REGGAE REGGAE

Rip It Up, Issue 60, 1 July 1982, Page 18

REGGAE REGGAE

Bob Marley & Wailers Soul Rebel (Charly) After the dreadful Chances Are, I held little hope for this similar package of old Marley material. There's not a posthumous overdub in sight this time. But then, these are old singles, not studio demos that were never intended to see the light of day. The one drawback to this set is the lack of any sort of information on the dates of the recordings, or the personnel. They probably come from the mid-sixties' period, when the Wailers were recording for Clement Dodd's Coxsone studios. These were trying times for the group, but they recorded some brilliant singles. The harmonies were never sweeter, and Marley was already a vocal tour de force. Try the impassioned gospel style of the original 'Chances Are'. You also, get 'Soul Rebel' and 'Put It On', two standards, and seven other never-less-than-excellent tracks. A loving Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. DC Steel Pulse True Democracy (Elektra) True Democracy is this British band's first album since their split from Island. Their last effort, Caught You, never made it to this country. It sounded tired and uninterested. True .Democracy revives some of the old spark, without making any radical departures. Steel Pulse are another reggae band trying to crack the American market. They have an advantage, with their more sophisticated upbringing and polished sound, though their politics may prove a stumbling block. True Democracy works best at its simplest, when the rhythms are trimmed down and allowed to function without too much fussy percussion (the best reggae drummers are the most basic ask Sly). In this vein, try 'Blues Dance Raid', a song about police harrassment, the simple tenderness of Tour House', or the boozer's lament of "Man No Sober'. In each case, the song shines through and Hinds sings beautifully. 'A Who Responsible?', dedicated to the victims of the Atlanta child killer, would have benefit ted from a sparser treatment. Still, Steel Pulse continue to function well within their prescribed limitations, though these days they seem to surrender to them more than they did in the heady days of -Tribute To The Martyrs. DC Various Artists Reggae Sunsplash 'Bl (Elektra) In the middle of last year, several thousand people gathered

in Jarrett Park, in Jamaica's Montego Bay, to pay tribute to Bob Marley. For four days, some of the best and second-best reggae artists performed. The aura surrounding Bob Marley has not diminished since his death, and the presence of the Wailers and the I-Threes ensured an almost-religious atmosphere. The event was recorded and filmed. This is the double soundtrack. -----. , If I sound unenthusiastic, forgive me, but the music is really very ordinary. During the I-Threes/Wailers version of Marley's 'Them Belly Full', Junior Marvin says nobody can replace Bob. Do' we have to listen to embarrassing cover versions to prove it? Marley s children,, the Melody Makers, will have to show something more than just cuteness to make it as adults. Black Uhuru do 'Plastic Smile' and 'Guess Who's Coming To Dinner', better mixed than on their own live LP, while Carlene Davis and Sheila Hylton should never have been there in the first place. Steel Pulse steal the show in terms of sheer sound quality, and they're not even natives. Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown also turn in good performances, and toaster Eek-A-Mouse raises some smiles with his hilarious "Wa Do Dem'. But it's the artists who are missing that should have been up front. Marcia Griffiths performed solo, Culture were there, as was ; toaster Lone Ranger, Judy Mowatt (another I-Three) also did a solo spot, Jimmy Cliff and Tapper Zukie put in appearances, as did Leroy Sibbles, ex-Heptones. - Marley never lost touch with his roots, despite his popular appeal. I can't believe he would have been pleased by the mostly sanitised - reggae presented here. DC Third World You've Got the Power (CBS) Third World's second album for. CBS, and another bid to crack the American market. A considerable improvement on the dire Rock The World, but that's not saying a helluva lot, especially recalling the strength of their earlier Island output. The band's crossover discoreggae sound would seem to have everything going for it. As a bonus, it's recorded at Stevie Wonder's studios, and the man himself is credited as producerarranger on two tracks. Artists like Wonder have given reggae some respectability in the superstraight American music industry, which was never quite happy with Marley's rebel image. Third World retain just enough JA to look exotic, without being threatening. 'You're Playing Us Too Close' raises a fist, but not high enough, and 'Jah Jah Children Moving Up' has some nice toasting from Rugs. Only those two raise the interest level at all. Third World pay tribute to Marley, but they would better serve his memory by crying tough.

Duncan Campbell