Vinyl Record
Cat Stevens - Foreigner
Cat Stevens - Foreigner on LP vinyl. A 1973 record available from Kilmorna Collection in Listowel, Ireland.
LP ยท 1973
Available from Kilmorna Collection in Listowel.
Buyer notes: 1973 LP, currently available from the Kilmorna Collection vinyl shelf. Pay for pickup in Listowel or ship within Ireland for EUR 5.50.
Foreigner is Cat Stevens choosing risk after a run of enormous early-1970s success. Released in 1973, the album steps away from the intimate acoustic singer-songwriter shape many listeners expected and opens with the long Foreigner Suite, a side-length piece that folds soul, R&B, spiritual searching, and melodic confession into one extended movement. The second side returns to shorter songs with The Hurt, How Many Times, Later, and 100 I Dream, but the album still feels like a deliberate act of self-displacement. Stevens had already proven he could write concise, enduring songs; Foreigner asks whether he could stretch that gift into looser, warmer, more groove-conscious forms. Its title fits the sound: an artist entering new territory and making his uncertainty part of the record.
The album matters because it complicates the simple image of Cat Stevens as only an acoustic troubadour. Foreigner shows ambition, self-production, and a willingness to follow soul and R&B impulses even when critics and some fans preferred the earlier path. It is one of the most revealing detours in his 1970s run.
For collectors, Foreigner is the adventurous Cat Stevens title: not the universal entry point, but a rewarding album once Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat are familiar. It deepens a shelf by showing that his classic period included experimentation, long-form structure, and a stronger groove language than the hits alone suggest.
Expansive singer-songwriter soul with R&B warmth, long-form piano-led movement, relaxed grooves, layered backing vocals, and a richer band feel than the earlier acoustic records.
Recommended for: Cat Stevens fans exploring beyond the best-known acoustic albums; Collectors interested in 1970s singer-songwriters experimenting with soul and R&B; Listeners who enjoy side-length suites and warm self-produced records.
What year is Foreigner by Cat Stevens? The official Cat Stevens discography lists Foreigner as released in 1973. Is Foreigner mostly acoustic? No. It moves into soul, R&B, and fuller band textures, especially through the long Foreigner Suite. Is Foreigner a good first Cat Stevens album? It is better as a deeper listen after the classic early-1970s albums, because it is more experimental and less singles-driven.