Full Time

The Mighty Diamonds and Culture may be more famous, but when it comes to reggae harmony groups, the Gladiators can give the best of them a run for their money. Figure in the fact that lead singer Albert Griffiths is also a fine songwriter and that all three singers play instruments as well (unusual for a harmony group in this genre), and all of a sudden you start wondering why the Gladiators haven't gotten all the press. Not that they've been ignored -- their two Groovemaster LPs (Trenchtown Mix Up and Proverbial Reggae, both later picked up by Virgin and reissued together on one CD in the early '90s) are generally regarded as classics. In the early '80s they recorded several albums for the American Nighthawk label, and Full Time is a collection of tracks left over from those album sessions, filled out with a generous handful of dub versions. These don't really sound like outtakes -- "Boy in Long Pants," "Run Them," and "Reggae Jamboree" all rank with the best of the group's previous work, and Griffiths is in fine voice. The production, by Griffiths, Leroy Pierson, and Nighthawk label head Bob Schoenfeld, is excellent. ~ Rick Anderson