LOADED QUESTION

Have I been exposed to so much gratuitous AUTO-TUNE in the media that I've become desensitized too it? 


Next...

SIZZLA KALONJI'S THE SCRIPTURES

HURRICANE MIGUEL COLLINS AT 155 MPH

An angry SIZZLA KALONJI is a mighty force to reckon with. Must be like standing in the path of an approaching category 5 hurricane. Kiss your ass good bye. I wouldn't wanna be on the receiving end of his wrath. 

But that is only one of SIZZLA'S many schizophrenic moods.The world of SIZZLA exists in multiple of dimensions. 

There is....

the lustful dutty mouth of a healthy young man being seduced by the temptations of fame and fortune.

 There is...

the pissed off shouting down of Babylon by a man confronted with the Demons of injustice...

There is...

the soul searching of a righteous man hoping to reach purity of heart. 

Personally I like the calm level reasoning of a man at peace with his surroundings. Then again I love when SIZZLA'S voice strains under weight of his message. Even when his falsetto is being crushed it still crackles with celebration. 

Then there is the SIZZLA that explores other genres that his not supposed to. (You know which discs I'm talking about!)

The same SIZZLA that can walk into a recording studio, be handed a random Riddim, and on the spot make a tune of lasting value. 

So what then happens when he is subject to a Hollywood blockbuster sized production from JOHN JOHN? What happens when he is given layer upon layer of instruments and sounds too build up each Riddim? When lead and background vocals are multi-tracked into operatic choruses? The answer is a little bit of everything SIZZLA has done throughout his intense career. Not to say that this disc is a cold stale serving of old ideas. It is not. SIZZLA and JOHN JOHN are giving us a MAGNUM OPUS. 

This disc is slick without being greasy. Know what I mean? A very sing song collection of positive vibes.  THE SCRIPTURES is not a disc of FYAH and BRIMSTONE like the title misled me into believing. Sure...there are HEAVENLY tunes that praise JAH, but a few of the tunes here, deal with EARTHLY matters. 

Track 1- WORLD CRY picks up where his work on the amazing BILLIE JEAN RIDDIM for IRIE IRITES leaves off. His passionate wailing like a tortured soul lost in a life and death struggle brings this tune to it's knees. Hell way to start a record!

Track 2- THE WORLD IS WATCHING is modern ROOTS at it's zenith. The thirty-five year old wise SIZZLA reaches higher plains of knowledge. And his voice is reaching for higher octaves. He gets there. Taking a cue from the extremely talented and successfully STEPHEN and DAMIAN MARLEY, SIZZLA drops in a passage from rapper PETER JACKSON. Seamless. Not a cheap crossover attempt.

Track 3- IN JAMAICA is in the mellow tradition and for me is the least engaging tune. I'm not saying it is bad tune. Just a nice flow. You can't be hit over the head with every tune! The disc has to catch it's breath.

Track 4- CLEANSE MY SOUL is sung in my favorite SIZZLA voice. I hear the aching and the longing for JAH'S love in his voice. This isn't hollow lip service. This is a true DEVOTIONAL HYMN. Not a prayer gussied up with gilded gold trappings. This heavenly requests only earthly ornamental vestments are punchy horns, an angelic girlie chorus and Dubby wah-wah guitar!

Track 5- LET IT BE has a nice sing song melody that flows from SIZZLA'S deep wellspring of RASTAFARI belief. Lyrical conviction as heavy as the drum and bass Riddim it rides. This is a healthy tune that's strong in body and spirit. 

Track 6- JAH IS MY SHIELD almost has a subtle groovy sixties MOTOWN feel with it's girlie chorus. I can picture them swaying in synchronized rhythm behind the microphone. Very catchy without being gimmicky. Pure positive vibes in honour of HIS MOST HIGH, HAILE SELASSIE I.

Track 7- SCRIPTURES is a tune where the Riddim doesn't bring too much attention to it's self. This tune is about the message contained within the words. Nothing to detract from the preacher's sermon! You in the back...pay attention. 

