Turning Points: Yusuf/Cat Stevens' 13 Favourite Albums | Page 8 of 15 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

7. The BeatlesPlease, Please Me

Nobody can underestimate the world changing impact that The Beatles had on my generation. It was so powerful and revolutionary. It enabled us all to see the possibility of picking up a guitar and expressing ourselves in any way you wanted. And they were the pioneers of change and innovation. They were symbolic in the sense that we were all looking for something new and they provided it.

When I heard Please Please Me, it was like it was from another world. This album represents the beginning, when they had been playing clubs and were first capturing that creative energy and raw vocals. This was the bare naked, early origin of many of these artists in this piece of music and I loved it. Of course, they went on to do many things after that, but this was the kernel, the seed of what they were to do later.

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