I have been listening to this track for thirty years and I still discover musical nuances that I hadn't heard before. The arrangements, orchestrations, phrasings and lyrics in this 18 minute opus are nothing less than genius. If Mozart were alive in the 20th/21st century he would be writing music like this. If one views Foreigner Suite as a mere album track it would be a mistake. This work is a symphony.

Every part transitions so seamlessly into the next that the 18 minutes seem like 8. The emotions Foreigner Suite elicits range from joy to sadness, from exuberance to melancholy.

I can't think of an artist, other than perhaps Elton John, who could write music with such consistent emotion and quality. Not only could Cat Stevens write such achingly beautiful and complex music but he, along with several accomplished backup musicians, could perform it flawlessly live. I will never forget the two times I experienced Foreigner Suite live.

The first was on the hit ABC TV show of the seventies called "In Concert". It was on Friday nights at 11:30 and it was simulcast in stereo on local FM stations across the country, KSFX being the San Francisco station I would listen to. Back then there was no such thing as stereo television.

The second time I heard Foreigner Suite live was, in fact, live and in person. One of the best concerts I ever experienced was Cat Stevens at the Oakland Coliseum Arena in the mid seventies. He performed all eighteen minutes perfectly, before the days of computers and sequencers.

All that's left to say is, if you're new to Cat Stevens, you haven't heard his best until you've heard Foreigner Suite. If you're a true fan then I don't need to convince you. And if you're one of the people who dismissed this incredible work of art as mediocre after one or two listens because it didn't fit the mold of what you consider to be a "hit record" or a "Cat Stevens" record then you truly can't hear the music and nothing I say will change your mind. This record broke the mold and is a true masterpiece.

11 of 11 found the following review helpful:

It doesn't get better than this  Jun 15, 2001
By openmyeyes
I purchased this CD re-release about 4 years ago, perhaps a different mix than the one referred to by Mr Vincze in his review. My CD version sounds just like the original vinyl release without the scratches. I own all except 1 or 2 releases by CS and saw him perform live twice. I care nothing about his spiritual quest, but his work is some of the greatest in all of pop music. Foreigner Suite is my favorite of all Cat's albums, followed by Numbers. This was a great musical experiment. I was in dis-belief the first 3 times I listened to the cut "Foreigner Suite". I couldn't believe that such a wonderful, musical, joyful, intense and l-o-n-g cut had been released by a major artist.

Foreigner and Numbers are very different from his great commercial albums (Tea & Teaser) but if you are a Cat fan you should give these albums a chance.

This CD rates in my top-10 "desert island essentials".

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:

One of my great "finds"  Mar 16, 2007
By Eliot B. Chayt
There are very few singer-songwriters who have a unique sound and a substantial body of work. After years of TV commercials for Cat Stevens, this young reviewer (23 years old) got pretty sick of hearing the sound of Cat Stevens' songs in 15-second segments. With the soundtrack to Harold and Maude, I began to love Cat Steven's unique phrasing and personal writing style. I heard the major albums, which are great, but I found a real gem with Foreigner. The first side is an interesting experiment that sounds grandiose today (though the recordings/engineering on this album are wonderful in general). His thoughts are allowed to flow in this longer piece, which allows Cat's songwriting to "breathe" and ramble outside the constraints of radio-ready singles. The second side is great as well. There are shorter songs, but they are murky and enigmatic, showing a dark side of Cat. My favorite track is "How Many Times," a really gut-wrenchingly soulful piece about the monotony of a life without meaning.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Genious!!  Oct 12, 2001

I have to admit, I liked the song Foreigner Suite when I first heard it, but I didn't love it. With this, you HAVE to listen to it a few times, especially if you were expecting his "tillerman" sound to come out of it. Now, I LOVE IT!!! Again, I didn't like How Many Times and 100 I Dream at first either, and now I love them too. This might be the kind of album some have to get used to, but it's certainly worth it to give it a few listens.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Best Lovers Album ever...  Oct 05, 2000
By kurt
This is one of my favorite albums I must say... it has the best love song that has ever been written...the perfect thing to play to a loved one...

Now although this album doesn't have many tracks... the first tracks 18 minutes seems to somewhat pay back those other missing tracks. And it does it with style.

If I have five different versions on this album (The LP, Tape, Old CD Version and the New Limited Edition Pack version) then surly you aught to have one.

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