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Cat Stevens — Katmandu
Album: Mona Bone Jakon
Avg rating:
7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 998









Released: 1970
Length: 3:16
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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I sit beside the dark - beneath the mire
cold grey dusty day - the morning lake drinks up the sky
Kathmandu, I'll soon be seeing you
and your strange - bewildering time will hold me down.

Chop me some broken wood - we'll start a fire
white warm, light the dawn and help me see, old Satan's tree
Kathmandu, I'll soon be touching you
and your strange - bewildering time will hold me down

Pass me my hat and coat - lock up the cabin
slow night treat me right until I go - be nice to know
Kathmandu, I'll soon be seeing you
and your strange bewildering time will keep me home
Comments (46)add comment
Just a little different from the Bob Seger song of the same name.  ; )
Posted 2 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
When music transforms into visual art
Posted 3 years ago by moocray    [ Reply ]
I loved the album when it was released in my schooldays. I don't recall this track particularly, but it is very 'into white'ish! (Looking it up,  I find it predates the latter). The standout tracks for me were Lady D'Arbanville and the title track - unlike anything I had heard before.
Posted 3 years ago by kbs    [ Reply ]
 the_jake wrote:
Glad to hear some old Cat today. I should use Jusef instead. 
 
Not of fan of Cat Stevens, but his name is spelled with a Y and two Us - Yusuf.
Posted 3 years ago by sqqqrly    [ Reply ]
 TotalHip wrote:
...and with Mr. Peter Gabriel on flute.
 
Wow!  I had no idea.  
Posted 3 years ago by khardog145    [ Reply ]
 Isabeau wrote:
Long ago before Wi Fi, 
there was a transition from
transistor to Hi Fi ...
 
i was happy with transistor
Posted 4 years ago by ducakrugs3269    [ Reply ]
Radio Paradise never fails to amaze me
The Sun is beaming here in Copenhagen, a serious rare this summer —Ben Webster is quiet in his grave and so all is well.

Thanks so much Bill & Becs —you guys rarely fail to kick me out of bed lol.
Not just a time-machine, but etcetera

Brilliant = besos y abrazos 
Posted 4 years ago by timothy_john    [ Reply ]
I had this LP. Loved thee whole thing.
Posted 4 years ago by Akazungu    [ Reply ]
A musician always a pleasure to hear.
Posted 5 years ago by dublanica    [ Reply ]
scrubbrush noted they thought this sounded like early Tull. I was thinking how much it sounded like late period Tull - Roots to Branches, Divinities and beyond. So curious to discover this was from 1970 - and with Gabriel too. Lovely song.
Posted 5 years ago by memoryboxer    [ Reply ]
 user4176 wrote:
Wondering about that Katmandu he is singing about... 1970 must have been a litlle different there. Today's Katmandu feels more like a heavy metal song to me than this.
 
In 1982 it was peaceful, bucolic, quiet at night, like a medieval town.  Huge doors rolled back during the day, closed up at night.  Little shops offering goods for the hippies and trekkers.  Then they had that terrible earthquake, so I'm sure things changed after that.
Posted 5 years ago by naomin    [ Reply ]
 TotalHip wrote:
...and with Mr. Peter Gabriel on flute.
 

well I just learned something new today..
Posted 5 years ago by gfalkner    [ Reply ]
Pretty voice, pretty lyrics.  A unique musician.  Certainly followed the beat of his own drummer.
Posted 5 years ago by dublanica    [ Reply ]
Long ago before Wi Fi, 
there was a transition from
transistor to Hi Fi ...
Posted 5 years ago by Isabeau    [ Reply ]
...and with Mr. Peter Gabriel on flute.
Posted 5 years ago by TotalHip    [ Reply ]
Time to lite the Patchouli joss sticks.
Posted 5 years ago by cob427uk1    [ Reply ]
You think?  His website is https://catstevens.com/

Go figure.

 the_jake wrote:
Glad to hear some old Cat today. I should use Jusef instead. 
 

Posted 6 years ago by OhCanada67    [ Reply ]
has a kind of early/acoustic Jethro Tull-ish feel to it... I like Tull a lot... this, not so much
Posted 6 years ago by scrubbrush    [ Reply ]
Glad to hear some old Cat today. I should use Jusef instead. 
Posted 6 years ago by the_jake    [ Reply ]
Wondering about that Katmandu he is singing about... 1970 must have been a litlle different there. Today's Katmandu feels more like a heavy metal song to me than this.
Posted 6 years ago by user4176    [ Reply ]
I liked this version better,...   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd3Mt8JBBBg
Posted 7 years ago by Skydog    [ Reply ]
Great album. Thanks for playing today.
Posted 7 years ago by Angry_Old_Man    [ Reply ]
 ironlung wrote:
artmarcia wrote:
He was one of my favorites—broke my heart whan he changed religions and dropped out of music. I think his music is very spiritual and thought he reached many people through it—what a waste of incredible talent.

