It was tragic and awful. Saw her live in Ann Arbor, MI, circa 199…2? (With an unknown David Gray opening, years before his breakthrough with White Ladder.) But I had no idea she was making music as far back as ‘79.

Doubly, I could see it being a cover of of some obscure 1958 song, but a 1979 Kirsty MacColl song? That just blew my mind. #xpncountdown

Because Cat Stevens supported the fatwa against author Salman Rushdie for writing The Satanic Verses.

I need my own detective show.

True story: I thought Dave was saying ‘Maxwell, Jump’ until I heard the hammock-swinging delivery of Roddy Frame. And then it made so much more sense.

I threw the full weight of my no.1 vote to Spoon’s barn-burner cover of the Cramps’ “TV Set.” Don’t think it’s gonna happen.

Oh, wow!

Because of the Cat Stevens support of the fatweh on Salman Rushdie for writing The Satanic berses.

It’s the one event of the year where I’ll (semi-)happily sit through songs that elicit a deep groan as they come on.