Cat People Tribute to Cat Stevens - Perfect for Music & Cat Lovers

This tribute CD, produced in England by British artists, is a pleasant, sometimes contemporary, sometimes faithful, rendition of some of Cat's biggest hits. The songs that stand out in their own right are Kitty Litter's "Miles from Nowhere" (strong female voice with contemporary electric sound) and "Don't Be Shy" by Kristen De Beauvoir (her sweet high voice matches the subject perfectly). De Beauvoir's "Moonshadow," though technically beautiful, sounds just out of her voice range. Cryptic does a wonderful job with "Old School Yard," particularly the duet section. Both "Wild World" (Baptism) and "Can't Keep it in" (Rusty Rayles) are jazzed up, but upon further listening prove themselves to be uniquely enjoyable. John Kilgovern's "Matthew and Son" has a rough-edged contemporary sound; his "Father and Son," as well, shows off his distinctive though somewhat forced voice -- with good thought given to the dialogue characters. Big Al Royland's lamenting voice stands out more than anything in "Hard Headed Woman" and "Where Do the Children Play?" but he is able to reproduce somewhat the drama in both songs. Minor Domestic's "Lady D'Arbanville," while technically admirable (especially for a complex piece), doesn't flow as smoothly as the original; the instrumental seems to govern the tempo of the singing. (I also find the subject of the song too personal to be sung by someone other than the original lover and poet.)I recommend this tribute CD (primarily for zealous fans and collectors). It does take a few listens to get used to the sometimes great departure from the Cat sound. But then the alternate male and female renditions become pleasant twists and turns throughout the list of hits. The CD then becomes yet another source of pleasure for the ears of Cat Stevens' fans.