MUSIC REVIEW: Yusuf Islam, Echo Arena Liverpool

Dec 7 2009 Liverpool Daily Post

Yusuf Islam

AS YUSUF Islam himself put it , he is “back 33 years after my journey through the universe”.

As well as a physical journey, it was a deeply spiritual one, leading to a conversion to Islam, a change of name and the renouncing of his beloved music.

His beliefs have shifted just enough to allow him to return to public performance, and he seemed a little surprised, yet delighted, by the crowd’s enthusiastic welcome on Saturday.

The show started with a preview of Islam’s new musical, Moonshadow, with Chris Holland standing in for Noel Sullivan, formerly of reality TV winners Hear’say, who had bronchitis.

As a work in progress, it had plenty of potential – an intriguing parallel universe setting, gradually engulfed by darkness; a daydreaming hero searching for a better world; and undertones of ethnic divides, which will hopefully be further developed in the final script.

Giving some of Islam’s best known songs (Matthew and Son, Old Schoolyard and Wild World) the musical treatment brought out their strong melodic qualities.

Islam’s own set was heavy on the greatest hits, but also included a number of his more recent compositions, which he asked the Arena audience to indulge him in performing.