Track 8- WHAT A WHOA is the certainly the darkest mood felt on THE SCRIPTURES. Like this disc as a whole, every time I spin it, it slowly reveals more of itself to me. It's truths are not as obvious or immediate as say, the masterpiece, BLACK WOMAN AND CHILD. A perfect record the first time ya hear it! Spend some time with THE SCRIPTURES. Let it slowly soak in. 

Track 9- GOD BLESS YOU MOMMA features the falsetto in full effect. The tune is a joyous declaration of love and respect for family. I dare you to call SIZZLA a mommas boy!

Track 10- JUMP FOR JOY is the heaviest riffed tune here with a militant call and response style refrain. This tune cries out to be a hit! It is definitely a jumpy tune but not necessarily a joyous tune. 

Track 11- I LOVE YOU is the most honest love song I've heard in awhile. Only his twisted vocals keep it from curdling into cheese! 

Track 12- HAPPY BIRTHDAY is a peppy SKA shuffle! The big horn section behaves like proper gentleman. Not too rudebwoy. Just the right amount of brass. Just the right amount of balls. 

Track 13- MUSIC IN MY SOUL is probably gonna be the biggest tune to drop off THE SCRIPTURES. This tune just screams mash up all over radio. It will be heard the world over.

In JAZZ the saying goes CHARLIE PARKER discovered the atom but it was JOHN COLTRANE that smashed it. I'll slide rule this over to Reggae. SIZZLA is all hell on EARTH breaking loose.

He just does it quieter with this disc!
I expected to hear this...

...but got this!

 And that ain't so bad...

NICO'S TWO CENTS. AGAIN.

Okay, I'll admit I can be a hypocritical bastard!

 Let my explain...for years I rejected YELLOWMAN because of the nature of his lyrical content. I always preached that his songs were the Devil's playground. Yeah...high morals coming from an erotic painter and photographer!
 Awhile back I came to the realization that thru decades of radio exposure, tons of mix-tapes and Friday nite parties, I knew every slack word that the YELLOWMAN has ever spoken! And you know what? He is better than good, he is fucking great. I never admitted to myself what an innovator he was.

ACTUALLY TAME BY TODAYS HARDCORE STANDARDS!

Damn fool... I wasted so much time trying to ignore him. 

GUILTY PLEASURES!

Apparently YELLOWMAN, since rechristened KING YELLOWMAN, felt the same way. Absent from his current work is the overtly slack sentimentality and in it's place is a higher reverence for life. Belief in JAH does that!

Every once in awhile I go on a massive YELLOWMAN kick to atone for my past sins. This VP Records collection culled from their vast archives of goodies is great place to start penance. 

When I want to escape life's daily drudgery, I indulge in the fine art of browsing. An independent music chain provides the getaway. I can't bad mouth 'em because of the musical goodies that they've stocked in their bins for past 25 years has always made this miserable bastard happy. 

But more recently I had no clue that artists like Baby Cham and Mr. Vegas were in the Rap/Hip-Hop section. Odd. Considering Elephant Man is stocked in the Reggae bins. Now I could see accidentally dropping his stuff in the RAP section. ELE'S Let's Get Physical was put out by RAP MOGUL Sean "Puffy Doodle" Comb's BAD BOY RECORDS! 

AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF ENERGY AND MELODIES

The stampeding ELEPHANT MAN is in the same bin as the ETHIOPIANS and the sedate musical meditations of EARL ZERO. So why in BABYLON is Mr. Vegas's releases hiding among some of COMPTON'S finest. I'm trying to find the logic.

To quote the great thinker, BOUNTY KILLER, "Rap is an embarrassment to Dancehall." 

CANDY FROM A STRANGER...

As an old dog...I can't learn any new tricks, but I can make new friends. And a new friend slipped me a copy of SIZZLA'S hasn't dropped on the public yet set of tunes titled SCRIPTURES. I'm usually standing last in line when new stuff gets released. Yeah...I'm going spend sometime with it before giving you my honest opinion. 

