King of a Land

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King of a Land
A drawing of an extremely large boy sitting on the North Pole, playing guitar with a cat near him and a toy train set driving around the Earth
Studio album by
Yusuf / Cat Stevens
Released16 June 2023 (2023-06-16)
Recorded2011–2022
Studio
  • Air Lyndhurst Studios, London, England, United Kingdom (orchestra);
  • Angel Studios, London, England, United Kingdom;
  • Dubville, Dubai, United Arab Emirates;
  • F.P.S.H.O.T., Henley-upon-Thames, England, United Kingdom;
  • La Fabrique, Provence, France;
  • Hansa Studios
    , Berlin, Germany;
  • ICP Studios, Brussels, Belgium.
Genre
Length43:16
Label
ProducerPaul Samwell-Smith
Yusuf / Cat Stevens chronology
Tea for the Tillerman 2
(2020) 		King of a Land
(2023)
Singles from King of a Land
  1. "Take the World Apart"
    Released: 15 March 2023[4]
  2. "King of a Land"
    Released: 25 April 2023[5]
  3. "All Nights, All Days"
    Released: 17 May 2023[6]

King of a Land is the seventeenth studio album from British singer-songwriter Yusuf / Cat Stevens, released on 16 June 2023 by BMG Rights Management / Dark Horse Records. The recording featured children's music and religious music influences,[1] and received positive reviews from critics.

Recording and release

Stevens worked on the album for over a decade before releasing the debut single "Take the World Apart" on 15 March 2023.

soundtrack to Harold and Maude.[6]

Critical reception

King of a Land received positive reviews from critics noted at review aggregator Metacritic. It has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on four reviews.[7]

Writing for

Uncut opined that King of a Land presents "lyrically teasing exercises in self examination... Yusuf breaks ground".[10] In Under the Radar, Frank Valish scored this album a 7.5 out of 10, praising Stevens' voice and the "exquisite" packaging of the album.[11]

In

Ultimate Classic Rock, Michael Gallucci states that "it's the more adult songs on King of a Land that work best".[15]

Editors at Reader's Digest included this among the best albums of the year.[16] Editors at AllMusic included this among their favorite singer-songwriter music albums of 2023.[17]

Track listing

  1. "Train on a Hill" – 3:09
  2. "King of a Land" – 4:14
  3. "Pagan Run" – 4:33
  4. "He Is True" – 1:40
  5. "All Nights, All Days" – 2:22
  6. "Another Night in the Rain" – 3:53
  7. "Things" – 3:05
  8. "Son of Mary" – 4:39
  9. "Highness" – 3:56
  10. "The Boy Who Knew How to Climb Walls" – 4:26
  11. "How Good It Feels" – 4:35
  12. "Take the World Apart" – 2:44

Personnel

"Train on a Hill"

"King of a Land"

  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – nylon guitar, synthesizer, keyboards, chorus, vocals, production
  • Angel Kids – chorus
    • Ariana
    • Safiye Dizdar
    • Liyana
    • Nalini Patel
    • Varun Patel
    • Kimi Scholz
    • Yasmina (Hassain) Mikaela Scholz
    • Muammad Sulaiman
    • Sian Sweeney
    • Carl Sweeney
  • Eric Appapoulay – slide guitar
  • David Hefti – engineering, mixing
  • Russ Kunkel – drums, percussion, cajón
  • Bruce Lynch –
    Fender bass
  • Paul Samwell-Smith – production
  • Peter Vettese
     – keyboards, pizz. strings, tuba, flute

"Pagan Run"

  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars,
    synth pads
    , hand claps, vocals, production
  • Eric Appapoulay – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • Jon Ashton-Thomas – brass arrangement
  • David Hefti – engineering
  • Paul Hicks – mixing
  • Michelle John – backing vocals
  • Jel Jongen – trombone
  • Russ Kunkel – drums, hand claps
  • Bruce Lynch – acoustic bass
  • Carlo Mertens – trombone
  • Serge Plume – trumpet
  • Paul Samwell-Smith – production
  • Beverley Skeete – backing vocals
  • Daniel Thomas – backing vocals
  • Peter Vettese – Hammond organ, keyboards

"He Is True"

  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – nylon guitar,
    harmonium
    , keyboards, backing vocals, vocals, production
  • Eric Appapoulay – nylon guitar
  • David Hefti – engineering, mixing
  • Russ Kunkel – drums, hand claps
  • Bruce Lynch – Fender bass
  • Hanna Roos –
    soprano voice
  • Paul Samwell-Smith –
    choral
    , production
  • Peter Vettese – Mellotron
  • Kwame Yeboah – choral

"All Nights, All Days"

  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, vocals, production
  • Jo Ambros – pedal steel guitar, electric guitar
  • Eric Appapoulay – electric guitar, 12-string guitar
  • Marlon Browden – drums
  • Stefan Fuhr – bass
  • David Hefti – engineering
  • Paul Hicks – mixing
  • Russ Kunkel – tambourine
  • Paul Samwell-Smith – production
  • Peter Vettese – piano

"Another Night in the Rain"

