Cat Stevens-Catch Bull At Four (1972)

In late 1972, "Catch Bull At Four", the sixth album by British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, was released, achieving an undeniable number one spot on the US charts and number two in the UK. Although Cat Stevens still had five years of tremendous success ahead of him, with albums like "Foreigner" (1973), "Buddha and the Chocolate Box" (1974), "Numbers" (1975), and "Izitso" (1977), "Catch Bull At Four" began to mark his creative decline. Part of this was due to the fact that its repertoire was written during breaks from his grueling tour promoting "Teaser and The Firecat", which somewhat diminished the freshness of his compositions. Here, the acoustic and folk sounds that predominated in his earlier work, driven by guitars, give way to more refined arrangements where the piano takes center stage. Tracks like "18th Avenue (Kansas City Nightmare)", "Silent Sunlight", "Freezing Steel", and "Sweet Scarlet" are clear evidence of this. Even so, songs in his usual style appear here, such as "Sitting", "The Boy With a Moon and Star on His Head", "Can't Keep It In", and "Angelsea". Although the album reached number one, it spent less time on the charts than its predecessor, and its repertoire was less accessible than that of the three previous albums, which had garnered him numerous fans who continued to expect Stevens's rhythmic and catchy melodies and thoughtful lyrics. With this album, Cat Stevens reached a turning point, and his millions of followers began to tire of his religious fervor, his sophisticated arrangements, and his increasingly melodramatic style.