Ruff This Year

Chaka Demus & Pliers unleashed a hat trick of albums in 1992 -- a self-titled set, Gal Wine (which bundled up a batch of recent Jamaican hits), and Ruff This Year. The latter was overseen by producer R. "Blackbeard" Sinclair, and was titled after yet another of the duo's smash Jamaican hits. The pair was on the verge of international stardom; it would arrive in the new year with the Sly & Robbie-produced set All She Wrote. But the groundwork was laid with these earlier albums, as the duo storms across the tracks with panache. Sinclair handed over a clutch of dancehall-fired rhythms, with the tattooed beats to the fore and abetted by the heavily palpitating basslines. The pair turns some of them inside out; for instance, both "Temperature Is Rising" and "Smile for Me" boast a sparse, militant backing, but Pliers' sweet vocals soften even the most aggressive of rhythms. In contrast, the breezier "Sunshine Love" turns the tables, with Demus' jovial tones vying with his partner's quick-speed toasting. A handful of songs directly foreshadow the future -- "Temperature Is Rising" is an early version of "Murder She Wrote," and that hit's distinctive guitar riff line also features on "No Contest," while Demus' toast is found verbatim on "Medley." But that's not surprising, considering Jamaica's penchant for recycling and the pair's love of refraining popular phrases and toasts. More telling is finding Sly & Robbie among the backing musicians, and it's obvious that All She Wrote began germinating during Ruff's sessions. All its ingredients are already here, and in truth this album is at least its successor's equal. The entire set boasts an incredible joie de vivre, and Chaka Demus & Pliers' enthusiasm for their music and their art is evident throughout. The fabulous title track finds our heroes bouncing right back against all adversity as they wrestle the competition to the ground. The sheer exuberance of Demus' delivery across his solo "Medley" and his equally stunning "Don't Tell Me" sets the entire set ablaze, while the romantic "Smile for Me" and "Only Love," and the duo's more laid-back "Champion Bubbler," keep the embers burning hot. All told, Ruff is a phenomenal set, and only its tougher island sound prevented it from crossing directly into the mass world market. ~ Jo-Ann Greene|