By The Rivers Of Babylon: Timeless Hymns...

構成数 : 1枚
合計収録時間 : 01:00:06
Also available as part of the 4-CD box REVOLUTIONARY SOUNDS: THE COLLECTION OF ROOTS REGGAE 1973-1981. Includes liner notes by Randall Grass. Digitally remastered by Robert Vosgien (CMS Digital). Personnel: Victor Gwala, Jafta Gwala (tenor); Emmanuel, Patric Mbuso, Mateus Moloi, Lord Gwala, Gift (bass voice). Photographer: Millard Faristzaddi. Arrangers: Joseph Hill; Lee "Scratch" Perry; Winston Jarrett; Yabby You. Originally a single disc in Shanachie Records' Revolutionary Sounds box set, By the Rivers of Babylon: Timeless Rasta Hymns is a collection of religious thanks and praises recorded between 1973 and 1981. The best material digs into reggae's roots by tapping into a spiritual performance style. Culture's "Marriage in Kaina," Judy Mowatt's "King of Kings," and the Ethiopians' "Ethiopian National Anthem" (among others) all bypass conventional drum/bass/guitar-scratch reggae beats, instead working from a dense bed of percussion (typically lead by a conga). The bass locks into this framework, creating a wonderfully loose, pulsating groove, ideal for a variety of vocal styles from improvised chanting to conventional singing. The results have the feel of an impromptu musical gathering. Elsewhere, there are some fine, roots reggae tracks: music that seems to step lightly, but packs a weighty punch. The sparse, vibrant beat of "Blackman Know Yourself" beautifully highlights smooth-singing Joe Higgs. While his voice might not be exceptional, he has a fine grasp of rhythmic subtlety, almost imperceptibly rushing and relaxing his phrasing. An equally fine performance is given by Reggae Queen Rita Marley on the serene "Who Feels It, Knows It." The collection's finest track, however, must be awarded to Maxie, Niney and Scratch's dub-affected "Babylon Burning (Fire, Fire)." Without warning, the song kicks into its spoken introduction, backed by warped keyboards and rough, distorted drums. The rhythm is choppy. At times, it sounds like it could all fall apart as instruments drop in and out and small, shattering sounds explode from the amplifiers. Not even dub master Augustus Pablo (represented here by the fine instrumental "Chant to King Selassie I") can top it. The collection ends, most appropriately, with Count Ossie & the Mystic Revelations' "So Long," which, more than anything, manages to capture a group of musicians immersed in spiritual song. With By the Rivers of Babylon, Shanachie has preserved a portrait of a rich tradition in reggae music. ~ Nathan Bush
録音 : ステレオ (Studio)