Good Tonight

Over Proof found Dennis Brown (arguably Jamaica's answer to Marvin Gaye or Donny Hathaway) remaining artistically successful not by incorporating an abundance of dancehall or hip-hop, as other reggae artists were doing in the early 1990s, but by sticking with the type of unpretentious, straightforward "Jah music" that had been his forte since the '70s. Brown does give Bell Biv DeVoe's "new jack swing" hit "Poison" an interesting reggae makeover, but most of the time, sticks to a more '70s-ish sound. While those who admire the charismatic singer for his mastery of "lover's rock" (reggae focusing on romance rather than politics) won't be disappointed by "Without Your Love," "If You Want Me" or the seductive "This Is Your Night," Brown has solid political smokers in "No More Walls" and "Orders To Shoot" (a commentary on trigger-happy governments in South Africa, Romania and elsewhere). Though not in a class with some of Brown's earlier albums, Over Proof is a solid, satisfying CD that his more devoted fans shouldn't overlook. ~ Alex Henderson|