In The Mood

構成数 : 1
合計収録時間 : 00:34:01
Recording information: Indies, W Para; Jamaica; Kingston, Jamaica. In the Mood for a mystery? This set should fit the bill. A reissue of a reissue of an album first released in the mid-'70s, for starters this set is better known under the title If I Didn't Love You. For some odd reason that set, which hit European shops in 1975, credited Alvin Ranglin as producer -- odd, because all nine of the tracks on the record were actually produced by Niney Holness, and neither Ranglin nor his label, GGs, had anything to do with any of them. Holness and Brown had no need of his help, for together the hot young producer and former child star were tearing up the Jamaican charts with a deluge of singles fueled by Holness' ferocious riddims and Brown's stellar vocals. Previously renowned for his gorgeous love-and-lovelorn numbers and his sumptuous, soulful covers, the singer was now leaving his teens and making his mark with fiery cultural numbers. "Blood Sun," "Run Too Late" (aka "Run Too Tough"), and the emotive sufferer's "Home Sweet Home" all illustrate this dramatic transformation. However, the rest of the set is given over to Brown's gentler, more romantic side, featuring both his own compositions and a handful of covers. One of the most striking of the latter is "The Long and Winding Road," with the singer bringing new depth to Lennon and McCartney's lyrics, and Holness a savvy roots-goes-pop styling to the arrangement. The Paragons' exquisite rocksteady classic "Only a Smile" is given a soulful interpretation, as is the Ken Boothe-penned "Silver Words," which is laced with twangy Western guitar. The glorious title track nods back to the rapturous early days of American R&B, although the backing is pure island-style reggae, while the twangy guitar on "Go Now" nods to country & western, even while the arrangement adds a splash of funk to its lush rockers style. In contrast, "Birds Have Their Nests" is doused with a contemporary urban R&B sound, but fueled by an adamant reggae rhythm. In a mere nine tracks, this album presented a very different artist than the one Europeans first met three years earlier via the Derrick Harriott-produced Super Hits (released by the Trojan label). Then, Brown was a teenager with limitless potential; now, fans were introduced to a young man ready for international stardom. ~ Jo-Ann Greene