Track Listing

1. Lady D'Arbanville
2. Maybe You're Right
3. Pop Star
4. I Think I See The Light
5. Trouble
6. Mona Bone Jakon
7. I Wish, I Wish
8. Katmandu
9. Timen
10. Fill My Eyes
11. Lillywhite

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13992 in Music
• Released on: 2000-05-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .22 pounds
• Running time: 35 minutes

CD Description
1970's MONA BONE JAKON was Cat Stevens's third album, yet it bore little relation to the pop-oriented sound of his 1967releases. In the interim Stevens had become disillusioned with the pop scene, then became seriously ill and spent a year convalescing. When he returned with this album his sound had grown folksier and his songs more reflective and emotionally straightforward. Acoustic guitar and spare backing by bass, keys, and drums framed these new compositions that dealtwith the trials of fame ("Pop Star"), personal hardship ("Trouble"), and faith ("I Think I See the Light").
Althoughthe quality of the songwriting here does not quite match what Stevens would achieve on his following releases, it is strong nonetheless, and goes a good length toward establishinghis trademark sound. Of particular note is Stevens' voice: a rich, variable baritone that he exploits on MONA BONE JAKON to excellent effect. The results--warm, intimate, and immediately appealing--put Stevens in the running with the best singer-songwriters of the early '70s, and paved the way for his next release, the watershed TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN.

Customer Reviews

Depressing? Cathartic!
The problem with being an old fart who was around when this album was first released is that I find the previous reviewer's comments about it being "depressing" hard to take. I remember my sister singing along to "I Love My Dog" etc, but I also remember watching the Simon Dee show when Cat was introduced as having not been around for awhile. Not only had he reinvented himself, but he almost single-handedly kick-started the British singer/songwriter movement. Cat had been in hospital after contracting Pneumonia/TB and had had his (first) near-death experience.

The music born out of this was astonishing to my 14 year-old ears. Here was an attractive male role model who took acoustic music to another realm. The ladies loved him and many lads probably thought they did too. Lyrically this is a very strong set and melodically it is too. The simple acoustic setting kept us listening to what was being said and he had obviously spent a hell of a lot of time thinking in hospital. I teach classes of kids of my age when I first heard this album and am constantly upset by how little kids want to say - or are able to - but Cat Stevens opened us up to some very deep feelings and gave us the tools to express ourselves.

No, I'm sorry this is NOT depressing, this is the sound of a man who thought he was going to die and then decided to not play the pop star game anymore - and became phenomenally even more successful by doing it. This works as an album of cathartic songs for me. The well known songs like "Lady D'Arbanville" are great to hear again, but my own favourite "Maybe You're Right" is the ultimate end-of-the-affair song. Del Newman's strings are always worth the price of admission (listen to Nick Drake or Ian Matthews) but the sparse arrangements of acoustic guitars, bass and percussion are a superb backdrop to a lovely collection of songs that - naive as they may be - I find more important than the following few albums.

Oh, and Peter Gabriel played flute on it, too.

Poetic and lyrical:One of Cat's best !
I missed this the first time around coming in,as I did,with 'Tea for the Tillerman'.Thirty Three years on and finding myself filling in the gaps in my musical journey from youth to middle age,I picked this up through Amazon.
To my delight and amazement I find this-Cat's first album after he re-invented himself as a acoustic singer/songwriter- totally captivating !
I was familiar with one or two tracks which had appeared on Island compilation albums but it was wonderful to hear Mona Bone Jakon as a new album which sounded totally approachable and accessible all these decades later.
Like John Martyn,Van Morrison,Paul Simon,Nick Drake and other great singer songwriters,Cat's musical legacy is as valuable today as it ever was.
Mona Bone Jakon is a great album !

magnifique!
Ok, i love Cat stevens ,even if I was born many a year after he disappeared off out of the charts.

I bought this because I love the song Trouble, which features in my all-time favourite film, Harold and Maude(go see).

I think its an amazing album and who cares if it is a little more depressing than his usual stuff .... everyone needs to be sad sometimes you know and at least CS is sad in a literate manner...

heck, i just like sad songs, so sue me sue me what can you do me, I love this....(sinatra fan too...)