Before Tea for the Tillerman, a musical masterpiece widely lauded as one of the greatest albums of all time, a new deal with Island Records — A&M in the U.S. — saw the April 1970 release of Mona Bone Jakon. The album represents one of the most profound artistic metamorphoses of the 20th Century: the cleanly shaven Carnaby Street pop-star incarnation of Cat Stevens, who brought us "I Love My Dog" and "Matthew & Son," fades into the mist of a bygone era.

Inspired by a near-fatal battle with tuberculosis and extended period of convalescence during which he studied classical music, metaphysical literature and meditative self-reflection, Mona Bone Jakon is equal parts painful torment, self-referential humor and spiritual awakening.

The album has a deeply personal, almost vulnerable quality that, arguably, makes it the most compelling and human of all of Yusuf / Cat Stevens' work. Marking the start of a long-running creative partnership with producer (and former Yardbird) Paul Samwell-Smith, the album includes the deeply Romantic "Lady D'Arbanville," the spiritually uplifting "I Think I See The Light," the tongue-in-cheek "Pop Star" and the heart-rendering "Trouble."

Mona Bond Jakon has been newly remastered in 2020 in celebration of the iconic album's 50th anniversary.

"You can hear Stevens finding his distinctive voice and sound on the first few bars of 'Lady D'Arbanville' in all its baroque, emotive glory. 'I Think I See the Light' marks the beginning of Stevens's lyrical spiritual pursuits, and 'Trouble' stands among the best tracks in his career. All in all, Mona Bone Jakon is a delight, and because it never achieved the Top 40 radio ubiquity of later albums, it sounds fresh and distinct." — Amazon.com

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