REGGAE IMPORTS

Rip It Up, Issue 75, 1 October 1983, Page 32

REGGAE IMPORTS

Reggae fans know full well the frustrations and expense associated with obtaining the music they want to hear. Import supplies fluctuate, and it's the quickest and most observant who . get ,the goodies when they arrive. The following is a sampling of a recent line of imports from the EMI Shop. Clint Eastwood and General Saint Stop That' Train (Greensleeves) From Britain's premier label

comes the, second LP from the highly popular toasting duo which produced Two Bad D], a classic example of the genre. This one appears comparatively, lightweight at first, till the chilling power of 'Nuclear' Crisis' hits you. Every-" thing is upful on 'Rock With Me', a skank for kids, while the terrible two are both witty and articulate on 'Shame and Scandal' and True Vegetarian'. Mash it! Singers and Players Staggering Heights (On-U Sound) The third album from a loose collection of musicians assembled by radical producer Adrian Sherwood. Participants this time include Mikey Dread, Prince Far I, Bim Sherman, Congo Ashanti Roy and George Oban. The pace and content are both militant, with Far I and Mikey in especially tough form. Mighty riddims and much well dread talent on display. Massive Dread - It's Massive (Upfront) Dennis James, aka Massive Dread, produced one of last year's best surprises with Strictly Bubbling and the year's best toast with Vamps On The Corner. I don't know whether this album was the predecessor or the successor. I hope it's the former, since the vocal performance here is pathetic by comparison. At times, James is just plain off-key, although his pitch improves on the second side. The album is rescued by the lazy skank of 'Nice Dem Up' and 'No

Sell You 80dy'..... Prince Lincoln Thompson and the Royal Rasses Ride With The Rasses (God Sent) Another JA group which has made it in Britain, the Rasses have delivered consistently fine material for nigh on 10 years. Their exposure to Britain has given them a more urbane sound, this has done no harm. Thompson's pure falsetto rides happily on the more sophisticated harmonies and the slightly-funked riddim. His songwriting has never been better, and the title track could turn into a new Rasta anthem.. Tony Benjamin and the Sane Inmates African Rebel (Ariwa) Tony Benjamin is leader singer with the Reggae Regulars, a band which has made a lot of headway in Britain recently. His first solo outing is a lush, heady mixture of lovers and righteous rockings. Not a dud track here and' the ' only better singing I've heard this year is from the unmatchable Michael Prophet on his album Love Is An Earthly Thing. Keith Hudson The Black Morphologist of Reggae (Keja) A PhD in reggae? I guess if anyone deserves it, it's Keith Hudson. From producer to performer, the man has been a pioneering spirit and has.been responsible for at least two standards, 'Civilisation' and 'I Broke The Comb'. As < a

researcher of roots, Hudson is not. afraid vto experiment. The approach is primitive in the extreme, deliberately traditional. Having i recorded one of the earliest reggae disco singles, . he's now returning to something simpler. The album is a series of lengthy jams, followed by their dub versions. Once you get used to the rough 'n' ready approach,, it's dynamic stuff. Various Artists '/380BP80H Collectors Shots , (Revue) ' Ten ace singles from the past couple of years, from the likes of Tony Tuff,- Cornell Campbell, Errol Walker and Sugar Minott. The best value disc in a long time —at least 20 minutes,of solid scrubbing per side. Just stick on Fil Calender's dreamy 'Rub A Dub Time' and fall in love with someone. • More, more ... Duncan Campbell Rip It Up No 75 Editor Murray Cammick Assistant Editor Russell Brown "Production lan Dalziel HaS Postal Address PO Box 5689, Auckland 1. Advertising Enquiries 790-653 Rip It Up is typeset by Artspec Typesetting Systems, printed by Lucas Print. Photoprints by Prints Graphic Art Studio.