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Linton Kwesi Johnson: Reggae Greats

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Island Records
Released: 1984
Time:
 40:12
Category: Reggae
Producer(s): Linton Kwesi Johnson, Dennis Bovell
Rating: ********.. (8/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.lkjrecords.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2001.04.28
Price in €: 6,99



 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Reggae Sounds (L.K.Johnson) - 3:05
[2] Independent Intavenshan (L.K.Johnson) - 4:15
[3] Street 66 (L.K.Johnson) - 3:43
[4] Bass Culture (L.K.Johnson) - 4:59
[5] Di Great Insohreckshan (L.K.Johnson) - 4:00
[6] It Noh Funny (L.K.Johnson) - 3:38
[7] Sonny's Lettah [Anti-Sus Poem] (L.K.Johnson) - 3:50
[8] Reggae Fi Radni (L.K.Johnson) - 4:21
[9] Fite Dem Back (L.K.Johnson) - 4:00
[10] Making History (L.K.Johnson) - 4:21

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


LINTON KWESI JOHNSON - Composer, Vocals

DENNIS BOVELL - Engineer, Mixing
TREVOR WYATT - Compilation
ASHLEY POTTER - Cover Illustration
ROB PARTRIDGE - Liner Notes

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


1985 CD Mango 162-539786-2
1985 LP Mango 6
1990 LP Mango 539786
1990 CS Mango 162-539786-4



Island released this "best of" compilation in 1984, mere months after Linton Kwesi Johnson (a.k.a. LKJ) left the label following a dispute over the mixing of Making History. It leads appropriately with "Reggae Sounds": LKJ the human bass beat master wafting the listener away to a dark and sweaty Brixton dancehall, building an impressionistic portrait with word, rhyme, and riddim of the music dread enough for the entire world to understand. "Bass Culture" illustrates the seductive reggae recipe of "blues, suffering, and bloodclaat pressure," while "Street 66" rocks racism by taking the dancehall scenario to its all-too-inevitable conclusion: police breaking up the party... and a few bones. "Di Great Insohreckshan" expands that portrait from miniature into a full-blown mural, painting the brilliant rage of black rebel youth fighting out against the grim colors of institutional racism.

Elena Oumano, Amazon.com



Linton Kwesi Johnson is probably the best-known, most popular dub poet (aside from Mutabaruka), which makes sense, since he practically invented this subgenre. His brazen, straightforward lyrics cover an admirable variety of cultural and sociopolitical subjects (particularly evident in his protest against police violence, "Sonny's Lettah"), and this short "best of" collection groups together select tracks from his 3 Island albums, Forces of Victory, Bass Culture, and Making History. Dub poetry as a whole is certainly an acquired taste, and frankly, I have yet to fully acquire it. With Oku Onuora's works being the major exception, I have yet to hear much dub poetry that has really struck me. Johnson's works here seem typical of the genre: forceful, deliberate, conscious lyrics spouted in a semi-rhythmic talking/borderline DJ chatting beat poet style. This style is a major hang-up for me because it's neither as smooth as singing nor as rhythmic as chatting. It actually sounds like bad hip-hop rapping at times, and it's painful enough to seriously distract me from the song. Still, this aside, stronger music would've helped considerably (I mean, much of the appeal of many of Lee "Scratch" Perry's tunes are the music alone, since his maniacal vocals are a bit too, well, maniacal.), but the rhythms on this album - provided by LKJ and Dennis Bovell - aren't as consistently good as they should be. Being dub poetry, the music should be able to stand alone as a dub, but I think that only about half of these would be solid dubs, particularly "Bass Culture," "Sonny's Lettah," and "Reggae Fi Radni," with its swimming, Godfather-esque guitar. On only a few tracks, however, does the music both appeal to me and manage not to be overpowered by the awkward-sounding vocals, most notably in "Di Great Insohreckshan," on which the vocals are more subdued, and "Making History," on which the vocals are more rhythmic, thus flowing better. Certainly, a lot of people do enjoy LKJ's material, but it's just as certain that these songs won't satisfy every reggae fan's palate.
 

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