Tell 'Em I'm Gone is the fourteenth studio album by Yusuf (formerly known as Cat Stevens). The album was released on 27 October 2014 on his new Cat-O-Log record label, through Sony's Legacy Recordings. It is Yusuf's third mainstream release since his return to music and his first in five years since 2009's acclaimed Roadsinger. The album was produced by Rick Rubin and Yusuf, and features Richard Thompson.
| Tell 'Em I'm Gone | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 October 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2013–2014 | |||
| Genre | R&B, folk rock | |||
| Length | 35:57 | |||
| Label | Cat-O-Log, Legacy | |||
| Producer | Rick Rubin & Yusuf | |||
| Yusuf chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 70/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Chicago Tribune |   [2] |
| AllMusic | [3] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [4] |
| The Observer | [5] |
| Rolling Stone | [6] |
| Consequence of Sound | (C+)[7] |
Background
editOn 15 September 2014, Yusuf/Cat Stevens announced the forthcoming release on 27 October 2014 of his new studio album Tell 'Em I'm Gone and two upcoming tours: a November 2014 (9-date) Europe tour and a December 2014 (6-date) North America tour, the latter being his first since 1976.[8][9]
Cover art
editOn the album cover, the singer is credited as "Yusuf" with a promotional sticker identifying him also as "Cat Stevens". Vinyl and digital editions have a different cover, drawn by William Stout.
Personnel
editPersonnel on the album include Richard Thompson, Charlie Musselwhite, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Tinariwen, and Matt Sweeney.[10]
Promotional tours
editOn 15 September 2014, Yusuf/Cat Stevens announced two short tours following the release of the album: a November 2014 (9-date) Europe tour and a December 2014 (6-date) North America tour, the latter being his first one there since 1976.[8][9]
Track listing
editAll songs are written by Yusuf except as indicated.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Was Raised in Babylon" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "Big Boss Man" (Luther Dixon, Al Smith) | 3:10 |
| 3. | "Dying to Live" (Edgar Winter) | 3:47 |
| 4. | "You Are My Sunshine" (Jimmie Davis, Charles Mitchell, arranged by Yusuf) | 3:13 |
| 5. | "Editing Floor Blues" | 3:42 |
| 6. | "Cat and the Dog Trap" | 3:22 |
| 7. | "Gold Digger" | 4:34 |
| 8. | "The Devil Came from Kansas" (Gary Brooker, Keith Reid) | 3:42 |
| 9. | "Tell 'Em I'm Gone" (originally "Take This Hammer", arranged by Yusuf) | 3:12 |
| 10. | "Doors" | 3:22 |
Charts
edit| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] | 24 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[12] | 15 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[13] | 94 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[14] | 69 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[15] | 90 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] | 26 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[17] | 30 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] | 39 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[19] | 22 |
| US Billboard 200[20] | 24 |
| US Folk Albums (Billboard)[21] | 2 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[22] | 6 |
References
edit- ^ "Tell 'Em I'm Gone – Yusuf". Metacritic. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ Kot, Greg. "Yusuf channels blues roots of Cat Stevens". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ Deming, Mark. "Cat Stevens / Yusuf – Tell 'Em I'm Gone". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ McCormick, Neil. "Yusuf, Tell 'Em I'm Gone, review: 'understated'". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ Mongredien, Phil (25 October 2014). "Yusuf: Tell 'Em I'm Gone review ‑ still the Cat with the cream". The Observer. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ Dolan, Jon (21 October 2014). "Yusuf's New Album: Tell 'Em I'm Gone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ Melis, Matt (27 October 2014). "Yusuf Islam – Tell 'Em I'm Gone". Consequence of Sound. Townsquare Music. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ a b "Cat Stevens to tour US for the first time since 1976". BBC Online. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ^ a b Rutherford, Kevin (15 September 2014). "Yusuf / Cat Stevens Announces New Album 'Tell 'Em I'm Gone,' Debuts 'Living to Die'". Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ^ "Tell 'Em I'm Gone LP (Vinyl)". www.yusufislam.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2015.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Yusuf – Tell 'Em I'm Gone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Yusuf – Tell 'Em I'm Gone" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Yusuf – Tell 'Em I'm Gone" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Yusuf – Tell 'Em I'm Gone" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Yusuf – Tell 'Em I'm Gone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Yusuf – Tell 'Em I'm Gone" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Yusuf – Tell 'Em I'm Gone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Yusuf – Tell 'Em I'm Gone". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "Cat Stevens | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
- ^ "Cat Stevens Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "Cat Stevens Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "Cat Stevens Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 November 2014.