Yusuf / Cat Stevens NPR Tiny Desk Concert 2014 [Official Video + Free MP3 Download]

Yusuf, or more popularly know by his former stage name, Cat Stevens, played a Tiny Desk Concert at NPR. Watch the video above and download the audio for free at NPR Music.

Before the performance, All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shared an touching anecdote from when he was a camp counselor in 1971. With the money he made from his summer job, he bought a guitar and learned how to play the song "Father And Son" from Stevens' Tea For The Tillerman.

The singer-songwriter's set features classic songs along with new ones from the recently released Tell 'Em I'm Gone. The first song he played, "I Was Raised In Babylon," has a serious tone to it and sounds pretty close to the album version, since that recording was primarily vocals with acoustic guitar. After giving the audience a taste of his contemporary material, he flips through a tablet on the desk figuring out what to play next.

Before playing "The First Cut Is The Deepest," Yusuf joked, "Maybe some people don't know I wrote this one, it wasn't Rod Stewart." The song appeared on Cat Stevens' 1967 album, New Masters, but Rod Stweart's 1977 single got more radio airplay, reaching #1 in the UK and #21 in the USA. It was also a hit for P. P. Arnold, Keith Hampshire, and Sheryl Crow.

During another song from the new album, "Doors," the repeated line "God made everything just right" shows how Yusuf incorporates his faith into his lyrics. Stevens dedicated the last song to Bob Boilen, playing "Father And Son."

Tell 'Em I'm Gone is available on Amazon (Vinyl, CD, MP3) and iTunes.

For Cat Stevens' latest music, news, and tour dates, check out his Zumic artist page.

Source: NPR