow- Monday” Spark weeks this marked many stopped ago performance Fats Domino rock and roll tune. The done in the beginningand end of ing the Cat when he began to change very a near point of perfection in Cat the and Cleveland fans, that Cat compliment- concert which included incorporate more musical ar- popular Steven’s career. Not only did it dis- “ ed several times throughout the con- hits Raised on Robbery” “Free an rangements with his songs. After play Steven’s to a new ability adapt cert, showed their approval after this in Paris,” Yellow Teaser and The Firecat, Stevens be- “Big Taxi,” “Help style of music but it also showed a last song by standing for another Me, I Think I’m Falling,” and her en- gan to work with largermusical back- complete change in the Cat’s routine Twenty minutes after Stevens left. core, “Twisted.” grounds. When he appeared in Cleve- performance. Mogey, a slangEnglish land in 1972 he was still performing word 'meaning “slow cat,” is what with a only few of his regulars such as Stevens is called by his close friends Alun Davies and Jerry but and this seems to apply to Stevens’ Conway, added to this was a string orchestra of new style-slower, deliberate and pre- about 16pieces. cise. Catch Bull At Four was the album Tracing Stevens’ music back to the his that made first evident break very first LP entitled Matthew and from Stevens’ mellow More Son, it is clear that the Cat himself be- pattern. percussion was added to the gan his career as a “pop star” as one arrange- ments and more his emphasis was placed of later songs with that exact title on foreign rhythms. An explains. example of this can be heard in the “O His music was typically bubblegum song Caritas” which included Greek but if the album is listened to care- rhy- thms and lyrics. This is where the Cat fully the lyrics prove to be a bit more definitely lost populaity. advanced that the music would lead Following this album Cat went to you to expect. Songs such as “In The Jamaica and cut an LP called Foreig- Blackness Of The Night” and “Mat- ner which was his first attempt at the thew and Son” hold some powerful ly- Jamaican Reggae effect. The entire rics. first side of the album is an arrange- But it wasn’t until after Stevens re- ment called “Foreigner Suite” and it leased his fourth LP Mona Bone runs for about 20 minutes. Again his Jakon that his advanced style of popularity decreased. music combined with his lyrics began At about this time, Stevens concert 10.

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