A waste you say? How can u say it was a waste when you just said he touched so many people including yourself with his incredible songs. I'm not islamic but islam is not so bad as CNN cares to creates.
 

From The Islamic Ruling on Music and Singing:

- use of all musical instruments, except the daff drum, is forbidden
- singing voice coupled with music is imbecilic and sinful – lyrics which are erotic and licentious or sung in a licentious manner (which adversely affects the libidinous instincts of the listener) are forbidden
- even innocent songs become forbidden if they are performed in the presence of, or are coupled with, such acts as gambling, drinking and other “deeds of moral depravity” 
-singing by women is restricted to a female audience as “the nature of a woman’s (singing) voice is to excite sexual feeling in the male listener”


Posted 7 years ago by aelfheld    [ Reply ]
Nice.  Yusuf Islam is still performing.  
Posted 8 years ago by westslope    [ Reply ]
Peter Gabriel on flute.  
Posted 8 years ago by stalfnzo    [ Reply ]
Wish I could play acoustic guitar as well as him. He had a rather unique style of finger picking with strums thrown in at interesting rythmic points, plus passing the melodic emphasis back-and-forth between his voice and the instrumentals. Then he would sort of halt abruptly and resume on the off-beat. Really interesting texture as a result, wears well with repeated listening. "Boy With a Moon and Star on His Head" is a great example as is "How Can I Tell You".
Posted 9 years ago by BBoyes    [ Reply ]
Damn tourists...oh that's in a forum.I like this song,and the artist.
Posted 20 years ago by katzendogs    [ Reply ]
artmarcia wrote:
He was one of my favorites--broke my heart whan he changed religions and dropped out of music. I think his music is very spiritual and thought he reached many people through it--what a waste of incredible talent.
A waste you say? How can u say it was a waste when you just said he touched so many people including yourself with his incredible songs. I'm not islamic but islam is not so bad as CNN cares to creates.
Posted 20 years ago by ironlung    [ Reply ]
Ok, back to our regularly scheduled programming.... Good song, which I haven't heard for years. Cheers.
Posted 20 years ago by namesbenny    [ Reply ]
great choice of material, though. Oh Bondage Up Yours kind of says it all. what an amazing group X-Ray Spex was, and the young lady at the center of it was only 14 at the time! Warrior in Woolworths!
Posted 20 years ago by zgrav    [ Reply ]
zgrav wrote:
give me some X-Ray Spex right now and segue into some more energized tunes.
I uploaded some X-Ray Spex (Oh Bondage!) and it was shot down. :(
Posted 20 years ago by Skeletor    [ Reply ]
but if the category is folks with good music who altered their music, or stopped it, after getting religion: give me some X-Ray Spex right now and segue into some more energized tunes.
Posted 20 years ago by zgrav    [ Reply ]
I'd never really heard much of his music (before my time) but I really like this. it's a pity he stopped singing. Such a unique voice.
Posted 20 years ago by gntlemanartist    [ Reply ]
I was wondering if we would hear any of Mr. Islam's music this week. Given his recent travel travails, maybe "peace train" would be appropriate.
Posted 20 years ago by Buzzardcheater    [ Reply ]
when it comes to dark bushy haired skinny nutjob folkies, I prefer Donovan to Cat.
Posted 20 years ago by ChardRemains    [ Reply ]
slow night, treat me right...the Cat made lovely music... :meditate.gif:
Posted 20 years ago by ghevlana    [ Reply ]
I have ALL of his albums and later bought his CDs. Still a fan.
Posted 20 years ago by Vikia    [ Reply ]
frednic wrote:
I used to like Cat Stevens untill he got religion and his dogma tryed to kill my karma ;-} :P
He was one of my favorites--broke my heart whan he changed religions and dropped out of music. I think his music is very spiritual and thought he reached many people through it--what a waste of incredible talent.
Posted 20 years ago by artmarcia    [ Reply ]
I used to like Cat Stevens untill he got religion and his dogma tryed to kill my karma ;-} :P
Posted 20 years ago by frednic    [ Reply ]
It's a pleasure to see *someone* playing Cat Stevens. Yes, it was fustrating to see him disappear into Islam, but that doesn't mean that his early music was bad or somehow malignant. He was always a seeker, which came through in his music, and while I wish he had gone in a different direction.....that's the path he chose.
Posted 20 years ago by Dirktooth    [ Reply ]
Cat Man Do! It's not the same anymore... :(
Posted 20 years ago by mitra    [ Reply ]
Cat is the Man
Posted 20 years ago by mig7    [ Reply ]
Amazing, touching song ... and excellent proof that you should never confuse the performance of a artist with the person of the artist.
Posted 20 years ago by Businessgypsy    [ Reply ]
I love the entire Footsteps in the Dark album; soothing and wonderful. And that's Peter Gabriel on the flute... :D
Posted 20 years ago by Rael_1975    [ Reply ]
this gentle song is one of my favorite cat stevens tracks - one of the ones that makes me wonder how he could ever have renounced his own music... so nice to hear it here.
Posted 20 years ago by rah    [ Reply ]