Teaser and the Firecat

Template:Use dmy dates Template:EngvarB {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |Template:Short description|noreplace}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Tea for the Tillerman1970Catch Bull at Four1972Studio albumTeaser and the FirecatTeaser & the firecat.jpgCat Stevens1 October 1971<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>July 1970 – March 1971Template:HlistFolk-pop<ref name="Molanphy 2021">Template:Cite podcast</ref>32:39Island (UK/Europe)
A&M (US/Canada)Paul Samwell-Smithx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}} Teaser and the Firecat is the fifth studio album by Cat Stevens, released in October 1971.

At the Australian 1972 King of Pop Awards the album won Biggest Selling LP.<ref name="Top40TV">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Overview

The album contains 10 songs, including the hits "Morning Has Broken", "Moonshadow" and "Peace Train". It is also the title of a children's book written and illustrated by Stevens. The story features the title characters from the album cover, top-hatted young Teaser and his pet, Firecat, who attempt to put the moon back in its place after it falls from the sky. Published in 1972, the book has been out of print since the mid-1970s.

The album was a commercial success, surpassing the heights achieved by Stevens' previous album, Tea for the Tillerman, reaching both the UK and US top 3 and also spending fifteen weeks at the top of the Australian charts, becoming the biggest-selling album of the country in 1972.

In 1977 an animated version, narrated by comedian Spike Milligan, using the song "Moonshadow", was a segment in Fantastic Animation Festival. In November 2008, a "deluxe edition" was released featuring a second disc of demos and live recordings.

English keyboardist Rick Wakeman played piano on "Morning Has Broken" and English musician Linda Lewis contributed vocals on "How Can I Tell You".

Critical reception

Template:Album ratings In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone magazine, music critic Timothy Crouse praised Stevens' distinctive musical style and introspective songs such as "Tuesday's Dead" and "The Wind", but felt that he lacks Van Morrison's evocative quality and James Taylor's refined lyrics: "Cat has become a dependable artist, a good artist, but he appears to be one of those composers who does not develop, who holds no surprises."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In a retrospective five-star review, AllMusic's William Ruhlmann found the album more simplistic lyrically and musically entertaining than Tea for the Tillerman (1970): "Teaser and the Firecat was the Cat Stevens album that gave more surface pleasures to more people, which in pop music is the name of the game."<ref name="Allmusic">{{#ifeq: | yes | https://www.allmusic.com/album/r50190{{

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}}</ref> It was voted number 539 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).<ref name="Larkin">Template:Cite book</ref>

Personnel

• Guitar: Alun Davies, Cat Stevens
• Bouzouki: Angelos Hatzipavli, Andreas Toumazis
• Bass: Larry Steele
• Keyboards: Jean Alain Roussel, Cat Stevens, Rick Wakeman
• Drums: Harvey Burns, Gerry Conway
• Percussion: Paul Samwell-Smith, Larry Steele
• Strings: Del Newman
• Backing Vocals: Alun Davies, Linda Lewis, Paul Samwell-Smith, Larry Steele<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1971/72)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)<ref name=aus>Template:Cite book</ref>	1
United Kingdom (Official Charts Company)	2
United States (Billboard 200)<ref>{{#ifeq: | yes	https://www.allmusic.com/album/r50190{{ #if: charts-awards	/charts-awards }}	{{#if: r50190	{{#if:	[[{{{author-link}}}|{{#if: |, {{{first}}} }}]]|{{#if: |, {{{first}}} }}}}. }}[https://www.allmusic.com/album/r50190{{ #if: charts-awards	/charts-awards }} {{ #if: Cat Stevens > Teaser and the Firecat > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums	Cat Stevens > Teaser and the Firecat > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums	Template:PAGENAMEBASE }}] at AllMusic{{ #if:	. Retrieved . }}	{{#if: {{#property:P1728}}	Template:First word {{#if: Cat Stevens > Teaser and the Firecat > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums | Cat Stevens > Teaser and the Firecat > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata	{{#if: {{#property:P1729}}	Template:First word {{#if: Cat Stevens > Teaser and the Firecat > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums | Cat Stevens > Teaser and the Firecat > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata	{{#if: {{#property:P1730}}	Template:First word {{#if: Cat Stevens > Teaser and the Firecat > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums | Cat Stevens > Teaser and the Firecat > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata	{{#if: {{#property:P1994}}	Template:First word {{#if: Cat Stevens > Teaser and the Firecat > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums | Cat Stevens > Teaser and the Firecat > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums | Template:PAGENAMEBASE }} at AllMusicTemplate:EditAtWikidata	Template:Main other }} }} }} }} }} }}</ref>	2

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Chart (2021)	Peak position

Year-end charts

Chart (1972)	Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	33

External links

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