My ears are tuned in. And my mind is always open for what Sizzla has in store for us patiently waiting fans. Fans or I could call us students. I guess it is a little of both when we're under his influence. 

SIZE DOESN'T MATTER!

NOT UP FOR GRABS 

Half the crowd claims MAVADO as their new dancehall king and just as many people would argue that VYBZ KARTEL earns that title. 


I will grant you that Mavado dropped one of the most intense debuts in the history of music with his GANGSTA FOR LIFE: THE SYMPHONY OF DAVID BROOKS. Ever. In any genre. Then followed that masterpiece brilliantly with his sophomore effort, but lately his singles haven't stuck like glue. 

EVIL GENIUS

Now VYBZ has been a major disruption in the ordered way of tings. On hype alone...the last two years are easily his best efforts to usurp the throne. Check his Clarks De Mix Tape Raw for evidence. And all the gossip pages!

GENETIC EXPERIMENTATION GONE AWRY

But have you noticed how many strong tunes the supposedly disposed king of the dancehall, BEENIE MAN, has dropped on us in the last few years? Whether it is an obscure single like INTERNATIONAL with Jurassic Five's, CHALI2NA, to his more current smash with FUTURE FAMBO,  their I'M DRINKING / RUM & RED BULL. Monsters...every single one of 'em is a monster!

ALPHA MALE

Apparently it is true...size don't matter...

because MOSES DAVIS aka BEENIE MAN stands small in physical stature but is still Dancehall's dominate ALPHA MALE.  

LONG LIVE THE KING!

AIR CONDITIONING

Today was the real first hot day up here in the north east of America. So to cool down I switched on the poor man's air conditioner; I youtubed the Lime's Christmas Pon Di Remix videos. Di Genius is responsible for the tune and it features Mr. Beenie Man, Mr. Mavado, Edwin Yearwood, and that master of melodies Mr. Elephant Man. And to balance out all that raging testosterone...the ravishing estrogen of Ce'Cile. A close cropped Alaine along with two other lovely ladies voice the backgrounds. It was an new look for her. LIME filmed several versions. Each featuring a different product or service. Nah sell out? Yes sell out...their commercials! 

But that is the point. Ce'Cile sold me on a Blackberry phone. Hell she could sell political elections or small countries. I tacked on that sexy picture of her on what was my least interesting post. My most hits ever! My point proven.




Some food for thought! I still have tears rollin' outta my eyes.

IN JAH'S EYES

All right…after being married for many years in JAH’S eyes, my wife Krispy and myself are planning to make our nuptials legal with the State. I am holding the celebration on my late father’s birthday to honor his memory. My dad originally wanted to throw the party. He hand built this mighty deck surrounded by flowers and gardens. Sadly, it didn’t get used that much due to bad health and bad times and everything died. I have been busy bringing everything back to life.

I could easily cop out and just play BERES HAMMOND in heavy rotation! My player has one of those five disc carousels. Load ‘em up, press play and then walk away for hours. But I wanna play DJ. 

My wife picked a few necessary tunes and is leaving the rest up to me. My wife picked out ANGEL by SHAGGY as her walk down the aisle tune. 

No…seriously!

 I Googled Reggae wedding songs and came across sites that had suggestions that made me piss my pants! I thought I know a lot about all tings Reggae but I didn’t know Australia’s 80’s new wavers, MEN AT WORK, and their signature tune, DOWN UNDER, made it to the top ten Reggae wedding tunes of all time!

You have different stages to a wedding celebration. Getting seated, exchanging of vows, getting seated again, dinner is served and finally dance the nite away.

I did pick up a few absolute killer mix-tapes that would definitely keep the party pulsating with life. Only down side, VYBZ uses a few foul-mouthed words. I don’t want the embarrassing moment of explaining what “Wrecking the PUM PUM” means to my seventy-three year old Momma!

With Vybz...there is always a lot of explaining!

