Tea For The Tillerman  by Cat Stevens

Tea For The Tillerman - a 1970 release - by Cat Stevens is considered one of the most important albums of the '70s, marking his transition from pop to a more introspective, folk rock sound. Tea For The Tillerman was the fourth album effort by Cat Stevens. The songs were written by him during a period of spiritual exploration after his recovery from tuberculosis. The title comes from a children's book that Stevens himself was writing at the time, while the cover was crafted by Cat Stevens himself, as he was a former art student. It depicts an elderly man (the "Tillerman") drinking tea under a tree, while children play around.

The album was recorded between May and July 1970 in London, at Morgan, Island, and Olympic studios. Paul Samwell-Smith (former member of the Yardbirds) helped shape the album's simple, acoustic sound by taking on its production. The songs reflect concern for the environment (Where Do the Children Play?), the search for spiritual meaning (On The Road To Find Out), and the generation gap. Father And Son was originally written for a musical about the Russian Revolution, while Wild World was about Cat Stevens's relationship with Patti D’Arbanville.

The album reached No. 8 in Great Britain and No. 20 in the U.S. It has sold over 3,800,000 copies worldwide and has been certified 3 times platinum in the U.S.