  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, vocals, recording, production
  • Jo Ambros – electric guitars
  • Marlon Browden – drums
  • Stefan Fuhr – bass
  • David Hefti – engineering, mixing
  • Frank Schellenberger – keyboards
  • Kwame Yeboah – synthesizers

"Things"

  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – acoustic guitar, synth organ, brass, vocals, production
  • Martin Allcock – Fender jazz fretless bass
  • Eric Appapoulay – electric guitar, 12-string guitar
  • Alun Davies – claps
  • David Hefti – engineering
  • Paul Hicks – mixing
  • Russ Kunkel – claps
  • Paul Samwell-Smith – production
  • Peter Vettese – keyboards
  • Kwame Yeboah – drums,
    shakers

"Son of Mary"

  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, synthesizer, keyboards, vocals, production
  • David Hefti – engineering, mixing
  • Russ Kunkel – bass drum
  • Bruce Lynch – acoustic bass
  • Paul Samwell-Smith – production
  • Peter Vettese – additional keyboards

"Highness"

  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – nylon guitar, vocals, recording, production
  • Jo Ambross – electric guitars
  • Eric Appapoulay – electric guitar, 12-string guitar
  • Martin Browden – drums
  • Stefan Fuhr – bass
  • David Hefti – engineering
  • Paul Hicks – mixing
  • Nick Ingman – orchestra arrangement
  • Michelle John – backing vocals
  • Pete Murray – additional piano
  • Steve Pearce – additional bass
  • Frank Ricotti –
    tympani
    , percussion
  • Beverley Skeete – backing vocals
  • Daniel Thomas – backing vocals

"The Boy Who Knew How to Climb Walls"

  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, synthesizer, bass, backing vocals, vocals, recording, production
  • Eric Appapoulay – electric slide guitar, backing vocals
  • Kwame Yeboah – drums, backing vocals
  • Paul Hicks – mixing

"How Good It Feels"

  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – nylon guitar, acoustic guitar, synthesizer, vocals, production
  • Eric Appapoulay – nylon guitar
  • David Hefti – engineering, mixing
  • Nick Ingman – orchestra arrangement
  • Russ Kunkel – drums, cymbals
  • Bruce Lynch – Fender bass
  • Hanna Roos – soprano voice
  • Peter Vettese – keyboards

"Take the World Apart"

  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – guitars, keyboards, claps, chorus, vocals, recording, production
  • Bruce Lynch – Fender bass
  • Paul Hicks – mixing

Additional personnel

  • Peter H. Reynolds – illustrations
  • Nick Wallage – engineering on orchestral recordings
  • Yoriyos – art concept, design
  • Yusuf/Cat Stevens – art concept, design

Chart performance

Chart performance for King of a Land
Chart Peak
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[18] 32
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[19] 136
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[20] 10
Scottish Albums (OCC)[21] 11
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[22] 91
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 32
UK Albums (OCC)[24] 49
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[25] 2

References

  1. ^ a b c Christiane, Amanpour (24 March 2023). "March 24, 2023". Amanpour & Company. Event occurs at 32:00. PBS.
  2. ^ a b Green, Thomas H (10 June 2023). "Album: Yusuf/Cat Stevens – King of a Land review – charming, bright-eyed and religiously enthused". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b Hill, James (16 June 2023). "Yusuf/Cat Stevens wants to lock politicians in London Zoo – the week's best albums". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b Greene, Andy (15 March 2023). "Yusuf/Cat Stevens Spent Nearly a Decade Crafting 'King of a Land'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  5. ^ a b Bugel, Safi (25 April 2023). "'Beware of negative people': Yusuf Islam writes manifesto for King Charles III". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b Kreps, Daniel (17 May 2023). "Yusuf/Cat Stevens Harkens Back to 'Harold & Maude' for New Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  7. Fandom, Inc.
    n.d. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  8. ^ John, Murphy (26 June 2023). "Yusuf/Cat Stevens – King Of A Land". Album Reviews. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  9. ^ Hodgkinson, Will (16 June 2023). "Yusuf / Cat Stevens: King of a Land review—occasional glimpses of his 1970s magic". The Times. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Album Reviews". Uncut (July 2023).
  11. ISSN 1553-2305
    . Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  12. ^ Hayden, Jackie (16 June 2023). "Album Review: Yusuf / Cat Stevens, King Of A Land". Music. Hot Press. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  13. ^ Khuttapan, Tanatat. "Yusuf / Cat Stevens: King of a Land Review – optimistic wishfulness". Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  14. ^ Carrigan, Henry (15 June 2023). "On 'King of a Land,' Yusuf/Cat Stevens Reigns Familiar Territory". No Depression. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  15. Ultimate Classic Rock
    . Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  16. ISSN 0034-0375
    . Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Favorite Singer-Songwriter Albums". AllMusic. RhythmOne. n.d. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Longplay Charts Woche 25 / 2023". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Yusuf / Cat Stevens – King of a Land" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  20. GfK Entertainment Charts
    . Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  21. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  22. ^ "Top 100 Albums Weekly". PROMUSICAE. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  23. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Yusuf / Cat Stevens – King of a Land". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  24. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  25. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 June 2023.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=King_of_a_Land&oldid=1220926317"