So I am reaching out to people that read my rants for suggestions. Any ideas? Write me…

DUTTY MASTER!

Dutty Rock. Whatta load of insipid lyrics. Whatta steaming pile of misogynistic verbal abuse. Dutty Rock is an extended ode to women's derrières. The only break from the behavioral pattern is the obligatory smoke the weed tunes.The Major Label Record company manufactured zillions of 'em till the machine over-heated and melted down. It seemed the entire world wanted Sean Paul at that moment. 
Now they just about give 'em away online. Unsold copies are perfect for lining the cat litter box.  After releasing three or four discs of the same...everybody than realised that Sean Paul is a one trick pony show...

...but whatta trick it is! You know you have this disc. Against all your will power you know you love this disc. Am I right? 

WHO?

HAWKEYE

In a mere decade from now, humanity loses it's collective mind, and engages in an orgy of war. Pushing the red button till there is complete oblivion. 

Skip to the post apocalyptic nuclear fallout zone that was once my home. Future archaeologists find a lead lined box marked important. This box contains my VP Records RIDDIM DRIVEN collection. Must be almost a hundred of 'em. The scientists perform some quick on the spot calculations and determine that HAWKEYE was the centuries most popular Reggae star! 

I hear ya mouthing who? 

Yep, he voices on dozens of 'em. Talented enough to be more than just mere filler, but not memorable enough to shine. I mean, when ya stick him between a stomping ELEPHANT MAN and a mighty CAPLETON fyah tune, who is gonna pay attention to the unlucky bastard stuck in the middle? 

Yep...not me. 

AND IN THE BEGINNING...

Turn your history books back to the first page. Mento is the current rage. Independence is still being celebrated. A band of like minded JAZZ musicians start jamming together.  A conscious effort to create a brand new musical language is being made. Mento was basically Calypso spoken through Jamaican accents. How do ya change things up? Start messing with the foundation, the bass and drums. For this we have Lloyd Brevett and Lloyd Knibb to thank. This band called themselves the Skatalites. Most of the band were Alpha Boys School graduates. Blame the school for getting these boys hooked on music. Similar story take place almost six decades earlier down in NAWLIN'S with the COLORED WAIFS HOME. Among that school's "juvenile delinquents" was the musical prodigy, jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong. 

The Skatalites were the house band for Coxson Dodd's Studio One. Jackie Mittoo was Studio One's resident musical arranger.

Problem is every member of this swinging SKA orchestra was the top boss of his instrument. Clashing egos and different directions splintered it's existence to the core in less than three measly years. Out of all this debris came the first bands to lay down the Riddims that still survive strong today. Bands like Soul Vendors or Tommy McCook and the Agrovators. 

Whether you actually enjoy the classic sounds of Reggae's golden past, or you just give that era big respect; once you develop a sweet spot for reggae music, you want to be in on all it's secrets. You want to know where this incredible music came from. Like every other art form that bubbled up out of the desperate underground to flow into ears of mass acceptance; Reggae has the most incredible cast of characters. Each with their own story on how Jamaica gave birth to this third world musical take-over. The contents of this record are valuable. Huge historical significance in these grooves. This music is steeped in soul. It's soaked in funky vibes and then run wild through the Jamaican music machine.

This record has that swinging sixties groove of peace, love and lets take the revolution to the streets man. Ya dig? 

There is some straight Jazz on this record that may scare the uninitiated. Remember..our beloved Reggae music began as a homegrown take on American big band swing jazz. So big horn sounds fill the empty spaces. Jackie plays inna way laid back heavy Hammond B organ groove. Witness his take on the Beatles Elenor Rigby. There is darkness to the tune. Gone is Ringo's conventional drums patterns. He gives it African roots. How? With NYAHBINGHI beats!

Jackie star rises somewhere between Jimmy "Back at the Chicken Shack" Smith and Billy Preston. And Jackie's musical contribution should be recognised way beyond that of just Reggae aficionados.